With Ye Lingling's reminder, Tian Lin finally remembered the soul beasts they were looking for.
Speed-type and flying-type—these two characteristics were perfectly suited for both Oslo and Yu Feng.
"Senior Lingling, Gu Ran, change the battle plan. Wake up Oslo and the others. I'll hold these two soul beasts at bay," Tian Lin said as he summoned his magic sword and leaped into the air.
The two Night Devils were very alert. Seeing Tian Lin's movements, they realized they had been discovered. However, since only Tian Lin charged at them, they didn't immediately flee but instead launched an attack on him.
One of them bared its fangs and lunged to bite Tian Lin, while the other, its eyes glowing blood-red, unleashed a soul impact.
"Not bad teamwork—physical and soul-based attacks combined. Most people would struggle with this. Unfortunately for you, you're facing me," Tian Lin said with a faint smile, his gaze locking on the Night Demonic Spirit casting the soul attack. "Let's start with you. Golden Flame Soul Burn!"
Flames ignited in his eyes as his spiritual power clashed with the Night Devil's. The intense impact of the Ultimate Fire immediately overwhelmed it.
"Ahhh!!" The Night Devil let out a sharp scream. The pain of its soul being burned was far more excruciating than physical wounds.
Tian Lin was already holding back. If not for wanting to preserve the soul ring for Oslo and Yu Feng, he could have unleashed a stronger Golden Flame Soul Annihilation and killed the Night Devils instantly.
The creature's screams quickly woke everyone from their slumber. Without Ye Lingling needing to call them one by one, they all rushed out.
By this time, Tian Lin was already engaged in battle with the other Night Devil.
The creature's figure flickered and split into three identical forms—it was using the soul skill Phantom Clone.
"We need to help Xiao Tian!" Dugu Yan, worried about Tian Lin getting hurt, prepared to rush in, but Qin Ming stopped her.
"Don't worry. A mere thousand-year soul beast won't trouble him. I want to see how strong Xiao Tian has become," Qin Ming said confidently.
"Heh, Phantom Clone, huh? I'm not afraid of you. Immortal Cloud Body Art, Drunken Immortal Moon-Step!" Tian Lin activated two supreme techniques of the Shu Mountain Sect simultaneously.
Suddenly, his figure also split into three, each moving at an incredible speed with an eerie footwork. Three magic swords struck out at the same time.
The two clones of the Night Devil were instantly destroyed, and its true body had its arm pierced by one of the magic swords.
"Oslo, Yu Feng, this one's for you. Absorb it!"
With a flick of his magic sword, Tian Lin tossed the Night Devil's body toward the group.
"Oslo, you first. Don't hesitate!" Qin Ming shouted. This Night Devil specialized in physical attacks and illusions, making it a better fit for Oslo.
"Understood. First soul skill: Leopard Shadow Assault!" Oslo transformed into a leopard and charged at the Night Devil at top speed. Using his sharp claws, he tore it apart.
A purple soul ring appeared above the creature's corpse, and Oslo used his soul power to guide it toward himself.
With Oslo beginning to absorb the soul ring, Tian Lin turned his attention to the other Night Devil. The creature, heavily injured by Tian Lin's spiritual attacks earlier, had only just regained its strength.
Seeing its companion killed, it didn't attempt to avenge its friend. Instead, it immediately tried to flee.
The pitch-black night served as its camouflage, and once it dove into the forest, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to locate it.
"Hmph, trying to escape? Dream on!" Tian Lin snorted coldly, locking onto his target. "Whistling Gale Teleportation!"
Using his external soul bone for detection and the right leg bone for mobility, Tian Lin instantly appeared beside the fleeing Night Devil. With one slash of his sword, he severed one of its arms.
The creature, realizing it was no match for Tian Lin, ignored its severed limb and desperately continued to flee. Yet no matter where it went, Tian Lin would always appear in its path. The power of the magic sword was overwhelming, and in no time, the creature was riddled with injuries.
"Incredible. Even though Xiao Tian only has three soul rings, his actual combat ability is probably comparable to a high-level Soul Elder," Qin Ming remarked in amazement.
Even Qin Ming admitted that he might not have done better if he had taken Tian Lin's place.
"Huh? Why isn't the Night Devil running anymore? Has it given up?" Tian Lin noticed that the creature, which had been fleeing for its life just moments ago, suddenly stopped and stood motionless, its face filled with despair.
"It seems to have completely given up hope of survival," Tian Lin muttered.
This was better; absorbing a soul ring from a creature that had surrendered would be much easier. With a swift kick, he sent the Night Devil flying toward Yu Feng.
Understanding Tian Lin's intent, Yu Feng flapped his wings and advanced. "First soul skill: Wing Blade!"
His massive wings transformed into sharp blades, decapitating the Night Devil in one strike. Interestingly, as it was killed, the creature seemed to display a sense of relief, as if it had been freed from endless torment.
Yu Feng sat cross-legged and began absorbing the soul ring. This Night Devil specialized in spiritual attacks, so Yu Feng might inherit this ability.
This would be significant for the Emperor Team. Having two agility-type soul masters with different attack styles would make them a nightmare for enemy support soul masters. If Oslo specialized in physical attacks and Yu Feng in spiritual attacks, they would become nearly impossible to defend against.
With this incident, no one felt like sleeping anymore. They all sat in a circle around Yu Feng and Oslo, guarding them as they absorbed their soul rings.
Tian Lin, meanwhile, meditated to recover the soul power he had consumed.
Three hours later, as dawn broke, a bird's cry announced Yu Feng's awakening.
Although he had started absorbing his soul ring later than Oslo, the process was easier for him since the Night Devil had already lost all will to fight.
"Senior Yu Feng, what's your third soul skill?" Tian Lin asked. In the original story, Yu Feng's third soul skill was Windstorm Surge, a single-target physical attack. He wondered if there had been any changes this time.
"It's Dark Wind, a single-target attack. But instead of targeting the body, it affects the opponent's spirit—it's a spiritual attack," Yu Feng replied.
As Tian Lin had guessed, the skill wasn't drastically different from the original, but instead of physical damage, it now dealt spiritual damage. Its power might be similar, but its unconventional nature made it far more dangerous.
"An excellent soul skill. Spiritual attacks are extremely rare. This has been a fruitful trip for us," Qin Ming said with a satisfied smile. With a soul master capable of spiritual attacks, the team would have far more tactical options in the future.
A short while later, Oslo also woke up. His soul skill remained the same as in the original story: Leopard Shadow Clone. This skill, inherited from the Night Devil's Phantom Clone, allowed him to create two clones, each with 50% of his original attack power. Though they could only attack once before disappearing, it was still an impressive skill for a thousand-year soul ring.