Night Talk of Precognition, the Secret of Soul Rings

Night fell, and the dilapidated village sank into silence, broken only by the occasional chirp of insects. Inside the mud-brick dormitory, the tiny oil lamp cast a dim yellow glow that barely pushed back the darkness.

A Qing had already fallen asleep on her hard wooden bed, still dressed, her breathing even and steady. Yet Ling Yun could sense that her mind had not fully relaxed, carrying a trace of barely perceptible tension.

Ling Yun sat cross-legged on his own bed, not asleep. He closed his eyes and turned his awareness inward, fully immersing his mind within his body.

Within the sea of qi in his dantian, the origins of his two Martial Souls hung like the sun and moon, reflecting each other. On the left was a mass of dark-golden Chaos Qi that constantly evolved, as though it contained the birth and destruction of the universe. This was the origin of the Chaos Dragon God Martial Soul, emanating an aura of majesty, dominance, and supreme authority. On the right was the phantom of a crystalline emerald begonia flower brimming with vitality—the origin of the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor Martial Soul, gentle and holy, flowing with life energy that nourished all things.

According to the rules of Douluo Continent, Soul Masters had to hunt Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings in order to break through bottlenecks and gain soul skills. But Ling Yun's situation was special. His Twin Martial Souls were god-tier, born from supreme laws. How could they possibly be matched with the Soul Rings of ordinary Soul Beasts? Forcing such rings onto them would only taint the Martial Soul origins and restrict their growth.

My path must be to condense my own Soul Rings, Ling Yun realized.

This was a secret technique recorded within the inheritance of the Chaos Dragon God Martial Soul, and the only path suitable for someone possessing a god-tier Martial Soul. Rather than seeking outside help, he would use the origin of his own Martial Soul as a guide, communicate with the laws of heaven and earth, and condense Origin Soul Rings that suited him perfectly and possessed limitless potential.

The process was exceedingly dangerous, placing immense demands on the Martial Soul origin, mental will, and physical strength. Failure could mean damage to the Martial Soul at best, or death and annihilation at worst. But if he succeeded, the benefits would be immeasurable. Every Origin Soul Ring possessed the capacity to grow and could give rise to powerful soul skills best suited to its owner.

He tried to guide a thread of the Chaos Dragon God's origin aura, using the method described in the secret technique to touch the unseen laws of power. In an instant, he felt as though his consciousness had been dragged into a void filled with violent power particles. Countless fragments of laws concerning "strength" streaked past like meteors, yet were impossible to grasp.

At the same time, an immense tearing force assailed his soul and body, as though it were about to rip him apart completely. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his body trembled faintly.

Just then, another gentle force quietly joined in. It was the origin of the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor. It radiated a soft emerald glow, like the toughest shield, protecting Ling Yun's soul and meridians while easing the pain caused by the tearing laws.

Destruction and creation, strength and life, formed a subtle balance at that moment.

Ling Yun steadied himself and focused even more intently on comprehending the laws of power. Time slowly passed...

No one knew how long it had been when the aura around him suddenly condensed. Within the sea of qi in his dantian, the dark-golden Chaos Qi churned violently. At last, at its core, it condensed into an extremely illusory yet truly existing dark-golden ring of light! Faint dragon patterns flowed across the ring, radiating pure fluctuations of power.

His First Origin Soul Ring had successfully condensed! Though it appeared as weak as a ten-year Soul Ring, its essence stood above all externally acquired Soul Rings. It was a foundation with limitless potential for growth!

At the instant the Soul Ring condensed, a realization surged into Ling Yun's mind. Information about a soul skill originating from the Chaos Dragon God's essence naturally emerged—

[*Dragon Emperor Earthshaker Wave*]: Infuse the earth with pure power to create a shockwave. A wide-area attack with concussion and shattering effects. Its power increases as the Soul Ring grows.

Ling Yun slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath, a flash of delight passing through them. Though this First Soul Ring was still weak, its significance was enormous. It proved that the path he had chosen was viable!

He glanced at A Qing on the bed opposite him. The girl remained in her sleeping position, but Ling Yun keenly noticed her eyelashes tremble slightly.

"You're not asleep," Ling Yun said calmly.

A Qing's body stiffened. She slowly opened her pure white eyes, then sat up awkwardly and said softly, "S-sorry, Ling Yun. I... I was just a little curious. The aura around you just now... was very special. It felt as though it was resonating with the entire world."

Ling Yun's heart stirred. These Precognitive Spirit Eyes truly were extraordinary. They could actually vaguely sense the fluctuations caused when he communicated with the laws of heaven and earth while condensing his Soul Ring.

"What were you 'seeing'?" Ling Yun asked, his tone revealing neither anger nor joy.

A Qing hurriedly shook her head, a flicker of panic passing through her pure white eyes. "I meant no harm! My Martial Soul... sometimes receives fragments of information beyond my control. Just now, I only felt that you seemed to be... creating something? It was dangerous, but also filled with hope." She paused, then gathered her courage and asked, "Ling Yun, do you... not need to hunt Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings?"

A sharp gleam flashed through Ling Yun's eyes as he looked deeply at A Qing. This girl's perception was even keener than he had imagined. These Precognitive Spirit Eyes likely did more than merely glimpse fragments of the future. Perhaps they were closer to an insight into the essence and causality of things.

"This is my secret." Ling Yun neither admitted nor denied it, but the tacit acknowledgment in his tone made A Qing understand something.

A Qing nodded vigorously, her pure white eyes full of sincerity. "I understand! I absolutely won't tell anyone! I can swear it!" She seemed afraid that Ling Yun would not believe her.

Ling Yun looked into A Qing's eyes, so pure that they held not a trace of impurity, and nodded. "I believe you."

Those simple three words brought a faint blush to A Qing's pale face. She lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you... thank you for trusting me."

After a moment of silence, A Qing softly said again, "Ling Yun, I... I had a very vague dream yesterday."

"Oh? What did you dream about?" Ling Yun asked casually.

"I dreamed of... lots and lots of blue grass, like an ocean... and a dark figure holding a hammer... It felt terrifying." A trace of fear colored A Qing's voice. "Then I saw a golden light. It was warm, and it... it drove away all that blue grass and the dark figure."

Blue grass? A dark figure with a hammer? Golden light?

Ling Yun's gaze narrowed slightly. The blue grass undoubtedly referred to Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. The dark figure with the hammer—could it be the Clear Sky Hammer? And the golden light... did it refer to himself?

This precognitive dream seemed to foreshadow some future conflict and its outcome.

"It was only a dream. There's no need to dwell on it too much," Ling Yun said evenly. "Fate is not set in stone."

A Qing nodded as if she understood, though Ling Yun's words calmed her considerably. As she looked at the mysterious and powerful boy before her, a trace of reliance quietly arose in her pure white eyes.

The night deepened. The oil lamp went out, and darkness returned to the dormitory. Yet two hearts that had once been strangers quietly grew a little closer through a nighttime conversation about secrets and precognition.

Meanwhile, Ling Yun continued immersing himself in cultivation, stabilizing the First Origin Soul Ring he had just condensed. He also began trying to communicate with the Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor, preparing to condense its First Soul Ring. His path toward becoming stronger had only just begun.