Water Has No Constant Form

The sunlight was perfect on the top floor of Dorm 301 in the East Building of Nuoding Academy.

Just as Jiang Zhen finished putting his spare clothes into the wardrobe, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind—

Ding! You have new system mail. Please check it.

System Mail?

Jiang Zhen's eyes lit up, and he immediately silently said in his mind, "Open System Panel."

A pale-blue virtual panel appeared, and a small red dot was indeed glowing beside the System Mail section.

He lightly tapped it with his fingertip, and a new email instantly unfolded:

Ding! Mail rewards issued:

1. Intermediate Body Tempering Pill x10 bottles (10 pills per bottle): After consumption, it can further temper the physical body, enhance the toughness of the meridians, and increase the upper limit of Soul Power capacity.

2. Spatial Storage Ring x1 (capacity: 100 cubic meters): No binding restrictions. Injecting a trace of Soul Power will open it. The internal space is stable and can store nonliving objects.

"Intermediate Body Tempering Pills! And a Storage Ring with a capacity of 100 cubic meters!" Jiang Zhen could not help exclaiming.

He first looked at the Storage Ring in the email attachment. A completely lustrous-white ring floated on the panel, and its surface was engraved with fine water patterns, exactly like the hidden patterns on his Jing Suit.

Jiang Zhen extended his right hand. With a thought, the Storage Ring instantly landed on his ring finger.

"Let's test its capacity." Jiang Zhen picked up the Cloth Bag on the table, which contained more than 9,000 Gold Soul Coins. He injected a trace of Soul Power through his fingertip and lightly tapped the bag.

The Cloth Bag instantly vanished. He looked into the Storage Ring's space again. It was empty, with the Cloth Bag lying safely in a corner and a vast amount of empty space surrounding it.

He then stuffed the Compendium of Douluo Continent Soul Beasts, the remaining Beginner Spirit Power Pills, and even his suitcase into the Storage Ring. The space still seemed roomy.

"So convenient." Jiang Zhen stroked his ring finger in satisfaction. From now on, he only needed to bring this "invisible ring" when he went out and would never have to worry about exposing his supplies.

Next were the Intermediate Body Tempering Pills.

He took out a bottle from the email. Ten pale-blue pills filled the transparent porcelain bottle. When he opened the stopper, a crisp medicinal fragrance rushed toward him. After he inhaled it, even the Soul Power inside his body grew somewhat restless.

Jiang Zhen poured out a pill and swallowed it with the clear water on the table.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A gentle yet powerful energy slid down his throat and into his body. It was at least three times stronger than the Beginner Body Tempering Spirit Liquid he had used before!

He immediately sat down cross-legged and circulated the Profound Water Clear Mind Art. Pale-blue Soul Power flowed through his meridians, dividing the medicinal power into countless fine threads that spread along his meridians to all four limbs and his entire body.

Wherever the medicinal power passed, his meridians seemed to be soaked in warm water. Their already-tough walls grew even thicker, while impurities were expelled from his body bit by bit. A faint layer of black grime seeped from his skin, and even the lustrous sheen at his fingertips grew brighter.

After half an hour, when the last trace of medicinal power had been absorbed, Jiang Zhen opened his eyes. He felt light and refreshed all over, and the speed at which his Soul Power circulated had increased by ten percent. Even when he gathered his Martial Soul in his palm, the Water Element responded much more quickly.

"As expected of an Intermediate Body Tempering Pill. Its effects far exceeded my expectations." Jiang Zhen rose and washed up. Looking at his cold-white skin and Jade Green Eyes in the mirror, he curled the Corner of his Mouth into a smile.

With these ten bottles of Body Tempering Pills, by the end of the semester, not only would his physique rise another level, but his Soul Power Level might even reach Level 20!

After all, he was already Level 15.

He had reached Level 13 after absorbing the Spirit Ring. Then, after cultivating for another three months at the inn, along with the boost from the Spirit Power Pills, he had advanced by two levels.

After tidying up the dormitory, Jiang Zhen walked onto the balcony. Taking advantage of the quiet afternoon, he prepared to properly explore the Form Change of his Water Element Martial Soul.

After absorbing the Spirit Ring, he had only tried condensing Water Arrows and Water Shields. He had yet to truly display the advantage of his "Ultimate Water control."

"I'll start with something simple." Jiang Zhen extended his right hand, and a fist-sized Small Water Orb condensed in his palm.

He closed his eyes and sketched the form of a "Water Arrow" in his mind: slender and sharp, with a curved arrowhead and streamlined fletching at the tail.

With a thought, the water orb in his palm instantly elongated and contracted. A few seconds later, a translucent Water Arrow appeared in his palm. Cold light flashed from its arrowhead, and it was at least twice as solid as the Water Arrow he had previously simulated with Soul Power.

He raised his hand toward the tree trunk outside the balcony and flicked his wrist. The Water Arrow shot out with a whoosh and struck the trunk with a thud, piercing three inches into the wood. Its tail continued to tremble slightly.

Afterward, it turned into a puddle of water and flowed down.

"Not bad. My control has improved." Jiang Zhen condensed a second Water Arrow. This time, he tried adding a trace of Soul Power markings to its tip. According to the records in the Profound Water Clear Mind Art, Soul Power markings could strengthen an attack's penetrating force.

As expected, after this Water Arrow shot out, it was not only faster but also blasted a small crater into the tree trunk.

Next was the "Water Shield."

He imagined a round shield with water patterns along its edges and raised defensive markings in the center.

The Water Element rapidly gathered, and a Water Shield one meter in diameter instantly took shape. The water patterns on its surface flowed slowly, like a layer of living armor.

Jiang Zhen picked up the small knife on the table and hacked at the Water Shield. The blade struck it and only stirred up a ring of ripples. It could not penetrate.

"The defense is sufficient. Let's try something more complicated." Jiang Zhen's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he began shaping a "Water Whip." A long stream of water condensed into a rope, with a hooked barb at its end. It could both wrap around things and hook or seize them.

During his first attempt, the Water Whip dispersed as soon as it reached half a meter. He adjusted his Soul Power output and used the Profound Water Clear Mind Art to compress the Water Element more tightly. On the second attempt, he finally succeeded. A two-meter-long Water Whip danced in his palm, and its hooked end could easily catch the balcony railing. When he pulled it, he could even flexibly adjust its length.

He then tried shaping a "Water Bird," complete with a small body, outstretched wings, and even clearly visible feather patterns.

This attempt failed three times. The wings dispersed the first time, the body lost its balance the second, and the Soul Power was consumed too quickly the third.

It was not until the fourth attempt, when he divided his Soul Power into multiple streams and separately controlled the forms of the wings, body, and claws, that he finally condensed a palm-sized Water Bird.

The Water Bird circled twice above the balcony. It could even change direction according to his thoughts before finally turning into a stream of water and returning to his palm.

"So that's how it is. Complex forms require regional control of Soul Power." Jiang Zhen summed up his experience, and a new idea arose in his mind. Since he could shape animals, could he shape "tools" as well? Water daggers, water ropes, or even a water surveillance eye?

He tried condensing a "Water Eye." It was a ping-pong-ball-sized water orb with a surface as smooth as a mirror. After he injected a trace of Soul Power, the water orb slowly rose into the air and flew to the treetop outside the dormitory.

Jiang Zhen closed his eyes and was actually able to see the distant scene through the water orb. Several students were cultivating in the training ground, while the Director of the Administration Building was taking the Gold Soul Coins he had given him to the storeroom to check the supplies. He could even vaguely see the windows of the distant dormitories.

"Surveillance ability!" Jiang Zhen was overjoyed. This "Water Eye" could not only observe from a distance but also move. As long as he had enough Soul Power, it could even investigate activity a hundred meters away.

In the future, it would come in handy for observing Tang San and Grandmaster's movements around the academy, or for exploring the Soul Hunting Forest.

After exploring for the entire afternoon, Jiang Zhen successfully shaped more than a dozen forms: offensive types such as Water Arrows, Water Daggers, and Water Cones; defensive types such as Water Shields, Water Armor, and Water Walls; auxiliary types such as Water Eyes, Water Ropes, and Water Bridges; and even a mobile type—the "Water Skateboard." By standing on the condensed water board, he could move rapidly with the water's flow, faster than running.

Only when the sun set did Jiang Zhen stop cultivating. Sitting in a chair on the balcony and watching the evening clouds on the horizon, he began planning his next steps.

Short-term goal: Consume one Intermediate Body Tempering Pill every three days, cultivate the Profound Water Clear Mind Art, master the various forms of his Martial Soul, and attempt to transition from "Form Change" to a "Self-Created Soul Skill."

Mid-term goal: When Tang San returned to Holy Spirit Village at the end of the semester as in the original story, he would go with him. There was a cave near Holy Spirit Village that concealed Tang San's mother, Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor.

That was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor. Even if he could not obtain the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, eating the Blue Silver Emperor would still give him a considerable boost.

If his luck was good, he might even be able to obtain that Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone ahead of time.

Long-term goal: After obtaining the Blue Silver Emperor, immediately leave Nuoding City and go to Vast Sea City.

Vast Sea City was by the sea, where the Water Element was ten times denser than inland. It was perfectly suited to his Water Element.

Once he reached Vast Sea City, he could look for even stronger Water Attribute Soul Beasts.

"Tang San has the Tang Sect Secret Art and Tang Hao protecting him, but I have the system, foresight, and the Ultimate Water Martial Spirit."

Jiang Zhen raised his hand, and a Water Bird condensed in his palm. Under the evening clouds, the Water Bird shimmered with golden light.

"Sea God? I can take his place!"

Just then, another burst of Footsteps and conversation came from downstairs.

Jiang Zhen looked down and saw Tang San following Grandmaster into the Teaching Building, a thick copy of the Fundamentals of Martial Soul Theory in his hands.

He withdrew his gaze and dispersed the Water Bird before turning back into the dormitory. There was no need to get involved with them. Cultivating discreetly and waiting for the right moment was what he most needed to do now.