Across the entire Star Luo Empire, only a handful of powerhouses could command such respect from the Bright Phoenix Douluo, perhaps only the highly esteemed Grand Elder of the Imperial Family had such an honor. Jing Liu nodded slightly, her expression indifferent, and calmly replied, "No matter."
Shrek Academy was renowned as the continent's foremost academy. While she wasn't afraid of clashing with them, it was better to avoid trouble if possible. Avoiding conflict was naturally best, as escalating the situation could negatively impact the stable development of Haiyuan City. Besides, judging by the situation just now, they hadn't suffered any loss.
"If you don't absorb it soon, the soul ring will dissipate," Jing Liu gently reminded Lu Jingming, turning to him. It's important to remember that after a soul beast dies, its soul ring gradually dissipates within a limited time, eventually transforming into pure soul power that returns to the heavens and earth.
Jing Liu's words caused Yan Shaozhe, Ma Xiaotao, Xu Jiujiu, and Douluo Xingyun to all tremble, their faces instantly showing shock. They simultaneously turned their gazes to Lu Jingming, carefully scrutinizing him, repeatedly confirming that they hadn't misjudged his age. His tender face clearly belonged to a six or seven-year-old child. Then, their gazes shifted back to Jing Liu, their eyes filled with doubt and confusion.
"Your Excellency, if I'm not mistaken, this little brother should have only recently awakened his martial soul, correct? Choosing to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as his first soul ring – isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Yan Shaozhe carefully chose his words, tentatively reminding her. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't bother, as what concern was it of his if others overestimated themselves and sought danger? But he was keen on befriending Jing Liu, which was why he proactively offered a reminder.
"Yes, Senior Jing Liu, the choice of the first soul ring is crucial; it's better to be cautious," Xu Jiujiu, though she knew that given Jing Liu's strength and experience, she was unlikely to make such a basic mistake, naturally wouldn't miss an opportunity to gain favor with a single sentence. She couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"No matter, he can bear it," Jing Liu's tone remained as calm and unruffled as ever, showing no intention of deliberately hiding anything. After all, soul rings were difficult to conceal unless they possessed extremely unique soul skills. Lu Jingming choosing to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as his first soul ring couldn't be hidden, and there was no need to hide it.
Lu Jingming was even more straightforward; without a word, he immediately released his first martial soul, Black Abyss. The jet-black long spear emanated black light particles, its aura profoundly deep. He sat cross-legged beside the Ashen Brilliant Phoenix's corpse, slowly closed his eyes, and began to circulate his soul power, focusing intently on guiding the purple soul ring suspended in mid-air.
"Since that's the case, I shall take my leave. I still need to find a new third soul ring for my disciple," Yan Shaozhe was also a sensible person, knowing there was no point in staying any longer. After all, a minor unpleasantness had just occurred, and Lu Jingming was currently absorbing a soul ring, making it an unsuitable time for conversation. He had already made up his mind: after returning to Shrek Academy, he would first meticulously inquire about Jing Liu's background and detailed information, then carefully prepare a gift before paying her a visit. He believed that doing so would significantly increase the chances of Jing Liu agreeing to help Ma Xiaotao. Moreover, Ma Xiaotao had only just advanced to Soul Grandmaster, and while her evil flame was strong, it hadn't reached an uncontrollable point yet, giving him ample time to plan.
Yan Shaozhe nodded to Xu Jiujiu and the others, then pulled Ma Xiaotao and turned to leave. Ma Xiaotao obediently followed Yan Shaozhe, but couldn't help but look back at Lu Jingming, who was intently absorbing the soul ring, a trace of unmasked surprise lingering in her eyes. After all, she had never personally seen, or even heard of, a Soul Master absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as their first. Even within the inner court of Shrek Academy, hailed as the continent's foremost academy and a gathering place for geniuses, such a monstrous talent had never appeared. And given Jing Liu's demonstrated strength, her confidence in letting Lu Jingming absorb a thousand-year soul ring suggested she was utterly certain of his success, with the possibility of failure being minuscule. Ma Xiaotao was itching with curiosity; if she didn't feel it was inappropriate, she would have truly wanted to stay and see with her own eyes if Lu Jingming could succeed.
"Senior Jing Liu, do you mind if we stay? Absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as the first soul ring is truly an unprecedented feat on the entire Douluo Continent. I simply cannot suppress my inner curiosity."
Xu Jiujiu slightly curtsied to Jing Liu, speaking sincerely. Though she was a princess, she dared not show any slackness in front of a Title Douluo like Jing Liu, giving her ample respect.
"You may," Jing Liu replied concisely. Xu Jiujiu, as an imperial princess of the Star Luo Empire, and Lu Jingming, as a noble enfeoffed by the Star Luo Empire, befriending this princess would only benefit Lu Jingming's future development within the Star Luo Empire. Moreover, with herself watching, Xu Jiujiu and the others wouldn't dare harbor any ill intentions.
Xu Jiujiu subtly tilted her head and winked at the guards behind her. Those well-trained guards immediately understood, retreating in unison to maintain a distance from Lu Jingming, who was focused on absorbing and refining the soul ring, ensuring no interference. Afterward, Xu Jiujiu surveyed her surroundings, her gaze falling upon a relatively clean stone. She moved gracefully, approached the stone, elegantly raised her hand, and with a gentle wave, a soft soul power emerged, instantly sweeping away the dust. Having done all this, she slowly sat on the stone, gracefully resting her chin in her hands, her sapphire-like eyes fixed intently on Lu Jingming, who was refining the soul ring, her gaze filled with uncontainable, strong curiosity.
On the other side, Lu Jingming was enduring a powerful and violent surge of soul power. The soul power, like a raging tide, repeatedly impacted his meridians, giving him the illusion that his body was being torn apart. Simultaneously, scorching and destructive soul power continuously merged into his body, waiting for him to absorb and refine it. At one particular moment, Lu Jingming suddenly felt an invisible bottleneck being forcefully broken through by the destructive and violent soul power. In the instant the rank ten soul power bottleneck was broken, Lu Jingming felt as if he was immersed in a boundless ocean of power, feeling omnipotent.