Closing the ancient text in his hand, Lin Rong turned to the shadow guard waiting nearby and asked:
"How is the condition of the Thunderous Infernal Vine?"
"Reporting, my lord," the shadow guard replied quickly.
"The Thunderous Infernal Vine's state is deteriorating rapidly. The destructive aura it has been releasing these past few days grows more violent by the hour. I fear it is already lingering on the brink of life and death."
"I estimate that, within a day or two at most, the Thunderous Infernal Vine won't be able to hold on."
Hearing this, Lin Rong was taken aback.
"So it's already this serious?"
"Luckily, I rushed here without delay. If I'd been a few days late, my fourth soul ring would've slipped away."
The matter was urgent, leaving no room for hesitation.
Without further thought, Lin Rong released his Dragon Soul, carrying himself and the old steward straight into Thunder Gorge.
The Thunderous Infernal Vine radiated destructive energy. Even without sensing its life force, Lin Rong could easily locate it through his Life Perception—
After all, among all life forces in Thunder Gorge, the one most saturated with destruction was unmistakable.
Thunder Gorge was vast.
Even with the Vine positioned near its outer rim, the Dragon Soul still had to carry them for more than half an hour before reaching the place.
Finally, Lin Rong laid eyes on the legendary soul beast said to carry the bloodline of the God of Thunder.
On a sheer cliff wall, a protruding rock jutted outward. Upon it grew an enormous vine.
The vine's main body gleamed a deep indigo—so dark it was almost black.
Eight thick tendrils lashed wildly, each strike infused with thunder and destruction, continuously battering the surrounding cliffs.
Closer observation revealed that one of the tendrils was slightly shorter and thinner than the other seven.
"This Thunderous Infernal Vine has been cultivated for 8,864 years, and it's still drawing thunder energy to further its strength."
After approaching and sensing it briefly, Lin Rong determined its precise age and cultivation.
Protected by the steward's soul power barrier, the Dragon Soul brought them easily close to the Vine.
"What a dense aura of destruction!"
Even through the steward's barrier, the destructive force spilling from the Vine sent a chill through Lin Rong's heart.
At such close range, staring at the vine gone mad with ruinous energy, Lin Rong decisively unleashed his Innate Domain.
A cyan radiance rippled outward from his body, soon enveloping the entire Vine.
Within the domain's glow, faint azure dragon phantoms flickered in and out of sight.
These phantoms poured continuously into the Vine's body, gradually converting its suffocating destruction into the essence of life.
This was the exclusive effect of the Vine Dragon Domain—
Life Dragon Soul!
However, the Vine's wisdom had long been drowned by madness and destruction.
Instead of cooperating, it actively resisted treatment.
"How troublesome!"
Seeing this, Lin Rong reluctantly activated the awakened talent soul skill of his domain: Evil-Breaking Dragon Roar!
A resonant dragon cry shook the entire cliffside.
The roar dispelled all negative conditions within its range.
The Vine's lost intelligence was instantly restored by the dragon's call.
Now regaining awareness, the Thunderous Infernal Vine understood the situation and began actively cooperating with the healing of the Life Dragon Soul.
With its cooperation, the conversion of destruction into life energy became vastly more efficient.
Two hours later—
After constant purification by the Life Dragon Soul, the Vine's destructive power had been pulled back from the critical edge, stabilizing within safe limits.
"Judging from this improvement, I'd say the Vine can hold on for another three or four days."
Looking at the much-stabilized Thunderous Infernal Vine, Lin Rong murmured to himself:
"In that case, I'll treat it once every three days."
"If I heal it too thoroughly now, it might not suffer enough before death, and that could reduce the probability of a soul bone dropping. That won't do."
"Good. Back to camp for cultivation. If I can break through to level forty soon, I won't have to work this hard."
With that decision, Lin Rong controlled the Dragon Soul to carry him and the steward out of Thunder Gorge.
"???"
Back on the cliff, the intelligent Vine was baffled.
It had just experienced the most comfortable sensation of its life, only for the healer to suddenly leave mid-treatment?
If only it had overheard Lin Rong's muttered words earlier. Otherwise, upon learning the truth, it might have been driven to self-destruction on the spot.
On a nearby mountain outside Thunder Gorge, Lin Rong settled into camp for cultivation, returning every three days to repeat the treatment.
Time passed day by day.
At last, three days before his ninth birthday, Lin Rong's soul power broke through—
Level 40!
"Achievement unlocked: An eight-year-old quasi–Soul Sect. Once I absorb the Thunderous Infernal Vine's soul ring, I can drop the 'quasi' title."
Lin Rong's expectations for this fourth soul ring were immense.
The Nine-Curved Vine Dragon's first three soul skills:
Dragon Soul Awakening
Azure Leaf Mark
Azure River Shines in the Sky
Of these three, two were attribute-enhancement skills, and one was spatial. None provided direct explosive offense.
Though the Vine Dragon's branches and roots, enhanced by Dragon Soul Awakening and Azure River Shines the Sky, already struck with great force, Lin Rong still lacked a high-damage finishing move.
In short: strong normal attacks, but no ultimate.
Thunder, however, represented the most destructive aspect of the wood element.
And with its God of Thunder bloodline, the Thunderous Infernal Vine stood at the very pinnacle of all thunder-attribute soul beasts.
Therefore, the soul skill it would bestow would not disappoint.
Once more, the Dragon Soul carried Lin Rong and the steward to the cliff.
Seeing him return so soon, the Vine was confused:
"Didn't he just treat me two days ago? It's not even the third day yet. Why is he back already?"
"Ah, never mind. The more the better. With this man's help, I can gorge myself on thunder energy freely."
Thus, after each treatment, the Vine had been recklessly overindulging in thunder absorption, pushing itself to the brink every time.
Yet Lin Rong never adjusted his frequency. He trusted the Vine's wisdom to moderate its self-destructive behavior.
Stepping onto the Dragon Soul, Lin Rong approached the Vine and spread his domain.
Expecting the soothing Life Dragon Soul, the Vine instinctively relaxed.
But instead of healing, it was struck by the soul-shaking, spirit-rending force of Evil-Breaking Dragon Roar!
Completely unguarded, the Vine's consciousness was thrown into chaos, leaving its body defenseless.
Seizing the moment, Lin Rong commanded the Nine-Curved Vine Dragon to deliver the killing blow, ending the Thunderous Infernal Vine's life.
A deep violet soul ring coalesced from its remains.
Ignoring the ring for now, Lin Rong ordered his martial soul to search among the Vine's eight tendrils for a soul bone.
One by one, the tendrils were crushed.
Nothing appeared in the first six. But halfway through the seventh, the Vine Dragon pulled forth an item with its roots and presented it proudly to Lin Rong.
"Not bad."
Lin Rong smiled, taking the item.
"A leg bone. Left leg, fortunately, not the right."
The soul bone in his hand shimmered with a crystalline dark blue light.
Though only a thousand-year soul bone, it was shockingly complete, comparable in integrity to a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
"I wonder if this bone has inherited the Vine's thunder-absorbing growth ability."
"There's one way to find out."
He placed the bone upon the Vine's corpse.
Under his perception, the soul bone began to draw in thunder energy, steadily raising its age.
"Excellent. The Thunderous Infernal Vine didn't disappoint."
Smiling, Lin Rong retrieved the soul bone and stored it in the Dragon-Patterned Jade Orb.
Only then did he turn his gaze back to the deep violet soul ring. Wrapping it in soul power, he carried it away.
Thunder Gorge was no place for absorption.
Fortunately, a soul ring could last for one full hour after forming—plenty of time to return to camp.
Half an hour later, back at camp:
After a brief meditation, Lin Rong began absorbing the Thunderous Infernal Vine's soul ring.
Because it had absorbed thunder steeped in destructive force, its power was violently fierce.
But Lin Rong was no longer the same as before.
With three soul rings beyond the ordinary limit, plus two growth-type soul bones, he could withstand the assault by sheer force alone.
With the Marrow-Washing Sutra's refining and the Vine Dragon's suppression and transformation, the process became even smoother.
In the end, all he felt was a slight tingling pain.
In less than half an hour, Lin Rong had completely absorbed the 8,800-year soul ring.
"This soul ring… It's tingling all over, just like having a full-body massage."
Rising from the ground, Lin Rong sensed his soul power.
"Level 42 peak… only three more levels to go. Acceptable."