Before Dugu Feng stood two Emerald Dragon Snakes. Their appearance hadn't changed much, except their dragon scales had become more delicate and lustrous.
Their cultivation had now reached thirteen thousand years.
"Master, we found it! We found one close to fifteen thousand years!"
"Indeed, Master. Our spirit rings aren't suitable for you. Absorbing them would only waste your talent!"
Two voices echoed in Dugu Feng's mind.
Both Emerald Dragon Snakes were highly motivated to survive.
Dugu Feng smiled—he had finally found it.
With a leap, he landed on the back of one of the Emerald Dragon Snakes.
"Take me there!"
For an entire month, the two Emerald Dragon Snakes had been scouring the Sunset Forest, searching for a suitable spirit beast for his fourth spirit ring.
His target was very clear—the Zhu Jing Bing Chan.
Like the others, it was one of the Five Poisons.
Among toad-type spirit beasts, the Ice Toad was already a top-tier existence.
His family even had a Soul Master with the Ice Toad Spirit.
But the Zhu Jing Bing Chan was an anomaly even among toads.
Originally an ice-attribute Deadly Poison Soul Beast, its body contained extreme cold toxins refined by absorbing the world's most frigid energies.
Yet, its eyes were fire-attribute.
The alternating presence of ice and fire within its body produced an exceptionally unique form of cold poison.
This was very similar to the Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb and the Blazing Apricot Delight from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The reason Dugu Feng sought the Zhu Jing Bing Chan was also due to his recent smooth progress in refining cold poison.
Though the process was smooth, the advancement was slow.
He was still far from fully subduing the entire Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb.
Absorbing a cold poison spirit ring would undoubtedly elevate his mastery over cold toxins significantly.
His father had surmised that mastering cold poison could allow him to form a Domain similar to that of the Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb.
The cold poison of the Octagonal Dark Ice Herb would assault any creature within a ten-meter radius, akin to a Domain.
Naturally, Dugu Feng wished to conquer this Immortal Herb as soon as possible.
As they traveled, Dugu Feng was filled with anticipation.
The Emerald Dragon Snakes carried him to the foot of a nearby mountain.
There lay a low-lying swamp.
The climate of this swamp was no different from anywhere else, showing no signs of housing a spirit beast like the Zhu Jing Bing Chan.
The Zhu Jing Bing Chan preferred frigid environments, and its presence left behind deadly toxins, deterring other spirit beasts from approaching.
"The depths of this swamp are close to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, opposite the cold spring side..."
The Emerald Dragon Snake seemed to sense Dugu Feng's confusion and explained.
They had scoured the entire Sunset Forest without success.
Only by considering the Zhu Jing Bing Chan's unique traits and investigating every nearby swamp did they finally locate this one.
"Excellent! Let's begin!"
Dugu Feng gave the order and leaped off the Emerald Dragon Snake, landing atop a tree canopy.
The two Emerald Dragon Snakes plunged into the swamp with a swift motion.
Dugu Feng waited. With two against one, subduing this Zhu Jing Bing Chan would be effortless.
His mental strength and physical condition had been prepared for absorbing a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
A month ago, he had already broken through to the fortieth rank, reaching peak condition.
A fifteen-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast's lifespan would undoubtedly allow his accumulated potential to erupt in one go, completely widening the gap between him and his peers.
About half a quarter of an hour passed.
The swamp was covered in a layer of white frost, and violent tremors came from underground.
The next moment.
A figure emitting a cold blue glow appeared—it was Zhu Jing Bing Chan.
Its body seemed carved from ice, its skin translucent. Its two vermilion eyes burned like flames, forming a stark contrast with the icy aura surrounding it.
The bumps on its back were arranged in an orderly fashion, shimmering with intense cold light.
At this moment, it was struggling violently.
Two Emerald Dragon Snakes coiled around its body.
"Ribbit, ribbit!"
Its sharp cries were filled with sorrow.
Dugu Feng also received the Emerald Dragon Snakes' telepathic message, urging him to deliver the final blow.
Purple light flashed behind Dugu Feng as he unleashed the Eight Spider Lances.
The eight spider legs stabbed into a tree before propelling him forward with a powerful leap.
Whoosh!
Mid-flight, the two front lances extended, precisely piercing Zhu Jing Bing Chan's eyes.
Dealing the final, fatal blow.
The fiery red in Zhu Jing Bing Chan's eyes completely faded, and its body, skewered by the spider legs, landed on the back of the Emerald Dragon Snakes.
The two Emerald Dragon Snakes, one in front and one behind, soared through the forest, ascended the mountain of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and finally landed in the valley.
Absorbing a Spirit Ring required a safe environment.
And nowhere was safer than the depths of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Dugu Feng placed Zhu Jing Bing Chan on the ground.
A faint black light began to emanate from Zhu Jing Bing Chan's body, condensing above it.
This was the emergence of the Spirit Ring's power.
The pitch-black glow signified a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring.
Dugu Feng sat cross-legged, activating his Martial Soul Avatar, while his Scorpion Pincers also emerged from his body.
The silver sheen on the Scorpion Pincers' forelimbs resembled ice crystals, radiating intense cold.
With two External Soul Bones and the absorption of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring, Dugu Feng was brimming with confidence.
He extended his hands, his purple Soul Power summoning the energy from Zhu Jing Bing Chan.
The violent black light, like a bursting dam, surged into Dugu Feng's body.
At that instant, Dugu Feng felt as if struck by lightning—his seated body was pushed several meters back by the force.
This energy was too powerful; normally, only a Soul Emperor could absorb such a Spirit Ring.
Yet he was only a Soul Ancestor.
In terms of physical strength, he was no weaker than a Soul Emperor, but the amount of Soul Power within him was far less.
His sudden capacity to endure was also somewhat insufficient.
His body suffered tremendous impact.
But this was when the Eight Spider Lances, Scorpion Pincers, and the Blue Silver Emperor Spirit Bone in his right leg came into play.
The three Soul Bones acted like three stabilizing pillars, gradually steadying the Spirit Ring energy within his body.
The massive Spirit Ring energy was diverted.
These three Soul Bones functioned like dams in a great river, filtering and channeling the omnipresent energy, allowing his meridians and bones to slowly absorb it.
Crackling sounds echoed continuously.
His bones emitted explosive pops as a layer of silver ice crystals fused into them—this was the ice-attribute energy strengthening his skeletal structure.
"The energy during Spirit Ring absorption is truly omnipresent—it's a full-dimensional evolution of the body. It's absolutely incredible!"
Of course, there was pain. But for Dugu Feng, who had endured suffering since childhood, it was nothing new.
His willpower was formidable.
As a result, the unwilling spiritual fluctuations from Zhu Jing Bing Chan failed to stir even the slightest ripple in his Sea of Spirit.
This plunged Dugu Feng into a profound state of comprehension.
Absorbing a Spirit Ring involved two key aspects: first, assimilating the energy from the Spirit Beast to strengthen his body and elevate his Soul Power Level.
The second aspect was absorbing the bloodline power of the Spirit Beast, which would condense into the Spirit Ring and manifest as a Soul Skill.
(End of Chapter)