novelTele Chapter 90 Absorbing Soul Rings
Chapter 90 Absorbing Soul Rings
Deep within the misty swamp, the air was so thick it seemed as if water could drip from it.
The stickiness wasn't just ordinary dampness; it was an almost tangible sense of oppression. Every step felt like wading through mud, the air filling your lungs heavy and heavy, like inhaling a mouthful of damp cotton.
Pinkish miasma swirled through the forest, mingling with the stench of rotting vegetation to create a nauseating odor. The ground was covered in puddles; some areas appeared solid, but stepping into them revealed a pool of mud that was deep enough to reach above the calves.
Occasionally, something would dart across the puddle at my feet, a black shadow flashing before my eyes. When I turned to look, there was nothing there. I couldn't tell if it was a snake, a lizard, or something else even more disgusting.
The trees in this area became twisted and contorted, their trunks bent and twisted as if twisted by some force. Some trees were covered with purple fungal spots on their bark, and were oozing a sticky sap. The sap dripped onto the ground, making a hissing sound, as if it were corroding something.
"It's just ahead."
Hu Liena lowered her voice and walked very lightly. Her once alluring fox-like eyes were now narrowed into slits, revealing a predator-like glint.
Although she had just experienced a fierce battle and expended a lot of soul power, this young lady of the Spirit Hall was clearly not that delicate. Her breathing was steady and long, and her steps were still agile and powerful, only the fine beads of sweat on her forehead betrayed her fatigue.
The beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, across his fair skin, down his slender neck, and finally disappeared into the contours of his tight leather jacket. The jacket, partially soaked with sweat, clung tightly to his body, outlining his shapely curves.
She pointed to an open space in front of her.
The clearing was abrupt, surrounded by dense shrubs and crooked trees, except for a clearing roughly thirty meters square in the center. The ground was covered with white bones, some weathered to dust, others still bearing traces of flesh and blood. The bones varied in size; some resembled birds, some beasts, and some… their shapes looked human.
In the very center of the open space, a pure white soul beast was curled up on a pile of bones.
It was a nine-tailed fox.
It was several times larger than an ordinary fox, about the size of a calf. Its fur was as white as silk, making it stand out in the dark swamp like a cloud fallen to earth.
Nine tails swayed slowly behind it, their tips glowing with an eerie purple light, like nine burning purple flames.
It clearly sensed the presence of the intruder.
Those eyes slowly opened, like two bottomless purple vortexes. The pupils had a strange vertical shape, and something seemed to be turning inside them. Just one glance was enough to make one feel a strong sense of dizziness.
Li Fulan subconsciously looked away, her eye twitching slightly.
"The Nine-Tailed Fox, a mystery for a thousand years... or a mutant."
He licked his slightly dry lips. The heat dissipation plate on his left arm, the Crimson Lotus Wristband, opened slightly, emitting a burst of scorching white steam that dispersed some of the surrounding miasma.
"Those purple eyes are strange; they must be some kind of mutation in your mental abilities," he said in a low voice. "Looks like you're in luck. If you absorb this, your mental-type soul skills should improve significantly."
Hu Liena nodded, a determined glint in her eyes.
"Be careful, its mental attacks are very..."
Before she could finish speaking, the nine-tailed fox suddenly let out a piercing shriek.
The sound was sharp and piercing, like someone scratching glass with their fingernails, or like countless mosquitoes buzzing in her ear. Li Fulan felt a buzzing in her head, and the scene before her eyes began to distort and warp.
The air suddenly distorted.
In Huliena's view, the surrounding swamp vanished instantly. The crooked trees, the puddles, the bones—all disappeared. In their place stood the magnificent, golden Papal Palace.
The towering dome was covered with intricate murals depicting the glorious achievements of the successive popes of the Spirit Hall. Golden dragons, their claws outstretched and lifelike, coiled around the stone pillars on either side. Beneath her feet lay a gleaming marble floor, reflecting her own image.
But the Li Fulan standing in front of her suddenly transformed into Bibi Dong, the teacher she both revered and feared.
Bibi Dong, dressed in her signature black robe, looked at her with a disappointed expression in her deep eyes. Hu Liena knew that look all too well. Every time she did something wrong, her teacher would look at her like that, making her wish she could disappear into the ground.
"Nana, you've disappointed me so much..."
Bibi Dong's voice was low and cold, filled with reproach.
"I always thought you were my most outstanding disciple, but I never imagined you couldn't even handle a single spirit beast. What happened to your talent? What happened to your hard work? Where did it all go?"
"Teacher?" Hu Liena was stunned, her mind went blank.
She instinctively wanted to explain something, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.
"No...that's not right!"
Her pupils contracted sharply, and her body stiffened as if she had been paralyzed. How could her teacher be here? Her teacher should be in the Spirit Hall. And… and she was clearly in the Misty Swamp just now, how did she suddenly end up in the Papal Palace?
This is an illusion!
Her reason screamed frantically, but her body wouldn't obey. The short blade in her hand clattered to the ground, the sound echoing in the empty hall, further emphasizing the deathly silence.
Not only her, but even Xiao Wu's eyes became glazed over.
The scene Xiao Wu saw was completely different.
Before her stretched an endless field of carrots. The orange-red carrot leaves swayed in the breeze, and plump carrots poked their heads out of the soil, releasing an enticing aroma. A large group of fluffy little rabbits hopped around in the field, waving at her.
"Come on, come on, let's play together..."
Xiao Wu took two steps forward, drooling, her eyes completely glazed over.
"Tsk, what a beast who manipulates people's hearts."
Li Fulan snorted coldly, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
This level of mental illusion was like a clumsy shadow puppet show to him. Having lived two lives, he had witnessed countless conspiracies and deceitful schemes; who could be fooled by the petty tricks of a mere soul beast?
Moreover, his mental strength far surpasses that of ordinary people. The mental enhancement brought by the Dream Eater Soul Ring, coupled with his own willpower which is much higher than that of ordinary people, makes the illusions that try to invade his mind dissipate like thin mist under the sun with a single breath.
But he didn't rush to take action.
In his view, the nine-tailed fox was not staying still. Its figure moved silently like a ghost, its nine tails swaying behind it, the purple light at the tips of the tails growing brighter and brighter.
It is circling behind Huliena, preparing to launch a sneak attack.
This cunning beast used illusion magic to control its prey before attacking from behind. No wonder there were so many bones in that clearing; countless spirit beasts and humans have perished under this tactic.
"Crimson Lotus Tactical Visor, Thermal Imaging Lock-On"
Li Fulan read in a low voice, as several lines of red data streams flashed across the surface of her left monocle.
The nine-tailed fox's form was impossible to conceal in the thermal imaging. Its body temperature was significantly higher than its surroundings, making it stand out against the blue-green background like a flame in the darkness.
"Acoustic oscillation module, start."
With a mechanical clicking sound, a small speaker on the left wristband slowly unfolded.
"I've found you."
He raised his left arm, aiming it at the nine-tailed fox that was about to pounce on Hu Liena's back. Instead of spitting fire, the front of the mecha instantly erupted with a visible ring of transparent ripples.
"Buzz—!!!"
High-frequency sound waves, like an invisible hammer, crushed the entire open space at the speed of sound.
The sound waves were invisible to the naked eye, but their presence could be clearly felt. The air was compressed and vibrated, forming distorted ripples. The water on the ground was shaken up and splashed, the bones were shattered into pieces, and even the surrounding trees trembled violently.
The nine-tailed fox was pouncing in mid-air when it was caught off guard and struck head-on by the sound wave.
"Eek—!"
It let out a piercing scream, a sound completely different from the previous shrieks—it was pure agony.
The illusion shattered instantly.
The papal palace before Huliena's eyes vanished, and Bibi Dong's figure disappeared as well, replaced by the familiar swamp scenery and the stench permeating the air.
The carrot field in front of Xiao Wu had also vanished without a trace, and the cute little rabbits had also disappeared.
The nine-tailed fox's prized spiritual power suffered a backlash from the sonic vibrations on a physical level. The high-frequency vibrations acted directly on its brain, completely shattering the spiritual threads it hadn't yet retracted, triggering a violent backlash.
It was bleeding from all seven orifices; blood was seeping from its nose, eyes, and ears. The blood had an eerie purple hue, clearly a sign of its spiritual energy collapsing.
Its body was swaying precariously, its limbs were weak, and it could barely stand.
"Now, Nana!"
Li Fulan's loud shout, like a thunderclap, jolted Hu Liena out of her daze.
Hu Liena snapped back to reality, her pupils contracting sharply. She saw the nine-tailed fox so close—the beast had already circled around to within three meters of her. If Li Fulan hadn't intervened, she would have been disemboweled!
Shame, anger, and murderous intent erupted instantly.
"The Fox Spirit Transformation!"
A massive, illusory fox tail flashed past behind her, and in that instant, her entire demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation. Her eyes turned into vertical pupils, her nails became sharp and pointed, and she exuded a wild and alluring aura.
She transformed into a pink streak of light, moving so fast that only a fleeting afterimage could be seen.
A dagger, which had appeared in his hand without him noticing, drew a sharp arc in the air and pierced the nine-tailed fox's brow with perfect accuracy.
That strike was swift and ruthless, carrying all her strength and rage.
The dagger was embedded in his forehead, with only the hilt sticking out.
The nine-tailed fox froze, its purple eyes wide open, the light within them rapidly dimming. Its mouth opened as if it wanted to let out one last scream, but only a "giggle" could be heard.
Then it crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and broken bones.
The battle ended faster than expected.
From the moment Li Fulan launched her sonic attack to the moment Hu Liena was killed, only three seconds passed.
The nine-tailed fox's corpse was still twitching slightly, but it had completely stopped breathing. A purple spirit ring slowly rose from its body, hovering in mid-air, emitting a soft light.
The spirit ring was beautifully colored, a purple with a hint of silver, like the sky at dusk.
Hu Liena took a deep breath, trying to calm her violently heaving chest.
Her gaze fell on Li Fulan, who was casually inspecting the wear and tear on her wristband. The man squatted beside her, wiping the bloodstains off the wristband with a cloth, his expression as relaxed as if he had just crushed an ant.
If it weren't for his intervention just now, I probably would have already fallen into his trap.
Having trained as a hunter, she knew all too well what it meant to lose focus in battle. The nine-tailed fox's illusion was indeed powerful, managing to trap even her, a fox spirit possessor whose mental strength was already above average. If it weren't for Li Fulan, she would probably be one of those bones by now.
Thanks.
She spoke softly, her tone somewhat awkward. She wasn't used to thanking people, especially someone she had only known for a short time.
Li Fulan didn't even look up, waving his hand: "Don't be so polite, hurry up and absorb it, the quality of the soul ring will decrease over time."
Hu Liena nodded, saying no more. She walked to the area beneath the spirit ring, sat cross-legged, formed hand seals, and began to draw upon the purple light.
The spirit ring slowly descended, encircling her body before merging into it. A vast yet gentle surge of energy flowed into her meridians, causing her body to tremble slightly and her face to flush and palate intermittently, clearly undergoing an intense absorption process.
After checking the wristband, Li Fulan stood up.
Just then, a furry head came closer.
"Master, Master, what about me?"
Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes and whispered. She leaned close to Li Fulan's ear, her lips almost touching his earlobe, her warm breath tickling him.
"Am I also going to 'hunt' soul beasts?"
She emphasized the word "hunt" and even made a quotation mark gesture with her finger.
Li Fulan looked at the rabbit spirit, a playful smile playing on her lips.
He pointed to the bushes not far away.
The leaves of the bush were shaken to pieces, revealing the unfortunate corpse of a soul beast inside. It was a pure white rabbit, three or four times larger than an ordinary rabbit, with unusually long ears and pale purple eyes.
The Thousand-Year Phantom Rabbit.
It was also a spirit beast with a spiritual attribute, but it was much weaker than the nine-tailed fox. It was probably hiding in the bushes, preparing to scavenge, but it was unexpectedly affected by the sonic shockwave. It bled from all seven orifices and died on the spot.
His death was certainly quite unfortunate.
"Go ahead, although that rabbit died a miserable death, its spirit ring is still warm."
Li Fulan reached out and pinched Xiao Wu's plump, collagen-rich cheeks, feeling the soft touch under her fingertips. She leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"I know you can handle this yourself, don't give yourself away. Um... I'd like to see some interesting new soul skills."
Xiao Wu's face flushed red instantly.
She gave Li Fulan a "you're naughty" look, pouted, but her eyes and brows were full of smiles.
"Hmph, how annoying!"
She gently slapped Li Fulan's hand away, then skipped and hopped towards the corpse of the phantom rabbit.
She sat cross-legged beside the corpse, pretending to be absorbed by the spirit ring, her hands on her knees and her eyes closed. The phantom rabbit's purple spirit ring slowly rose and landed on her.
But in reality, that spirit ring is just a facade.
The true power circulating within her body was the primordial power of a 100,000-year-old soul beast. That power was as vast as the sea, unfathomable, and was slowly condensing within her meridians, forming her own second soul ring.
Half an hour later.
Hu Liena was the first to open her eyes.
Her eyes were different now. Her already alluring fox-like eyes were now even deeper, and something seemed to be flowing within her pupils, making it difficult to look directly at her. She stood up, stretched her limbs, and her entire demeanor became even more seductive, every gesture seemingly carrying a hook, even the air itself seemed to become ambiguous.
"I've broken through," she said softly, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. "Fourth Soul Ring, Charm Enhancement Technique."
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu jumped up excitedly.
"Brother! Look, look! My second soul skill has mutated!"
Xiao Wu ran up to Li Fulan like she was showing off a treasure, tugging at his sleeve, her face full of excitement and anticipation. Her second yellow spirit ring shone brightly, radiating a soft light.
Second Soul Skill: Phantom Remains!
With her delicate shout, a clear image suddenly appeared in the air.
The image was about two meters square, suspended in mid-air, like a transparent mirror.
And what's reflected in the mirror...
It was a close-up of Li Fulan's profile when she was holding the chainsaw sword and stepping on the avalanche corpses.
And it's the kind with added filters and built-in soft lighting.
In the image, Li Fulan has a cold gaze, and the flames on his chainsaw sword reflect off his face, making him incredibly handsome. The background is blurred, focusing all attention on his sharply defined features.
"puff--!"
Li Fulan, who was drinking water, almost spat it out.
He choked several times, coughing until tears streamed down his face, staring incredulously at the "high-definition poster" as he coughed.
"This...this is your new soul skill?"
He stared in disbelief, pointing at the image, his voice cracking.
"A portable projector? And a 4K high-definition version at that?"
"Hehe, pretty impressive, huh!"
Xiao Wu proudly raised her chin, put her hands on her hips, and her little face was full of praise. The image changed angles according to her mood, sometimes showing her face directly, sometimes in profile, and there was also a close-up of Li Fulan's cold eyes when she killed someone.
"From now on, I can watch my brother anytime I want! And this can also be used to confuse the enemy, like showing a scary face to frighten them to death! Or showing some inappropriate scenes to distract them!"
As she spoke, the scene suddenly changed, transforming into a ferocious demon with a blue face, fangs, and a long, protruding tongue.
Then it transformed into an oversized carrot, spinning around in the frame.
Hu Liena stood to the side, looking at the "high-definition poster" of Li Fulan with a strange expression.
Her lips twitched a few times, unsure of what to say. This kind of soul skill... was truly unheard of. As for its practicality... it seemed to have a little bit? At least it should be quite good for disrupting the enemy's vision.
However, its primary purpose is clearly not for combat.
Looking at Xiao Wu's proud expression, and then at the outrageously handsome Li Fulan in the scene, she felt a surge of envy.
This rabbit spirit... it really knows how to play tricks.