Shrek Academy Dormitory.

  Under Dai Mubai's guidance, Chen Xiaoming's lodging was arranged in a separate house adjacent to the student dormitories.

  The environment was somewhat simple, but clean and tidy. The brand-new bed and bedding looked quite comfortable.

  "Hmm, the air is fresh, and the surroundings are tranquil."

  Opening the window at the back of the house, the view revealed a forest behind, serene and peaceful, meeting Chen Xiaoming's expectations.

  Dai Mubai gave Chen Xiaoming a brief nod, his eyes scanning him for a moment before hurriedly leaving.

  With a light chuckle, Chen Xiaoming closed the door, leisurely ying on the bed and taking a deep breath.

  Ding!

  [You have taken a deep breath and gained +100,000 experience.]

  The familiar system prompt echoed in his ears. Chen Xiaoming squinted his eyes, summoning the system panel in his mind.

  ...

  Host: Chen XiaomingAge: 26Martial Soul: Azurewood TreeSoul Power: Level 79 (+) 16,525,795,000/100,000,000

  First Soul Ring: 300 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Second Soul Ring: 600 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Third Soul Ring: 1,200 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Fourth Soul Ring: 6,000 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Fifth Soul Ring: 20,000 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Sixth Soul Ring: 99,999 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000Seventh Soul Ring: 99,999 Years (+) 16,525,795,000/10,000

  Martial Soul Form: Azurewood TreeBloodline: None (+) 16,525,795,000/100,000,000Items: NoneExperience: 16,525,795,000

  ...

  Ever since he took human form, within just one month, Chen Xiaoming had invested most of his experience into leveling up his soul power, while the remainder was used to upgrade his soul rings.

  After that frenzied surge in soul power following his transformation, Chen Xiaoming discovered new features on his attribute panel—each soul ring now dispyed its age along with the familiar (+) upgrade button and experience bar.

  This unexpected surprise delighted Chen Xiaoming. With over twenty billion experience points, he could easily reach the Limit Douluo level in an instant. He had worried that life would become boring afterward.

  After all, what others pursued their whole lives, he could achieve in less than a minute.

  Sigh... Rapid soul power growth can be such a burden!

  Whenever he thought of this, Chen Xiaoming would silently ment. Such suffering was his alone to bear.

  However, with the soul ring age upgrade option, he found a new and far more interesting goal.

  For instance—becoming a Limit Titled Douluo with nine hundred thousand-year soul rings.

  Or perhaps—a Limit Titled Douluo with nine million-year soul rings.

  Even better—a Limit Titled Douluo with ten million-year soul rings.

  Tsk tsk. Chen Xiaoming's lips curved with anticipation. Now, life was getting interesting.

  Could a Limit Titled Douluo with nine million-year soul rings defeat a 3rd Css God?

  His eyes flickered with excitement. Before he realized it, he was lost in dreams of overwhelming divine beings.

  "Ahem, ahem, better focus on upgrading first."

  Breaking free from his fantasy, Chen Xiaoming coughed lightly. Dreams were nice, but reality had to be approached step by step.

  A small goal first—becoming a Limit Titled Douluo with nine hundred thousand-year soul rings.

  "Upgrade, upgrade."

  With his mind made up, he gnced at his attribute panel. His sixth and seventh soul rings had already reached the peak of 99,999 years.

  His sixth soul skill's dominance over Flender and Zhao Wuji owed not only to his higher soul power but also to the soul ring's near hundred thousand-year limit.

  "Let's begin."

  He hadn't upgraded earlier to enjoy pying with those Soul Saints, but now the game was over—it was time to level up.

  With a silent touch on the upgrade button behind the sixth soul ring, his attribute panel fshed, and a surge of boundless soul power poured into his body. The energy flowed through him, gathering at the sixth soul ring.

  The deep bck ring shimmered. The faint red specks on its surface flickered brightly, growing stronger as more soul power infused into it.

  Chen Xiaoming controlled the fluctuations, watching as the crimson glow expanded, soon engulfing the entire soul ring. The light fred brilliantly before fading into calm.

  In the quiet room, a red soul ring hovered around Chen Xiaoming, pulsating gently.

  Sixth Soul Ring: Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!

  Lost in admiration, Chen Xiaoming gazed at the red ring. The overwhelming soul power within was far greater than before.

  The crimson halo, like a mesmerizing blood-red rose, beckoned him into its intoxicating power.

  "Hoo... So this is a hundred thousand-year soul ring!"

  With his first hundred thousand-year soul ring obtained, Chen Xiaoming's heart settled. The upgrade exceeded his expectations.

  No wonder every Soul Master pursued hundred thousand-year soul rings—the difference in power compared to ten thousand-year rings was staggering.

  After a few more gnces, Chen Xiaoming's eyes returned to the attribute panel.

  "Continue upgrading!"

  His eyes fshed with determination. Since the benefits were this great, he wouldn't hold back.

  He would become the first Soul Saint in Douluo Continent's history with seven hundred thousand-year soul rings!

  Without hesitation, he touched the upgrade button behind the seventh soul ring. Once again, immense soul power surged into him, and another crimson soul ring flickered into existence.

  Riding the momentum, he shifted his attention to the fifth soul ring, which had never been upgraded.

  The flickering light illuminated his body as the ring's age skyrocketed.

  Fifth Soul Ring: 20,000... 30,000... 40,000... 50,000.

  Stopping at fifty thousand years, Chen Xiaoming furrowed his brows. His body felt saturated with soul power.

  "Hmm? My body can't withstand it?"

  Muttering softly, his eyes flicked across his panel, contempting his current state.

  He wasn't a twin martial soul user, nor had he undergone any God Officer assessments. His body was as fragile as an ordinary human's.

  Could a seventy-ninth-level Soul Saint only bear two hundred thousand-year soul rings? Or was this a restriction unique to soul beasts taking human form?

  Chen Xiaoming didn't know. After a moment of thought, his gaze settled on the Bloodline section of the panel.

  This new option had appeared after his st upgrade.

  Regardless of the reason, enhancing his bloodline should solve the issue.

  Though he feared awakening some bizarre bloodline that would affect his grand image, he had no choice.

  "Come on, let's see what kind of bloodline I have."

  "Heavenly Lord Taishang, bless me with Pangu's bloodline—or if not, the Witch Ancestor bloodline will do."

  With hands csped in prayer, Chen Xiaoming murmured, then reached out and tapped the Bloodline option.

  —————

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