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Unlike Quan Yi, who was filled with excitement, Quan Yue and Su Ling'er exchanged a concerned glance, unease flickering in their eyes.
A 900-year-old soul beast, especially one as formidable as the Dark Flame Elephant, was no ordinary opponent.
Its absorption difficulty even surpassed that of weaker thousand-year soul beasts.
"Xiao Yi, are you sure about this?" Su Ling'er finally asked, needing confirmation.
"I'm sure."
Quan Yi's eyes remained steady, unwavering, and filled with confidence.
A year of relentless training at the academy, countless soul coins spent on resources and cultivation—none of it had been in vain.
All of it had built his foundation, forging a strong body that granted him an unshakable sense of self-belief.
"Good."
Su Ling'er took a deep breath, preparing to engage.
As a fire-attribute soul master, she naturally held the advantage against a fire-attribute soul beast.
In the distance, the Dark Flame Elephant rested leisurely in its territory, completely unaware of the looming crisis.
Its massive, dark-red body radiated heat, its sheer size far exceeding that of the elephants from Quan Yi's past life.
Yet, its power was not its greatest threat.
The true danger lay within its body—the terrifying "Dark Flame."
This innate ability allowed the Dark Flame Elephant to release thick, black flames from its trunk—sticky, burning, and near-impossible to extinguish.
Once caught in the Dark Flame, the fire would spread rapidly across the target, consuming them entirely.
Even more troublesome, the elephant's thick, flame-resistant hide made it nearly impervious to fire-based counterattacks.
Within the Black Flame, only the Dark Flame Elephant could remain unscathed.
Its overwhelming strength and unyielding fire had established it as an undisputed predator within the Blaze Forest.
However, racial talent meant nothing before absolute power.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Flame Lion's Roar!"
A thunderous lion's roar erupted from Su Ling'er, transforming into a powerful sonic shockwave that surged toward the Dark Flame Elephant.
The soundwave was too fast to evade.
Caught completely off guard, the Dark Flame Elephant trembled violently before collapsing to the ground with a massive thud.
Its mind had been instantly overwhelmed, rendering it unconscious.
"Xiao Yi, now!" Su Ling'er urged anxiously.
This was his chance.
Under Quan Yue's protection, Quan Yi rushed forward, closing the distance between himself and the fallen behemoth.
Standing before the Dark Flame Elephant, Quan Yi truly felt its terrifying presence.
Its towering body exuded a wild, prehistoric aura, as if he were facing an ancient titan.
As he approached, he noticed thick rivulets of blood oozing from its massive ears.
Its eardrums had been completely ruptured.
Terrifying.
This large-scale sonic attack was utterly unreasonable—not even Quan Yi could think of a reliable defense against it.
The Dark Flame Elephant's legendary endurance had been rendered useless in an instant.
No matter how thick its hide, it was powerless before sound.
Even though the Dark Flame Elephant was down, its natural armor remained an obstacle.
Its thick, flame-resistant skin was far tougher than ordinary beasts, making a direct strike difficult.
However, Quan Yi recalled his battle with the Explosive Rhinoceros.
He knew exactly what to do.
"Sun Gauntlet."
Summoning his Martial Soul, he stepped forward.
Placing one hand on the elephant's massive eyelid, he used the other to form a blade of compressed fire, plunging it straight into the beast's eye socket.
"First Soul Skill—Seal of Rhinoceros!"
"Boom!"
A deep explosion erupted from within the Dark Flame Elephant's skull.
However—it didn't die.
The expected eruption of flesh and blood never happened.
Instead, the thick, reinforced hide absorbed most of the explosion, preventing the Seal of Rhinoceros from delivering a fatal blow.
For a moment, shimmering spots of light emerged from the Dark Flame Elephant's lifeless body, gradually condensing into a dark yellow soul ring floating above it.
Seeing the soul ring form, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
If Quan Yi had attempted to hunt such a large soul beast alone, it would have been an arduous battle.
But with Su Ling'er's assistance, he had obtained the soul ring without unnecessary struggle.
"There's no rush. Adjust your condition first," Quan Yue advised, stopping Quan Yi from absorbing the soul ring immediately.
Forcing an extreme soul ring absorption was incredibly dangerous, and Quan Yi was not in peak condition yet.
Without hesitation, Quan Yi sat cross-legged, entering meditation to restore his soul power.
Half an hour later, he slowly opened his eyes.
At that moment, his state had reached its peak—perfectly ready.
Quan Yi's gaze fell upon the Dark Flame Elephant's soul ring.
Unlike an ordinary hundred-year soul ring, this 900-year-old soul ring had a deeper hue—its golden-yellow glow was interwoven with hints of purple, exuding a majestic and overwhelming energy.
Turning toward his parents, Quan Yi spoke firmly.
"I'm ready."
Su Ling'er and Quan Yue exchanged a heavy nod.
They released their Martial Souls, their eyes sharpening as they stood guard against any potential threats.
"Don't worry, as long as we're here, nothing will disturb you," Su Ling'er assured him.
Their presence filled Quan Yi with an unshakable sense of security.
With everything in place, Quan Yi summoned his Martial Soul and guided the soul ring toward himself.
The moment the soul ring made contact, an immense torrent of soul power surged into his body, raging uncontrollably.
The long-familiar sensation of swelling and searing pain consumed him.
His skin flushed red, veins bulging as his body struggled to endure the force of the overloaded energy.
But the true challenge of extreme absorption was not the initial impact—it was the prolonged agony that followed.
A soul ring exceeding the natural absorption limit brought a massive influx of energy, meaning Quan Yi had to endure an extended period of pain before the power could be fully integrated.
He had prepared himself for this inevitability.
Unlike his first absorption, where he had relied purely on instinct to guide the energy blindly through his body, this time was different.
Quan Yi focused inward, directing his external soul power to control the rampaging energy.
Through sheer mental discipline, he forced the soul power to follow a precise circulation path—his own unique cultivation method.
This technique allowed him to absorb the soul power more efficiently, preventing unnecessary waste and maximizing its benefits.
Beside him, Su Ling'er remained on high alert, while Quan Yue observed and recorded every detail of Quan Yi's absorption process.
Time slowly passed, and the once-unruly soul power began to submit to Quan Yi's will.
When he finally reached a critical threshold, the energy lost its violent nature, becoming fully tamed.
From that point on, it was simply a matter of gradual absorption.
Watching the visible change in Quan Yi's state, both Su Ling'er and Quan Yue sighed in relief.
This cultivation method had proven unexpectedly useful, significantly speeding up the absorption process.
Although still in its early stages, Quan Yi believed this method had enormous potential.
With continued refinement, it could one day be passed down to future generations, becoming an invaluable legacy for the Quan family.
As the sky darkened, four hours had passed.
Then—Quan Yi's eyes snapped open.
It was done.
His second soul ring had been successfully absorbed.
"I did it."
Unable to contain their emotions, Su Ling'er and Quan Yue rushed forward, wrapping Quan Yi in a tight embrace.
"You did it! That's wonderful!"
Though it had been Quan Yi enduring the pain, both Su Ling'er and Quan Yue had felt as though they were suffering alongside him.
Now, seeing him safe, their worries finally faded.
Surrounded by their warmth, Quan Yi smiled faintly.
At that moment, he knew—all the pain had been worth it.
"Father, Mother… I won't die so easily."