Douluo Dalu: Path of Power

"First Soul Skill—Heavy Sword, Unsharpened Edge!"

Yu Lin summoned the Doomsday Demon Iron, surrounded by nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black.

This sight completely stunned Ma Hongjun, the chubby little guy. This Uncle Yu Lin was actually one of the titled Douluo standing at the pinnacle of the continent!

Yu Lin's first soul ring began to glow. His first soul skill was a state-enhancing ability with two effects: first, it increased attack power by 40%; second, it increased the weight of his sword. The additional weight scaled with his level—starting at 500 jin and increasing by 50 jin per level.

Now, at level 94, his sword had gained a total of 4,700 jin.

Moreover, Yu Lin's divine iron, with the attachment of more and more soul rings, had already reached a base weight of over 8,000 jin. In total, it now exceeded 10,000 jin.

If this had been in his previous life, a mere 10,000 jin would have felt as light as a wooden sword in his hands. Unfortunately, his current strength was far from what it used to be. Still, wielding a sword of this weight was quite impressive, especially considering this was only his first soul skill.

"Hah!"

Yu Lin let out a mighty shout, swinging his heavy sword down onto the ground. In an instant, the earth trembled violently. The surrounding Devourer Cats were thrown off balance, unable to withstand the shockwave of his power.

Even the entity lurking in the shadows felt the immense pressure of Yu Lin's strength. The dense fog around them gradually dispersed, revealing the figure ahead.

It was a humanoid soul beast. However, its sharp fangs, razor-like claws, and dark wings made it clear that it was still very much a beast.

"This is… a Shadow Sprite!" Yu Lin exclaimed in surprise. "Legend has it that wherever a Shadow Sprite appears, it can command all dark-attribute soul beasts with lower cultivation. No wonder these Devourer Cats obey you."

Shadow Sprites also fed on souls, making it no surprise that they were working alongside the Devourer Cats. This was a rare opportunity for Bei Xuan—such a soul beast was exceptionally uncommon.

"Xiao Xuan, get ready to attack. I estimate this Shadow Sprite to be around 600 years old. With your Exorcist King Bone protecting you, absorbing a soul ring of this level won't be a problem."

With that, Yu Lin dashed toward the Shadow Sprite.

The Shadow Sprite, clearly terrified by the nine soul rings on Yu Lin's body, hadn't expected its intended prey to actually be a Titled Douluo.

With intelligence surpassing that of most soul beasts, it didn't hesitate—it conjured thick black mist, attempting to escape.

But such petty tricks were useless against a Titled Douluo. Yu Lin charged straight into the fog, swinging his sword downward. Just as the blade was about to strike the Shadow Sprite, he suddenly changed his stance, shifting the sword from a chop to a crushing press.

With a base weight of over 10,000 jin, plus Yu Lin's own strength, the attack carried at least 15,000 jin of force.

A mere hundred-year-old soul beast like the Shadow Sprite had no way to withstand it. If Yu Lin hadn't held back, it would have been crushed to death instantly.

At that moment, a figure dashed forward from the shadows—it was Bei Xuan.

"Fiery Sun Demon Palm—Mad Demon Form!"

Bei Xuan unleashed a powerful palm strike, landing squarely on the Shadow Sprite's skull. This was the first and most fundamental form of the Fiery Sun Demon Palm, a technique he had mastered over the past few days. It focused all his strength into a single, devastating strike.

Yu Lin nodded in approval—good, no hesitation.

Many soul beasts were incredibly proud, especially intelligent ones. Some would rather die than become someone's soul ring.

That's why, when killing them, hesitation was not an option. The enemy couldn't be given even a chance to self-destruct.

With a thud, the Shadow Sprite's lifeless body collapsed.

Looking at the corpse before him, Bei Xuan felt no discomfort from his first kill. Perhaps it was due to his Exorcist lineage—his kind was naturally battle-hardened, and as a member of the royal bloodline, he was even more so.

A yellow soul ring emerged from the Shadow Sprite's body.

Following Yu Lin's prior instructions, Bei Xuan activated his Phantom Enchantment and began absorbing the soul ring.

The Shadow Sprite's dying resentment clung to the soul ring like countless daggers, attempting to tear through Bei Xuan's body.

For an ordinary level-10 soul master, the physical strain of absorbing a 600-year soul ring might have been unbearable.

However, since the Shadow Sprite was only a hundred-year soul beast, it lacked the soul impact of a ten-thousand-year beast. Given Bei Xuan's extraordinary physique, he could handle it.

As he absorbed the soul ring, a faint golden glow flickered behind him.

Yu Lin's eyes narrowed. "This is… I see now. No wonder His Majesty was so confident that the Young Lord's body wouldn't be affected by a soul beast's bloodline and power. Excellent. This means I can boldly search for the most suitable soul beasts and soul bones for Xiao Xuan in the future."

"Uncle Yu Lin, Brother Xuan looks like he's in a lot of pain. Is he really going to be okay?" Ma Hongjun asked worriedly, noticing the strain on Bei Xuan's face.

"No need to worry. This is just the impact of soul power." Yu Lin replied. "And you—stop slacking off! Go meditate. You've been stuck at level 9 peak innate soul power for so many days now. You still can't break through such a thin barrier?"

"Yes, sir!" Ma Hongjun suddenly became very obedient. The sheer strength Yu Lin had just displayed, along with those nine powerful soul rings, had completely convinced him.

With both boys sitting in meditation, Yu Lin also sat down to cultivate—though only lightly. If anything happened, he would wake up instantly to protect them.

Time passed, and dawn gradually broke. The sun peeked over the horizon.

At that moment, the dark aura around Bei Xuan suddenly surged.

"Success!"

Bei Xuan opened his eyes, feeling his strength had multiplied. His soul power had increased dramatically—he was now far beyond level 11 or 12.

This sight woke Yu Lin as well. He stepped forward, nodding in approval.

"Good. As expected, a 600-year soul ring posed no problem for you, given your strong body and external soul bone."

"External soul bone?" Bei Xuan was puzzled. When had he ever obtained one?

Yu Lin smiled. "I only realized it yesterday when you absorbed the soul ring. Your predecessor, King Xuan Ge's Exorcist King Bone, transformed into an external soul bone when His Majesty brought you to this world and refined your body using the dimensional laws."

"Right now, because your strength is still too low, it only has the power of a ten-year-old soul bone. But its potential is limitless."

"One of this soul bone's abilities is to filter out impurities. That means no matter how many soul rings or soul bones you absorb in the future, they will never affect your pure Exorcist King and Phantom bloodlines. You will only inherit the purest power from your soul beasts."

Bei Xuan finally understood. No wonder Bei Luo had assured him that his body wouldn't suffer any negative side effects from absorbing soul rings and soul bones in this world.

With this realization, his confidence grew. Having an external soul bone with the ability to purify and filter power meant that he wouldn't have to worry about bloodline corruption or energy conflicts, allowing him to absorb even stronger soul beasts in the future.

Feeling the surging power within him, Bei Xuan clenched his fists. His soul power had advanced significantly, and the absorption process had gone smoother than expected. His body had fully adapted to the 600-year-old soul ring, proving his exceptional talent.

Yu Lin nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, we'll be able to seek even better soul rings and soul bones for you without hesitation. Your foundation is stronger than I had imagined."

Ma Hongjun, who had been meditating, opened one eye and muttered, "Brother Xuan is so lucky… My first soul ring is probably not going to be anywhere near this good."

Yu Lin smirked. "Then work harder. Strength isn't about luck—it's about effort. With your innate soul power at level 9, you have great potential. Stop complaining and keep cultivating."

Ma Hongjun pouted but obediently continued his meditation.

The sun had fully risen, casting golden rays over the forest. The battle was over, and Bei Xuan had successfully gained his first soul ring.

Yu Lin stood up, stretching his muscles. "Alright, we should get moving. This was only the beginning. There are stronger enemies ahead, and your journey is far from over."

Bei Xuan took a deep breath, feeling the immense power coursing through his body. He smiled confidently. "Let's go."

With that, the group set off, disappearing into the depths of the forest, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them next.