Soul Ring Selection, Thousand-Year Low-Quality First Ring!

"Mm!"

Ning Wuque nodded heavily. He would not let down the hard work he had put in these past days. His will had already become as hard as steel!

Before long, the grandfather and grandson returned to Zhang Can's Elder's Courtyard.

After first instructing the butler to prepare dinner, Zhang Can and Ning Wuque sat side by side on the sofa beside the coffee table. Zhang Can asked in an inquisitive tone:

"Wuque, can you tell Grandpa what kind of soul ring you plan to absorb? I've thought it over. I'll take a few days off from the sect and personally bring you to hunt for a ring. This old man doesn't trust anyone else!"

"Is that... really okay?"

"Of course, Wuque. Grandpa has no children of his own, and you're the only grandson left behind by an old friend."

Zhang Can spoke lightly, but Ning Wuque could feel the deep care and indulgence of an elder from his words and expression.

Without refusing, Ning Wuque openly told Zhang Can about the path he had devised after reaching Level 9:

"Grandpa, you should know about Blue Silver Grass, right?"

"Of course I do."

"According to the records, Blue Silver Grass, like my Black-Gold Ant martial soul, is an ordinary soul beast with a clear hierarchy. My father's martial soul once evolved."

Ning Wuque explained the sort of theory he had often come across while reading fanfiction in his previous life:

"My idea is to absorb soul beasts of the same species but with higher ranks as my soul rings whenever possible. For example, the superior soul beasts of the Black-Gold Ant, the Dark Gold Soldier Ant and even the Dark Gold Terror Ant.

"Or the Thousand Jun Ant, superior to the Brute Ant; the Honeypot Ant, superior to the Bud Worm Ant; and so on. Perhaps that way, my martial soul might mutate or even evolve!"

"This... is a good idea. Soul rings from soul beasts corresponding to one's martial soul do indeed refine the martial soul itself. It's most obvious among dragon-type martial souls such as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."

Zhang Can nodded, fully agreeing with Ning Wuque's idea. However, because this adopted grandson of his had displayed extraordinary wisdom since childhood, he was not overly surprised.

Although Zhang Can was nearly a hundred years old, he knew himself well. He understood that while he might surpass Ning Wuque by far in experience, he was certainly inferior to this adopted grandson in wisdom.

"Mm. Of course, special types of soul beasts are another matter entirely, such as the Emerald Swan, the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, Golden Spirit Beasts, and so on."

Ning Wuque added that soul beasts with inherently unmatched bloodline talents could stimulate a martial soul far more than most superior soul beasts of the same kind.

If Ning Wuque encountered a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear around five hundred years old, his martial soul might evolve directly into a Dark Gold Terror Ant under the stimulation of its bloodline—or even a Mutated Dark Gold Terror Ant!

As for why he was so confident that he could absorb such a high-quality soul ring?

Because even barehanded and without using his martial soul, he could already fight a Two-Ring Assault System Beast Soul Master!

The Ten-Thousand-Year Supreme Whale Oil had not been eaten for nothing, and neither had all that medicinal herb and soul beast meat been made from mud!

"That could work. If we come across one, Grandpa will definitely get it for you! What next?"

"Grandpa, do you... trust me?"

Ning Wuque raised his head and stared into Zhang Can's eyes. In response, the other man simply placed a large hand on his shoulder. No words were needed for that trust.

Taking a deep breath, Ning Wuque spoke words that even Zhang Can found unbelievable—words that made him want to stop the boy immediately:

"I want... a thousand-year first ring!"

"What?!"

"Listen to me first, Grandpa. I'm not overestimating myself. I truly possess the physical strength for it now. I can withstand the energy of a soul ring Under 1500 Years!"

Before Zhang Can could speak, Ning Wuque continued:

"Moreover, as far as I know, the difficulty of absorbing a soul ring isn't determined solely by its age. It also depends on the species of soul beast it came from, as well as the Soul Master's Martial Soul quality and physical condition!

"If it's something like a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, I wouldn't even consider challenging one over seven hundred years old. But if it's a Dark Gold Soldier Ant, I'm absolutely certain I can handle a soul ring that has just entered the thousand-year range!"

In truth, Ning Wuque only had about a seventy percent chance of success. It could be said that this was a life-or-death gamble!

But compared to the over ninety percent chance of failure with a 700-Year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear, this was already worth attempting!

If he succeeded, just how badass would he be after blasting a thousand-year soul ring?

Beating up a three-ring Soul Elder with a high-tier beast martial soul possessed would be effortless! That was the fucking confidence Ring Blasting gave him!

That was why this thousand-year soul ring was worth such a reckless risk!

And think about it—if he absorbed rings normally, Ning Wuque's martial soul would not undergo its first evolution until at least his second ring.

But if he crossed both the rank and age thresholds from the very beginning, he was at least ninety-nine percent certain that his martial soul would evolve directly into a Dark Gold Soldier Ant!

That way, he could make a push for Level 20 by the age of twelve. In no more than thirteen or fourteen years, he could hope to become a Soul Saint or even a Soul Douluo!

"No, no. It's too dangerous! Unless... you can prove it to me. Prove that you truly have that ability. When the time comes, Grandpa will absolutely find a way to get you the soul beast you want!"

Zhang Can frowned and shook his head. As an elder, he valued Ning Wuque's safety more than Ning Wuque himself did, but he did not completely block off Ning Wuque's path.

After all, with a Soul Douluo like him around, it would not matter even if Ning Wuque needed a few extra days to recover from his injuries.

"Name it."

Ning Wuque understood this as well. It was only human nature, but he feared no test!

Beside him, Zhang Can felt both gratified and worried as he watched Ning Wuque agree so decisively. In the end, he sighed and gave his test:

"I'll capture a Black-Gold Ant that has just entered the thousand-year range. Your task will be to fight it and prove that you have what it takes!"

He did not say Ning Wuque had to defeat it, because killing a soul beast and absorbing its soul ring were fundamentally different in difficulty. Moreover, the Black-Gold Ant Zhang Can had chosen possessed the same martial soul as Ning Wuque.

Basically, as long as Ning Wuque could hold out against that thousand-year soul beast for a while, he would pass the test.

"Alright, it's a deal!"

"It's a deal! Now, let's eat first. Tomorrow morning, Grandpa will take you to a large Soul Hunting Forest to hunt soul beasts."

Before they knew it, the conversation between grandfather and grandson had gone on for quite some time. Not far away, the butler of the Elder's Courtyard had not stepped forward to disturb them.

Ning Wuque stood and rubbed his stomach. No matter how great the world was, eating came first.

If he did not eat his fill, where would he get the strength to temper his body?

The next morning.

Under Zhang Can's lead, Ning Wuque submitted a leave request to the academy. Then Zhang Can took him by carriage toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

It was a private Soul Hunting Forest belonging to Nine Treasure Glazed Tile, enormous in scale, though somewhat limited in the variety of soul beasts it contained.

However, this Soul Hunting Forest happened to contain several habitats for ant-type soul beasts. One Dark Gold Ant nest even housed a Dark Gold Ant Queen with a cultivation of thirty thousand years!