First Soul Skill, Water Curtain Sky Bloom

"Do you want to become my Spirit Ring?"

Bai Wanwan spoke in a voice as gentle as a murmuring stream.

Golden Crocodile chuckled at her words, but after considering her age, he decided there was nothing strange about her saying something so innocent.

He looked again at the Tidal Giant Turtle, which was still kneeling on the ground. Though he had no idea why it had suddenly knelt, there was simply no way a Spirit Beast would willingly become a human's Spirit Ring.

"Wanwan, we should look elsewhere for a Spirit Ring suitable for your spirit. It couldn't possibly want to become..."

Qian Renxue beckoned Bai Wanwan to follow her, but she stopped halfway through her sentence, her hand freezing in midair.

Golden Crocodile's eyes widened slightly as well.

As though it had understood Bai Wanwan's words, the kneeling Tidal Giant Turtle gave her a slight nod.

Silence.

Time seemed to stand still.

Watching the scene before her, Qian Renxue felt as though her mind had crashed. For a long while, she couldn't recover.

Deep bewilderment filled Golden Crocodile's eyes.

He wasn't surprised that the Tidal Giant Turtle could understand human speech. As a top-tier Spirit Beast, it was naturally more intelligent. What he couldn't understand was why it had nodded.

And judging by its eyes, it was entirely willing.

But that made no sense at all.

How could a Spirit Beast willingly become a human's Spirit Ring?

Golden Crocodile lowered his head in thought, but his gaze gradually shifted toward Bai Wanwan, studying her closely.

At roughly four feet tall, with delicate features like a porcelain doll, Bai Wanwan looked adorable. Beyond that, he could see nothing unusual about her.

"Second Worship..."

Bai Wanwan softly called to Golden Crocodile, pointing at the Tidal Giant Turtle before her and looking at him questioningly.

Golden Crocodile immediately came back to his senses. After studying the Tidal Giant Turtle for a while, he slowly said, "In theory, if a Spirit Beast is willing, you can absorb a Spirit Ring beyond your normal limit."

"Wanwan, you can give it a try."

Golden Crocodile took a short sword from his Soul Tool, approached Bai Wanwan, and placed it in her hand.

Bai Wanwan tightened her grip on the short sword and slowly raised it. But as she looked into the Tidal Giant Turtle's willing eyes, she couldn't bring herself to plunge it down.

Seeing her hesitation, Golden Crocodile clasped her wrist and applied a little pressure, driving the short sword down.

There was a wet squelch.

Crimson blood sprayed into the air.

The Tidal Giant Turtle never resisted. Its body remained kneeling, but its head drooped lifelessly. A mostly purple Spirit Ring with traces of yellow floated out of its corpse and settled onto Bai Wanwan of its own accord.

Bai Wanwan stared at the Tidal Giant Turtle's corpse for a moment, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes. Then she sat cross-legged and used her Soul Power to refine and absorb the ring.

An incredibly gentle energy flowed into Bai Wanwan's body, making her feel wonderfully comfortable, without the slightest discomfort.

The energy traveled through her meridians before finally gathering in her dantian.

A faint light shone in her mind, and Bai Wanwan saw a phantom of the Tidal Giant Turtle enter her Sea of Consciousness. Moving all four limbs, it hurried toward the Water Dragon King Spirit, only to stop a short distance away.

The Tidal Giant Turtle lay down within her Sea of Consciousness and quietly gazed up at the Water Dragon King Spirit. Its massive body dissolved into specks of light, gradually fading away.

Once the Tidal Giant Turtle's phantom had vanished completely, Bai Wanwan faintly heard the sound of a barrier shattering. Her Soul Power steadily rose under the surge of energy from its Spirit Ring.

Outside.

Golden Crocodile stood before the Tidal Giant Turtle's corpse, repeatedly examining it and occasionally glancing at Bai Wanwan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, absorbing her Spirit Ring.

"Grandpa Golden Crocodile, why would a Spirit Beast willingly become a human's Spirit Ring?"

Qian Renxue slowly approached him, her voice filled with bewilderment.

"Uh..."

"Maybe it was just a coincidence."

"Perhaps this Spirit Beast happened to be tired of living, so when it met us, it came out and knelt down so we could put it out of its misery."

Golden Crocodile stroked his chin, his expression utterly serious.

Though his guess wasn't necessarily right, he felt it was the only explanation available.

Qian Renxue simply watched him with a look that said, I may be young, but don't try to fool me.

Their surroundings instantly fell quiet.

Only the rustling of a gentle breeze through the treetops echoed around them.

A while later.

Unable to make any sense of it, Golden Crocodile simply stopped thinking about the matter and chalked it up to coincidence.

He found a spot to sit and released his Spiritual Power, monitoring every movement nearby in case a Spirit Beast suddenly charged out and disturbed Bai Wanwan while she absorbed her Spirit Ring.

Qian Renxue leaned against an ancient tree, watching Bai Wanwan without blinking.

Time slipped by.

The sun sank in the west.

Night gradually fell.

Golden Crocodile looked up to gauge the time, then lit a campfire, caught a few fish from the pool, and roasted them over the flames.

After handing Qian Renxue a cooked fish, Golden Crocodile turned his attention back to Bai Wanwan. He could sense that she had nearly finished absorbing the energy within the Spirit Ring.

Another half hour passed.

Still sitting cross-legged and absorbing her Spirit Ring, Bai Wanwan's eyelids suddenly fluttered.

Soon, she slowly opened her eyes. After letting out a long breath, she began examining her condition.

Absorbing the Tidal Giant Turtle's Spirit Ring had raised her Soul Power to level fifteen and granted her an excellent Soul Skill: Water Curtain Sky Bloom.

First Soul Skill: Water Curtain Sky Bloom-upon activation, formed a curtain of water around the user, blocking enemy attacks while increasing the user's attack by thirty percent and defense by fifty percent, and reflecting ten percent of incoming damage back at the attacker.

Bai Wanwan rose from the ground and walked toward the campfire.

"Wanwan, how do you feel now?"

Qian Renxue picked up a roasted fish from over the campfire and handed it to Bai Wanwan.

"Wonderful."

"My Soul Power reached level fifteen, and I gained a very good defensive enhancement Soul Skill."

Bai Wanwan took the roasted fish, sat down beside the campfire, and began eating it in small bites.

Golden Crocodile placed his hand on Bai Wanwan's wrist to check her physical condition.