Turtle-type soul beasts are typically slow. By the time they sense danger, it's usually already too late to flee. The Bullhorn Lava Turtle was no exception. When it spotted Han Dang and the others, it knew escape was impossible—so it pretended to be asleep, hoping to deceive them.
And it worked—at least momentarily. Han Dang was indeed fooled. Unfortunately for the turtle, Han Dang's strength was far beyond what it could have imagined. Even without using his Martial Soul or soul skills, Han Dang was still far too powerful to handle.
Faced with Han Dang's overwhelming punch, the turtle had no choice but to go on the defensive.
"Boom!"
The Bullhorn Lava Turtle's defense was impressive. Even though Han Dang hadn't used any soul skills and hadn't even gone all out, his punch—delivered by a full-fledged Soul Sect—still wasn't enough to shatter the turtle's triple-layered Flame Shield. The punch stalled at the final layer, losing its force.
Han Dang's expression turned sour. He felt utterly humiliated. Even he couldn't help blushing slightly at the embarrassment.
"You want to die?! "
Infuriated, Han Dang roared. He twisted midair, fueled his body with soul power, and unleashed a second punch—this time, with his full strength. It was a blow even a powerful Attack-type Soul Grandmaster wouldn't dare to take head-on.
"Roar!!"
To their surprise, the Bullhorn Lava Turtle didn't defend itself this time. Perhaps it knew it couldn't withstand another hit. Instead, it lifted its massive head and bellowed, energy flaring between its horns. Dark red light gathered into a glowing orb the size of a fist, radiating terrifying energy.
The three onlookers were shocked. Who would've thought a turtle-type soul beast could possess such devastating offensive power?
If Grandmaster were here, he would've been even more stunned—this 400-year-old soul beast had not one, but two soul skills!
"Crimson Flame! Second Soul Skill—Flame Possession! "
Zhang Lingling reacted instantly. Her Crimson Flame Martial Soul flared, activating her second hundred-year soul ring. A bright flame shot toward Han Dang, and in the blink of an eye, his body ignited—but instead of pain, his aura surged, transforming him into a war god wreathed in fire.
This was Zhang Lingling's second soul skill—Flame Possession—which temporarily boosts a soul master's strength and soul power by 50% while adding a fire-elemental effect to their attacks.
"Black Armored Shield! "
"Roar!"
Han Dang didn't waste time. Before the lava turtle could fire, he summoned his Martial Soul—a pitch-black Black Armored Shield—and braced himself.
"Boom!!"
The dark red energy orb between the turtle's horns shot out like a laser, slamming into the shield with a deafening explosion. The impact rang in Han Feng's ears, and even Han Dang's face changed from the force of it.
This attack was powerful enough to rival the full-force blow of a level 20+ Attack-type Soul Grandmaster.
For a turtle-type beast known primarily for defense, this was unheard of. If the Bullhorn Lava Turtle also had decent speed, it could've rivaled top-tier beasts like the Titan Giant Ape.
But for Han Dang, that was its limit. It had surprised him, sure, but as a Soul Sect, just summoning his Martial Soul was already giving it enough respect. He hadn't even used a single soul skill. Had it not been for Zhang Lingling's flame enhancement, he still could've blocked that strike with ease.
"Disperse!"
Han Dang casually pushed his shield forward. The red energy beam melted away like snow in spring.
The Bullhorn Lava Turtle was stunned. Its simple mind couldn't comprehend what just happened. Frozen in place, it hesitated.
But Han Dang didn't give it a second chance. With a flicker, he appeared at the turtle's side. Boosted by Flame Possession, he was now as strong as a peer-level Attack-type Soul Master. One clean punch was all it took. The turtle spat blood and collapsed unconscious.
Drained of soul power, the Bullhorn Lava Turtle lay still as Han Dang dragged it before Han Feng. With a proud smile, he said,
"Go on. Time to absorb your first soul ring."
Han Feng glanced at Zhang Lingling, then at Han Dang, and nodded with determination. He pulled out a dagger, his heart pounding with excitement, and stepped toward the unconscious turtle.
His first soul ring!
He couldn't help but wonder—what kind of ability would it grant him?
"Pff!"
With decisive action, Han Feng stabbed the dagger into the turtle's brow. A bright yellow soul ring slowly rose from its body. Taking a deep breath, Han Feng summoned his Martial Soul—Flaming Heaven Shield—and let the ring merge with it.
"Focus your mind! "
Han Dang quickly reminded him. Han Feng shut his eyes and focused, submerging his consciousness into the fusion process. A wave of searing energy surged from the shield, engulfing his body like fire and blades.
The pain was intense—worse than he'd imagined—but Han Feng gritted his teeth and endured, circulating his soul power to resist it.
Fortunately, he had already reached level 12, slightly stronger than most. After about half an hour, the pain finally subsided.
Han Feng swore it was the longest and toughest 30 minutes of his entire 26 years—across both lifetimes.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!"
But just when he thought it was over, a feral aura surged inside him. Roars echoed in his mind. His spirit trembled as he visualized countless Bullhorn Lava Turtles charging at him.
The pressure was overwhelming.
Luckily, Han Feng's spiritual strength was decent, and having just watched his father beat the turtle like a drum, he wasn't particularly afraid of it. Although confused, his survival instinct kept him going.
Outside, Zhang Lingling grew worried and glared at Han Dang.
"It's been over half an hour! Why isn't Feng'er awake yet!? I told you 400-year soul beasts were too much! If something happens to my son, you're sleeping on the floor for the rest of your life!"
Han Dang gave an awkward chuckle, feeling a bit uneasy himself. Thirty minutes should have been enough—even for a 400-year soul beast.
"Don't worry, honey! His expression is relaxing now—he must be in the final stage. He'll wake up soon!"
"Hmph!"
Zhang Lingling huffed, still worried, eyes fixed on Han Feng.
"Whew—"
A moment later, Han Feng finally awoke, taking a long breath. His expression was... odd.
"Feng'er! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
Zhang Lingling rushed to hug him, concern written all over her pale face.
Han Feng grinned and struck a silly pose.
"Relax, Mom. I'm tougher than ever now!"
"What's your first soul skill?"
Han Dang got straight to the point.
Zhang Lingling glared at him, but Han Feng seemed prepared.
"Glad you asked, Dad! My first soul skill is called... Guard of Life!"
He summoned the Flaming Heaven Shield, and a bright yellow soul ring lit up. With a shout, the ring glowed, enveloping Han Feng in flames as a fiery red shield materialized in front of him—solid and immovable.
"First Soul Skill: Guard of Life! Boosts soul power and defense by 60%, and provides absolute defense against the first instance of damage!"
"Of course... it's relative. It can absolutely block attacks from Soul Masters and Grandmasters. Against Soul Exalts, there's a 75% chance. Against Soul Sects, about 50%. Soul Emperors? Yeah… probably useless, hehe..."
Han Dang's eyes gleamed.
A 60% boost in power and defense? That was top-tier for a first soul skill. Add in the one-time absolute defense, and it was basically a divine skill!
In his eyes, Han Feng was bound to reach Soul Douluo—or even Titled Douluo—in the future. At that point, his first soul skill would become a permanent lifesaver!
"There's more..."
Han Feng grinned mysteriously, then raised a hand to his face like a masked hero and whispered:
"Phase Shift!"