First Soul Ring

"I've decided to obtain my first Soul Ring from a Bubble Fish."

Wang Danu and He Li exchanged a glance, feeling that this was rather unreliable. Bubble Fish were the most common fish in the water; wherever there was water, they could be found. They were usually the main food source for aquatic creatures, much like the status of Blue Silver Grass among plants. Besides, they had never heard of a plant-type Martial Soul absorbing an animal Soul Beast.

Wang Xiaofeng saw their distrust and explained, "I read a book in the Library called Ten Competitiveness of Martial Soul. It said that plant-type Martial Souls can absorb animal Soul Beasts."

"Bubble Fish themselves are weak, which means my Martial Soul won't have too much of a rejection reaction toward them."

"Although Bubble Fish can't provide much enhancement to my Martial Soul, and their Soul Skill is only releasing bubbles to attack, with attack power so weak it's almost negligible—"

"But precisely because Bubble Fish are weak, I can absorb one around four hundred years old. And the Soul Skill a Bubble Fish provides has an advantage: the bubbles consume very little Soul Power, so I can release a large number of bubbles with very little Soul Power."

"Then I'll hunt a Frost Ice Bird for my Second Soul Ring. A Frost Ice Bird only provides one Soul Skill, Freezing Wind. Frost Ice Birds are everywhere north of the empire, so they're very easy to hunt." Wang Xiaofeng grinned. "Just think about Combination Soul Skills. This way, I can control the largest area while using the least Soul Power."

There was another reason Wang Xiaofeng did not mention. If things went smoothly, he could cosplay Naruto and form little balls. That would make up for part of the control-type's weakness in damage output.

Before this, Wang Xiaofeng had tried DIY-ing little balls himself, but perhaps because his Soul Power was unusually active, he always failed.

Every time he condensed his Soul Power, it could not stabilize, so he needed the power of a Soul Ring to assist him, just as Naruto had Shadow Clones to assist him.

Wang Xiaofeng had looked through many Soul Beasts before finally choosing the Bubble Fish, a common and easy-to-hunt Soul Beast. It could not only provide a complete attack method, but also combine with his Second Soul Skill. Wonderful. (￣▽￣)

"Just as expected of my son. His cleverness clearly came from me."

He Li knocked Wang Danu on the head. "Look at that dumb face of yours. It was my teaching by word and example that raised such an outstanding son."

The couple searched the water for a suitable Bubble Fish, all while continuing to bicker.

However, luck did not seem to be on Wang Xiaofeng's side. The Bubble Fish in the river all seemed rather young; the oldest one Wang Xiaofeng had seen was only a little over a hundred years old.

Looking at the hundred-year-old Bubble Fish before them, Wang Danu and He Li both wore worried expressions.

"Son, after searching for so long, this is the oldest one we've found. Why don't we let it go and look somewhere else?" Wang Danu said as he looked at Wang Xiaofeng's dejected face.

"If there aren't any high-year Bubble Fish here, there will be even fewer elsewhere. After all, Bubble Fish are at the bottom of the food chain, so high-year ones are almost nonexistent."

Wang Xiaofeng made up his mind. A low year was a low year. In any case, this Soul Ring would only be used as support.

Just as Wang Xiaofeng was consoling himself, an accident quietly arrived.

"Huh? Where's my Bubble Fish? How did such a huge fish disappear?"

Wang Xiaofeng gestured with both hands as he asked Wang Danu and He Li.

"That's strange. How did it disappear in the blink of an eye?" Wang Danu and He Li were equally puzzled. The Bubble Fish had long been knocked unconscious and was even bound by Wang Danu's First Soul Skill. How could it suddenly vanish?

Wang Xiaofeng looked around and suddenly spotted something purple not far away. Curious, he ran toward it.

Wang Danu and He Li followed him over.

"This is a Slime, right?" Wang Danu looked at the purple jelly-like creature before him. "It's my first time seeing such a huge Slime."

The Slime before them looked to be forty centimeters tall, round and adorable.

Muah!

"Old Dad, look. Isn't that half-digested fish bone inside its body from the Bubble Fish?" Wang Xiaofeng pointed at the unidentified object within the Slime's body.

(>_<)

The Slime was startled and frantically tried to escape.

"So you're the thief. Watch my Second Soul Skill: Lockdown!" The second Soul Ring on the Green Calabash in Wang Danu's right hand faintly lit up.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

A row of wrist-thick vines suddenly sprouted in front of the sliding Slime. They stood straight like bamboo, blocking its path.

However, it was obvious at a glance that Wang Danu had never dealt with a creature like a Slime.

"Old Dad, the Slime slipped through." Wang Xiaofeng looked disgusted. How could he use that kind of Soul Skill against a liquid creature like a Slime?

"Your old man is useless. Watch your Old Mom show you how it's done." He Li stepped forward at the crucial moment.

"First Soul Skill, Second Soul Skill!"

The Narcissus in He Li's hand swayed slightly, and the two yellow Soul Rings around her faintly glowed before settling over the Narcissus.

"Paralysis Powder, Hypnotic Powder!"

The Narcissus grew larger, then released a cloud of yellow smoke that quickly covered an area twenty meters around them. The Slime had been delayed by Wang Danu's Second Soul Skill, preventing it from escaping the range.

Only the area around He Li remained free of smoke.

Inside the smoke, the Slime twitched twice before becoming completely motionless.

"Old Mom, why isn't it moving?" Wang Xiaofeng somehow found a stick and poked the Slime, which lay like a puddle of mud.

"It was hit by my Paralysis Powder and Hypnotic Powder. It won't be able to move for at least two hours."

"Sigh, I finally made up my mind to absorb that Bubble Fish, and then..."

"Son, don't be upset. See if this Slime can serve as your Soul Ring."

Wang Danu pointed at the Slime on the ground.

"I need to check my notes."

After all, Wang Xiaofeng did not have a photographic memory, and Slimes were indeed relatively rare Soul Beasts.

"Slime... Slime... Oh, here it is."

Wang Xiaofeng pointed at his notebook and read aloud.

"A Slime grows one centimeter for every ten years of cultivation. This one looks to be around four hundred years old."

"It's also weak by nature, so it won't have too much rejection with my Martial Soul. A Slime's advantage is its powerful corrosiveness. If it can give my Martial Soul corrosive properties, it can make up for the control-type's lack of damage. Slimes are soft and fluid, and they also have some resistance to fire. Damn, this Soul Beast is even better than I imagined."

Wang Xiaofeng had never considered hunting a poison-type Soul Beast. Poisonous Soul Beasts were not so easy to hunt. To avoid unexpected situations, his targets had always been common Soul Beasts that were easy to kill.

"Then it's decided. It'll be this one." Wang Danu took out a knife and handed it to Wang Xiaofeng. "Go obtain your first Soul Ring."

(▽)

I'm finally going to have a Soul Ring too. But this Slime is really hard to kill.

Wang Xiaofeng thrust the knife in his hand into the Slime, but felt resistance from it. The blade only sank in half a foot.

When no Soul Ring appeared, Wang Xiaofeng had no choice but to chop the Slime into countless pieces.

Wang Xiaofeng was exhausted to the point of collapse before a bright yellow Soul Ring slowly emerged before his eyes.