After absorbing the first seal of the Golden Dragon King, his physical strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary three or four-ringed Soul Master. With that foundation, a thousand-year spirit soul should be well within reach.

After this, he would have Alfred evaluate him.

Then there was his spiritual power.

Spiritual power determined the ceiling of spirit energy absorption. If he wanted to walk further, this was an area he could not neglect.

The teacher once said that joining his organization would grant him a cultivation method…

Perhaps it really was time to consider it seriously.

Compared to his comrades, Ray knew his talent was lacking. His martial soul was still Silverfalls Vine. Whether it would continue mutating alongside the Golden Dragon King's seals was uncertain.

But one truth was undeniable.

Spirit souls and soul rings directly represented a Soul Master's strength.

If he could evolve his spirit soul once more, the road for his next two soul rings would be completely paved.

And if his body grew stronger after breaking the next seal, he could absorb even more spirit energy.

But another thought surfaced.

He needed two soul rings before breaking the next seal.

What if he broke it while still approaching rank twenty?

Would he survive?

Countless possibilities unfolded in Ray's mind, like doors opening one after another, each revealing a brighter, more dangerous future.

For the first time, that future felt truly within reach.

Ray had no idea that the thoughts stirring in his mind at that moment were quietly laying the groundwork for his future. A path no one had ever walked before was slowly unfolding beneath his feet, guided by the power of the Golden Dragon King.

"Careful!"

Raziel Phoenix's sharp warning snapped Ray out of his reverie. His instincts reacted faster than his thoughts. With a flick of his wrist, a surge of Silverfalls Vine burst forward as his Bind skill activated, entangling the lean leopard soul beast that had lunged at him.

Raziel Phoenix followed up instantly. A streak of light flashed through the air as his Light Dragon Blade slashed down, cutting the ten-year soul beast cleanly apart.

"Sorry, everyone," Ray said honestly, a chill crawling down his spine. "I lost focus just now."

This is still the spirit ascension platform, he reminded himself grimly. I can't afford to drift off like that. Absorbing spirit energy comes second to staying alive.

Barbara chuckled softly. "You're not the only one. My thoughts were all over the place, too. What just happened really changes how we see this place. Still, our harvest is already huge. Even if we get kicked out now, it wouldn't be a loss."

Ray shook his head firmly. "No. That kind of thinking is dangerous. Since we've been given this opportunity, we need to seize it with everything we've got. Otherwise, we'd be wasting the fortune we've been handed. Everyone, stay sharp."

Those words pulled the group back together. Their scattered thoughts settled, and Ray once again moved to the front, alert and ready.

Not long after, a furious roar echoed ahead.

"A hundred-year Six-Armed Fire Snake," Ray said solemnly. "Everyone, be careful."

Before they could even react, a brilliant white flash erupted ahead of them. The Six-Armed Fire Snake was struck mid-roar, its massive body torn open as a bizarre ice wheel carved through it. Blood splattered the ground as the soul beast collapsed, its spirit energy immediately being absorbed.

A figure stepped forward.

He looked around seventeen or eighteen years old. Two yellow soul rings and one purple ring revolved around his body, marking him as a Soul Elder. In his right hand was a snow-white staff crowned with a blue crystal, cold light radiating from it. His expression was aloof and arrogant, and his aura alone made Ray's group tense up.

Strong.

That was the first thought shared by all five of them.

And he wasn't alone.

A girl, younger and closer in age to Ray's group, peeked out from behind him. Her blue hair was tied into twin tails, her features delicate like polished jade. She was stunning, even more so than Lily. In her hand was a similar staff, though smaller, and beneath her feet flickered a single yellow soul ring. Fear was written plainly across her face.

The youth's gaze swept over class zero, lingering on the dense spirit energy surrounding them. His eyes lit up slightly as he strode forward.

Ray narrowed his eyes and subtly gestured for the others to stay back.

"Withdraw from the spirit ascension platform voluntarily," the youth said coolly. "Leave your spirit energy behind. If you do, I'll make it quick."

Raziel Phoenix curled his lips in mockery. "What's this? A soul beast that's evolved into human form? Looks like it's learned how to talk, too."

A sharp chill flashed through the youth's eyes. He pointed his ice staff at Raziel Phoenix, and an ice wheel shot forward instantly.

Raziel Phoenix reacted without hesitation, slashing out with his Light Dragon Dagger and sending a Light Dragon Blade flying.

Ray and the others didn't move. A three-ringed Soul Elder, with a thousand-year soul ring no less, wasn't someone to underestimate. Letting Raziel Phoenix probe first was the safest choice.

The ice wheel twisted through the air, curving unnaturally and slipping past the Light Dragon Blade with ease. It suddenly accelerated, turning into a spinning whirlwind that appeared in front of Raziel Phoenix in the blink of an eye.

It can change direction mid-flight… and accelerate! Ray's heart sank.

Raziel Phoenix was startled, but his reactions were sharp. He ducked low, letting the ice wheel skim past his head.

Just as he prepared to counterattack, Lily's voice rang out, calm and clear. "Let me."

A crystalline icicle shot forward and struck the ice wheel dead center. With a sharp crack, the wheel shattered into fragments that scattered across the ground.

The youth froze for a split second.

The core of the ice wheel was its weakest point, but hitting it was incredibly difficult due to its speed and his precise control. Yet that icicle had struck it perfectly.

Lily stepped forward.

Ray's pupils contracted.

She had two soul rings now.

Two yellow rings glimmered beneath her feet.

She had broken through.

Sometime during the battle with the Man-Faced Demon Spider, Lily had advanced to rank twenty. Her second soul ring had formed without anyone even noticing.

If she had been terrifying with one ring, what did that make her now?

"Let me test him," Lily said quietly to Ray.

He nodded without hesitation. "Go."

The youth frowned as he looked at her. From her earlier attack, he had already sensed a similarity between their martial souls.

"Ice attribute?" he asked.

"You'll see," Lily replied indifferently.

She raised her right hand, firing another icicle, while her left hand suddenly erupted in a burst of blinding light.

The youth cried out as his vision was flooded.

Bright Light. A light-element application.

Despite the sudden blindness, he reacted swiftly, lifting his staff and releasing waves of blue radiance that washed over the area, enveloping both himself and the girl beside him.

The icicle melted instantly under the light, vanishing without a trace.

Though Ray's group was caught in the glow, they were far enough away to glimpse the youth's second soul ring shining brilliantly.

Lily activated both of her soul rings.

The first strengthened her aura.

The second… felt almost imperceptible.

Then, in a silver flash, she vanished.

In the next instant, Lily appeared behind the youth.

The sky exploded into color.

Fireballs roared, wind blades screamed, icicles glittered, and chunks of earth tore free from the ground. Water, fire, earth, and wind moved in perfect harmony, weaving together into a dazzling storm.

She was controlling four elements at once.

Ray felt his breath catch.

Is she even human?

The youth's vision had almost recovered when the girl beside him cried out in panic. "Big brother! I can't see! I can't see anything!"

"Don't panic," he said quickly. "Close your eyes. It'll pass."

His sight returned fully, only for him to realize Lily was gone. All that remained ahead were her teammates.

Raziel Phoenix smiled faintly and pointed behind him.

The youth turned—

And met Lily's gaze, standing calmly behind him, surrounded by a radiant storm of elements.

A green tornado slowly rose into the air as Lily's hands traced an arcane rhythm. The vortex grew fiercer by the second, its spinning winds swallowing countless icicles and turning them into whirling blades of frost.

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