Yellow, purple, purple, black!
Four spirit rings rose one after another, circling around Jiang Jue.
"Beyond the optimal spirit ring configuration!"
Weina's beautiful eyes blinked, secretly astonished in her heart.
As the princess of the Heaven Soul Empire, even her first two spirit rings were only century-level. Yet Jiang Jue's second ring was already a thousand-year-old one, and his fourth… an astonishing ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
"It seems I wasn't wrong. With this kind of genius, the only chance is to build a good relationship before he matures. Otherwise, I may never get another opportunity."
"And he has even completed attribute resonance with a divine beast. His future path of cultivation will be incomparably smooth."
"When I return, I must write a letter to Father. Such a talent absolutely cannot be given up."
In her ice-blue eyes, brilliance flickered again and again. Her hands clenched tightly. Her mood was anything but calm—she had chosen to stake everything on Jiang Jue.
Sometimes, going all-in was a kind of wisdom.
Weina was doing just that now.
"Sect Master, I'll begin absorbing it."
Jiang Jue's voice was steady as he slowly stepped before the Red-Eyed Blood Demon Beast. Staring at its blood-mist-wrapped body, he raised his hand.
Puchi! Puchi!
Two sharp currents of soul power entered the beast's bone-deep wounds. Its body trembled, head lolling to the side—passing from infant-like sleep into eternal sleep.
Moments later, a pitch-black spirit ring rose slowly from its corpse. An invisible pressure surged forth, dispersing the blood mist around it.
Jiang Jue immediately sat cross-legged, holding his breath.
"Now comes the time to test my acting."
"Let's hope the Sect Master doesn't do anything foolish, otherwise…"
The Soul-Refining Banner floated before him, soul power tugging the black ring closer until it slowly merged with the banner.
In the next instant, Jiang Jue felt a violent torrent of energy surge into him, laced with a pungent blood stench.
"I am no longer who I once was."
With but a thought, that torrent was seized by a deathly gray airflow, instantly broken apart and robbed of its freedom—
The wolf turned into a lamb.
Led by the gray current, the power was divided and distributed throughout his body, slowly merging into his muscles, bones, and blood.
Jiang Jue's body was being scoured again and again, yet his face remained calm.
"Good. It seems nothing unexpected will happen."
From the beginning, Poison Undying had watched without blinking. Seeing Jiang Jue steadily absorb the demon beast's ring, his worry slowly faded.
"Weina, quickly absorb your spirit ring too. This Profound Ice Snow-Wood Spirit, with its dual attributes of life and ice, suits you perfectly."
He turned to her, speaking softly.
"Sect Master, I'm not in a rush. I'll wait until Jiang Jue finishes safely. That way, you won't need to oversee us both at once."
Weina smiled gently, shifting her gaze away from Jiang Jue.
"No, what I mean is—the spirit beast is about to die. If you don't absorb it now, it'll be too late."
"…Ah."
"My apologies, Sect Master, that was my oversight."
Her face flushed faintly red with embarrassment as she bowed humbly. Usually, she would never make such a low-level mistake. But as she watched Jiang Jue absorb his spirit ring, her thoughts had unconsciously drifted away.
It was the first time she had ever experienced such a lapse in judgment.
"No matter. Go ahead."
Poison Undying waved, giving her another glance—then one at Jiang Jue. A strange smile tugged at his lips.
"A talented young man and a beautiful young lady… the future of the Body Sect is secure."
His matchmaking scheme was proceeding nicely.
With a flash of white light, a short, sharp blade appeared in Weina's hand. A flick of its cold edge, and the chunk of wood split in two.
Green sap oozed out, and a purple spirit ring floated up.
She brought her pale, slender hands together. A pure white snow lotus bloomed upon them, its petals gleaming faintly under the moonlight—a refreshing fragrance spread, making hearts feel clear and calm. The lotus set her in a holy, dustless light.
This was her first martial soul: the Snow Lotus.
Poison Undying watched the two absorbing their rings, relief welling within him.
"Who would've thought this trip would yield so much? When I return, I too must go into seclusion, seize this chance, and strive to break through my limit."
"If I succeed, I'll live decades longer—shielding the younger generation until Jiang Jue matures."
"But Jiang Jue's gains today are even greater. An Auspicious beast… does destiny truly exist in this world?"
His eyes gleamed, filled with emotion.
That barrier holding him back had loosened only because of the ripple effects of Jiang Jue's destiny resonance with the divine beast.
Time flowed by. Stars glittered overhead.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, a booming heartbeat—like war drums—echoed across the wilderness.
"What's happening?"
Poison Undying's eyes locked on the source: Jiang Jue.
Before he could investigate, gray streams of deathly aura burst from Jiang Jue, swirling around him and expanding outward.
His brows furrowed, face flushing unnaturally red. Veins bulged, teeth clenched, his whole body straining as if under unbearable pain.
A trickle of blood slipped from his lips. His skin turned gray, and his aura grew increasingly chaotic.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The Soul-Refining Banner before him shook violently, radiating dazzling light. The demon beast's black spirit ring wobbled wildly as if about to break free.
"Could it be… Jiang Jue cannot withstand a sixty-thousand-year spirit ring, and it's rebounding?"
Poison instantly appeared at his side, sensing the gray currents around him. His brow furrowed.
"An evil aura?"
But he did not dare interrupt. Forcibly doing so could cause irreparable harm.
"Could it be this Red-Eyed Blood Demon Beast had a hidden problem? You looked so honest, yet so sinister!"
"Why didn't I sense it earlier? Was it concealed by Ditian himself?"
His expression flickered, thoughts racing, hatred spilling from his lips.
This evil aura clearly wasn't Jiang Jue's. The problem had to lie with the demon beast.
If he hadn't sensed it earlier, that meant only one thing: someone stronger had covered it up!
Yet he never once suspected Jiang Jue.
"Wait… Jiang Jue's martial soul holds the attribute of light. That's the nemesis of evil. He should be able to overcome this!"
(End of Chapter)