As the seven-thousand-year-old Emerald Swan showed its willingness to sacrifice, Lin Mu stepped forward and said, "Lingling, get ready."
Hearing this, Ye Lingling gently stroked the Emerald Swan's head one last time. She took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and cleared her mind. In the next moment, a soft, emerald-green light erupted from the swan, enveloping both it and Ye Lingling in a warm glow. Vast waves of life energy, like rivers flowing into the sea, surged into Ye Lingling's body without any resistance.
Throughout the Sacrifice, Lin Mu kept his promise, using his power to preserve the creature's soul. Before long, a deep purple Soul Ring manifested, hovering around Ye Lingling.
Half an hour later, the emerald light subsided. Ye Lingling slowly opened her eyes, her face beaming with joy as she felt the surging Soul Power within her.
"My Soul Power... it actually broke through to Level 43!"
Before the words had even fully left her lips, she summoned her Nine-Heart Begonia. Within the Three-Colored Begonia, the life force had become significantly more intense. The petals shimmered with a translucent, emerald-like luster, indicating that her Martial Soul had undergone another qualitative transformation.
Lin Mu was not surprised. The Emerald Swan was already a top-tier life-attribute Soul Beast; its perfect compatibility with the Nine-Heart Begonia naturally allowed the Martial Soul to advance even further.
But that wasn't all. A sudden surge of life energy emanated from Ye Lingling's back, immediately catching Lin Mu's eye. A pair of emerald-green wings, looking as if they were carved from the finest jade, slowly unfurled. They shimmered with iridescent light, radiating a rich, vibrant life force.
"This is... an External Soul Bone?!" Tang San exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected a Sacrifice to yield such a rare treasure. Compared to his own Eight Spider Lances, this External Soul Bone was clearly more suited for a support role.
Lin Mu's eyes flickered with surprise. He had expected an ordinary Soul Bone at best, but an External Soul Bone was a massive windfall. Unlike regular bones, External Soul Bones could continuously evolve alongside the user, making them priceless even at the seven-thousand-year level.
"Brother Lin Mu, they're called Emerald Wings!" Ye Lingling flapped the wings excitedly. "Besides amplifying my healing effects, they provide a defensive Soul Skill: Emerald Guardian. It creates a protective shield with incredible defensive strength!"
"This skill is perfect for you," Lin Mu noted. "It provides the self-defense capabilities you were missing."
The choice to facilitate a Sacrifice had been correct. If they had killed the beast normally for the ring, the chance of obtaining such a bone would have been nearly zero. Now, with the Emerald Wings, Ye Lingling no longer needed to rely entirely on her teammates for protection.
Beside them, Xiao Wu's eyes remained dim. Looking at the remains of the Emerald Swan, she felt a deep discomfort. 'Must Soul Masters always kill Soul Beasts?'
Just then, Lin Mu turned to Tang San. "Little San, it's your turn."
"Yes, Master."
Tang San didn't hesitate. He flicked his wrist, launching a hidden weapon that pierced the head of the ten-thousand-year-old Emerald Swan, ending its life instantly. A moment before the strike, a hint of hesitation had appeared in the swan's eyes, as if it were reconsidering a sacrifice of its own, but the window had closed. Tang San already possessed the Eight Spider Lances and didn't feel the need to gamble on the swan's willingness.
As its life force drained away, a deep black, ten-thousand-year Soul Ring rose from the corpse.
Xiao Wu watched in silence, her sadness deepening. 'Brother... you've changed. You're becoming more and more like Teacher Lin Mu... becoming cruel.'
Tang San, oblivious to her inner turmoil, sat cross-legged and began to absorb the black ring. Immediately, a vast amount of life energy surged into him. Even though the energy was relatively gentle compared to more aggressive beasts, the sheer volume of a ten-thousand-year ring still caused him immense pain.
Unlike a Sacrifice, he had to forcibly subdue the energy and the residual soul vibration of the beast. Fortunately, the Eight Spider Lances and the Body Tempering Pills had fortified his physique enough to withstand the pressure. Though the process was grueling, his foundation held firm.
Five hours later, Tang San opened his eyes and stood up.
"Brother, how do you feel?" Xiao Wu rushed into his arms, her anxiety finally replaced by relief.
"The process was dangerous, but the gains were worth it," Tang San said, glancing at his hands. "My Soul Power broke through to Level 42, and my Blue Silver Grass feels significantly stronger."
He looked at Lin Mu with deep gratitude. Without his Master's guidance and the alchemical help, absorbing such a high-quality ten-thousand-year ring at Level 40 would have been suicide.
"Little San, release your Blue Silver Grass. Let's see the change," Lin Mu commanded.
Tang San nodded, summoning his vines and lashing them toward a nearby tree. They bound the trunk instantly. The speed of the attack was noticeably faster, and the vines were visibly thicker and more resilient. The original pale gold hue of the vines had deepened into a rich, metallic gold.
The top-tier life attribute of the Emerald Swan had clearly purified the quality of the Blue Silver Grass, drawing out more of the hidden Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
"What is your fourth Soul Skill?" Lin Mu asked.
Tang San didn't explain with words. He activated the black fourth Soul Ring. Immediately, the Blue Silver Grass vines emitted a bright green light, and small emerald leaves sprouted along the vines. Tang San plucked one and held it up.
"This is my fourth Soul Skill: Blue Silver Pills."
"Blue Silver Pills?" Lin Mu was momentarily stunned, the name sounding vaguely familiar.
"These are condensed from life force and Soul Power," Tang San explained. "Once consumed, they can remove all negative status effects and restore five percent of a Soul Master's life force. Even for higher-level masters where the effect is diluted, it will still restore at least one percent."
The three observers were shocked. Blue Silver Grass had essentially manifested the properties of a food-type Martial Soul. This skill provided both purification and vital restoration.
Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San's arm, worried. "Consuming life force to make these... isn't that dangerous for you?"
"Don't forget my third Soul Skill," Tang San reassured her. "As long as there is Blue Silver Grass around me to draw life force from, I don't need to worry about the cost."
Relieved, the group gathered their things. With their goals accomplished, Lin Mu led the three of them out of the Star Dou Great Forest and back toward the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City.