Level Fourteen, a Six-Hundred-Year First Soul Ring
This was no shot in the dark, but the plain, unvarnished truth.
His cultivation speed was already three times that of someone with innate level-six Soul Power, making him faster than someone with Innate Full Soul Power. With the stone now boosting his cultivation speed by another thirty percent, his cultivation speed was probably the fastest among Soul Masters of the same level.
As the days and months accumulated, he would be able to leave everyone else far behind.
"In that case, I'll cultivate all night and see whether this stone is just a flower that blooms for a fleeting moment or a true treasure."
Feeling the constant boost coming from within the stone, Li Yan cultivated for an entire night without realizing it.
Only when his father came upstairs and knocked on the door the next day did he emerge from cultivation.
"Son, get ready and come downstairs. We're setting off for the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Got it."
Last night's cultivation had confirmed that the stone's power would not dissipate in the short term. Instead, it had a tiny bit more golden light than it had the night before.
"If the black substance on this stone fades away completely and it turns entirely gold, just how strong will its boosting power be?"
Li Yan tucked the stone into his clothes and recalled both Luo Sanpaos.
For now, the priority was to get to the Star Dou Great Forest.
After walking ten li without stopping, the three finally reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. The trees nearby towered into the clouds, and the dense foliage of all kinds of plants blocked the sunlight. Only a few scattered beams pierced the thick forest and fell on the ground.
The cries of various small Soul Beasts reached Li Yan's ears, making him feel as though he had come to a primordial age.
Wang Hong walked at the front with the map, leading them toward the Black Stone Forest.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, the trees had gradually thinned, and the three saw a dark expanse in the distance.
The trees nearby were sparse, seemingly because of the Black Stone Forest.
"That's right, that's the place."
Li Yan's face lit up. He had not expected to reach it so smoothly on their first day inside, though he did not know whether it held a First Soul Ring suitable for him to absorb.
"Shh... quiet."
Wang Hong dropped to the ground in the woods beside them. In the distant Black Stone Forest, a dark shape was making its way out.
It was pitch-black, with a horn on its head and wings on its back.
"Nearly a meter long, a single horn on its head, a pair of black membranous wings on its back, and only three claws. A Dark Demon Dragon less than six hundred years old!"
"Uncle Wang, that's the one I want for my First Soul Ring. Is there a way to lure it over here?"
Clearly, the creature had come out to forage. There was no telling what age of Dark Demon Dragons might still be lurking deep in the Black Stone Forest.
Even one only a few thousand years old would be enough to give the three of them a bitter drink.
"I don't think we need to. It seems to be coming right toward us."
A thought struck Li Yan. Could it have been attracted by the stone he was carrying?
"Back up. Let's keep some distance between us and it for now."
The three retreated at a steady pace, and the Dark Demon Dragon cub, a little over five hundred years old, kept chasing after them.
"That's strange. If we go any farther, we'll be outside the Star Dou Great Forest. What on earth is this beast looking for?"
"Never mind. We're so far from the Black Stone Forest now that it's time to make our move."
Wang Hong suddenly sprang into action. With Martial Soul Possession, a huge crimson bear appeared behind him.
His hands turned into sharp claws. With one swipe, he knocked the Dark Demon Dragon unconscious, then grabbed it.
"Come on, let's retreat a little farther toward the edge."
Li Gang scooped Li Yan into his arms and quickly retreated toward the outermost edge.
"Here will do. I knocked the beast out, nephew, so just kill it. The longer we wait, the more things could go wrong."
Wang Hong flung the Dark Demon Dragon cub to the ground. Without much hesitation, Li Yan pulled out a dagger and thrust it into the Dark Demon Dragon's eye socket.
The unconscious cub twitched, then let out a piercing shriek. A deep-yellow Soul Ring formed above its body.
Li Yan swallowed. A Dark Demon Dragon Soul Ring nearly six hundred years old was certainly extremely well suited to him.
He sat down cross-legged, drew the Soul Ring onto himself, and began the slow process of refining it.
Within his sea of consciousness, Li Yan and the illusory incarnations of both Luo Sanpaos faced the furious Dark Demon Dragon cub.
"Hmph, this is my sea of consciousness. What gives you the right to run wild here? It's three against one, and the advantage is mine. Behave yourself and become nourishment for my transformation into a dragon!"
Li Yan gave a cold snort. Just as he was about to pit his strength against the Dark Demon Dragon, the stone in his clothes burst into light.
Drawn by the light, the Dark Demon Dragon cub submitted instantly. It let out two mournful cries and turned into pure energy that washed through Li Yan's body.
"What the heck? It submitted as soon as it saw the stone?"
Li Yan began refining the Soul Ring's power. It was immense, but still within the limits of what he could withstand.
After an unknown length of time, Li Yan awoke.
He looked at the First Soul Ring beneath him and carefully sensed his current Soul Power Level.
"I actually broke straight through level thirteen and almost reached level fourteen. Hardly any of the Dark Demon Dragon Soul Ring's energy escaped."
"And the effect of my First Soul Ring is actually this terrifying."
Li Yan looked at Luo Sanpao. Luo Sanpao's appearance had changed completely, no longer resembling a pig.
Both of them had changed.
Their bodies had become more elongated, a small fleshy bump had appeared in the middle of each head, their four pig trotters had become sharply defined, and their tails were strong and powerful.
Most importantly, their heads, limbs, and tails were all covered in densely packed, tiny scales.
They were clearly headed toward transforming into dragons. When they absorbed the second and third Soul Rings, they would become even more dragonlike.
"Well, son, are you satisfied with your First Soul Ring's Soul Skill?"
"And how did your Martial Soul end up looking like this? It should be a beneficial change, right?"
Seeing his son standing there in a daze after getting up, Li Gang spoke with a hint of panic.
He was afraid his son had fallen short of his expectations and would come to loathe cultivation.
"I'm fine, Dad. I've never felt so refreshed. It's as if I've glimpsed a new life."
"My theory was correct!"
Li Gang breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good, that's good."
Beside them, Wang Hong saw the two Martial Souls that resembled Soul Beasts but did not ask further. Clearly, the unexpected change his nephew had mentioned was that his Martial Soul had become like this.
"Well, nephew, with such a good Soul Beast, are you satisfied with your First Soul Ring's effect?"
"Of course. Uncle Wang, Dad, watch closely."
"First Soul Skill, Dragon's Descent!"
After the First Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, his hands transformed into the sharp claws of a dragon. Both claws were black, with the look of black tungsten steel.
In this form, he was no different from an ordinary Beast Martial Soul Master using Martial Soul Possession.
At the same time, both Luo Sanpaos seemed to have been strengthened as well. Their bodies grew longer and more dragonlike, and their limbs transformed completely into dragon claws.
"That's the effect of my First Soul Skill. Besides giving me a pair of sharp claws, it boosts all my attributes and my Martial Soul's by 200 percent, and I'm unaffected by control-type Soul Masters. You could also think of it as a super armor effect."
"And there's no time limit on the effect. As long as I have enough Soul Power to maintain it, I can keep the First Soul Skill active."