Chapter 44: Coercion

Chapter 44: Coercion

The middle-aged Soul Master was horrified, then awkwardly smiled. "Your Highness, I've already agreed to your condition. Don't tease me."

"I'm not joking!" Dai Yao said seriously.

Looking at Dai Yao's serious expression, the middle-aged Soul Master finally confirmed that he wasn't joking.

His Adam's apple moved, and after a long pause, he finally spoke, "Your Highness, I'm afraid I cannot agree to your condition."

"Aren't you afraid of being punished by the Elder Council?" Dai Yao asked.

"Your Highness, compared to the punishment from the Elder Council, I'm more afraid of your condition." The middle-aged Soul Master explained. "You should know that the limit for a Soul Master's second spirit ring is about 760 years. If you try to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring, you're basically courting death."

"If I agree to your request, I'll be the one who causes your death. I can't bear the crime of killing a prince."

In all of Douluo Continent's history, no Soul Master had ever had a second spirit ring that was a thousand years old, except for those who passed the divine test and received a reward from the gods.

Absorbing a spirit ring not only requires withstanding the overwhelming soul power impact but also the attack from the soul beast's malicious intent.

A first-ring Soul Master simply doesn't have the physical constitution to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring.

Dai Yao found himself in a difficult spot. As a first-ring Soul Master, he was completely unable to hunt a thousand-year soul beast, let alone one as formidable as the Earth Dragon.

When he obtained his first soul ring, he was able to kill the 700-year-old Xuan Shui Turtle only because the turtle was not good at attacking. Also, through a series of fortunate events, he had the chance to strike at the turtle's weak spot.

Without the help of the middle-aged Soul Master, he wouldn't have been able to obtain a thousand-year soul ring.

Even if he asked his family's Soul Masters for help, they would never allow him to absorb a thousand-year soul ring. Since the middle-aged Soul Master had a compromising secret in Dai Yao's hands, there was still some hope.

Dai Yao pressed, "If you don't agree, I will report to the Elder Council that you neglected your duty and almost caused the prince's death. The Elder Council will surely punish your entire family!"

The middle-aged Soul Master was unfazed, sneering in response:

"Compared to the crime of killing the prince, the punishment for neglecting my duty is much lighter. Furthermore, at the time, I was stopped by a stranger Soul Master. If you want to punish me, you'll have to find the Soul Master who blocked me!"

"Your Highness, if you want to die, don't drag me into it!"

The situation froze. No matter how much Dai Yao pressed, the middle-aged Soul Master was not yielding, and Dai Yao couldn't think of a good way out.

"Really stubborn, can it be that I can only obtain a hundred-year spirit ring?" He felt a bitter taste in his heart.

He sighed inwardly.

A white light suddenly burst forth from Dai Yao's body.

His martial spirit materialized, and a domineering tiger roar echoed through the forest.

The middle-aged Soul Master squinted. "Your Highness, are you trying to use force to coerce me? I'm a Soul Sect!"

Dai Yao shook his head, his tone gentle. "No, I want you to see something."

"What?"

"My first soul ring."

Seeing the yellow soul ring revolving around Dai Yao, the middle-aged Soul Master snorted dismissively, "What's so special about a hundred-year soul ring?"

"Look carefully," Dai Yao reminded.

The middle-aged Soul Master realized that with Dai Yao's serious attitude, there must be something more to it.

He approached Dai Yao, closely inspecting the yellow soul ring.

After noticing the faint purple tint within the yellow ring, his eyes widened, and he gasped, "How many years is this soul ring?!"

"Seven hundred years."

The simple words exploded in the middle-aged Soul Master's mind like a thunderclap.

Historically, the limit for a first soul ring had been around 430 years. No one had ever surpassed this limit.

Now, in front of him, appeared a miracle.

The middle-aged Soul Master stared blankly at Dai Yao, speechless for a long time. After a while, his voice was hoarse as he said, "How did you do it?"

"That's a secret. Do you now believe that I can absorb a thousand-year soul ring?" Dai Yao replied.

"If I report to the Elder Council, both you and your family will be doomed. But helping me hunt a thousand-year soul beast gives you a slim chance of survival. You know what to choose."

The middle-aged Soul Master bitterly smiled. "It seems His Highness already had a plan. Since you've said it like that, what other choice do I have?"

"Follow me," Dai Yao said.

The Royal Beast Garden was divided into three areas.

Each area was home to a different type of soul beast: the Xuan Shui Turtle, Earth Dragon, and Diamond Beast, corresponding to the soul beasts hunted by the White Tiger Martial Spirit holder for their first, second, and third soul rings.

Because the third soul ring's age limit is over 1,700 years, the soul beasts in the garden were no older than 2,000 years.

The Earth Dragon resided in a mountainous cave, with uneven terrain that was difficult to traverse.

After several hours of travel, they finally found an Earth Dragon with an appropriate age for a soul beast.

"Your Highness, we've found it," the middle-aged Soul Master said, exhausted.

He turned to look at Dai Yao, but found that Dai Yao was still calm, his clothes light and unruffled, not out of breath. The middle-aged Soul Master felt a chill run down his spine.

To think that a mere first-ring Soul Master could be so relaxed, while he, a Soul Sect, was worn out!

"Truly a monster. No wonder he dares to absorb a thousand-year soul ring."

The middle-aged Soul Master sighed.

What he didn't know was that deep inside Dai Yao, a blue lotus was softly emitting a faint blue light.

"Let's begin," Dai Yao commanded.

As the words fell, the middle-aged Soul Master released a powerful aura from within, sending a fierce gust of wind outward. Countless dry branches and leaves were swept up in the wind, revealing the moist soil beneath.

The yellow, yellow, yellow, and purple soul rings flashed with captivating light.

Under such immense pressure, Dai Yao moved with ease, avoiding most of the force. The slight remaining pressure couldn't hurt him at all.

His training under the waterfall for three years was now paying off.

"Truly a monster!" The middle-aged Soul Master once again marveled.

As the pressure continued, the Earth Dragon, still asleep, was disturbed by the mighty aura and let out a regal dragon roar. Soon, a monstrous and terrifying figure appeared.

A thousand-year Earth Dragon!

(End of chapter)

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