The distance in reality was just a slight pull closer, but was it truly close? Were their hearts close? Were their thoughts aligned? No, it was far from enough...
"Isn't this close enough? What exactly do you want to do?" Qian Renxue glared at Bibi Dong, who was standing not far behind Lin Feng, and questioned her.
What did she want to do? Indeed, she really wanted to do something...
Bibi Dong chuckled softly, "With Titled Douluo guarding the perimeter, and both Ling Yuan and I being Soul Douluo, it's only natural for us to stay closer to protect you."
Qian Renxue turned her head away and muttered under her breath, "I don't need your fake concern..."
But she didn't insist on Bibi Dong staying farther away.
---
"We're here. It's not far ahead. Today, it's still in its nest. We're quite lucky," Qing Luan's voice suddenly transmitted through the group.
"Ju and Gui will take the lead with me. Ling Yuan, you stay on the sidelines and observe the Crimson Feather Falcon's attack patterns. This will be useful for you when using your soul skills in the future."
"Understood," Ling Yuan replied.
The four figures quickly dashed forward.
---
"Screech—"
With a piercing cry that echoed through the skies, the area ahead was instantly engulfed in a sea of flames.
A terrifying wave of heat rushed toward them. Bibi Dong, standing beside Lin Feng where Ling Yuan had been, raised her hand and effortlessly dissipated the residual energy from the Crimson Feather Falcon's attack.
Qian Renxue snorted and turned her head away, refusing to look at Bibi Dong. Meanwhile, Bibi Dong shamelessly stayed in Ling Yuan's spot, now even closer to Lin Feng...
---
As the three of them watched the battle in the distance, Bibi Dong suddenly spoke softly, "Xiao Feng, did you know? I actually saw you during your martial soul awakening."
Lin Feng was stunned, searching his memories. "But I don't remember seeing you. I only recall the bishop being there that day."
Bibi Dong nodded slightly, "I was hiding in the shadows that day and didn't reveal myself."
Qian Renxue, standing nearby, trembled slightly. Her eyes moistened as she realized that Bibi Dong had also come to watch her during her martial soul awakening. After all, Lin Feng hadn't been of much importance back then, so Bibi Dong's presence could only have been for her...
What did she mean by bringing this up now? Was she trying to show weakness or goodwill?
Qian Renxue quietly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and continued to listen.
---
"If that's the case... then it really is quite a coincidence," Lin Feng replied.
Bibi Dong glanced subtly at Qian Renxue, who was eavesdropping, and continued, "Sometimes, I truly admire you. Your personality hasn't changed at all since that day. Even when you found out your innate soul power was only level one, you didn't feel disheartened or give up."
"Effort determines the outcome. If you're lacking in innate talent, you make up for it through hard work. It's not something worth obsessing over," Lin Feng said calmly.
Bibi Dong's heart raced uncontrollably. She knew that whenever someone mentioned his own innate soul power of 0.5, Yu Xiaogang would either leave with a bitter expression or argue angrily, often leading to awkward and uncomfortable situations.
Her eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as she lowered her head, "Yes, you really are different."
---
The battle with Ling Yuan and the others didn't last long. With Qing Luan, a level 96 Super Douluo, leading the charge, the 90,000-year Crimson Feather Falcon didn't stand a chance. Not to mention, there were two Titled Douluo with a martial soul fusion skill and a quasi-Titled Douluo supporting them.
The moment the "Two Poles Static Domain" was activated, the Crimson Feather Falcon's fate was sealed.
"Eighth Soul Skill, Boiling Blood!
Soul Bone Skill, Meteor Shower!"
Although the Crimson Feather Falcon was a fire-based soul beast, that didn't mean it was immune to fire. With its last breath, it finally succumbed.
A deep black soul ring emerged from its corpse.
After recovering briefly with the help of the Breath of Life, Ling Yuan began absorbing her ninth soul ring.
The deep black soul ring pulsed on Ling Yuan's body, gradually shrinking and attaching itself to her martial soul.
Having undergone the transformation from immortal herbs and soul veins, Ling Yuan's physical and mental strength had reached a new level. Absorbing a 90,000-year soul ring posed no difficulty for her.
When Ling Yuan opened her eyes, her aura had completely changed. Her previously restrained soul power now surged like molten lava, brimming with vitality.
Her eyes shone like stars, radiating confidence and authority. The air around her seemed to solidify, and every breath she took exuded pressure.
Closing her eyes again, she suppressed the overwhelming aura. As someone who had just broken through, she couldn't fully control the changes brought by her advancement. Even her mere presence now surpassed that of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
With her top-tier martial soul, soul veins, and two soul bones, her aura had reached an entirely new level.
"Ninth Soul Skill, Blazing Body!"
This was a close-range single-target attack skill.
Without activating her soul skill or martial soul fusion, Ling Yuan hovered in mid-air. Flames ignited in her eyes as she prepared to dive and unleash her skill. The skill required at least five seconds of charging.
Rather than "Blazing Body," a more fitting name might be "Burning to Ashes."
Flames began to envelop Ling Yuan's body, transforming her into a dazzling gem of fire in the sky. These were no ordinary flames—they carried a scorching authority, as if even the air itself was being set ablaze.
Behind Ling Yuan, the phantom of a phoenix rising from its ashes appeared, further enhancing her imposing presence.
Like a true fire phoenix, Ling Yuan dove down.
"Boom!"
Half of a small mountain was instantly obliterated by her attack. This was an ultimate offensive skill, sacrificing her own health to deal massive damage.
"Not bad," Qing Luan nodded slightly, his eyes flickering with approval. With a swift motion, he struck the Crimson Feather Falcon's torso.
"Crack."
A crisp sound echoed.
Amidst the crimson glow and dancing flames, the true form of the soul bone was revealed.
"A 90,000-year Crimson Feather Falcon Torso Bone!" Ju Douluo exclaimed in shock.
"This is Sister Ling Yuan's opportunity. I trust none of you have any objections?" Qian Renxue walked over, smiling sweetly.
Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo twitched their lips. Did the young mistress really think they would covet a soul bone that dropped during a soul ring absorption? It was an unspoken rule in the soul master world that soul bones obtained during breakthroughs belonged to the individual.
"Congratulations, Ling Yuan," Ju Douluo said.
Qing Luan remained silent, maintaining his aloof demeanor. He tossed the soul bone toward Ling Yuan and casually walked away.
"Uh, thank you, everyone," Ling Yuan seemed a bit dazed.
"Go ahead and absorb it, Sister Ling Yuan," Qian Renxue said with a sweet smile.
"Alright."
Ling Yuan sat down cross-legged and placed the 90,000-year Crimson Feather Falcon Torso Bone against her body. Her soul power surged, circulating continuously.
Unlike soul rings, absorbing soul bones was much easier. In less than the time it took to drink two and a half cups of tea, Ling Yuan had completed the absorption. The Crimson Feather Falcon's soul bone granted her the skill "Rebirth from Flames."
As the name suggested, it was a powerful healing skill. As long as she had even a breath of life and a trace of soul power left, she could instantly restore herself to full condition.
While it couldn't compare to Bibi Dong's "Immortal Body," which allowed her to regenerate even from complete destruction, it was still an incredibly powerful skill, especially considering it didn't come from a 100,000-year soul beast.
With her soul veins, Ling Yuan's skills might evolve further in the future.
"Boom."
Ling Yuan's aura surged once more, and her soul power level reached 92.
According to the timeline, she had reached this level over a decade earlier than expected.
Ling Yuan stood up, her eyes glowing with a crimson light. She bowed deeply, "Thank you all for your assistance!"
Qing Luan shook his head, "You've now become a Titled Douluo and can be addressed as 'Your Excellency.' Even in front of us, there's no need to be too formal. Have you thought of a title?"
"Radiant Phoenix!" Ling Yuan declared.