Chapter 5: Hundred-Year Soul Ring

"This..."

Tie Li stared at the scene before him, momentarily at a loss.

The once lush forest now left only charred trunks; the ground still retained scorching heat, and the air, besides the smell of burning, carried an odd meaty aroma.

Tie Li examined the ground and saw several shattered corpses, none of which were whole.

"Dong"

A massive body struggled to rise; its breath grew weak, most of its scales were gone, and the exposed flesh had turned blackened from the flames.

It wasn't dead; it truly wasn't dead; it only had its last breath left.

To gauge a Thunder Python's cultivation, one mainly looks at the horn on its head; for every hundred years beyond, the horn grows an extra inch and gains a white stripe.

This Thunder Python's horn bore four white stripes!

If it is killed and its Soul Ring absorbed, one's First Soul Ring becomes a near‑limit four‑hundred‑year Soul Ring.

For a Soul Master of commoner origin, this is a rare chance; many commoner Soul Masters' Second Soul Ring may not even reach four hundred years.

Now is the best moment to kill it; the recent massive explosion will keep nearby Soul Beasts from acting rashly.

A premium Soul Ring, a briefly safe environment—what are you still waiting for?

The Forge Hammer Martial Soul appeared in his hand, and the panting Tie Li approached the Thunder Python's head.

The Thunder Python's eyes stared fixedly at Tie Li; it was not yet completely dead, and its mortal wounds forced it to watch the scene helplessly.

"Bang"

A powerful hammer strike fell, yet the Thunder Python did not die.

"Bang Bang Bang"

Two hammers, three hammers, four hammers... until a yellow Soul Ring surfaced from the Thunder Python's corpse.

He could not waste time; Tie Li immediately sat cross‑legged on the ground and began absorbing this Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

The attracted Soul Ring drifted toward Tie Li.

Scorching!

Stinging!

A thin layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead, and the Forge Hammer Martial Soul appeared before him.

As the Soul Ring was absorbed, the martial soul also began to change gradually.

The smooth, bright hammer head gained a scale‑like ripple, and a sharp horn sprouted at the handle, bearing a strong resemblance to the Thunder Python's head horn.

Occasionally an arc of electricity flashed across the hammer, carrying a weighty feel.

When the yellow Soul Ring surfaced beneath Tie Li, it meant he had successfully absorbed the Soul Ring and become a Soul Master.

He opened his eyes, and Tie Li immediately summoned his martial soul; besides a change in form, its size grew a notch and its weight doubled.

He swung the Forging Hammer again, crushing the Thunder Python's skull heavily.

"Clack"

Hearing the skull shatter, Tie Li withdrew his martial soul, sliced the flesh around the horn with a dagger, removed the horn, and hurried away.

Having become a One Ring Soul Master, he grew sensitive to the surrounding aura; Tie Li could feel several gazes watching the Thunder Python's body.

A Thunder Python with four‑hundred‑year cultivation, plus its high‑grade bloodline, is a rare opportunity for lower‑tier Soul Beasts.

He sprinted eastward again, unsure whether he would encounter his master.

Although the few corpses he had just seen were charred beyond recognition, Tie Li could be certain none of them were Baiqing.

His soul power broke through to level eleven, and after absorbing the Hundred-Year Soul Ring, Tie Li's bodily strength now far exceeded that of his earlier self when he first entered the Soul‑Hunting Forest.

He ran dozens of li, his face unchanged and his heart unflinching.

Perhaps his luck in absorbing Soul Rings had run out; at some point, he fell into a wolf pack's encirclement.

The ten‑year‑old Nether Wolves numbered seventeen.

"Fortunately it's only a ten‑year‑old Soul Beast," Tie Li exhaled in relief.

"Awo"

The wolf king let out a howl, and the pack began to tighten its circle.

Before they could form a pincer, Tie Li slightly bent his knees, gathered power, and leapt up violently.

He launched an attack toward the wolf king.

The Forging Hammer appeared calmly in his right hand.

The Hundred-Year Soul Ring coiled around the Forging Hammer glowed.

First Soul Technique, Thunder Hammer!

Blue‑white Lightning Light surged forth, forming an outer armor on the hammer; each strike carried high‑damage electricity with a chance to paralyze the opponent.

"Sizzle"

Two Nether Wolves changed direction, choosing to guard the wolf king and met the Thunder Hammer.

Tie Li swung the hammer, its own damage plus the electricity's; under the double‑damage boost, the two Nether Wolves were blasted dozens of meters away, their bones shattered, and the lightning cut off their life force.

Two white Soul Rings surfaced from their corpses.

The wolf king seized the opening in Tie Li's attack, leapt, and its sharp claws aimed at Tie Li's neck, attempting to end the human's life.

Tie Li shifted his body as much as possible; the claw struck his chest, and the wolf king's ferocious pupils suddenly froze.

Its claw could not breach the inner armor, and Tie Li would not miss such a perfect counter‑attack chance.

He slammed the Thunder Hammer hard onto its head.

Its skull was the hardest part of its body, yet Tie Li intended to shatter it; the Thunder Hammer's high‑damage electricity could also penetrate the skull's defense and damage its brain.

"Bang"

It was hammered violently into the ground, and red‑white matter splashed out from beneath the hammer.

Seeing the wolf king gruesomely dead, the group of Nether Wolves instantly broke into a chaotic scramble, fleeing in disorder.

Tie Li crouched down, took out a dagger and fidgeted with the three wolf corpses.

Wolf skins and wolf fangs can be sold for a price, especially the wolf king's skin; at that time you'll need to ask for two more silver soul coins.

Fortunately he had prepared beforehand, pulling a large square cloth from his bundle, placing the wolf skins and fangs on it, folding it into a pack.

He ran until dawn, and Tie Li still hadn't seen Bo Qing or the other two students, feeling a bit down.

He took out some dry rations from the pack and started gnawing, having run all night, his stomach was already starving.

"Da Li?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Tie Li immediately looked toward its source and saw Lu Baichuan hiding in a tree.

After confirming the other's identity, Lu Baichuan climbed down from the tree.

Indeed, you can't tell—he has the skill of climbing trees.

"The teacher told me to stay here; he went to look for you, and also to obtain a Soul Ring for He Da Dan," Lu Baichuan said.

He and He Da Dan didn't get lost, kept running eastward until they collapsed on the ground exhausted.

Bo Qing found them not long after, but they were badly wounded.

Therefore, Bo Qing had Lu Baichuan climb the tree to hide, scattering special medicinal powder around to prevent any Soul Beast from stepping here; he first took He Da Dan to search for Tie Li's trail, and if they encountered a suitable Soul Beast, it could become a Soul Ring for He Da Dan.

"You're still here; if the teacher can't find me for a moment, he'll probably return first to settle you two, so I'll just wait here."

Much like what Tie Li said, after failing to find Tie Li's trail, Bo Qing first brought He Da Dan back.

By this time He Da Dan had already become a Soul Master; with Bo Qing's help, he hunted a Soul Beast suitable for him and successfully absorbed its Soul Ring.

(End of chapter)