A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, Dugu Takes the Medicine
The Basalt Pillar hovered above Gan Lin's head, a column of teal-gold light falling from it and enveloping him completely. The phantom outline of a Soul Ring slowly emerged behind him. Its pale white color gradually deepened and solidified-bright yellow, deep purple... It passed through the hundred-year and thousand-year tiers, its color growing darker until it finally became a Soul Ring as black and deep as ink, floating quietly behind his first, purple Soul Ring.
A Ten Thousand Year Second Soul Ring!
Standing nearby with his hands behind his back, Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted. His carefree expression vanished in an instant, and he took half a step forward, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Ten thousand years?! Xiaolin absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring for his Second Soul Ring? This kid..."
He had lived for nearly a hundred years and seen countless genius Soul Masters, but he had never even heard of anyone daring to touch a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring for their second, much less seen one. This outright broke an iron law of the Martial Soul world!
The black Soul Ring slowly contracted and merged into Gan Lin's body. He opened his eyes, a glimmer of teal-gold rocky light flashing in their depths. The presence around him was steady and weighty, and he was more than twice as strong as before his breakthrough.
"I did it." Gan Lin clenched his fist, Geo flowing through his palm, more concentrated and weightier than before. He focused inward, carefully sensing the changes brought by his Second Soul Ring, and soon touched upon two-yes, two entirely new Soul Skill imprints.
[Basalt Formation]
This was an innate ability of the Geo Hypostasis.
By releasing Soul Power, Gan Lin could summon several Basalt Pillars. They could launch enemies into the air or crush them, and he could also summon them in front of himself for defense.
He could also move freely around the Basalt Pillars, making it a highly mobile skill.
The second Soul Skill was [Crystalline Rock Resonance].
This was another troublesome, large-area skill, and it worked in tandem with Basalt Formation.
Gan Lin could conduct energy to every rock pillar on the field. After a brief delay, each pillar would release high-frequency, ring-shaped shockwaves in all directions, covering an immense area. Wherever there was a rock pillar, one could say, it was within Gan Lin's attack range.
What drew Gan Lin's attention even more was that this Second Soul Ring was exactly like the first: deep within its imprints, it was connected to the origin of the Basalt Pillar. He could clearly sense that, as long as he continued raising his Soul Rings' age beyond ten thousand years, his Soul Skills would awaken one by one as their age increased.
"Just as I thought," Gan Lin murmured to himself, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "Like Juvenile Jade, the Basalt Pillar can not only grant Soul Rings, but also keep improving them."
Only then did Dugu Bo suppress the shock in his heart. He gave a deliberately casual snort and clasped his hands behind his back, but the approval in his voice still showed through. "You brat, you always manage to pull off something unexpected. A ten-thousand-year Second Soul Ring... say that out loud, and you'd probably scare a whole bunch of prospective Soul Masters to death."
He paused, then added in the same proud tone, "Still, that's good. The firmer your foundation, the farther you'll go. With this old man here, just put your mind at ease and keep pushing upward."
Gan Lin smiled and stood up. The Basalt Pillar flew back into his hand, shrinking once more to about an inch long before vanishing into his palm. He clenched his fist lightly, and teal-gold Geo flowed slowly through his palm, concentrated without dispersing, several times denser than before his breakthrough. He focused inward for a moment, and two clear Soul Skill imprints appeared in his sea of consciousness, steady and weighty, bearing the distinctive heavy presence of the Geo Hypostasis.
"Oh? Judging by that look, you gained quite a bit?" Dugu Bo stood to the side with his hands behind his back. Taking in Gan Lin's steady, weighty presence, he raised an eyebrow. He was already full of curiosity—a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring in the second slot was unheard of across the entire continent, and he really could not guess what kind of Soul Skills Gan Lin might have gained.
"Grandpa, they're two innate rock-attribute Soul Skills, one for attack and one for defense. They're quite practical." Gan Lin smiled, a hint of delight in his voice, though he did not make a show of it. "The first is called Basalt Formation. It can summon several Basalt Pillars to launch enemies into the air or crush them, or stand in front of me and block heavy blows. I can also move back and forth using the pillars, which is much more stable than relying on Anemo alone to maneuver. The second is called Crystalline Rock Resonance. It's an area skill that works with all the rock pillars. After a moment's delay, they release high-frequency shockwaves in every direction. Wherever the pillars reach, the attack range can reach too."
He paused, then added, "And just like my First Soul Ring, this Soul Ring is also connected to the origin of the Basalt Pillar deep inside. As long as I nurture it slowly and raise its age, it won't be a one-and-done deal."
"Hmph, there's something to it after all." Dugu Bo stroked his beard, feigning indifference, though waves were already surging in his heart. An ordinary Soul Master who got even one decent Soul Skill from their Second Soul Ring would be considered exceptionally gifted, but this kid had gotten two at once, covering both attack and defense, with room to grow besides. He was just about to ask a few more questions about the skills' exact power and maximum range when Gan Lin edged half a step closer and turned the conversation to him.
"Grandpa, there's plenty of time to work out the Soul Skills later." Gan Lin's expression grew more serious, and his voice held a note of earnestness. "As for your Dark Jade Condensed Poison Flower, I think it would be best to refine it right now."
"You brat, why are you always fussing over this old man's affairs?" Dugu Bo shot him a sidelong glance, looking utterly unconcerned. "It's just an Immortal Herb. What difference could a few days make? This old man has lived for nearly a hundred years. Do you think I'd let it lose its potency in my hands?"
"That's different." Gan Lin shook his head and laid out his reasoning clearly. "The Dark Jade Condensed Poison Flower grew in miasma of extreme yin and extreme poison. Its medicinal properties are especially potent and overbearing, making it a match made in heaven for your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison arts. We're right beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well now. If you use the ice and fire Qi to neutralize some of the medicine's volatile nature, not only can its power permeate every inch of your meridians as you refine it, it can also help nourish those hidden injuries you picked up during your early years of adventuring."
"That's right, Grandpa." Dugu Yan, who was standing nearby, hurried over too. She tugged gently at his sleeve and chimed in softly, "You're always telling me to seize the right moment when I cultivate and not drag my feet, so why are you taking your time when it comes to yourself? Just let Brother Gan Lin stand guard, and you can refine it without worrying. With both of us here, we guarantee nothing will disturb you."
"Look at you, joining this brat to gang up on me." Dugu Bo glared at Dugu Yan irritably, then glanced at Gan Lin's earnest face. In the end, unable to resist the two of them, he snorted. "All right, all right, I'll listen to you. Honestly, this old man has lived to such an age, only to be bossed around by you two youngsters."
Though he grumbled, his hands did not hesitate in the slightest. With a light sweep of his sleeve, three layers of jade-green poison barriers spread outward like ripples, enveloping everything within several dozen zhang. Poisonous mist churned in the outermost layer; an ordinary Soul Beast would go limp upon touching it, and its sole purpose was to drive beasts away and ward off trouble. The middle layer isolated their presence, preventing even Soul Power fluctuations from leaking out and attracting powerful Soul Beasts from deep within Sunset Forest. The innermost layer flowed along the ground, specifically sealing in the medicine's power so that not the slightest trace of its potency would escape.
Only after everything was in place did Dugu Bo sit down cross-legged. He turned his palm upward, and the Dark Jade Condensed Poison Flower rose into the air, its entire body a dark jade green and crystalline drops of poisonous dew clinging to its edges.
He looked down at it, opened his mouth, and swallowed the entire flower. The next moment, a rich jade-green light shone through his body. Overbearing poisonous power surged through his meridians, scouring them and leaving a faint numbness in its wake as it slowly tempered their walls and his Martial Soul Origin. Dugu Bo's brow furrowed for an instant, then relaxed. He closed his eyes, entered a focused trance, and began refining the medicine's power with all his might.