Douluo: Martial Soul of Lightning

"How... How is this even possible?" Yu Xiaogang was still shaking his head in disbelief.

Tang San looked at Lin Jie, and at last, he seemed to understand what Lin Jie had meant earlier.

"So this is what you meant by being a monster..."

Lin Jie spoke calmly, "It really is a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring. In fact, the spirit beast I absorbed was nearly twenty thousand years old—around nineteen thousand plus."

"Nineteen thousand years?! Almost twenty thousand?!"

The group, already stunned, nearly dropped their jaws to the ground.

Yu Xiaogang finally collected himself and stepped up to Lin Jie, his tone filled with urgency.

"Lin Jie, tell me right now—how did you manage to do it?"

Lin Jie responded with a faint smile, "Well... I just had a feeling I could absorb it. So I tried. And it worked."

"Just tried it?"

Yu Xiaogang's mind went blank for a moment. That simple answer hit harder than any theoretical contradiction.

The others were equally puzzled. In their eyes, Yu Xiaogang's theories were gospel. They had never doubted his teachings. But the ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring on Lin Jie's body now planted a seed of uncertainty in their minds. Could Grandmaster's theories be... wrong?

Sensing the mood, Lin Jie added, "I'm not saying you're wrong, Grandmaster. Your theories are sound—for most people. But... they don't always apply to monsters."

The group slowly began to settle down.

Then Zhu Zhuqing spoke up:

"I believe I can absorb this Shadow Nether Panther."

Lin Jie replied without hesitation, "I believe in you."

Everyone glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, then at Yu Xiaogang. They didn't know whether they should try to stop her. On one hand, Grandmaster had always taught them that the safe range for the fourth Spirit Ring was between three and five thousand years. But on the other hand, Lin Jie was living proof that it was possible to surpass that limit.

Before anyone could make a decision, Lin Jie pulled out his dagger and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Go on," he said.

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, accepted the blade, and approached the unconscious Shadow Nether Panther. With a clean slash, the spirit beast was slain, and from its body rose a Spirit Ring—deep purple, with a faint black tint from its high age.

Zhu Zhuqing adjusted her breathing, sat down cross-legged, and began absorbing the over-nine-thousand-year-old Spirit Ring.

Those who had thought to object were now too late. She had already begun. Instead, they quietly backed away and formed a protective circle around her.

Yu Xiaogang stood silently, a conflicted look in his eyes.

He found himself torn—part of him wanted her to succeed, and the other part didn't. If Zhu Zhuqing succeeded, then his core theory would be disproved. But if she failed, she would suffer soul backlash, possibly life-threatening.

Time passed quietly.

The others watched Zhu Zhuqing with concern. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she fought through the absorption process.

But ultimately, there were no major issues. Given her current strength, absorbing a nine-thousand-year-old Spirit Ring wasn't beyond her limits.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes. She stood up slowly, a brilliant smile blooming on her face.

"I did it," she said. "And I broke through to Rank 42."

"What? A double level-up? You're at Rank 42 already?"

Liu Erlong looked at Zhu Zhuqing, genuinely surprised.

She remembered Zhu Zhuqing was the youngest among them—barely thirteen years old. Yet now her Spirit Power had surpassed Dai Mubai's. Mubai had only reached Spirit Ancestor at seventeen, and everyone had thought he was a prodigy. But Zhu Zhuqing at thirteen? That was unheard of—except maybe for Lin Jie.

"Zhuqing, what's your new Spirit Ability?" Ning Rongrong asked excitedly. She was genuinely happy for her friend. Not only had Zhu Zhuqing reached Spirit Ancestor, but she was now the youngest one among them to do so. Judging by how powerful the Shadow Nether Panther had been, the new ability had to be incredible.

Dai Mubai and Tang San also leaned in, clearly curious.

Zhu Zhuqing responded with a calm smile,

"My new ability is called Shadow Nether Doppelganger. I can summon up to nine clones. The fewer I summon, the stronger each one is."

"Wait, isn't that just like what the spirit beast did earlier? That's insane!" Oscar exclaimed.

Yu Xiaogang's expression turned serious. "Absorbing a nine-thousand-year Spirit Ring is already beyond the theoretical limit. Zhu Zhuqing, do you feel any discomfort?"

Though his tone was a bit blunt, Zhu Zhuqing still answered sincerely:

"No. I feel great, actually."

After her successful absorption, the sky had begun to darken. The group found a place to rest for the night. Yu Xiaogang seemed a bit down, though not deeply depressed. After a few words of comfort from the others, he began to come around.

As the group shared their evening meal, Xiao Wu looked over at Lin Jie.

"Hey, Lin Jie," she said curiously. "When you absorbed that ten-thousand-year spirit beast, how did you deal with the soul shock?"

"Soul shock?" Ning Rongrong perked up. Even Yu Xiaogang looked puzzled and turned toward Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu explained calmly,

"Soul shock is a kind of spiritual backlash that occurs when a high-level spirit beast's soul hasn't fully dissipated upon death. Only spirit beasts over ten thousand years can cause it. So Lin Jie—how did you avoid it?"

Tang San looked over at her, frowning. "Xiao Wu... how do you even know about that? Even Teacher looks surprised."

Xiao Wu lowered her head, her voice soft.

"My mother told me..."

A shadow passed over her expression.

Lin Jie replied after a pause,

"Maybe it's because my spiritual power is strong?"

He thought back to the time he absorbed the Spotted-Eye Giant Lizard. It had actually gone surprisingly smoothly. No signs of soul shock at all.

Why was that? He couldn't say.

"Is that so…" Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes slightly, still unsure.

After they finished eating, Yu Xiaogang pulled Tang San aside for a private conversation. Soon after, the group settled in for the night. Lin Jie was on watch for the first half, with Tang San and Dai Mubai taking over later.

As everyone else turned in, Lin Jie sat alone by the campfire.

A little while later, Liu Erlong emerged from the tent. She walked over and gracefully sat down beside him.

"Er Long-jie, what brings you out here?" Lin Jie asked, looking at the elegant, composed Liu Erlong.

He had to admit he was surprised. Liu Erlong used to be known for her explosive temper—like a walking powder keg. But now she had become so calm, even ladylike. She was starting to seem like a completely different person from the one he had known before.

"I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd come out and chat with you, Xiao Jie," Liu Erlong said teasingly. "What, don't want to talk to your big sister?"

"Of course I do, Er Long-jie," Lin Jie replied with a smile. "Actually, I've noticed you're getting more and more charming lately."

With that, he leaned in a little closer, resting lightly against her.

Liu Erlong didn't resist his closeness.