Chapter 321
It's done! I succeeded!
This girl, who was usually as cold as ice and as solid as ancient ice, seemed to have had all her cold exterior stripped away in an instant.
Her fair and delicate cheeks flushed a beautiful blush at a visible speed, like a newly blossoming peach blossom, which spread all the way to her small earlobes.
Zhu Zhuqing subconsciously lowered her head slightly, trying to cover this rare shyness with her falling hair. In her deep cat-like eyes, the frozen lake surface quietly melted, shimmering with an indescribable brilliance—a light that was a mixture of joy and helplessness at being recognized by the person she cared about most.
Lin Xia took in Zhu Zhuqing's momentary shyness, a faint smile seemingly flashing across his deep eyes, but he did not continue the topic to make her even more embarrassed.
He naturally shifted his gaze to Chao Tianxiang, whose complex expression betrayed her barely suppressed disappointment, and Meng Yiran, whose stubborn yet defiant eyes revealed her defeat. His tone returned to its usual calm, carrying an undeniable promise:
"Snake Granny, Miss Yiran."
Lin Xia's voice was calm yet carried weight.
"Now that the ownership of this Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent has been decided, there is no need for you two to leave. Please wait here for a moment."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the colorful snake carcass on the ground.
"Once Oscar has absorbed his spirit ring, I will personally take you to find a new, more suitable spirit beast. It won't take up much of your time."
Lin Xia's words were calm, yet they contained a strong sense of confidence.
It seemed that finding a suitable thousand-year-old soul beast for a great soul master in this perilous Star Dou Great Forest was just a piece of cake for him.
Flander stood to the side, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something—but when he caught a glimpse of Lin Xia's calm yet unfathomable profile out of the corner of his eye.
Considering his terrifying strength and complex relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, all the words that were about to come out were forcibly blocked back by an invisible pressure.
In the end, he simply pushed up his crystal glasses, his eyes behind the lenses flickered, and he swallowed all his unease and doubts.
He comforted himself inwardly.
Anyway, it's just about finding a suitable thousand-year-old soul beast for that girl. With Lin Xia's abilities, it shouldn't take long.
It's better than offending a Soul Emperor and a potential Dragon Lord right now.
"Thank you for your kindness and promise, Lord Lin!"
Chaotianxiang immediately bowed and paid her respects, adopting a very humble posture.
She knew how formidable Lin Xia was, and receiving such a promise was already an unexpected delight; how could she dare to harbor even the slightest dissatisfaction?
She pulled Meng Yiran, who was still somewhat unwilling, and gestured to her with her eyes to wait quietly.
"I still thank Lord Lin."
Meng Yiran suppressed her disappointment and bowed respectfully.
"Oscar, what are you waiting for?"
Lin Xia turned her gaze to Oscar, who was still immersed in ecstasy and a little bewilderment.
"Go ahead, this crested snake is yours."
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Lord Lin! Thank you, Zhuqing! Thank you!"
Oscar seemed to wake from a dream, so excited that he was incoherent.
He practically scrambled to the side of the enormous snake carcass, staring at its colorful but lifeless body, his eyes filled with a thirst for power.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his excited emotions, and pulled a sharp dagger from his pocket.
Following Flander's signal, he located the crested serpent's vital spot—a relatively soft area just below its seventh inch. And with a swift stroke, the knife fell!
puff!
The sharp blade pierced the snake's body, ending the last trace of life force remaining in this thousand-year-old soul beast.
A strange thing happened!
The crested serpent's massive body didn't bleed much; instead, it began to emit a faint, dreamlike pink glow.
The halo grew brighter and brighter, rising from the snake carcass like a tangible mist, swirling and condensing above it.
In just a few breaths, the entire giant snake's form crumbled and dissipated like a sandcastle, turning into countless tiny pink specks of light.
These points of light, as if drawn by an invisible force, spun and converged wildly, eventually coalescing into a ring shimmering with deep purple light above Oscar's head!
That purple hue was deep and refined, radiating powerful energy fluctuations and a unique aura belonging to the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent—a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!
The purple halo slowly rotated, emitting a powerful suction force that enveloped Oscar below.
Oscar's excitement was instantly replaced by seriousness; he knew the most crucial moment had arrived.
He immediately sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, placed his hands on his knees, and began to circulate his soul power to its fullest extent according to the laws of meditation.
"Om-"
Sensing Oscar's pull, the Thousand-Year Soul Ring suddenly sank, transforming into a solid purple pillar of light that descended from above, completely enveloping Oscar!
In an instant, Oscar's body began to tremble violently!
He groaned, veins bulging on his forehead, and large beads of sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
A violent and unfamiliar energy, like a raging river, forcefully rushed into his meridians!
That was the essence of the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent's thousand-year-old soul power, carrying the wildness of a soul beast and its resentment towards death, frantically assaulting his body and consciousness.
Excruciating pain! It felt like thousands of steel needles were piercing and tearing through my body!
It was icy cold! Like falling into an abyss of eternal ice!
There was also an indescribable feeling of stagnation, as if the flow of soul power throughout the body was frozen!
Oscar's face instantly lost all color, turning ashen white, and his lips even began to turn slightly purple.
His body trembled and convulsed violently within the purple beam of light, as if it would burst at any moment from this violent energy.
The Shrek Academy students held their breath, watching him nervously. Flander's expression was grave, ready to intervene at any moment, even though he knew that outsiders interfering with the absorption of spirit rings was extremely risky.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others also clenched their fists.
As time ticked by, the pain on Oscar's face intensified, and his body trembled more violently, as if he were waging a desperate battle against the monstrous beast within him.
Just when everyone's hearts were in their throats—
"Ho!"
Oscar suddenly let out a low roar, as if he had broken free of some invisible shackles!
The chaotic and violent purple light surrounding him suddenly contracted inward, becoming gentle and orderly, flowing into his body like rivers flowing into the sea.
His pale face regained its color at a visible speed, the veins on his forehead slowly subsided, and the trembling in his body gradually stopped.
A much stronger and more condensed aura than before slowly rose from Oscar's body!
He slowly opened his eyes, his peach blossom eyes filled with ecstasy and disbelief!
He opened his right hand, a thought stirring in his mind.
"puff!"
With a slight fluctuation of soul power, a brand new sausage appeared in his palm.
This sausage is unlike any I've ever had before!
It has a strange pink color all over its body, a smooth surface, and a faint luster like the scales of a rooster's tail. Even more strangely, on both sides of the sausage, there are a pair of extremely small, pale red transparent membrane phantoms, like cicada wings, that are fluttering slightly!
A light and swift aura emanated from the sausage.
Oscar looked at the strange sausage in his hand and felt the surging soul power flowing through his body, far exceeding what he had experienced before. He was so excited that he almost cried.
He suddenly raised his head, looked at Lin Xia, looked at Flander, looked at all his companions, his voice trembling with excitement, yet he declared with unparalleled clarity.
"Dean! City Lord Lin! I did it! I succeeded! Level 32! My third soul skill... is flight! A rapid flight mushroom sausage that allows one to fly briefly for one minute!" (End of Chapter)