Absorbing a Ten-Year Soul Ring

"Tang San, I'll tell you about Self-Created Soul Skills later. First, agree to Yu Xiaogang's proposal."

"I've just deduced that in this Douluo World, if your initial Soul Rings and Soul Beasts are too powerful, they'll restrict your future development."

"It's like a blank sheet of paper. If you start painting by covering it in heavily colored oils, your later creations will be greatly limited!"

"Conversely, if you start with lighter colors, you can make adjustments later as needed. Do you understand, Xiao San?"

Tang San raised his head and said innocently to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, I believe you!"

Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Good child, your teacher would never harm you."

"Your teacher failed to think things through before, and I apologize to you now!"

Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a deep bow.

Tang San hurriedly helped Yu Xiaogang up. "Teacher, what are you doing?"

Yu Xiaogang wiped away tears that did not exist and said in a slightly choked voice, "Xiao San, your teacher is incapable. I couldn't bring you into a Great Clan."

"The children of Great Clans don't have to suffer like us, searching for Soul Beasts in the forest. They have dedicated teams of Soul Masters who catch Soul Beasts and deliver them to their homes in advance."

Tang San's worldview crumbled slightly. "But what does that have to do with you, Teacher? You haven't wronged me."

"Xiao San, as I said, you can't have both fish and bear's paw, both moonlight and cinnabar."

"Some people spend their entire lives and exhaust all their efforts just to obtain one, while others can effortlessly have both."

"For example, a Soul Master's cultivation during childhood is extremely important. Not a single day can be wasted. But if we spend so much time searching for something you won't even need in the future, isn't that a waste?"

Tang San seemed to understand something.

"Teacher, you mean I can choose any Soul Ring for my initial one, because I won't need this Soul Ring in the future anyway. If we spend too much time on it, it'll delay my cultivation and won't be worth it. I can use that time to cultivate to a higher level instead."

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly, Xiao San. That's what I mean. For ordinary Soul Masters without much talent, level ten and level twenty are their limits. They can only use those two Soul Skills for their entire lives, so choosing their first two Soul Rings is especially important."

"But you're different. Not only do you possess Twin Martial Souls, you also have astonishing talent. So I feel there's absolutely no need for you to stubbornly fixate on this first Soul Ring!"

Tang San pondered for a while. Thinking of what his Adoptive Mother and Yu Xiaogang had said, then remembering how he had been jolted around these past few days without any way to properly cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill or Purple Demon Eyes, he made his final decision.

"Teacher, I'll listen to you. Please."

"Good, Xiao San. Your teacher will find your first Soul Ring for you right away."

Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands together, raised them over his head, formed a heart shape, and then purple Soul Power radiated from his entire body.

"Come out, Luo San Pao!"

Yu Xiaogang ordered Luo San Pao, "Search the surrounding area for a plant-type Soul Beast suitable for Tang San. If there really aren't any plant-type Soul Beasts, an animal-type one will do as well."

Li Chen watched Luo San Pao trot off on its short little legs to search for a Soul Beast for Tang San, and could not help wondering whether Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were too easy to fool, or whether his story had been crafted too perfectly.

Xiao Wu asked in confusion, "Li Chen, what is Yu Xiaogang doing?"

Li Chen replied, "He's looking for Tang San's first Soul Ring. It looks like Yu Xiaogang wants to just find him any Ten-Year Soul Ring."

"I wonder how he convinced Tang San."

Xiao Wu said in surprise, "The first Soul Ring is very important in the early stages. At low levels, battles between Soul Masters mainly rely on the first Soul Ring."

"I guess they don't want to waste too much time in the Soul Hunting Forest. After all, once they reach the later stages, the first few Soul Rings are basically useless, and Tang San has Twin Martial Souls."

"They've probably given up on the first few Soul Rings and want to save time so they can hurry up and raise their levels."

Before long, the cube-shaped Luo San Pao came running back with a pale yellow blade of grass clenched in its mouth.

Yu Xiaogang waved them over. "Li Chen, Xiao Wu, come here quickly!"

"I've already found a Soul Ring for Tang San. Look."

Yu Xiaogang took the grass from Luo San Pao's mouth.

"This grass is called Starlight Grass. It cultivates by absorbing Starlight Power. Legend says this grass can grow into a Million-year Soul Beast. Once it reaches a million years, it can control Starlight Power and possess energy capable of destroying heaven and earth!"

Some light returned to Tang San's previously dim eyes.

Yu Xiaogang continued, "Xiao San, don't be fooled by this little grass's low age. Its potential is limitless. Theoretically, it can grant you an incredibly powerful Soul Skill."

"To avoid wasting your talent as much as possible, your teacher carefully selected it for you."

"Teacher, what do I need to do?"

"You only need to use a knife to chop it to death. Although Luo San Pao pulled it out, this type of Soul Beast isn't so easy to kill."

Tang San pulled a short knife from his sleeve and, with several quick chops, dismembered the little grass.

Li Chen watched a tiny, nearly transparent white Soul Ring float up.

This little grass had probably only just become a Soul Beast. Yu Xiaogang actually dared to give Tang San this Soul Ring. Who knew how he would explain it to Tang Hao later?

Tang San sat cross-legged and slowly gathered all the Soul Power in his body into his palm. A pale blue blade of grass grew from his hand.

"Sit properly with your legs crossed, focus your mind, concentrate fully, and prepare to absorb it!"

Yu Xiaogang instructed him sternly from the side. Li Chen felt that anyone unaware of the situation would think Tang San was absorbing a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring.

"Xiao San, although this is only a six-year Soul Ring, you still mustn't let your guard down. Absorb as much of the Soul Ring's—"

Before Yu Xiaogang could finish, Tang San stood up with a bitter smile.

Yu Xiaogang was startled. "Tang San, did you fail to absorb the Soul Ring?"

"Teacher, I succeeded. Perhaps that Soul Beast was too weak. I barely felt anything."

"Then how much did your Soul Power increase?" Yu Xiaogang asked eagerly.

Tang San calmed himself and sensed it carefully. "Teacher, it increased by about one-tenth of the distance from level ten to level eleven."

Yu Xiaogang smiled somewhat awkwardly, because this was not at all what he had said before. It was a resounding slap in the face.

But he still comforted Tang San. "Xiao San, you've already done very well. Absorbing this Soul Ring has saved you a full week of arduous cultivation."

"For your Clear Sky Hammer Soul Ring, your teacher will find you one close to a hundred years old. I'll strive to raise your level more while ensuring your future potential!"