Although Gu Han and Bibi Dong were both only at the Soul Emperor rank, with the aid of Immortal Herbs, whale jelly, and their Soul Bones, absorbing soul rings from 30,000 to 40,000-year-old soul beasts posed no issue for them.
However, to save time, the two conducted their spirit ring hunts separately.
Gu Han was led by Fifteen Ton Douluo(Qian Jun) to the Icebound Forest.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong was accompanied by Yue Guan and Ghost to the Star Dou Forest.
"You sure you want to handle it yourself?"
Qian Jun asked again, just to be sure. Their target this time was a 36,000-year-old Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane—perhaps even nearing 37,000 years by now.
An elite among ice-attribute flying soul beasts, it was notoriously difficult to deal with.
It wasn't that he doubted Gu Han's strength. Rather, the Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane was the kind of troublesome creature that even Soul Douluos found annoying.
Its offensive and control capabilities were formidable, and its defense was exceptionally tough. Being airborne also made it highly mobile.
For a Soul Emperor with only five rings, defeating it would be quite the stretch.
Even though Gu Han was powerful, Qian Jun wasn't confident he could take down such a beast alone.
"Uncle Qian Jun, don't worry. If it really doesn't work out, I'll count on you to step in."
Gu Han flashed a confident smile. At this point, very few opponents—aside from those who were vastly stronger than him—could still push him to go all out.
That said, he was genuinely curious about Tang Hao's progress. The guy had disappeared for quite a while now, and Gu Han suspected he might have entered the Slaughter City.
This Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane, with its overwhelming offense, defense, and speed, was the perfect benchmark to test his current strength.
"Alright then. If that's the case, I'll back you up from the sidelines."
Qian Jun nodded slightly. Fair enough. Even if Gu Han insisted on going solo, he'd be watching. And at Rank 97, it would only take him the blink of an eye to rescue Gu Han if anything went wrong.
After all, the offerings of Spirit Hall had recently made a major leap in strength thanks to rare herbs that further unlocked their latent potential and deepened their understanding of their Martial Souls.
Qian Daoliu, that ancient limit-level powerhouse, had progressed even further along the path of the extreme. He was actually looking forward to another battle with Tang Chen now.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had lingered at Rank 98 for decades, broke through to Rank 99 after consuming a golden-attribute herb, finally achieving his long-desired advancement.
Although his combat strength still paled in comparison to veterans like Qian Daoliu, he could now at least withstand the latter's sheer presence without crumbling.
Azure Luan Douluo and the Mighty Lion Douluo reached Rank 98.
Guang Ling and Qian Jun each reached Rank 97.
But these herbs only worked once; consuming more would yield negligible results.
Unless it was an Immortal Herb—but the elders agreed those should be left for outstanding juniors who represented the future of Spirit Hall.
Back when Gu Han and Bibi Dong reached Rank 50, Spirit Hall had already begun collecting intelligence on suitable soul beasts for their sixth rings.
All Gu Han and Qian Jun had to do now was follow the intel and locate the Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane's habitat.
The crane itself was massive—standing 15 meters tall, with wings spanning 30 meters. When it soared through the sky, it cut a truly majestic figure, its speed granting it tremendous advantages both in hunting and evading predators.
Its feathers were pure white, reflecting dazzling light under the sun. Within the silver-white world of ice and snow, it blended in subtly, enhancing its grace and mystique.
At this moment, it stood proudly beside a silent frozen lake.
The lake's surface glowed with a faint blue hue. Wisps of white mist drifted around like fine gauze, casting a mysterious aura over the scene.
Despite its size, the Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane remained graceful, its silhouette half-veiled in the cold mist.
It dipped its head slightly, its slender neck forming an elegant arc. Long, slender legs braced firmly against the ice as it attentively preened its wings.
All around lay a silver world. Snow blanketed the forest, distant mountains veiled in ice, their outlines faint.
In this pristine white landscape, the crane's figure stood out all the more.
It let out a clear, melodious cry that echoed across the lake.
The scene before them was breathtaking. The purity of ice and snow paired with the crane's ethereal elegance made time feel as though it had frozen still.
In that fleeting moment, Gu Han felt as if he had stepped into a mythical realm, far removed from the mundane world—accompanied only by this serene, heavenly view.
"Enough gawking, boy. As beautiful as it is, that's still your soul ring. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll take care of it for you."
Qian Jun noticed Gu Han staring in a daze, clearly entranced by the breathtaking scenery.
He couldn't blame him—even he was impressed by the sight.
But beautiful or not, the soul ring had to be claimed.
Seeing that Gu Han hadn't made a move, Qian Jun figured he couldn't bear to ruin the scene and decided to nudge him along.
Gu Han snapped out of it and nodded.
"Don't worry, Uncle Qian Jun. I won't hesitate."
His eyes sharpened. As enchanting as this place was, he wouldn't pass up a chance to grow stronger.
Zheng!
A crisp sword cry rang out as the Frostblade Sword appeared in his hand. His first and second soul rings lit up simultaneously, unleashing a terrifying slash of sword qi.
Thanks to his soul power enhancement, Gu Han's first soul ring had reached a thousand years in age, boosting its attack bonus from 10% to 30%.
His second soul ring had also reached 1,300 years. Though still appearing yellow to others due to the influence of the nameless manual, its essence had undergone a drastic transformation.
The second skill's full attribute bonus had increased from 10% to 20%.
Combining 30% attack boost from the first ability with 20% overall enhancement from the second, his aura now harmonized with the icy landscape while exuding intense pressure.
The crane, startled, suddenly raised its head—only to see a green-robed figure flashing toward it at incredible speed.
A storm of sword qi swept in like a net cast across the sky.
SKREEEEE!
The Mysterious Ice Spirit Crane shrieked and responded by flapping its massive wings, unleashing a fierce blizzard.
Countless razor-sharp feather-shaped ice shards shot forth, clashing with the half-moon-shaped sword strikes. Cracking sounds filled the air as the two forces collided, canceling each other out in a burst of icy mist.
The crane's eyes flickered with surprise. It had encountered Soul Emperors before, but none this formidable.
Still, having survived countless threats in the wild, the crane was no novice. After a brief moment of shock, it regained its composure.
With a powerful flap of its wings, it ascended into the sky. Then, riding the blizzard, it dived down like a bolt of white lightning—razor-sharp talons gleaming as they aimed directly for Gu Han's head and heart.
Gu Han didn't panic. As the claws descended, he calmly activated his fourth soul ring.
Fourth Soul Skill—Teleportation!
In an instant, he vanished from his original position and reappeared over ten meters behind the crane.
Before the crane could react, his fifth soul ring lit up.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Polar Break!"
This ability came from a 19,000-year-old Arctic Ice Wolf King. It was brutally straightforward:
It granted Gu Han the power to ignore 50% of an enemy's defense, along with a permanent 10% armor-penetration effect.
It didn't enhance his Martial Soul's attributes directly, but it significantly boosted his raw attack power.
It could be used in close combat or paired with other soul abilities.
When paired with his first soul skill's sword qi, it offered minimal consumption and maximum practicality.
With 50% armor penetration on even basic attacks, Gu Han had essentially become a nightmare for any defense-type Soul Master.
The first and fifth abilities fused seamlessly as his Frostblade Sword blazed with brilliance. A massive "Kill"-character slash, five meters in diameter, surged forward—charged with devastating armor-breaking energy and chilling cold.
Sensing imminent danger, the crane urgently flapped its wings, forming a thick wall of ice in front of it.
WHOOOOSH!
The sword qi, infused with a terrifying chill, crashed down upon the ice barrier. The "Kill"-slash shattered it almost instantly.
But that brief moment of resistance gave the crane enough time to twist in midair, narrowly dodging the deadly blow.
It immediately looped in the air, flapping its wings to unleash a hailstorm of ice shards that rained down like a blizzard.
Each shard shimmered with deadly cold and carried a biting wind capable of freezing everything in its path—targeting Gu Han directly.
His expression turned serious. In that moment, his spiritual power surged as he locked onto the incoming barrage.
With his powerful spiritual perception, the shards appeared to slow down in his mind's eye. Their actual speed hadn't changed—but this gave him just enough time to react.
Taking a deep breath, Gu Han gathered his soul power and stomped the ground, weaving through the gaps in the falling ice with incredible agility.
"Impressive footwork!"
Qian Jun couldn't help but exclaim. Faced with such a dense attack, his first instinct would've been to defend and brute-force his way through.
But doing so would carry great risk. Under heavy fire, he might not even get a chance to counterattack.
By staying mobile, Gu Han created more opportunities for retaliation.
Of course, such maneuvering demanded exceptional agility and spiritual control—not something just anyone could manage.
~~~
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