"It's time to send you on your way!"
Dugu Bo's eyes sharpened, the Soul Power around him suddenly surging as a jade-green Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet.
"Sixth Spirit Ability: Azure Venom Divine Might!"
Before his words faded, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor opened its mouth and spat out a condensed, arrow-like dark green beam of light that pierced through the Crimson Serpent Tiger's waist with a "shhh" sound.
The Crimson Serpent Tiger's roar abruptly ceased. Its massive body swayed before slowly collapsing to the ground.
The Crimson Serpent Tiger lay on the ground, its chest heaving violently. Each exhalation was longer than its inhalation, and mournful, rasping sounds came from its throat—clear signs it was on the brink of death.
"Little monster, the rest is up to you!" Dugu Bo called out loudly, his gaze turning toward the nearby dense forest.
Following his words, Su Yu and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan emerged side by side from the woods.
Yue Guan looked at the dying Crimson Serpent Tiger on the ground and smiled at Dugu Bo:
"Old Poison, your strength is truly beyond words—clean and efficient."
He turned to Su Yu and waved his hand: "Your Highness, this Ten-thousand-year Scarlet Flame Tiger's Soul Ring is just right for you."
Dugu Bo scoffed from the side, his tone carrying a hint of pride:
"Go on, go on! It's just a small Crimson Serpent Tiger, something I can capture with a flip of my hand. Don't waste time."
Su Yu took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the dying body of the Crimson Serpent Tiger.
He clenched his right hand slightly, pale green Soul Power gathering in his palm as a sharp wooden spike quietly materialized, its surface covered with fine patterns.
"Wood Release: Impaling Technique!"
As his low shout faded, the wooden spike shot out like an arrow from a bow, accurately piercing the Crimson Serpent Tiger's neck.
Almost instantly upon penetration, the wooden spike began to grow at an astonishing rate.
Countless tiny wooden fibers spread along the wound like intertwining vines, instantly piercing through its vital points.
In just three breaths, the mournful sounds from the Crimson Serpent Tiger's throat completely ceased.
The last bit of struggling strength dissipated, and it lost all signs of life. A black Soul Ring rose from the Crimson Serpent Tiger's body.
The newly grown wooden fibers gradually stopped growing, leaving a gruesome mark on its neck.
Su Yu withdrew his hand, looking calmly at the motionless Crimson Serpent Tiger on the ground.
Yue Guan nodded beside him, a flicker of approval in his eyes:
"Clean and efficient execution, well done."
Dugu Bo also raised an eyebrow and snorted: "Don't waste any more time. Hurry up and prepare to absorb the Soul Ring."
Su Yu acknowledged and walked over to sit cross-legged beside the Crimson Serpent Tiger's corpse.
He began to guide the Soul Power within his body, preparing to receive the soon-to-materialize Ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.
As the solid, ink-black Soul Ring slowly settled over Su Yu, a vast and nearly brutal force instantly surged into his limbs and bones like a torrent.
Wherever this force passed, his meridians felt as if pierced by countless steel needles, sending waves of intense pain.
"So this is a Ten-thousand-year Soul Ring..."
Su Yu gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his body trembling uncontrollably.
This force was far more domineering than he had imagined, almost tearing his body apart.
At this critical moment, the Sage Body and Wood Release power within him simultaneously awakened.
A pale green life energy flowed like spring rain, and wherever it passed, the damaged meridians repaired and regenerated at a visible pace.
Two forces formed a delicate equilibrium within Su Yu's body.
Yue Guan and Dugu Bo stood nearby, their gazes firmly locked on Su Yu, expressions growing more solemn.
Yue Guan couldn't help but whisper, "Old Poison, do you think... His Highness can really endure this?"
"The power of a Ten-thousand-year Soul Ring is far too overwhelming for a Soul Elder."
Dugu Bo furrowed his brows, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his sleeve, yet his tone carried more steadiness than before:
"Old Guan, what's done is done. Worrying won't help."
"All we can do is trust this little monster. Since he dared to absorb this Soul Ring, he must have his own confidence."
As they spoke, the aura around Su Yu fluctuated wildly—sometimes intensifying, sometimes receding. The black Soul Ring around him violently surged and contracted, clearly indicating the most critical tug-of-war stage.
His skin flushed with an unnatural redness, only to be quickly covered by a faint green hue. The collision of the two forces was almost visible to the naked eye.
The dense forest fell silent, save for Su Yu's suppressed panting and the hum of flowing Soul Ring energy.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Dugu Bo watched this scene, instinctively clenching their fists.
You must endure!
Within Su Yu's mental world, the Crimson Serpent Tiger's soul bared its fangs.
A pair of blazing beastly eyes glared fixedly at Su Yu before it.
Even in death, it carried resentment, growling low as it paced in place, the orange-red flames around it nearly solidifying.
Despite being in soul form, the ferocity of this Ten-thousand-year Soul Beast remained undiminished, refusing to let the human who hunted it smoothly absorb the Soul Ring.
The next moment, the Crimson Serpent Tiger abruptly opened its maw, spewing a torrent of scorching orange-red flames like molten lava.
"Wood Style: Palisade Technique!"
Su Yu's eyes sharpened. With a mere thought, a wooden shield adorned with eerie patterns materialized before him.
The edges of the shield glowed faintly green, and the demonic face patterns on its surface seemed to come alive, exuding a steady aura.
"Boom!"
The flames crashed violently against the shield, producing a dull thud and scattering sparks everywhere, yet failing to budge the shield even slightly.
Since mastering the Yin-Yang Icefire Body Tempering, his Wood Release had already gained immunity to both water and fire.
Though the Crimson Serpent Tiger's flames were fierce, they hadn't reached the intensity required to breach his Wood Release defense.
Seeing this, a flicker of shock and fury crossed the Crimson Serpent Tiger's eyes. Just as it prepared to pounce again, Su Yu shouted:
"Wood Release: Advent of the Tree World!"
In an instant, countless thick trees erupted from the void, lush and leafy, swiftly forming a dense forest that tightly encircled the Crimson Serpent Tiger.
Before it could react, the branches of those trees twisted and coiled at bizarre angles, instantly binding the Crimson Serpent Tiger's limbs and body.
"Roar—"
The Crimson Serpent Tiger struggled madly, its flames surging once more in an attempt to burn the trees away.
Yet the wooden branches seemed imbued with boundless vitality. Unfazed by the scorching flames, they remained resilient as ever, tightening even further.
Standing outside the forest, Su Yu gazed calmly at the trapped remnant soul of the Crimson Serpent Tiger:
"Your resistance is futile. From the moment you became my target, you were destined to become part of my power."
Su Yu slowly raised his hand, a faint light glowing between his brows. A vast surge of spiritual power, like a rising tide, pressed down upon the Crimson Serpent Tiger's lingering consciousness.
The soul spirit was still roaring and struggling frantically, its orange-red flames repeatedly battering against the tree restraints.
Within moments, the ferocious glint in the Crimson Serpent Tiger's soul eyes completely faded.
Su Yu clearly sensed that the stubborn resistance within the black Soul Ring had completely dissipated, becoming docile and pure.