Chapter 21: Liu Erlong Absorbs Her Soul Ring
In the end, Qi Tian still told Liu Erlong his real name—though she continued to call him "Benefactor" just the same.
"Erlong, I know where there's a soul beast suitable for you. Let's head there first."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead, Benefactor!"
Liu Erlong trusted Qi Tian completely, her heart filled with anticipation for the day they could meet properly.
The soul beast Qi Tian mentioned was one he had discovered some time ago—back when he was still attached to Bibi Dong's body.
It was a King of the Earth, a powerful scorpion-type soul beast of around five thousand years in cultivation. Unfortunately for it, the creature had blocked Qi Tian's path that day.
Naturally, Qi Tian wasn't one to tolerate provocation. He casually unleashed one of his soul skills—Death Spider Venom—and gravely injured the Earth King.
He wasn't sure whether it had recovered by now or if the poison still lingered within its body.
After traveling for more than an hour, Qi Tian finally arrived at a mountainous area riddled with countless small caves. These tunnels stretched deep underground, leading straight into molten magma—perfect territory for the Earth King to nest.
"This is the place," Qi Tian said, taking out a fragment of spiritual herb left over from Liu Erlong's mother's meal. The potent scent of the rare herb quickly dispersed into the air.
Soul beasts are extremely sensitive to the fragrance of heavenly treasures, and sure enough, something would soon be drawn to it.
And since this was the Earth King's domain, the first to arrive would definitely be it.
As expected, before long, several crimson scorpions emerged from the caves. They were mere hundred-year soul beasts and didn't dare to approach Qi Tian.
A few moments later, a white scorpion appeared.
For scorpion-type soul beasts, their cultivation age could usually be judged by their tails—the longer the tail, the older and stronger the beast.
This white scorpion's tail had ten segments, and judging by its newly molted shell, it had only just broken through the five-thousand-year mark.
However, its shell was covered with uneven pits and dark traces of corrosion—signs left by the Death Spider Venom. Its aura was still weak, nowhere near its peak strength.
"It hasn't fully recovered yet," Qi Tian breathed a sigh of relief.
Hunting a five-thousand-year soul beast alone would normally be reckless—but facing a weakened one was another matter entirely.
The Earth King, still wounded and poisoned, was likely drawn here by the spiritual herb's energy.
That herb was several thousand years old—insignificant within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but an invaluable treasure in the outside world.
"You want this? Then come get it!" Qi Tian taunted, waving the gleaming herb in his hand.
Feigning weakness, he turned and dashed away, not wanting to fight within the Earth King's lair.
Sensing Qi Tian's seemingly modest aura, the Earth King immediately gave chase.
Qi Tian's Fire Dragon martial soul possessed wings, granting him remarkable agility. His speed was more than enough to stay just ahead of his pursuer, keeping the Earth King within reach but never allowing it to close the distance.
Before long, they reached the edge of the forest, near a clear, bubbling stream. Qi Tian finally stopped running, turning back toward the enraged Earth King.
This area lay on the outer rim of the Sunset Forest—far safer than the inner regions. It would be the perfect place for Liu Erlong to absorb a soul ring.
"Benefactor, be careful! It's catching up!" Liu Erlong called out anxiously.
"It's fine—I can handle it!"
Qi Tian summoned his martial soul. Flames flared to life around him as crimson soul power erupted outward. His skin shimmered with fiery scales as the Dragon Transformation took hold.
His Fire Dragon martial soul was a mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, retaining its draconic transformation trait while gaining the destructive power of fire.
As the transformation completed, Qi Tian's arms and legs turned fully draconic, and his back sprouted blazing wings.
The Earth King lunged, its massive tail whipping forward like a pillar crashing through the air.
But Qi Tian was a veteran of countless battles in the City of Slaughter—his combat instincts razor-sharp. With a quick twist of his body, he narrowly evaded the deadly strike.
The Earth King roared furiously when Qi Tian dodged its attack. Its two massive claws slammed heavily into the ground.
The earth trembled violently—cracks split the terrain—and then, without warning, a pillar of molten flame erupted from beneath Liu Erlong's feet.
This was the Earth King's ultimate move.
However, it underestimated Liu Erlong's physical strength.
The tremor beneath the ground had little effect on Qi Tian, giving him a narrow window to evade the fiery eruption.
Qi Tian darted forward, slipping out of the range of the attack. His second soul ring lit up beneath his feet as he launched himself at the Earth King's back, his dragon claws aiming straight for its half-healed wounds.
Liu Erlong's first soul skill, Fire Dragon's Breath, was a powerful flame attack—but against the Earth King, it was nearly useless.
Even though Liu Erlong had consumed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and her flames had evolved into the Extreme Flame, the Earth King was a creature born and raised in subterranean magma. Its resistance to fire-type energy was immense—direct attacks were far more effective than elemental ones.
That was why Qi Tian chose to rely on his second skill, Explosive Dragon Claw, and his third skill, Fire Dragon Roar.
His claws tore into the creature's old wound, ripping open scorched scales and exposing raw flesh beneath. The Earth King screeched in pain, counterattacking with both claws and its tail stinger at once.
Qi Tian's third purple soul ring flickered. The Fire Dragon on his back let out a resonant roar—the Dragon's Might burst forth like a wave, stunning the Earth King mid-attack.
Qi Tian didn't waste the opening.
He struck again and again, focusing entirely on the old injury—"hitting the cripple where it hurts most."
Within moments, the Earth King's wounds had been torn wide open, its carapace shredded beyond recognition.
"So violent!" Liu Erlong gasped, eyes wide in awe. To her, Qi Tian wasn't merely fighting—he was displaying the true art of battle.
She herself favored close-quarters combat, relying on her assault-type beast martial soul for raw power. But Qi Tian's precision and strategy far surpassed mere brute strength.
When the Earth King finally broke free of the dragon's aura, it was already on the brink of collapse.
Seeing this, Qi Tian quickly dragged its massive body toward the edge of the forest, away from the deeper regions where other soul beasts might interfere.
Moments later, with a final strike of his dragon claws, Qi Tian ended the Earth King's life.
As its corpse stilled, a violet soul ring slowly rose from the body, shimmering with power.
"Erlong, keep watch. If anyone approaches, alert me immediately. I'll focus on absorbing the soul ring," Qi Tian instructed.
"Understood, Benefactor. Please be careful," Liu Erlong replied softly.
Qi Tian sat cross-legged and began the absorption process.
Liu Erlong's martial soul was already of high quality, and after consuming the immortal herb, she could now handle a soul ring nearing her current limit without too much risk.
The moment Qi Tian began absorbing, a torrent of wild, explosive energy surged into his body. His meridians burned as if molten lava flowed through them.
He clenched his teeth and endured the agony, channeling the energy through his body with practiced precision, using the experience gained from countless soul ring absorptions.
Liu Erlong felt the same burning sensation through their spiritual link, but she kept her focus on their surroundings, standing guard as he'd told her to.
The outer region of the Sunset Forest was relatively safe—most of the weaker beasts had fled long ago, terrified by the Earth King's aura.
The true threat here wasn't from beasts but from other soul masters.
After half an hour, Qi Tian finally succeeded in taming the violent energy within the ring.
He exhaled heavily, relief flooding his body. The most dangerous stage was over. All that remained was to fuse the energy into his martial soul.
The violet ring slowly descended and merged into his Fire Dragon. Beneath his feet, his soul rings now formed the perfect configuration—two yellow, two purple—a mark of balance and excellence.
His strength surged back to its peak.
"Benefactor, someone's coming!" Liu Erlong suddenly warned.
Qi Tian smiled faintly. "It's fine. We've already succeeded."
—
End of Chapter