Chapter 4: Soul Ring

It is important to note that when his grandfather once led him into the Mountain of Mourning Souls, he displayed evident fear. When instructing him to identify the forbidden areas, he sternly warned him never to set foot in any forbidden place

Although there was doubt in his heart, Lei Tiansheng did not delay and reached out to take the ring handed to him by the old man

Whether the emaciated old man is insane is something Lei Tiansheng cannot ascertain, but one thing he is very clear about is that if the old man intends to kill him, even ten thousand Lei Tianshengs would not be enough to defeat him

This is truly strange, an elderly man who is gravely injured and on the verge of death has vanished without a sound.

The emaciated old man stood still at the scene, while Lei Tiansheng sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes slightly closed. Both were enveloped by a hazy and eerie atmosphere, which was slowly seeping into Lei Tiansheng's body.

Perhaps sensing Lei Tiansheng's thoughts, the emaciated old man smiled faintly and gently patted his shoulder: "Heaven and Earth are indifferent, treating all things as mere fodder; the sage is indifferent, treating the common people as mere fodder. In the realm of the spirit, strength is paramount; any powerful practitioner, whether good or evil, has hands stained with blood. Moreover, the method of cultivation is merely a means to power; whether it is righteous or evil does not depend on the method itself, but on the human heart. If you use the most wicked methods to exclusively kill evil people, then you are truly good. If you practice orthodox methods and kill indiscriminately, regardless of good or bad, then you are still evil. Therefore, there is no need for you to be entangled in the methods of cultivation. If you wish to be a good person, then kill the evil; if you wish to be a bad person, then kill both good and bad."

As the old man spoke, Lei Tiansheng's mind raced rapidly. At that moment, his expression changed once again, and he was filled with trepidation: "Master, according to your words, if I have no reaction when I come into contact with the Soul Ring, and I follow the book... wouldn't that mean it would kill me?"

The bright moon hangs high, and the lush giant trees obscure the silvery glow of the moonlight, casting a shadowy gloom over this place. The mournful wails continue to echo, filling the Mountain of Mourning Souls.

That being said, secular individuals do not entertain such thoughts. In their eyes, the most sinister cultivation methods are deemed evil. Not only will righteous individuals seek to kill you, but even some wicked individuals will do the same. Therefore, there must be no leaks regarding matters of our sect, even to those closest to you. Otherwise, it will surely lead to your isolation and betrayal by all.

Lei Tiansheng was filled with panic; he never expected that the inheritance of the emaciated old man was so exceedingly evil. Furthermore, his actions only served to illustrate that the sect to which the old man belonged was boundlessly wicked

"Senior, do you really want to take me as your disciple?" Lei Tiansheng asked incredulously

As the voice fell, Lei Tiansheng was once again enveloped by a sinister and eerie force, rendering him unable to move or speak. Strange waves surged into his mind, and the terrifying power that shrouded his body was slowly seeping into him.

"Old senior, it can't be that serious, can it? You seem to be doing well now!" Lei Tiansheng said incredulously

The emaciated old man nodded heavily and said, "Of course"

The emaciated old man nodded: "Our sect's inheritance is exceedingly sinister, to the extent that it can be said to defy the heavens. Therefore, any chosen successor who is not suitable for practicing our sect's secret arts will be silenced. Even if I am on the brink of death, I will not show mercy. For if you are not fit to practice our sect's secret arts and are allowed to live, it is highly likely that our sect's secrets will be exposed, leading to a pursuit based on you as a clue, ultimately severing our sect's inheritance. Not allowing you to live, along with the * map * and * book *, I still have ways to seal our sect's secret arts for those who are destined to inherit them."

Lei Tiansheng felt that everything he had experienced was completely unreal, as if he were dreaming. However, in his hand, he still tightly held the soul ring given to him by the old man, which clearly indicated to him that this was certainly not a dream; he had indeed just taken an unknown old man as his master.

Without any training, merely relying on the strength of the physical body, to be this powerful is truly astonishing

The old man, with a beaming expression, exclaimed in response to Lei Tiansheng's call of "Master": "Good disciple, do you know that just now you walked through the gates of the underworld?"

"Old senior, what exactly do you want to do?" Lei Tiansheng asked with a furrowed brow, clearly puzzled.

As the ring was put on, a chilling and eerie aura instantly enveloped Lei Tiansheng's entire being, overwhelming and tumultuous, causing his soul to tremble and his countenance to change, nearly making him lose his grip and let it slip away.

Lei Tiansheng felt a sense of relief in his heart and gently nodded, saying, "What Master has said is indeed true, and I shall remember it carefully."

The mournful wails permeate every corner of the Mountain of Lost Souls

Lei Tiansheng felt no infiltration of the eerie power. Upon opening his eyes, the old man who had originally stood before him was already gone. He looked around but still could not see any trace of the old man. He immediately focused his mind and calmed his spirit, trying to sense the movements around him. Apart from the mournful wailing sound, he could sense nothing else.

Before long, the hazy aura enveloping the two individuals suddenly vanished. As an extremely sinister smile flashed across the old man's face, his body inexplicably disappeared, transforming into a wisp of black smoke that merged into Lei Tiansheng's body, never to be seen again.

It is evident that the grandfather, who is deeply concealed and unassuming, truly cannot be compared to the emaciated old man before him

Lei Tiansheng exerted all his strength, sprinting at the utmost speed of his physical body, yet despite his swiftness, the emaciated old man with haunting green eyes was equally fast, maintaining a distance of about three meters behind him, closely following.

This is a peculiar inheritance, as well as a form of inexplicable spiritual infusion. Lei Tiansheng, as a firsthand witness, could not help but be astonished.

An elder who dares to venture into the forbidden area of the Mourning Soul Mountain and fiercely battles against the resentful souls of gods and demons unexpectedly wishes to take him as a disciple. For Lei Tiansheng, who is solely focused on cultivation, this is simply a stroke of good fortune.

As the sound of the response faded, Wei Dun immediately said: "Old senior, you are seriously injured. It would be best to find a place to heal your wounds first, and then slowly teach me later"

Accept him as a disciple

"Esteemed elder, I wish to take you as my master." Lei Tiansheng received a definite answer, and without any hesitation, he excitedly agreed.

This is merely the result of my unique cultivation, forcibly reversing the flow of time, and it cannot last long. Young man, my time is limited, so I will now use the method of spiritual imprinting to pass on the secret techniques of my sect to you

"Master, what does this mean?" Lei Tiansheng asked in confusion

The emaciated old man exclaimed: "Hahaha..." The old man laughed heartily: "I truly did not expect that, at the brink of death, I would find an exceptional successor. You are a rare talent suitable for practicing the secret techniques of my sect. By utilizing the secret techniques of my sect, you will surely be able to dominate the world and be invincible in the future"

Originally, he thought the emaciated old man was harmless, unaware that the Mountain of Mourning Souls was densely populated with forbidden areas. Now that he has spoken these words, it can only indicate that he intends to venture into the forbidden zones, deliberately engaging in fierce battles with the resentful souls of gods and demons

Lei Tiansheng could hardly believe that within such a short period, he had received the secret method inheritance spoken of by the old man

The emaciated old man smiled sadly and shook his head helplessly: "I underestimated the strength of the vengeful spirits of the Mountain of Mourning Souls, and I also underestimated the power of the restrictions in the forbidden area. I originally thought that even if I could not defeat the vengeful spirits, I could easily escape the forbidden area. The final result, however, was that I was relentlessly entangled by the vengeful spirits, forced out of the forbidden area, and suffered severe, incurable injuries. Now, I can only hope that you are a suitable successor for our sect; otherwise, our sect's secret techniques will be obliterated for countless ages before they can emerge again"

"My sect has always emphasized the principle of passing down the lineage through a single heir. This is the token of my sect, known as the Soul Ring. I now pass it on to you." The emaciated old man removed an inconspicuous ring from his right index finger and handed it to Lei Tiansheng

However, Lei Tiansheng would never have imagined in his dreams that the unknown master had quietly implemented a shocking conspiracy against him...

As Lei Tiansheng stood solemnly, about to speak, the old man continued, "I am about to run out of energy and life. In my final moments, I will impart to you a shocking ancient secret that our sect possesses, through a spiritual imprint. I will also grant you some mental strength, so that you can grasp our sect's secret techniques more swiftly. The knowledge imparted to you through the spiritual imprint will manifest automatically as long as you calm your mind and comprehend it, becoming yours for all eternity."

Gods and demons are the ultimate goal of countless practitioners in the Divine Color Continent. Even the souls of the deceased possess a power that ordinary people cannot fathom. Yet, the emaciated old man deliberately ventures into forbidden grounds to engage in fierce battles with the vengeful souls of gods and demons. Has he gone mad

The emaciated old man had the green light in his eyes fade away, returning to normal. He smiled gently and said, "Young man, I would like to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"

The Soul Ring conceals a mysterious and powerful spiritual force. Only those who are suitable for the secret techniques of our sect and have received the inheritance of the secret methods can initially awaken the spiritual power contained within it. This is the Soul Ring's recognition of the new successor and also an invisible test. The stronger the reaction during the initial contact with the Soul Ring, the more suitable one is for the cultivation of our sect's secret techniques. Your mental strength is as formidable as your physical body, reaching a level beyond ordinary imagination. The moment you made contact with the Soul Ring, such an intense reaction occurred, which can only indicate that you are an extraordinary talent suitable for the cultivation of our sect's secret techniques. At the moment of my impending death, to find such a successor is truly a regretless end!" The emaciated old man was extremely excited, speaking with great enthusiasm.

Lei Tiansheng was shocked

The emaciated old man spoke in a chilling tone, pausing slightly before continuing: "Young man, within the Mountain of Mourning Souls, there are numerous forbidden areas. As soon as you step into them, you will trigger the prohibitions and provoke the wrath of the divine and demonic vengeful spirits, who will attack you furiously. You should not attempt to escape any longer."

"Master has overpraised me." Lei Tiansheng changed his tone, his face full of humility

The old man stared blankly at Lei Tiansheng, his eyes shining with brilliance, as if he were gazing at a piece of raw jade that captivated him the most, and also as if he were looking at prey that he was about to hunt down

In the stormy sky, a thought flashed through Lei Tiansheng's mind; he decided to stop fleeing and descended directly to the ground. The withered old man also came to a halt, maintaining a distance of about ten feet from him.

As the voice of the emaciated old man fell, Lei Tiansheng was enveloped by a chilling and eerie force, rendering him unable to move in the slightest. Even the words that were on the tip of his tongue could not be uttered, as a strange wave surged into his mind

Is this really all there is?

The strange waves of thought surged into his mind, and in an instant, it was complete. His body was under the invisible influence of a terrifying power, and he directly sat down on the spot, his eyes involuntarily closing.

What intrigued Lei Tiansheng was that as soon as he was enveloped by that overwhelming aura, it vanished without a trace, leaving no further anomalies

After a moment, the eerie power vanished, and Lei Tiansheng was freed, with the strange waves surging in his mind coming to a halt.