Chapter 28: Ascending to Soul Sovereign

Xue Qinghe wore an expression of deep regret, yet upon closer reflection, the person standing before him was the most tragic victim of the imposter who had usurped his identity.

Had it not been for that imposter, he would still be the renowned Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, rather than a wandering soul forgotten and unrecognized by all. Had that imposter not framed Tang Xi as well, no one would have even known of his death until now.

Tang Xi’s initial resistance gradually faded. The agony caused by the collision of the spirit ring and the toxins within her body returned, consuming all her focus. Seeing her small face crumple in pain, Xue Qinghe spoke urgently:

"Yuan'er, I know it is difficult for you to accept me in this form, but your situation is critical. Two forces are battling your spirit power. Let me teach you how to use the Soul-Wounding Bird; this spirit was born to suppress souls, and it will surely help you absorb the spirit ring successfully!"

***

Outside, hours had passed unnoticed. Qin Ming stood over the dying ten-thousand-year Sun Serpent, and seeing it stir, he calmly delivered another punch to its head.

The beast fainted once more. Qin Ming sighed, sensing the flow of spirit power within Tang Xi.

It was strange. The spirit power that had been rampaging chaotically for hours was suddenly enveloped by an ethereal force. It began to coalesce into pathways in an uncanny manner, surging from every corner of her body toward her Dantian. Against the backdrop of this aura, Tang Xi’s plain features inexplicably took on a refined, spiritual radiance.

Suddenly, Tang Xi’s eyes locked in meditation. Gathering all her strength, she let out a muffled groan as her spirit power launched a final, overwhelming assault against the spirit beast’s consciousness and the toxins within her.

Under the impact of this powerful will, the spirit beast’s struggle weakened until its frenzied resistance became feeble. The toxins, besieged by her fully unleashed spirit power, were finally suppressed deep into her Dantian.

As the spirit beast’s soul was completely tamed, the purple-glowing ring drifted slowly toward her, finally merging seamlessly into her body. A dazzling radiance erupted around her; her spirit power rank had successfully broken through to a new height.

Thirty-first rank Spirit Master!

Tang Xi snapped her eyes open, exhaled a breath of stale air, and coughed up a mouthful of dark blood.

"Tang Xi!" Qin Ming was startled. Tang Xi looked down at the blood she had coughed up, wiped her lips calmly, and glanced at him. "Don’t make such a fuss. Haven’t you ever seen someone cough up blood?"

Qin Ming: "..."

Tang Xi looked away, her gaze piercing the void toward Xue Qinghe, who had exhausted his strength to assist her. Her expression was complex.

Xue Qinghe’s figure flickered. He smiled weakly and reached out to pat her head. "Farewell, little sister. Perhaps it won't be until the day you become a Spirit King that I can appear again..."

With a soft exhale, his figure turned into a stream of light and dove into Tang Xi’s chest. At the same time, she felt an strange sensation from the bone-chilling scars on her back. It was as if her long-sealed Soul-Wounding Bird spirit, after four years of dormancy, could no longer endure and was finally trying to break through the obstruction of the old toxins.

"Tang Xi? Tang Xi?"

After Qin Ming called her name several times, Tang Xi finally snapped back to reality. She blinked, her face quickly regaining its usual composed, confident look. She smiled and said, "Teacher, you should absorb your spirit ring. I also need a moment to recover."

Qin Ming did not immediately follow her advice. He reached out to carefully check the state of her body, and only after confirming she was fine did he truly relax. Seeing the playful look in the young girl’s eyes, he couldn't help but laugh helplessly. "You little monster."

Tang Xi chuckled as well. "You flatter me, Teacher. I’m just an ordinary genius."

Qin Ming shook his head and turned around, hoisting the massive ten-thousand-year Sun Serpent onto his shoulder. "Enough with the banter. It’s not safe to leave you here alone. Come with me to the academy’s rendezvous point. Even if no one is there, it has defensive wards to ward off spirit beasts; it’s much safer."

The teacher and student moved one after the other, Qin Ming carrying the serpent and Tang Xi clutching its tail as they trekked for about ten minutes before reaching an empty campsite deep in the forest.

The camp was well-stocked and equipped with devices to deter spirit beasts, but strangely, it was deserted. The fire was still burning, and the food above it had been reduced to charcoal. Looking at the eerie scene, Qin Ming had an ominous feeling. He told Tang Xi to wait while he patrolled the perimeter, but other than signs of a struggle, there were no traces of danger.

It was clear that the people who had been here were attacked.

Qin Ming sensed the strange lingering aura in the air and looked back at the Sun Serpent, hesitation flickering across his face. He could not rest easy leaving Tang Xi alone in the unknown depths of the Star Dou Forest.

"Teacher, if you don't absorb the spirit ring now, this snake is going to wake up," Tang Xi said, seemingly sensing his concern. She pointed to the items in the camp. "There was a struggle here, but they are gone now. The pot is burned through, which means they’ve been gone for a long time. Teacher, the chance of finding a suitable spirit ring is very low; don't miss this opportunity."

She was right. Ten-thousand-year Sun Serpents were rare. Qin Ming’s left hand transformed into a wolf’s claw as he hovered it over the snake’s head. He looked at Tang Xi and gave one final instruction: "After I enter meditation, find a place to hide. If there is danger, prioritize your own safety above all else."

"Yes."

Tang Xi answered, and Qin Ming no longer hesitated. He crushed the serpent’s head with one hand. As the black spirit ring rose, he held his breath and began to absorb his sixth spirit ring.

*What a responsible, yet troublesome teacher,* she thought.

Having been in the forest for so long, Tang Xi finally had a moment to breathe. Once she was certain Qin Ming was deep in meditation, a flash of silver crossed her eyes. Her raven-black hair instantly turned a cold, shimmering silver, and her plain appearance became ethereal and stunning.

Shedding the disguise of her ten-thousand-year head spirit bone, Tang Xi drew a seal in the air with her hands. The space around her rippled, and to any observer, the figures of Qin Ming and Tang Xi would have begun to blend seamlessly into the environment.

The second skill of the Ten-Thousand-Year Interdimensional Illusion Head Bone: Concealment.