Chapter 123: Spirit Paralysis

Lin Gong, after hearing Yang Xiong's words, thought for a long time before speaking: "Xiao Xiong, your first Soul Ring absorption of a Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Ring is extremely perilous; you must be ready to fall at any moment."

"I have great confidence in your physical condition; even all Soul Rings below Ten‑thousand years, I think you can endure, but a Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Ring is a completely different matter—you must be mentally prepared."

Yang Xiong nodded, but at that moment he felt a slight unreality around him, as if something was illusory, and his whole being began to feel a bit paralyzed.

Yang Xiong was startled internally; he was clearly with Lin Gong, so why did this happen? Could he have been ambushed by some Soul Beast?

Moreover, this Spirit Paralysis felt unusually bizarre, catching him unknowingly; the enemy must be far beyond an ordinary Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast.

Seeing Yang Xiong seemingly about to be overtaken by this Spirit Paralysis, his body began to lose control, and his soul power throughout his body seemed to start dissipating.

Even as Yang Xiong clenched his teeth and used all his strength to resist this paralyzing effect, it seemed to originate from deep within his soul; even exhausting his soul power, he could not move at all.

At that moment, Yang Xiong's eyes turned purple, a violet beam burst from them, and violet aura instantly spread over his body; his form instantly manifested a massive Tai Chi Diagram, and the paralysis from deep within his soul vanished instantly, even as a huge Tai Chi appeared in his mind, its core being the brow of a silver giant.

Though Yang Xiong had broken free of the paralysis, he immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, as if his spirit had been severely wounded, and his head felt as if it were about to split open.

When Yang Xiong looked around again, he was kneeling on one knee, gasping heavily, blood smeared his mouth corners, the ground was stained with blood, and he could even feel two drops of blood streaming from each eye; his whole body was drenched, as if he had endured an exceptionally brutal battle.

As Yang Xiong surveyed his surroundings, he saw Lin Gong sitting nearby with a half‑smile, as if watching a play.

Yang Xiong immediately looked around: "Teacher Lin, be careful; it seemed a Spirit System Soul Beast just attacked me."

Lin Gong laughed: "There was no Spirit System Soul Beast; you're overthinking. I was just testing your spirit power, and I didn't expect your spirit power to be much stronger than I imagined."

Yang Xiong was puzzled: "How could that be? Did you emit that Spirit Paralysis just now? Aren't you a Plant-type Soul Master?"

Lin Gong said: "Don't say so much; calm down and recuperate. Spiritual attacks aren't that easy to resist, and this kind of injury doesn't heal quickly."

Hearing this, Yang Xiong sat cross‑legged on the ground and began to recover his body through Meditation.

After a full three hours, Yang Xiong felt his spirit power return to normal; this spiritual attack seemed more exhausting than the battle against Demon Charm in Spirit City.

Yang Xiong looked at Lin Gong, puzzled: "Teacher Lin, I'm becoming more curious about you; how did you acquire this attack method?"

Lin Gong's face showed a bitter smile: "Xiao Xiong, do you remember why I said I joined the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"

Yang Xiong's eyes widened instantly: "Could it be because of the Head Soul Bone?"

Lin Gong's face showed a hint of pride: "My Head Soul Bone is called the Spirit Paralysis Wisdom Soul Bone; it comes from my Eighth Soul Ring, a demon‑eye magic tree aged sixty‑five thousand years, which has a Spirit Paralysis attack effect."

Yang Xiong couldn't help but wonder: "Spirit Paralysis effect? Can a Plant-type soul bone have such an effect, and it's even a Head Soul Bone?"

Lin Gong sneered: "You think your knowledge is vast. My Head Soul Bone is a group‑attack skill that can cause large‑area Spirit Paralysis, and it's a rare Plant-type; in value it even far exceeds the Head Soul Bone from the Soul Master Competition, no wonder those Chrysanthemum Douluo guys were after me."

Yang Xiong was shocked; Plant-type Head Soul Bones are already extremely rare, and this one is a rare group Spirit attack skill, making its value truly terrifying.

"Teacher Lin, then why did you attack me just now? I thought I was facing a Spirit-type Soul Beast of Ten‑thousand‑year level."

Lin Gong was silent for a moment before speaking: "Weren't you trying to absorb the Ten‑thousand‑year Fourth Soul Ring? My spiritual attack just now was roughly at Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast level; normally, the spiritual shock of a Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast is similar to that attack, and you can barely adapt."

"Even so, you must be especially cautious. When absorbing a Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Ring, there is not only physical energy collision but also spiritual shock; especially since you aim for a premium Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Ring, it will be difficult, and I'm not sure you can actually absorb it."

Yang Xiong laughed at this: "Teacher Lin, Soul Master cultivation is about defying the heavens; only by breaking limits can one become stronger, and you should understand my pursuit."

Lin Gong sighed: "Fine, think whatever you like; perhaps I'm truly a bit old now and no longer dare to truly break limits."

Yang Xiong also understood clearly that Lin Gong's actions were all for his own good; normally soul bone skills are personal secrets, and no one readily reveals them, only Lin Gong, who fully trusts himself, would disclose his Head Soul Bone skill.

……

After a sleepless night, the two gradually entered the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

After yesterday's spiritual attack, Yang Xiong felt his body and mind unusually refreshed, and it seemed he had begun to grasp the threshold of spirit power control.

Normally, over the years Yang Xiong has cultivated the Purple Extreme Demon Eye but rarely used it, seldom engaging enemies in spirit battles, and has not even devised his own spirit cultivation method.

Yet after this confrontation, he seemed to have gleaned some experience in spirit resistance; perhaps to truly transform spirit power, beyond personal cultivation, one must engage in spirit combat, just like physical training.

The two quickly entered the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The entire Star Dou Great Forest is covered with various plants, making visibility very poor; while the Outer Region is relatively safer, even Soul Beasts there generally cause little damage.

Yet after entering the Mixed Zone, even the usually carefree Lin Gong became unusually serious; the Soul Beasts here span all ages, some as low as a hundred years, others up to Ten‑thousand‑year level, and even many around thirty‑thousand years.

Compared to that, the Soul Beasts here share a major trait: their overall combat power is far stronger than those in the Outer Region; they are more ferocious and their attack power is greater, which is why Lin Gong values them highly.

Here Yang Xiong saw a greater variety of Soul Beasts, many with excellent attributes, and even some premium Soul Beasts.

Even Yang Xiong sighed, wishing his first three Soul Rings had been taken to the Star Dou Great Forest earlier, because some Soul Beasts there are truly superb and rare; he even saw many dragon‑type Soul Beasts.

Yang Xiong and Lin Gong searched the Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest for over ten days, but Yang Xiong never found a Soul Beast suitable for him; either its age was too low, its bloodline too weak, or its attributes mismatched, leaving even Lin Gong somewhat speechless.

Even Lin Gong was speechless: "Xiao Xiong, what kind of Soul Beast are you looking for? The Thousand‑Weight Ant we met yesterday was excellent, a rare Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast, and both its Power and Earth attributes suit you well."

Yang Xiong replied helplessly: "Teacher Lin, can't we find a more ferocious Soul Beast? This Thousand‑Weight Ant is a bit weak."

Lin Gong sneered: "What do you know, kid? If a Thousand‑Weight Ant reaches Ten‑thousand‑year level, its bloodline has already mutated, and it can lift several to dozens of times its own weight, making it one of the best Power-Type Soul Beasts."

Yang Xiong couldn't help but give Lin Gong a withering look; a Ten‑thousand‑year Thousand‑Weight Ant had already made him so delighted—if he learned that the Star Dou Great Forest also harbors three ninety‑thousand‑year Thousand‑Weight Ant Emperors, this old fellow wouldn't know what to think.

However that day, as Yang Xiong and Lin Gong walked through a forest, the ground suddenly trembled as if a powerful Soul Beast had passed by.

When Yang Xiong and Lin Gong followed the sound, both were startled.

Before them stood an enormous Soul Beast, resembling a massive elephant over ten meters long, its trunk alone exceeding five meters, and its mouth bore two terrifying tusks.

Yang Xiong remarked oddly: "How can such a huge Soul Beast be in the Mixed Zone? It looks far from ordinary."

Lin Gong looked at Yang Xiong with contempt: "I even praised you for being well‑read and broad‑minded, yet you don't even recognize a Diamond Mammoth."

Yang Xiong quickly replied: "Of course I know the Diamond Mammoth; I recall books stating it's an ancient Soul Beast, rarely seen in the Soul Master World, and its size far exceeds that of ordinary Soul Beasts, with exceptionally outstanding strength."

Lin Gong nodded: "That makes sense; the Elephant Armor Sect has searched for a long time but never found a pure Diamond Mammoth. After all, this Soul Beast's bloodline is not weaker than the Titan Giant Ape; otherwise the Elephant Armor Sect wouldn't be the world's top defensive martial soul."

Yang Xiong thought carefully: "Teacher Lin, I want this Diamond Mammoth to become my Fourth Soul Ring."

Lin Gong's face darkened: "What are you thinking? A normal Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast might be absorbable, but this Diamond Mammoth is likely fourteen thousand years old, far exceeding the typical age limit of a Soul Master's Fifth Soul Ring."

"Moreover, this Diamond Mammoth's massive size is highly unusual, its body harbors terrifying energy, and even a typical Soul Master's Sixth Soul Ring might not be able to absorb it; after all, absorbing a Soul Ring depends not only on the Beast's age but also its inherent energy and bloodline strength. The Diamond Mammoth is reputed to be one of the oldest Soul Beasts."

Yang Xiong stared intently at the Diamond Mammoth; normally its age is judged by the patterns on its trunk, and this one, being twice the size of a typical Ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast, indeed seemed abnormal.

At that moment Yang Xiong seemed to recall something, his face brightening: "No, Teacher Lin, this isn't a Diamond Mammoth."

Lin Gong was puzzled: "How could that be? Its appearance and description are almost identical to a Diamond Mammoth, except for the tail and tusk shapes; even its martial soul matches the Elephant Armor Sect's exactly..."

Lin Gong, upon saying this, seemed to recall something and exclaimed: "That can't be; legends say the earliest appearing beast wasn't the Diamond Mammoth—it's a degenerated form of some Soul Beast. Could this Diamond Mammoth have reverted, evolving back into the most ancient form?"

(End of chapter)