Months continued to drift by, each day a testament to Song Qing's relentless dedication to his cultivation. He meticulously controlled the unveiling of his true soul power, letting it rise gradually in the eyes of those around him. From the perceived Level 37, he allowed it to creep to 38, then 39, always ensuring his progress seemed rapid but still within the realm of extraordinary talent, not the unbelievable leaps he was actually making.
Finally, at the age of seven years and five months, Song Qing decided the time was right. During one of his regular training sessions with Bibi Dong, as they sparred in the Spirit Hall's vast training grounds, he allowed a greater portion of his aura to be felt. The subtle pressure that had been building around him intensified, and his soul power now unequivocally stood at Level 40.
Bibi Dong, who had been observing his movements with her usual sharp gaze, stopped their spar abruptly, her pink eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and profound satisfaction. "Qing'er! You… you've reached Level 40!" Her voice held a note of genuine excitement.
Song Qing's face lit up with a radiant beam of youthful triumph. "Yes, Teacher! It happened just this morning during my meditation. I wanted to surprise you!" He bounded towards her, his small body radiating a tangible sense of newfound power, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight, affectionate hug.
Bibi Dong returned the hug, her heart swelling with an undeniable surge of pride. "My dear Qing'er," she murmured, stroking his hair, "your talent is truly unmatched. To reach Soul Grandmaster at such a young age… it is unprecedented. You continue to amaze me."
She held him at arm's length, her gaze softening with affection as she studied his beaming face. "For your fourth soul ring… considering your exceptional foundation and the speed of your progress, I believe it is time for a ten-thousand-year spirit beast."
Song Qing's eyes widened, sparkling with anticipation. A ten-thousand-year spirit beast! The very thought sent a thrill of excitement coursing through him. It was a significant leap in power, a testament to his rapid growth. "Really, Teacher? You think I'm ready?" he asked, a hint of boyish eagerness in his voice.
Bibi Dong nodded firmly, her confidence unwavering. "You are more than ready, my Qing'er. Your control over your spirit power and your understanding of combat are far beyond your years. We shall depart for the Great Star Dou Forest within the next few days. Prepare yourself."
True to her word, a few days later, under the cloak of early morning mist, Bibi Dong and Song Qing embarked on their journey to the Great Star Dou Forest.
Despite her immense power as the Pope and a formidable Titled Douluo, Bibi Dong maintained a discreet presence, subtly concealing her aura to avoid drawing unnecessary attention as they traversed the human settlements. They traveled swiftly, Bibi Dong's movements graceful and efficient. 'The Great Star Dou Forest holds many powerful beasts,' she thought, her eyes scanning the horizon. 'I must find one worthy of Qing'er's talent.' Soon, the ancient, towering trees of the Great Star Dou Forest loomed before them, their dense canopy casting long, dancing shadows on the forest floor.
Bibi Dong led Song Qing deeper into the verdant labyrinth, her senses constantly scanning their surroundings for a spirit beast that would be worthy of her exceptional disciple. "We need something powerful, Qing'er," she explained, her voice low and serious, "something that will perfectly complement your Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor spirit and provide you with truly exceptional and potent abilities. It must be a beast that will elevate your strength to a new level."
After several hours of searching, their footsteps falling silently on the mossy ground, Bibi Dong's pink eyes narrowed, focusing on a point in the distance. "There," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, pointing towards a dense thicket of thorny vines that seemed to writhe with an unnatural energy. "I sense a powerful aura emanating from within… and it's unlike anything I've encountered recently. It feels… volatile."
As they approached the thicket with utmost caution, the undergrowth rustling with an unseen, powerful presence, a magnificent creature emerged, its sheer size and imposing form casting a long, dancing shadow that seemed to swallow the surrounding light. It was a Frostfire Mane Lion.
Its sheer size was breathtaking, its body a colossal mass, as large as a small hill, covered in thick, luxurious fur that shimmered with mesmerizing hues of deep, glacial blue and fiery, incandescent red, a breathtaking display of opposing forces perfectly intertwined.
Its mane was a spectacle beyond words, a swirling vortex of razor-sharp ice crystals that seemed to perpetually dance with flickering, incandescent flames, crackling with an almost unbearable intensity, a living crown of elemental fury.
But it was its eyes that truly captivated and intimidated its opponents. They glowed with an inner light, one a piercing, glacial blue, radiating an ancient, biting cold, and the other a burning, molten orange, pulsing with an equally ancient and formidable heat, each eye a window into a primal, untamed power.
'Incredible,' Song Qing thought, his eyes wide with awe. 'A beast of such majestic appearance… its power must be immense.'
Bibi Dong's breath hitched slightly.
"A Frostfire Mane Lion… a creature of legend," she whispered, a hint of surprise and awe in her voice. "They are incredibly rare, even within the Great Star Dou Forest, and possess a bloodline of immense power. Their elemental mastery and power allows them to rival even that of some fifty-thousand-year-old spirit beasts. This… this is perfect for you, Qing'er. Its dual nature will challenge you and unlock immense potential within your spirit."
The Frostfire Mane Lion roared, a sound that reverberated through the ancient forest, a chilling blast of icy air immediately followed by a wave of searing, almost unbearable heat.
It fixed its dual-colored gaze upon Bibi Dong and Song Qing, its intelligent eyes sensing the power that resided within them. It exuded an aura of primal dominance, a challenge to any who dared to trespass upon its territory.
"Its primary attributes are ice and fire," Bibi Dong explained quickly, her voice filled with a professional assessment of the threat. "It can unleash devastating attacks of both elements, and its physical prowess is equally formidable. Be cautious, Qing'er, but watch closely. Observe its movements, its attacks."
Without hesitation, Bibi Dong unleashed a mere fraction of her own terrifying power, a wave of oppressive spiritual energy that crashed down upon the Frostfire Mane Lion like an invisible mountain. 'Such immense power…' Song Qing thought, feeling the sheer force of his teacher's aura.
The majestic beast roared in defiance, its powerful voice laced with pain and fury, but its movements visibly slowed, its once fluid grace becoming sluggish, its powerful aura wavering precariously under the immense, suffocating pressure exerted by the Pope.
Bibi Dong continued to exert her control of Soul Power while unleashing a few of her abilities, meticulously weakening the lion.
Her spiritual manipulation was precise and absolute.
'I must weaken it enough for Qing'er, but not so much that its soul ring is compromised,' she thought, her focus absolute.
The pressure continued to strike the lion until the once-mighty creature lay panting heavily on the forest floor, its fiery aura subdued to mere flickering embers.
It was grievously injured, unable to even stand, its proud defiance broken by the sheer force of Bibi Dong's power. "Now, Qing'er," Bibi Dong said softly, her gaze turning from the subdued beast to her young disciple, her pink eyes filled with expectation. "This is your trial. This is the beast that will grant you your fourth soul ring. Strike the final blow."
Song Qing nodded, his young face set with unwavering determination. 'A seventeen-thousand-year soul ring… this will be a significant boost,' he thought, feeling a thrill of anticipation mixed with a sense of responsibility. He channeled the full power of his Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor, his third soul ring glowing with an intense, malevolent purple light.
A massive claw of pure abyssal energy, crackling with dark, destructive power, materialized above the Frostfire Mane Lion, its shadowy form casting a chilling pall over the already subdued beast. With a focused roar that echoed the draconic might within him, Song Qing brought the colossal claw down, striking the Frostfire Mane Lion squarely on its majestic head.
A final, pained whimper, a sound of utter defeat, escaped the Frostfire Mane Lion as its vibrant life force ebbed away, its dual-colored eyes dimming into lifelessness. The air around them crackled with dissipating elemental energy, the scent of ozone and burnt fur filling the air. And then, a fourth soul ring, a deep, resonant black, shimmering with an ancient power, floated serenely above the lion's massive, still form.
"Excellent, Qing'er," Bibi Dong praised, a rare and genuinely proud smile gracing her lips. "You handled that perfectly. Your control is remarkable."
As the black soul ring began its descent, settling around Song Qing's Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor spirit, the Frostfire Mane Lion's enormous body began to dissipate into motes of elemental energy, leaving behind a single, shimmering, bone-like object resting on the forest floor. It was a Right Leg Bone, radiating a potent and palpable aura of both searing heat and biting cold.
Song Qing felt a tremendous surge of new power coursing through his very being as he began the arduous process of absorbing the seventeen-thousand-year soul ring. The dual elemental energies of ice and fire raged within him, a chaotic storm threatening to tear him apart. 'So much power… I need to focus,' he thought, gritting his teeth against the intense pain. But the innate resilience of his Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor spirit, now strengthened by three powerful soul rings, fought back, slowly but surely assimilating the raw power into its core.
After what felt like an eternity of intense pain and exhilarating power, Song Qing finally opened his eyes, a fourth deep black soul ring now circling his Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor spirit. He could feel the raw, untamed power that had been unleashed within him, a sense of draconic might intertwined with the primal forces of frost and flame.
"My fourth soul skill…" Song Qing began, a hint of awe in his voice, "the first active ability is Frost Spike Barrage. I can now unleash a volley of razor-sharp ice spikes infused with abyssal energy, capable of piercing even the toughest defenses and inflicting deep frostbite."
He then focused again, a draconic aura flaring around him. "The second active ability is Abyssal Flame Dragon Breath. I can unleash a torrent of black flames, imbued with the corrosive power of the abyss, capable of not only incinerating targets but also rapidly depleting their soul power upon contact."
Bibi Dong's eyes shone with approval. "Excellent choices, Qing'er. Dual elemental attacks will make you a truly formidable opponent."
"And there are also two passive abilities I inherited from the Frostfire Mane Lion," Song Qing continued, a thoughtful expression on his face. "The first is Frostfire Resistance, granting me a significant resistance to both ice and fire-based attacks. The second is Elemental Adaptation, which will allow my body to gradually adapt and build immunity to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold."
Bibi Dong nodded, clearly pleased. "Magnificent, Qing'er! With these new abilities, your Abyssal Demonic Dragon Emperor has grown exponentially stronger." She then glanced at the shimmering Right Leg Bone. "And that spirit bone… a seventeen-thousand-year spirit beast of that caliber yielding a bone, especially a leg bone, is quite rare. It will undoubtedly grant you significant enhancements."