In the entire Xingluo Empire, those whom Ming Feng Douluo respected so deeply were few and far between—perhaps only the venerable Royal Grand Sacrificial Official could claim such an honor.
Jing Liu gave a slight nod, his expression calm and indifferent as he replied, "No matter."
Shrek Academy was renowned far and wide as the continent's foremost institution. Although she was not afraid of clashing with them, it was better to avoid unnecessary conflicts whenever possible. After all, if things escalated, it would inevitably harm the stable development of Haiyuan City.
Moreover, judging by the recent situation, they had not lost out at all.
"If he doesn't absorb it soon, the soul ring will dissipate," Jing Liu quietly reminded Luo Jingming.
It was important to know that after a soul beast's death, its soul ring would gradually dissipate within a limited time, eventually returning as pure soul energy to the world.
At Jing Liu's words, Yan Shaozhe, Ma Xiaotao, Xu Jiujiao, and Douluo Xingyun all trembled slightly, their faces instantly filled with shock.
They instinctively turned their gazes toward Luo Jingming, scrutinizing him carefully and repeatedly confirming they hadn't mistaken his age.
That tender, youthful face was clearly that of a six- or seven-year-old child. Then, their eyes shifted back to Jing Liu, filled with confusion and disbelief.
"Sir, if I'm not mistaken, this young brother should have only just awakened his martial soul recently, right? Choosing to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as his first... isn't that somewhat unwise?" Yan Shaozhe cautiously spoke, testing the waters.
If it had been someone else, he wouldn't have bothered interfering. After all, if others overestimated themselves and insisted on taking risks, what was that to him? But he hoped to cultivate good relations with Jing Liu, so he took the initiative to offer a word of caution.
"Yes, Senior Jing Liu, the choice of the first soul ring is crucial. It's better to be cautious," Xu Jiujiao added. Although she understood that given Jing Liu's strength and experience, such a basic mistake was unlikely, she did not want to miss the chance to say something that might earn favor.
"No harm done. He can handle it," Jing Liu's tone remained calm and unflustered, showing no intention of hiding anything.
After all, soul rings were difficult to conceal unless one possessed exceptionally rare soul skills.
Luo Jingming's choice to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as his first was impossible to hide—and there was no need to.
Without hesitation, Luo Jingming directly unleashed his first martial soul: the Black Abyss.
The pitch-black spear emitted black particles of light, its aura profoundly deep. Sitting cross-legged beside the corpse of the Jinhong Bird, he slowly closed his eyes, began circulating his soul energy, and focused intently on drawing in the purple soul ring suspended midair.
"In that case, I shall take my leave. I still need to find a new third soul ring for my disciple," Yan Shaozhe, a perceptive man, understood that staying any longer would be pointless.
After all, a minor unpleasantness had just occurred, and now Luo Jingming was absorbing a soul ring—definitely not the time for conversation.
He had already decided to return to Shrek Academy first, carefully investigate Jing Liu's background and situation, and then prepare a suitable gift before making a formal visit.
He believed this approach would greatly increase the chances of Jing Liu lending his aid to Ma Xiaotao.
Moreover, Ma Xiaotao had only just been promoted to Soul Master. Though the Evil Flame was powerful, it hadn't yet reached an uncontrollable state. He still had ample time to plan accordingly.
Yan Shaozhe nodded toward Xu Jiujiao and the others, then turned to lead Ma Xiaotao away.
Ma Xiaotao obediently followed behind Yan Shaozhe but couldn't help casting a glance back at Luo Jingming, who was fully focused on absorbing the soul ring. A faint trace of astonishment lingered in her eyes, difficult to conceal.
After all, she had never once seen—nor even heard of—a soul master whose very first soul ring was a thousand-year soul ring.
Even within the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy, the so-called premier academy of the continent, where geniuses gathered by the dozens, no such prodigy had ever appeared.
Yet, judging by the overwhelming strength displayed by Jing Liu, daring to let Luo Jingming absorb a thousand-year soul ring so confidently clearly meant he was supremely confident—success was almost guaranteed, and failure nearly impossible.
Ma Xiaotao's curiosity itched incessantly. If not for the feeling that it was somewhat inappropriate, she would have stayed just to witness whether Luo Jingming could truly absorb it.
"Senior Jing Liu, may we stay and watch?" Xu Jiujiao bowed slightly and spoke earnestly. "Absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as the very first—this is unprecedented across the entire Douluo Continent. I simply cannot suppress my curiosity."
Though Xu Jiujiao was a princess, facing a Title Douluo of Jing Liu's caliber, she still dared not show the slightest laxity and gave him full respect.
"Very well," Jing Liu replied succinctly.
As a princess of the Xingluo Empire, and with Luo Jingming officially titled a noble of the empire, befriending her was only beneficial for Luo Jingming's future development within Xingluo.
Besides, with her present, Xu Jiujiao and the others wouldn't dare harbor any ill intentions.
Xu Jiujiao slightly turned her head and discreetly gave a signal to the bodyguards behind her.
The well-trained guards immediately understood, stepping back in unison to create a safe distance from Luo Jingming, who was deeply concentrating on absorbing and refining the soul ring—ensuring no interference whatsoever.
Then, Xu Jiujiao surveyed the surroundings, her gaze settling on a relatively clean stone.
With graceful steps, she approached it and elegantly raised her hand. A gentle surge of soul energy swept over the stone, instantly wiping away the dust.
After finishing, she slowly sat on the stone, hands delicately supporting her chin. Her eyes—brilliant like sapphires—stared unblinkingly at Luo Jingming, her gaze overflowing with intense and barely restrained curiosity.
On the other side, Luo Jingming was enduring the fierce, turbulent assault of soul energy. The soul power crashed against his meridians like surging tides, wave after wave, creating the illusion that his body was about to be torn apart.
At the same time, the burning, destructive soul energy continuously flowed into his body, awaiting absorption and refinement.
Then, at a certain moment, Luo Jingming suddenly sensed an invisible bottleneck shattered by that violent soul power laced with destructive aura.
The instant the level ten soul power bottleneck broke through, Luo Jingming felt as if he were immersed in an endless ocean of strength, sensing he could achieve anything.