Chapter 22: The First Soul Ring

This is Shi Quan.

A scorching, scalding heat was Shi Quan's first sensation; massive energy surged into his body like a burning flame, with a portion dispersing into his limbs and bones, and another portion rushing into his meridians, rampaging and flowing wildly like a herd of wild horses that had broken free from their bridles.

This feeling was somewhat similar to the sensation during the practice of the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Method, but the current feeling was far more ferocious; it felt as if the inside of his body were a furnace, being roasted and smelted.

Beyond helping a Spirit Master break through a bottleneck, the energy of a Soul Ring can also improve a Spirit Master's physical constitution to a certain extent and enhance the strength of their meridians; these aspects were quite similar to Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing.

"Does that mean the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Method can assist in the absorption of a Soul Ring?"

With this thought in mind, enduring the scorching heat within his body, Shi Quan immediately used the Nine Yin Nine Yang Divine Art to accelerate the operation of the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Method, attempting to guide the violent energy within him.

"It works!"

Once the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Method was in operation, Shi Quan clearly felt that the energy within his body became easier to absorb, and the impact brought by the Soul Ring's energy even became nourishment for internal refining, significantly enhancing the efficacy of the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing.

"Sigh, if only the year limit were higher."

Shi Quan lamented in his heart; the 550-year-old Man-Eating Vine Soul Ring did not put too much pressure on him. Since there was no pressure, he had to pretend to be trembling through gritted teeth, appearing to be in extreme pain to make it seem like the absorption was very difficult—it truly tested his acting skills.

To avoid absorbing it too quickly, Shi Quan even deliberately provoked the Soul Ring's energy, increasing the difficulty of absorption for himself to prolong the process.

From the outside, one could only feel the violent energy within the Soul Ring crashing against Shi Quan's body time and time again; Shi Quan's constantly trembling figure was like a small boat in the middle of a vast ocean, precarious and at risk at any moment.

Time passed bit by bit, and seeing that the time was about right, Shi Quan finally chose to wrap things up.

With the absorption of the final trace of energy.

Crack! Shi Quan seemed to hear a shattering sound, and he felt as if the scene before his eyes shifted, as if he had entered a different world for a moment.

He seemed to see a sea of raging fire, and in the center of the fire, a thick stalk of Blue Silver Grass was dancing, appearing extremely agile and domineering.

Spirit Internal Vision.

Every Spirit Master masters Spirit Internal Vision after absorbing their first Soul Ring; this is also a primary reason why Beast Spirit Masters can only possess their spirits after obtaining their first Soul Ring. Only by mastering Internal Vision can one truly be said to have embarked on the path of a Spirit Master.

In the sea of fire, Shi Quan's Blue Silver Grass did not seem to be scorched by the flames; instead, it was absorbing them. As it absorbed the flames, the Blue Silver Grass began to change. The leaves and stems, which were originally a circle thicker than normal Blue Silver Grass, seemed to have been tempered after absorbing the flames; they began to become slender, and the leaves began to gradually grow longer, while simultaneously being dyed with a pale red hue.

Through the smooth surface of the leaves, one could see that pale red luster beginning to invade the depths, when suddenly, a silent blackness emerged, and that pale red luster vanished completely in an instant.

The originally thick Blue Silver Grass now had no other changes besides becoming slender and long.

Time passed second by second, and the rolling heat gradually subsided, slowly turning into streams of warmth.

"Success!" Maerde, not far away, revealed an excited expression; he wanted to laugh but was afraid of affecting Shi Quan's final absorption, so he could only hold it in, waving his fists around, appearing quite comical.

Beside him, Daosen also revealed a meaningful look in his eyes as he watched Shi Quan.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for breaking through to a Spirit Master and successfully stepping onto the path of a Spirit Master. A Soul Master Treasure Chest has been triggered and opened for the host; you have obtained one Primary Spirit Ring Strengthening Stone."

"It triggered a treasure chest again?" Shi Quan felt a bit surprised, but even more delighted.

It looked like every time he broke through a realm, he could trigger a treasure chest.

Awesome!

Shi Quan suppressed the joy in his heart and slowly opened his eyes.

Maerde stepped forward with big strides, dancing with joy, and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Xiao Quan. I knew you could do it! Hahaha!"

"Haha, I knew my theory was correct!" Shi Quan also rose with an appearance of being so excited he couldn't stop trembling. After calming down for a moment, Shi Quan immediately bowed deeply toward them.

"Teacher, Hall Master, thank you both. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to obtain this Soul Ring, nor would I have been able to verify my theory."

"What are you thanking us for? This is what I should do as a teacher." Maerde's smile did not fade.

Daosen, standing to the side, said with a smile: "We are just getting what we each need. According to what we said before, you need to summarize your theory and submit it to me."

Shi Quan nodded and looked solemnly at Daosen, "Hall Master, I will summarize the theory after I return. However, I still hope the Spirit Hall will keep this theory confidential. Although I successfully absorbed a Soul Ring beyond my limit, I only tried it for the first time. For different people and different martial souls, how should one judge the requirements for physical constitution and the specific influence of soul power quality? How can one determine the specific limit of the year? I still need further attempts and practice. As of now, I can only preliminarily summarize my theory and cannot guarantee its accuracy."

"I do not wish for my theory to spread before it has been thoroughly verified and its feasibility ensured, because this would lead many people to attempt it rashly and die."

Shi Quan's words were sincere and earnest.

After hearing this, the look in Daosen's eyes when he looked at Shi Quan changed; a child not yet eight years old could actually consider things so comprehensively.

"No problem." Daosen nodded in agreement, then asked: "Then how many attempts do you think you need to determine it?"

After some thought, Shi Quan said: "At least three times. I might only be able to confirm it after I reach the Soul Elder realm."

"Soul Elder?" Daosen nodded.

Maerde, on the side, asked hurriedly: "Xiao Quan, how does it feel to absorb a Soul Ring beyond your limit? Is the increase in soul power significant?"

"My soul power is just a bit over level 11; I feel that breaking through to level 12 shouldn't be far off. After the absorption, my body feels more agile and relaxed." Shi Quan smiled and moved his arms.

He was different from Tang San; Tang San had already accumulated quite a bit of Internal Energy before obtaining his Soul Ring, which was why he could break through from level 11 to level 13 after absorbing the Soul Ring.

He had no accumulated soul power, and the Soul Ring year limit was not too high, so this level of improvement was already quite good.

"Not even level 12 yet?"

Hearing Shi Quan's reply, both Daosen and Maerde frowned.

"How could it be so low?" Maerde frowned and stepped forward, raising his hand to rest on Shi Quan's shoulder, "Let me see."

"It really is only level 11?"

Daosen, on the side, also walked up, and after checking, his expression was full of surprise.

Looking at the reactions of the two, it was clear that both knew that Tang San, who also had a Blue Silver Grass martial soul, had his soul power increase directly to level 13 after absorbing a 400-year-old Datura Snake Soul Ring, yet Shi Quan's soul power was not even level 12 after absorbing a 550-year-old Man-Eating Vine Soul Ring.

"Although the soul power level didn't increase significantly, the improvement in physical constitution is quite large." Maerde carefully examined Shi Quan's body, and after confirming there were no problems, he fell into deep thought.

"Could it be because of the compatibility?" Maerde asked hurriedly: "Xiao Quan, let me see your martial soul."

Shi Quan raised his right hand and summoned his martial soul. The thick Blue Silver Grass had now become slender, with its leaves slightly curled, looking a full circle smaller than the thick Blue Silver Grass from before.

"Such a big change?" Maerde looked at the Blue Silver Grass in Shi Quan's hand in surprise.

Maerde lamented: "Although the soul power increase isn't large, the martial soul has undergone further changes, and the improvement in physical constitution is not small either."

Shi Quan smiled: "It is, after all, absorbing a Soul Ring beyond my limit."

"Hahaha, that's true." Maerde looked at the sky, then at Daosen, and continued: "The time is about right. If we head back now, we should be able to get out of the Hunting Soul Forest by nightfall. We can just spend the night at the market outside. Let's go."

"No problem." Daosen nodded.

The three of them set off, returning the way they came, just as they had arrived.

The sun set in the west, the bright moon rose slowly, and it was late at night when the three of them finally left the Hunting Soul Forest.

After returning to the Spirit Hall's station and having a simple meal, they rested for the night directly in the tents at the station.

As usual, Shi Quan continued to cultivate all night, and upon seeing this, both Daosen and Maerde praised Shi Quan's diligence in unison.

Early the next morning, the three of them boarded the carriage they had arrived in and set off back to Nuoding City.

Two days later, upon returning to Nuoding City, Shi Quan went straight to the Spirit Hall to test his soul power, completed his registration, and collected his monthly Spirit Master subsidy before bidding farewell to Daosen with Maerde and returning to the academy.

The office on the third floor of the Spirit Hall.

In front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, Daosen watched Shi Quan and Maerde as they gradually moved into the distance, then suddenly asked, "How did the investigation go? Was there anything unusual over at Shi Family Village?"

"This Shi Quan has been clever and sharp since he was small; he began reading and learning around the age of one. As time went on, this continued for five years. People in Shi Family Village used to secretly call him a bookworm, as he only knew how to read books every day."

"A year and a half ago, Su Yuntao helped him awaken his martial soul. At first glance, the martial soul was no different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and coupled with his innate soul power being only level one, it did not receive much attention. At the time of awakening, Shi Quan took the initiative to ask Su Yuntao for basic cultivation methods."

"Three months later, he enrolled in Notting Academy. He continued to maintain his habit of self-study every day, and his cultivation was extremely diligent; every day, he did nothing but cultivate and study."

"This Shi Quan once had friction with a student named Xiao Wu at the academy. This Xiao Wu is also a genius, the same age as Shi Quan, with a Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul and Innate Full Spirit Power; she even obtained a Century Spirit Ring. Despite such a gap, Shi Quan relied on a special Self-Created Spirit Skill to keep Xiao Wu from getting close to him, remaining undefeated as a Soul Scholar in front of a Spirit Master."

"Shi Quan usually likes to cultivate alone at Hou Shan. The place where he cultivates is lush with vegetation, which is consistent with the theory he reported. During the Notting Academy break, for the period Shi Quan returned home, he went to the Lianyun Mountain Range to cultivate every day. Following his tracks, I also found a place lush with vegetation. Currently, it seems everything about this Shi Quan can be explained by his gifted intelligence."

"Is that so?" Daosen rubbed his head, turned around, and sat down at his desk. "He even succeeded in absorbing a spirit ring beyond his limit."

The figure in front of the desk fell silent.

"Blue Silver Grass, level one innate soul power, yet he can achieve such accomplishments, and it was done by a child not even eight years old." Daosen shrugged with relief and smiled. "Let those superiors worry about the decisions. It will be a bother for you to make another trip when the time comes."

The figure in front of the desk laughed and scolded, "I am a Deputy Hall Master, after all. You treat me like an errand boy day in and day out."

Daosen smiled. "Isn't there no other way? This matter has far-reaching implications. To be safe, it's better not to let too many people know. I will find someone to keep an eye on Notting Academy. You should get some good rest these few days. Once Shi Quan hands over the first draft of his theory, you will have to go on a long journey..."

The figure grumbled, "It really is true that a higher rank crushes you. I understand."

Notting Academy.

Back at Notting Academy, Shi Quan was not idle; instead, he began to further perfect his Spirit Ring Year Limit Theory based on his own situation.

All those years of study were not in vain, and with the support of the original work, Shi Quan's theory was written with great logic and clarity, far more accurate than that so-called Master.

He wrote until late at night; Shi Quan didn't even go to cultivate in the afternoon.

Returning to the dormitory, Shi Quan had been gone for a few days, and some of his roommates didn't even know he hadn't been staying there. After all, Shi Quan left early and returned late every day, and he didn't attend classes with them, so it was common for him to be unseen for days at a time.

A night of rest.

Hou Shan.

"It's time to test the soul skill." Shi Quan whispered to himself, raised his right hand, summoned his martial soul, and a yellow spirit ring rose from beneath his feet.

He circulated his Internal Energy and injected it into the spirit ring.

The next second, the slightly curled leaves of the Blue Silver Grass instantly unfolded and extended in all directions at an extremely fast speed. In just a moment, the leaves of the Blue Silver Grass shot out to fifty meters away.

"The Growth speed is faster than using Internal Energy, the range is wider, and the consumption is very low."

Shi Quan nodded with satisfaction. He flicked his hand, and the slender Blue Silver Vine immediately spiraled up along the tree trunk like a thin snake. Within a few breaths, a large amount of Blue Silver Vine had completely covered the entire trunk.

"Let's check the toughness."

As he spoke, he clenched his five fingers, exerted force with the hand gripping the Blue Silver Vine, and the slender vine instantly snapped taut.

As Shi Quan continued to exert force, the Blue Silver Grass, which would have snapped long ago, remained straight.

Crack! That was the sound of the tree bark shattering.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—that was the sound of the Blue Silver Vine tearing.

"The toughness of a single Blue Silver Vine is still limited after all. Even if absorbed beyond the limit, Blue Silver Grass is still Blue Silver Grass; there is still a certain gap compared to Blue Silver Grass that possesses the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor."

Shi Quan was somewhat disappointed with the toughness, but after thinking about it, it was normal; after all, the Man-Eating Vine itself did not have strong toughness.

(End of chapter)