There was a reason Wu Ling ended the battle so quickly.
First was the Dragon Frame. Under the control of Rose, one of its creators, the Dragon Frame successfully entered overload. Because Rose was a researcher rather than a dedicated combatant, the overloaded Dragon Frame did not reach the level of a Ruler. However, it could still reach the power of a level ninety-eight Demi-God Titled Sage.
A three-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast was roughly equivalent to a level ninety-five Titled Sage. Even with a trace of true divine blood inside its body, the Fiery Sun Unicorn could at most reach level ninety-six or brush the edge of level ninety-seven. It was far from the Dragon Frame's match. The battle had been one-sided from the start.
Of course, even though the Dragon Frame could suppress the Fiery Sun Unicorn, the creature was still a Soul Beast with tough flesh and thick skin. It was extremely durable. The Dragon Frame also lacked truly overwhelming offensive power, so although it could chase the Fiery Sun Unicorn and beat it down, it had no opening to kill it outright.
That opening was created by Wu Ling's sixth clone.
The last time Wu Ling had made the sixth clone use its domain for a suicide attack, he had discovered that the mutual-destruction effect was weaker than he had imagined.
After testing, Wu Ling understood that the domain reflected injuries, not states.
For example, if Wu Ling had the sixth clone swiftly cut its own throat, the attack reflected onto the enemy would be the throat-cutting wound, not the state of death itself.
To put it more simply, continuous injury worked better than direct death.
Therefore, for the sake of the main body, the sixth clone resolutely agreed to Wu Ling's plan.
Wu Ling was so moved that he immediately shut off sensory linking and memory reading. With such a clone, what more could the main body ask for?
So Wu Ling had told the truth earlier. In order to create an opportunity for the Dragon Frame to kill the Fiery Sun Unicorn, the sixth clone's condition had been even worse than Azure's when he was smashed into meat paste. It really was not suitable for children. For Clara's mental and physical health, Wu Ling decided to keep her outside the domain.
It was only a pity that she had not seen her teacher's heroic performance in battle.
What? Wu Ling had not fought at all? No, no, no. The Dragon Frame was something he created, and Angra Mainyu was his clone. Round it up twice, and that meant he had acted personally. Therefore, saying that he alone defeated the Fiery Sun Unicorn was completely reasonable.
Wu Ling first looked at his own palm, then at the Dragon Frame. Finally, he asked Rose, who had left the Dragon Frame, "How is it?"
Rose understood that Wu Ling was asking about two matters, so she answered the one she understood best first.
"The Dragon Frame is in good condition. It can still overload to level ninety-eight five or six more times. Level ninety-nine is possible twice. If we force it, maybe three times, as long as we do not run into an opponent of the same level."
Then Rose drew several Magecraft arrays in the air. She placed her hand on them and sensed their vibrations, using them to confirm their current state.
"This should be Tang San's hidden hand. That Fiery Sun Unicorn had no ability to distinguish gods, so it treated Tang San, who guided it here, as a sun god. The divine blood Tang San left in its body did two things. First, it stimulated the unicorn's original sun-god bloodline, raising it from an ordinary hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast to three hundred thousand years. Second, after it died, it marked us."
"This mark is not directly harmful to us. As for its effect, it should be expulsion."
"As people who crossed into this world, we are essentially unregistered residents. But because this world has not developed a will like the Type-Moon world, and because it does not yet have a plane lord like Atlas Tang in the future, as long as we do not do anything too excessive, we will not draw the world's attention."
"Tang San became a god from Soul Land, so he naturally has a communication-like connection with this world. By placing this mark on us, he has essentially named a target for the world. As a result, we will gradually be expelled from this world. As for the timing, one year at most, half a year at the shortest."
"Of course, once we enter the void, the void will clear this mark. But even then, we will not be able to enter this world again for a year."
After hearing Rose's explanation, Wu Ling nodded without much concern. It seemed Tang San felt Wu Ling was not worth direct action yet, or that the threat Wu Ling had shown so far did not justify acting personally. That was why Tang San had created this mark instead.
But to Wu Ling, it was basically harmless. Rose had already confirmed their direction, and according to the plan, she would be able to research an array to leave this world within a year.
"Wow, Teacher is amazing! You really killed a three-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast!" Clara walked over, her eyes shining as she stared at Wu Ling.
"Teacher, you should absorb the Spirit Ring quickly. I will protect you!"
Wu Ling, who was checking the Dragon Frame's condition, looked at Clara in surprise. Seeing that her determined expression was genuine, he found it a little amusing and rubbed her head.
"Clara, first I will teach you your first lesson. Since you have come into contact with what lies beyond the world, your thinking must also try to move beyond the world. Think what ordinary people dare not think. Do what ordinary people dare not do."
Clara smoothed the hair Wu Ling had ruffled and voiced her confusion.
"Teacher, what does it mean for thinking to move beyond the world?"
To answer her question, Wu Ling pointed at the Spirit Ring.
"In your common understanding, if a Spirit Ring is not absorbed, it will dissipate into the air. But no one has ever thought about how to preserve it."
Under Clara's curious gaze, Wu Ling beckoned and drew the Spirit Ring into his hand. Above and below the ring, two Magecraft arrays unfolded.
"One of these arrays can fix the Spirit Ring's state. The other can absorb Spirit Power from the air and inject it into the Spirit Ring, replenishing its energy."
"If you learn these two arrays and engrave them into a vessel, Spirit Ring storage becomes possible."
"Amazing... then it would solve the problem of encountering a desired Soul Beast when your Spirit Power level is not high enough!" Clara's mind really was sharp. She immediately understood one use of the two Magecraft arrays.
Wu Ling nodded with satisfaction.
"Worth teaching. And not only that. The rule that a Spirit Ring can only be absorbed by the Spirit Master who killed the Soul Beast can also be broken. Magecraft arrays can erase the soul imprint, allowing a Spirit Master who did not kill the Soul Beast to absorb that Spirit Ring. Or we can go one step farther. Without a Soul Beast at all, we can compress Spirit Power and create a Spirit Ring like a god-bestowed Spirit Ring."
When they heard the final possibility, not only Clara, but even Tian Meng Iceworm secretly listening inside her spiritual sea trembled. If that could truly be done, the relationship between humans and Soul Beasts would undergo a massive transformation.
"Teacher, I want to learn this!" Clara said excitedly. This time, even Tian Meng did not stop her.
Wu Ling shook his head.
"Not yet. It is not only your perspective. Your Spirit Power also cannot supply it yet. But there happens to be an opportunity right now."
"As the saying goes, read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. In your case, let us begin with traveling ten thousand miles."