First Soul Ring

Lightning Eagle Claws, like bear paws, were both arm-type skills. Both favored power-based attacks, so the Soul Power shockwaves produced by their collision were overwhelmingly fierce and packed with concussive force.

Carefully feeling the concussive impact rushing toward him, Xia Liang was deeply shaken. This was his first time watching a battle between a Soul Master and a Soul Beast at such close range, and it made him understand something.

The battlefield changed in an instant. No one could predict everything.

Therefore, if a Soul Master wanted to remain undefeated, he needed not only a meticulous mind but also the ability to adapt.

Fortunately, Teacher Mo had reminded him to activate Rib Defense in advance, allowing him to avoid being accidentally injured by the oncoming shockwaves.

Fortunately, Teacher Mo also possessed an extremely strong ability to adapt, allowing him to appear before Xia Liang in time and protect him.

The battle between the Soul Master and the Soul Beast shocked Xia Liang, but it was not particularly exciting to watch.

Teacher Mo was, after all, a level thirty-five Battle Soul Elder, and his Third Soul Ring was a Thousand Year Soul Ring.

When he used his Third Soul Skill to strengthen his Eagle Claws, the terrifying power of lightning immediately shattered the Netherworld Ghost Bear's paw.

What followed was Teacher Mo's one-sided domination.

The two Eagle Claws swung repeatedly, each strike amplified by berserk lightning energy, leaving the Netherworld Ghost Bear completely unable to fight back.

After enduring several Lightning Eagle Claws attacks, even with its formidable defense, the Netherworld Ghost Bear could only gradually lose consciousness amid the paralysis of the lightning. In the end, a massive current surged into its body through its mouth and electrocuted it unconscious.

Seeing the Netherworld Ghost Bear collapse to the ground, utterly unable to resist.

Teacher Mo gradually relaxed, but Xia Liang, who had been watching from behind a tree, did not let down his guard. A lesson learned at a cost was a lesson remembered. He could not say how much his combat awareness had improved after watching this battle, but his awareness of survival had definitely risen.

His previous state of knowing nothing about power had become one of reverence.

Keeping himself fully alert as he walked over to Teacher Mo, Xia Liang took a sharp dagger from his Silver Bracelet, preparing to kill the Soul Beast and claim its Soul Ring.

"Wait. This is the Core Area, and Thousand Year Soul Beasts might appear here. The commotion just now was huge. It will definitely draw the attention of Thousand Year Soul Beasts or other Soul Beast Herds. We can't absorb the Soul Ring here."

Teacher Mo surveyed the surroundings with his eagle eyes and suggested, "Let's retreat to the Outer Area first. The Soul Beasts there are weaker. Even if a Soul Beast Herd surrounds and attacks you while you're absorbing the Soul Ring, I'm confident I can keep you safe."

"Alright." Xia Liang put the dagger back into the Silver Bracelet. He had endured for two years already, so there was no need to rush now.

A long while later.

Night.

Soul Hunting Forest, Outer Area.

After thrusting the dagger into the Netherworld Ghost Bear's most vulnerable mouth, Xia Liang killed it one cut at a time, like an old chef at Fish Roast Restaurant slaughtering fish.

It was not that he was cruel. The Netherworld Ghost Bear's defense was simply too strong; its hide and flesh were hard all over, making it impossible to kill with a single stab.

To absorb the Soul Ring produced by this Soul Beast, the Soul Master himself had to kill it.

Therefore, Teacher Mo could only use lightning to numb the Netherworld Ghost Bear's body and senses. He could not deliver the killing blow.

Ten minutes later.

The Netherworld Ghost Bear died after being carved apart by countless cuts, and the ground was covered in bright red blood.

Strands of yellow light slowly rose from the Netherworld Ghost Bear's corpse, gathering into an illusory yellow halo.

Staring at the yellow halo floating in the air, Xia Liang felt inexplicably excited. After cultivating so hard for two years, he finally possessed the first Soul Ring and Soul Skill of his life.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Xia Liang followed the method Teacher Mo had taught him and quickly guided the yellow halo above the Netherworld Ghost Bear's corpse into his body.

A warm sensation flowed throughout his body along with his Soul Power. He could clearly feel the yellow halo spinning around him merging with his body. It was as though a stove burned nearby in the middle of winter, making his entire body feel so numb and relaxed that goosebumps rose on his skin.

About half an hour passed.

Seeing the yellow Soul Ring circling Xia Liang's body peacefully, Teacher Mo gradually relaxed.

During the absorption of a Soul Ring, if there was little commotion as the Soul Ring fused with the body, it meant that the Soul Ring's energy had been claimed by the Soul Master.

All that remained was to wait for the body and Martial Soul to completely absorb the Soul Ring's energy.

After relaxing for a moment, a trace of puzzlement flashed through Teacher Mo's eyes. A First Soul Ring could actually absorb five hundred years' worth of energy? Could it really be that the Skeleton Martial Soul had strengthened the body's bones and meridians, allowing the body to endure the transformation from a higher-year Soul Ring's energy?

Recalling Xia Liang's explanation, Teacher Mo felt not only envy but also regret. Back when he had searched for a Soul Beast, he had been too impatient and casually absorbed a white Ten-Year First Soul Ring. Thinking about it now, he truly regretted it.

If he had been able to absorb a five-hundred-year—no, even a hundred-year First Soul Ring back then, his current achievements would not have been limited to being merely a three-ring Soul Elder.

However, Teacher Mo did not know that Xia Liang could absorb a Five-Hundred-Year First Soul Ring not because the Skeleton Martial Soul had strengthened his bones and meridians. It was all thanks to the nine pieces of Ten-Year Whale Rubber he had consumed over the past two years.

Whale Rubber could increase the age limit of Soul Rings a Soul Master could absorb. This was a secret only discovered in the era of the Unrivaled Tang Sect, ten thousand years later.

Even though Teacher Mo had helped him hunt the Soul Beast, Xia Liang could not reveal this secret to him. Trouble came from the mouth; it was best to say what should be said and not utter a word of what should not.

"The Martial Soul is beginning to change."

Teacher Mo saw that once the Netherworld Ghost Bear's Soul Ring had settled down, it quickly began transforming Xia Liang's Skeleton Martial Soul.

More precisely, after absorbing the Netherworld Ghost Bear's Soul Ring energy, the Skeleton Martial Soul's origin energy increased, causing changes, large and small, in its appearance.

Just as Xia Liang's body was undergoing rapid growth at this very moment, the Martial Soul could grow along with him while he absorbed a Soul Ring.

"It didn't grow arm bones?"

After watching the Skeleton Martial Soul's appearance change from beginning to end, Teacher Mo felt disappointed.

The Black-Purple Ribs surrounding Xia Liang's body had merely begun gradually shifting toward pure black in color, though they still appeared Black-Purple for now.

The greatest change was that the Martial Soul's aura had condensed into Black-Purple Flame.

Xia Liang's Skeleton Martial Soul was still in the form of a rib, but now it resembled an enormous rib burning with Black-Purple Flame. Aside from feeling eerie and sinister, it also gave off a chilling sensation.

Recalling the Black-Purple Ghost Fire Xia Liang had once summoned, Teacher Mo suddenly understood. Could the Black-Purple Flame attached to every rib of the Skeleton Martial Soul be that Ghost Fire from before?

Suddenly, three faint auras burst from Xia Liang's body.

Any Soul Master could tell that this was a sign of his Soul Power Level rising.

The restraints of the level ten Soul Power bottleneck had been broken, meaning that the Soul Ring absorption had succeeded.

Letting out a long breath of stale air, Xia Liang opened his eyes and rose to his feet. After successfully absorbing the First Soul Ring, his body was considerably sturdier than before, and he had grown several inches taller. His physical condition had clearly improved.

"A Liang. Are you alright?" Teacher Mo asked.

"I'm fine. Teacher Mo, thank you for your concern." After replying, Xia Liang looked over his own body in disbelief. He had never felt so refreshed and clear-headed before.

The strength of a body transformed by a Soul Ring was utterly beyond what could be achieved through eating Whale Rubber and physical training.

No wonder the difference in strength was so great when someone had one more Soul Ring than another.