This looked like a ring forged from blood crystal, faintly shimmering with a subtle glow, its design ancient and simple.
Su Li stared at the ring and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Gong Xiao noticed and said in surprise, "How did you get another ring like this? Is this also a spirit source equipment?"
Su Li said, "I got it last time when I killed that blood crystal beast. Today, I can finally use it."
Hearing this, Gong Xiao's lips parted slightly, and she was left speechless with envy. She had already been extremely envious that Su Li possessed four pieces of equipment, and now here came a fifth.
Su Li was sensing the abilities of this rare blood ring.
"Name: Blood Ring. Ability: Increases strength by 1,000 jin. Skill: Blood Crystal Cannon. Special Ability: Allows communication with blood crystal beasts."
As he sensed these attributes, Su Li once again realized how formidable the blood crystal beast was. The blood ring formed from its residual blood crystal was truly extraordinary—not only did it boost his strength by 1,000 jin, raising his maximum power to 5,500 jin, but it also granted a skill of immense destructive force. It was as if it combined the functions of both a weapon and armor.
Of course, the most astonishing ability was that with this ring, he would be regarded as a fellow blood crystal beast by others, gaining the power to communicate with them. This meant he could tame blood crystal beasts.
Of course, that was provided he could find a living blood crystal beast.
This seemingly small ring contained such incredible power.
Then he sensed the information about the "Blood Crystal Cannon." Like the sword techniques of his twin blades, it unleashed all its stored energy in a single burst, requiring a cooldown period before it could be used again once the energy fully recovered.
"With this ring, isn't it like having another weapon? And it adds 1,000 jin of strength—that's amazing, even better than the weapon I'm holding now."
Seeing Gong Xiao's envious expression, he smiled and said, "Don't be jealous. You'll get one eventually. I reckon there are plenty of rare beasts deep underwater. Once we level up a bit more, we can actively dive down to hunt, and then we'll have as much equipment as we want."
Gong Xiao shook her head. "No. As we improve, the monsters' strength changes too. Just now, I really didn't approve of you diving down to hunt monsters on your own. You got lucky once or twice, but no one can stay lucky forever. No one knows what's truly down there in the deep water. Don't take that risk."
Su Li hummed in acknowledgment, sensing her concern for him. He chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't take reckless risks like that. It's just that I was only ten spirit sources short earlier and couldn't help myself. This is the last time."
Having reached level 8 and obtained the Blood Ring, Su Li's strength had taken another qualitative leap, lifting his spirits.
"Speaking of which, I envy Tao Bingjun's ability. He never had to fear danger and could dive deep to hunt. If he ran into a tough monster, he could die and come back to life through 'borrowing a corpse.' If that guy were still alive, he'd probably have grown to an unimaginably terrifying level by now."
As Su Li said this, he suddenly felt relieved. It was a good thing he had completely eliminated Tao Bingjun when he was only level 6; otherwise, he would have become an extremely dangerous figure by now.
Gong Xiao had almost forgotten about Tao Bingjun. When Su Li mentioned him, she recalled and nodded. "Yes, his ability was indeed terrifying. I wonder if there are others like him. People who don't fear death can keep diving deep to hunt monsters, and their growth rate would be astonishing."
She was beginning to understand why Su Li was so eager to level up. In a world like this, staying at the top required not only greater talent and aptitude but also more effort than others.
Su Li pondered for a moment and said, "I'm thinking about Jiang Shuijue's 'Fog Maze.' I have an idea—we could form a deep-water hunting team with her. Based on our encounters these past few days, there might be all kinds of rare monsters hidden deep underwater. Each one could provide us with spirit source equipment. The tricky part is running into monsters we can't handle. But with Jiang Shuijue, it's different. If we encounter something unbeatable, she can use her 'Fog Maze' to trap it while we escape. I just wonder how effective her 'Fog Maze' is in water."
He recalled when they faced the Lion Scorpion Ember Beast. In that dangerous moment, Jiang Shuijue had used her "Fog Maze" to trap it, giving them a chance to flee. He had originally thought this escape-oriented "spirit source technique" was of limited use in combat, but now he realized it could be crucial for deep-water exploration.
Without such a safety net, even someone as strong as him wouldn't dare venture into unknown deep waters.
Gong Xiao heard him mention Jiang Shuijue and gave a faint smile. "Right. The two of you working together would make the perfect team."
Su Li thought her tone sounded a bit odd, so he didn't dwell on the topic and changed the subject. "Have you noticed that guy Ling Yi?"
"Hmm?" Gong Xiao was slightly taken aback, then shook her head. "I haven't paid much attention to him. I just know he doesn't talk much. Why?"
Su Li smiled slightly. "I've noticed he often sneaks glances at you. I think he has a crush on you."
Gong Xiao showed no reaction and said flatly, "Nonsense. I've barely spoken to him. We have almost no interaction. How could there be a crush?"
Su Li said, "A graceful lady is a gentleman's pursuit. You're so beautiful, it's normal for a man to be attracted to you..."
He suddenly noticed Gong Xiao's face darken and immediately stopped joking with her.
"Gong Xiao is pretty and has a great figure, but her personality is a bit odd and serious. She can't take a joke." Su Li silently lamented. He had noticed that as Gong Xiao leveled up and grew stronger, her aura had become more imposing. When she frowned, there was an inexplicable sense of authority that made people hesitate to tease her.
Jiang Shuijue was the opposite—she seemed like a soft girl, with an inherent fragility that instinctively made people want to protect her.
"These two women—if Gong Xiao is like a strong, independent woman, then Jiang Shuijue is the gentle, delicate type."
Su Li silently compared the two in his mind. After that, the raft fell into silence as neither spoke.
Soon, they returned to Golden Eagle No. 1, Building B, and caught the scent of meat from afar.
Having gone nearly ten days without eating cooked meat, the aroma made Su Li's mouth water involuntarily.
He swallowed hard and took a deep sniff. "This meat smells amazing. Jiang Shuijue was right—the sea cow's meat is tender and must taste great."
Back in the building, he occasionally passed people who respectfully called him "Brother Su" or "Boss." Su Li smiled and acknowledged each one. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of cooking, signaling that it was almost time for the meal.
When they reached the 44th floor, Ding Longyun laughed heartily. "You're finally back! We've been waiting for you two."
"What's up?" Su Li asked. "Did you need us for something?"
"Nothing, just wanted to treat you to a meal. Come on over."
"Treat us to a meal?" Su Li was amused. He thought, *All the food now belongs to everyone and is distributed as needed. How can Ding Longyun treat anyone?*
Ding Longyun realized his mistake and laughed. "Old habit. Anyway, come eat with us, and keep me company with some drinks. I haven't had alcohol in days, and I'm craving it."
Su Li washed his hands and walked over. He saw a table set up in Ding Longyun's living room, laden with dishes—mostly vacuum-packed food he'd been eating for days, which he was already tired of.
In the center was an alcohol stove with a pot of steaming, fragrant meat. Su Li knew it was the sea cow meat they had hunted today.
Besides Ding Longyun, the room also held Zhong Rongrong, Xu Xuehui, and Qi Mengyu.
Zhong Rongrong and Qi Mengyu stood there. When they saw Su Li and Gong Xiao, they greeted them in unison as "Brother Su" and "Sister Gong."
Su Li smiled. "Brother Ding, you're in high spirits today. Everyone, sit down."
Ding Longyun said, "Right, right. Everyone, sit."
Qi Mengyu hesitated at first but was pulled down by Zhong Rongrong.
Ding Longyun sat next to Zhong Rongrong. Once Su Li and Gong Xiao were seated, he grinned. "I called you all here today to introduce Rongrong. From now on, she's your sister-in-law."
As he spoke, he proudly wrapped an arm around Zhong Rongrong's waist. She smiled happily, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. Though she wasn't particularly pretty, her plump figure and blushing face gave her a certain feminine charm.
Su Li was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "So that's it! Definitely worth celebrating. Sister-in-law, you should have a drink too."
Gong Xiao also smiled. "Congratulations, Brother Ding and Sister-in-law."
Ding Longyun had already set out the glasses and opened a bottle of Maotai. He poured a full glass for Su Li and half a glass for Zhong Rongrong. Seeing her hesitant expression, he said, "Rongrong, it's a happy day. Have a little with us."
Zhong Rongrong clearly didn't like drinking, but she nodded reluctantly, not wanting to dampen Ding Longyun's mood.
For Gong Xiao, Qi Mengyu, and Xu Xuehui, who didn't drink, Zhong Rongrong thoughtfully prepared juice and poured them each a glass.
Su Li raised his glass. "Let's toast to Brother Ding and Sister-in-law."
Ding Longyun was in high spirits. He downed his two-ounce glass in one gulp.
Su Li had only planned to take a sip, but seeing Ding Longyun finish his, he matched him and drank his glass dry.
The strong liquor burned as it went down his throat and into his stomach. Su Li let out a soft sigh.