Douluo's Spirit Pearl Divine Sword

"That's really remarkable. Even a Title Douluo can't survive for long in a vacuum environment. It's still usable!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's evaluation of this move was fair, but she wasn't too surprised.

After all, the vacuum barrier formed is too small. At the speed of a Title Douluo, he can leave in an instant. The stronger the opponent, the weaker the restriction. For a Title Douluo, a fraction of a second would be considered good.

However, this is only a soul skill that was created later in life, and it is enough to achieve this level. Tianlin is not too disappointed.

Teleporting back to the academy once more, Tianlin began his long-awaited meditation. This past year, he had focused on tempering his soul bones daily, which had actually slowed his progress in soul power. Fortunately, with the power of Heavenly Snow and the boost from his soul bone advancement, his level had now reached fifty-eight. He should have no problem handling the upcoming Soul Master Competition.

Early in the morning, Tianlin was awakened from his meditation by a series of excited knocks on the door.

Aside from within the sect, even in the academy, he generally doesn't enter into deep meditation, always retaining a sense of awareness of the outside world.

Tianlin opened the door, and there was Gu Ran outside. "What's wrong, Gu Ran, so early in the morning?"

"Boss, I did it! I broke through last night and finally reached the level you required, level forty-eight!" Gu Ran excitedly reported the good news to Tian Lin.

Tianlin was also jolted awake by Gu Ran's good news. "Well done, Gu Ran. Come on, let's go ask Teacher Qin for leave now. As I promised, I have a big gift for you."

He was genuinely happy for his younger brother. His efforts over the past year had not been in vain. Recently, Gu Ran's progress in soul power was no less than that of Tian Heng and Dugu Yan, whose talents far surpassed his. He could be said to have done nothing else but focus on cultivating soul power, carrying out Tian Lin's admonition to the end.

Currently, in the Royal Fighting Team, besides Tian Lin, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan are the highest level, at level 49, just one step away from level 50. However, with Gu Ran's breakthrough, Tian Lin will soon make him the second Soul King in the Royal Fighting Team.

Tianlin, carrying Gu Ran, rushed straight to the training ground, where their Royal Fighting Team gathered every day.

Qin Ming, as the teacher, naturally arrived early. Seeing the two of them coming over, he smiled and said, "Not bad, Xiao Tian, ​​Gu Ran, I didn't expect you two to be the first to arrive today."

"Teacher, it's like this, Gu Ran and I would like to ask you for leave together. Our two masters instructed us to return to the sect a month before the start of the competition, as they have some special skills to pass on to us," Tian Lin requested.

"Oh, so it's because the two lords want to give you special training. Alright, I grant your permission. Go ahead." Qin Ming nodded. "Actually, I don't plan to arrange any tactical training for you now. The last month is meant for you to train on your own. Just make sure you come back before the competition."

"Don't worry, teacher, we'll be back on time!" Tianlin promised.

Afterwards, he and Gu Ran temporarily left the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Chapter 143 Hunting Gu Ran's Fifth Soul Ring in Sunset Forest

After leaving the Royal Academy, Tianlin did not take Gu Ran back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, but instead headed towards the Sunset Forest, arriving at the forest entrance several days later.

"Boss, didn't you tell Teacher Qin Ming that we were going back to the sect? Why are we here?" Gu Ran asked in confusion.

"Idiot, that's just an excuse. I'm going to take you to hunt soul beasts to get your fifth soul ring. Although you haven't reached the ideal level of forty-nine, level forty-eight is enough. As long as you have a soul ring with a high enough age, it should be able to help you stabilize your soul power."

Tianlin's explanation left Gu Ran completely bewildered. He was only level 48; how could he possibly hunt for the so-called fifth spirit ring?

At this moment, Tianlin finally revealed the biggest secret of his fifth soul ring, the Illusionary Water Thunderclap, to Gu Ran. He was the first among the younger generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, besides Ning Rongrong, to learn this secret.

This also represents Tianlin's trust in him.

"Boss, your fifth soul skill is a bit too overpowered, isn't it? Does that mean that as long as I cultivate from now on, there will be no more bottlenecks, and you can easily help me overcome them?" Gu Ran asked, both surprised and delighted.

"Of course, but you must keep this secret. Don't let it leak out. It's not the time for outsiders to know except for our own family, including Tianheng and the others." Tianlin warned, "When you return to Huangdou, just put all the blame on Grandpa Bone. You both have bone-type martial souls. It's not impossible that he used some special secret method to help you break through. Even if someone wants to find out the secret, Grandpa Bone is not someone to be trifled with."

"Understood, boss." Gu Ran also knew the importance of this matter; if it were leaked, it could very well bring Tian Lin to his death.

Tianlin nodded. "Alright, then you should decide what kind of fifth spirit ring you want. I suggest one with an age of around eight to nine thousand years. I will use the Illusionary Water Thunder to forcibly increase their age to exceed your limit. This way, the spirit rings you absorb will not only retain their power, but will also be safer to absorb."

"My path has already been set for me by my master. Just like him, my attacks are unpredictable and my defenses are amazing."

“Since consuming the Ironclad Peony you gave me, Boss, and obtaining the torso bone of the Death Tyrannosaurus, my defense is no less than that of the Stone Mill and Graphite Brothers. However, my attack moves are all too direct. Therefore, I want my fifth soul skill to be a move with unpredictable attacks,” Gu Ran said.

Hearing this, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, who was hiding in Tianlin's spiritual sea, couldn't help but say, "Hehe, Little Tian, ​​your little brother is quite resourceful. It's not easy to find a spirit ring with such strange attack power."

"Brother Meng, do you have any suggestions for that day?" Tianlin asked.

"Let me think about it. Your little brother's martial soul is a skeletal warhorse of the power and death type, right? Since it has the attribute of death, it's easier to handle. The demon spirit, one of the ten great ferocious beasts, is a very suitable soul beast. Among the ferocious beasts, it is also known for its strange attacks."

"Brother Tianmeng, are you kidding me? We're no match for the demon spirit right now. Even if we could beat it, Gu Ran wouldn't be able to absorb its soul ring." Tian Lin was speechless. The soul beast that Tianmeng Ice Silkworm found was too unreliable. Unless he had the Demon Suppression Sword, he might be able to have a chance against the demon spirit.

"Idiot, you've really put all your talent into cultivation. If you can't beat a demon spirit, can't you at least fight one of the same type but with a lower age?"

Tianlin was once again looked down upon by this large fleshy worm, but it was right. If you can't beat a demon spirit, just beat one of the same type. At this moment, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm continued, "Remember, Xiaotian, if you want to pursue strange soul skills with the attribute of death, there are only two paths: one is skills related to ghosts, and the other is curses."

"Ghosts, curses, is that it?" Tianlin stroked his chin thoughtfully. He seemed to have seen some related information. In the soul beast encyclopedia that Qian Renxue sent, there was a type of horse soul beast called the Netherworld Spirit Horse, which had the attribute of darkness. However, since the Demon Sword did not need this attribute, he had not looked at it in detail.

However, it is said that the Netherworld Spirit Horse likes to eat the spirits of evil spirits. The evil spirits it eats are not digested, but hidden in its belly. During battle, it can release all these evil spirits to tear apart the enemy and attack in a strange way that can kill people.

This sounds somewhat like the skills of evil soul masters in later generations. However, most soul skills with the death attribute are like this. It doesn't mean that just having this attribute makes someone an evil soul master. Otherwise, Gu Rong would have been attacked long ago.

The lifespan of a Netherworld Spirit Horse is determined by the maximum number of evil spirits stored within its body; the more souls it possesses, the longer it will live.

Having made up his mind, Tianlin led Gu Ran into the forest. The Netherworld Spirit Horse would not appear during the day, so the two of them could only wait until night.

"Boss, that horse you mentioned, its whereabouts are elusive and it doesn't have a specific settlement. How are we supposed to find it?" Gu Ran asked Tian Lin, who was leaning against a big tree with a calm expression.

"Don't worry, I've thought of a way. If we can't find it, we can lure it out." Tianlin smiled. "Come on, Gu Ran, unleash your death aura on me."

"What? Boss, you're not kidding, are you? My death aura will shatter your soul." Gu Ran dared not make a move. If he harmed Tian Lin here, he would be guilty of a thousand deaths.

"Don't hesitate, this is the only way. Since this Netherworld Spirit Horse likes to eat souls, with my soul strength, I can definitely give it a good meal. Don't worry, as soon as it appears, I will return my soul to my body in time, and there will be no problem. Hurry up and make your move," Tianlin commanded solemnly.

Seeing Tianlin's resolute decision, Gu Ran dared not disobey. "Then, boss, you must be careful, I'm about to make my move."

The ancient skeletal warhorse possessed Gu Ran, its mouth open, and a strong black aura began to condense. "Third Soul Skill, Aura of Death!"

The aura of death struck Tianlin, who offered no resistance, and instantly, Tianlin's soul was blasted out of his body.

"Very good, now is the time!" Tianlin spread his soul power outward.

This is as appealing to the Netherworld Spirit Horse as grilled food is to a carnivorous spirit beast.

"Yu Yu!" "Roar!"

Not long after, a neighing sound and a dragon's roar suddenly came from inside the forest, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves and the vibrations of some enormous creature moving.

"It seems that it's not just the Netherworld Spirit Horse that's come. Is my soul that fragrant that it's attracted other things as well?" Tianlin quickly returned his soul to his body and said, "Gu Ran, be prepared for battle. Given our current location, the creatures gathered here are most likely soul beasts between five thousand and fifteen thousand years old. We must not be careless."

Chapter 144 Death Tyrannosaurus Rex or Netherworld Spirit Horse: Which to Choose?

"Roar!"

With a dragon's roar, the first thing to appear was a Death Tyrannosaurus.

“It’s this guy again, Gu Ran. You two really have a connection. But this place truly lives up to its name, Sunset Forest. This Death Tyrannosaurus is much stronger than the one we encountered last time. It’s probably around ten thousand years old.” Tian Lin laughed without any fear.

The appearance of this Death Tyrannosaurus is actually a good thing. It is a very suitable soul beast for Gu Ran. If he absorbs it, Gu Ran will not only have a high probability of obtaining a powerful attack soul ring, but his third soul ring and torso bones will also be strengthened due to the same kind of soul beast.

"Boss, this one's coming too." Gu Ran looked in another direction and saw a jet-black horse galloping rapidly towards them.

It was the Netherworld Spirit Horse they were looking for.

"What should we do, Gu Ran? Although the Netherworld Spirit Horse can give you a strange attack soul skill, the Death Tyrannosaurus in front of you will also greatly enhance your strength. Which one do you want to choose? Decide quickly!" Tian Lin shouted.

"This...I!" Gu Ran's indecisiveness kicked in; both were very appealing, making it difficult for him to choose.

But these two soul beasts wouldn't wait for him, especially the Death Tyrannosaurus, which had already opened its blood-red maw and was biting at Gu Ran.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Domain of Bones!"

Gu Ran was a bit hesitant in other aspects, but he was never ambiguous in combat. He launched a counterattack in an instant, and the huge bone forest directly trapped the Death Tyrannosaurus.

However, the strength of the 10,000-year-old Death Tyrannosaurus is enough to rival that of a typical 20,000-year-old sub-dragon soul beast. With its formidable physical strength, it swung its dragon claws and swept its dragon tail, constantly breaking through the blockade of the Bone Forest.

On the other side, the Netherworld Spirit Horse was already preparing to flee. Firstly, the alluring soul aura from before was gone, and secondly, it was no match for the Death Tyrannosaurus in front of it.

"Trying to leave? First Soul Skill, Freezing Snow!"

With a sweep of the Heavenly Scale Demon Sword, a powerful chill swept towards the Netherworld Spirit Horse, instantly freezing its limbs. The Netherworld Spirit Horse's physical strength was weak, and it was unable to struggle out of the Heavenly Scale's extreme ice for a time.

At this moment, the Death Tyrannosaurus finally broke through the Bone Forest and unleashed a burst of death energy towards Gu Ran. Upon seeing this, Gu Ran also unleashed his own death energy to clash with it, and the two jet-black energies were completely locked in a stalemate in mid-air.

However, Gu Ran was clearly at a disadvantage. The strength of the ten-thousand-year-old Death Tyrannosaurus was almost at the level of a high-level human Soul King, and the gap between its strength and Gu Ran's was huge.

However, upon seeing this, Tianlin's eyes lit up; he had a solution that would satisfy both sides.

"Second Soul Skill: Ice and Fire God Sealing; Fifth Soul Skill: Illusory Water and Thunder!"

Tianlin used his second and fifth soul skills in succession. While severely injuring the Death Tyrannosaurus with Ice and Fire Sealing God, he also sealed a portion of its strength, reducing its power to the level of a thousand years.

On the other side, the Illusory Water Thunder was used to enhance Gu Ran's cultivation. The full power of the Illusory Water Thunder directly raised Gu Ran's soul power to nearly level 53.

With this rise and fall, the situation was instantly reversed.

"Quickly, Gu Ran, go all out and force out the soul of the Death Tyrannosaurus!" Tian Lin shouted.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ran did not hesitate at all. The skeletal warhorse opened its mouth and attacked with all its might, concentrating all its soul power into this one strike.

Because of this explosive attack, the Death Tyrannosaurus's aura was immediately pushed back, and at the same time, it was also swept by Gu Ran's aura, and its soul was extracted.

"Now! Soul Bone Technique, Mind Control!"

At this moment, Tianlin used the million-year-old skull soul skill to invade the consciousness of the Netherworld Spirit Horse with Mind Control, and then ordered the Netherworld Spirit Horse to use its ultimate skill, Soul Devouring, which directly absorbed the soul of the Death Tyrannosaurus into its belly.

Tianlin also took this opportunity to observe the Netherworld Spirit Horse's storage space. It was quite large, but still far from the ten-thousand-year level, with an age of about seven thousand five hundred years. "That's enough, Gu Ran. Kill it, and I will use the Illusionary Water Thunder to increase its cultivation by four thousand five hundred years. At that time, its age will be between twelve thousand and twelve thousand five hundred years, slightly exceeding the limit of the fifth soul ring. With your physique, it should be fine. Moreover, it has now devoured the soul of the Death Tyrannosaurus, and this soul power has not yet been digested by it. It will also be absorbed by you, which will be of great help to you."

"Okay, boss, Soul Bone Technique, Raging Heaven-Shattering Fist!" Gu Ran raised his left arm, and a huge amount of soul power began to gather.

Dugu Bo originally obtained two soul bones from the Spirit Hall. One was a poison-type skull, which was temporarily stored away because there was no suitable one available. The other was a strength-type left arm bone, which he gave to Gu Ran.

The skill attached to this soul bone is a powerful punch that can instantly increase Gu Ran's strength several times over, making it a pretty good soul bone skill.

Gu Ran asked Tian Lin to name his punch, and Tian Lin named it the Raging Blaze Heaven-Slaying Fist, the ultimate technique of the Demon Lord Jiang Shili in his youth in the world of Chinese Paladin. Although Gu Ran certainly couldn't compare to Jiang Shili, he still had to strive to become a stronger person.

Gu Ran smashed the head of the Netherworld Spirit Horse with a punch. Under the amplification of the Illusory Water Thunder, a black soul ring appeared and was drawn over by Gu Ran.

This soul ring is somewhat different from the one Rongrong absorbed last time, because it contains soul vibrations, but it's not from the Netherworld Spirit Horse, but from the soul of a ten-thousand-year-old Death Tyrannosaurus.

Soul Devouring and Soul Scattering are the two ultimate skills of the Netherworld Spirit Horse. One is to devour souls, and the other is to release all the evil spirits in its body to attack enemies like a hundred ghosts parading at night. Therefore, its soul ring contains extremely rich soul power.

Because he had taken Ironclad Peony, Tianlin wasn't worried about his physical strength; as long as Gu Ran's spirit could hold up, that was fine.

Tianlin was somewhat confident about this. Firstly, he was right beside him, and could use his Holy Spirit Domain to assist him if necessary. Secondly, Gu Ran possessed the torso and bones of a Death Tyrannosaurus, which provided him with extremely powerful soul defense.

Not long after Gu Ran began absorbing the soul ring, his expression turned grim. Then, the torso bones appeared and disappeared on Gu Ran's body, helping him resist the soul impact. Seeing this, Tian Lin knew that there was no problem.

After all, this spirit ring is only a few hundred years old. If Gu Ran can't even withstand something this weak, he'll be making a fool of himself.

Time passed second by second. Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Gu Ran stood up and shouted excitedly, "Boss, I did it! And I'm now over level 54!"

Five soul rings, two yellow, two purple, and one black, swirled around Gu Ran.

Seeing this, Tianlin first withdrew his own Illusory Water Thunder amplification. Continuously amplifying others like this was also very taxing on Tianlin. Gu Ran had been absorbing for so long that Tianlin was practically being drained dry.

As soon as the increase was reversed, Gu Ran's level began to drop rapidly: fifty-four, fifty-three... fifty!

He stopped declining at level 50. It seems that because of the addition of the Death Tyrannosaurus's soul, this soul ring provided Gu Ran with a decent amount of soul power, barely stabilizing his soul power at level 50.

Although he relied on trickery, Gu Ran was now a formal Soul King.

Chapter 145 The Second Soul King of the Royal Fighting Team