Purple Ring Upon His Body, Poison Sting's Edge

The deep purple soul ring pulsed slowly around Qin Mo as if alive, radiating powerful yet stable energy fluctuations. The pure luster of the Thousand-Year Spirit Ring created an immense visual impact against his young frame, leaving Bing'er and Yan'er beside him unable to look away for a long time, their hearts still roiling like stormy seas.

Qin Mo closed his eyes and focused, carefully sensing the changes after his breakthrough. Not only had the amount of Soul Power surging through his body increased dramatically, but its quality had also become denser and purer. It moved smoothly and naturally, as easily as an arm or finger. More importantly, his connection with the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda in his palm had become closer and deeper, as though it had truly become an indispensable part of his body.

A clear stream of information continuously flowed into his Sea of Consciousness from the newly formed Human-Faced Demon Spider pattern on the first level of the Demon Pagoda. It contained everything about this first "Sealed Object"—its traits, its abilities, the fragments of laws it contained, and... the brand-new power the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda had derived from it.

He slowly opened his eyes. A flash of purple passed through them, and a knowing yet curious smile touched his lips.

"Mo'er, how do you feel?" Qin Yuan's voice carried anticipation and concern. Though he could sense that his grandson was in excellent condition, this unprecedented way of obtaining a soul ring still left him uneasy.

"Better than ever, Grandpa." Qin Mo flexed his wrist, feeling the surging power within him. "My Soul Power is stable, and my compatibility with my martial soul is perfect. And also..."

His voice paused slightly as his gaze fell upon the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda, which had appeared on its own. At this moment, the first level of the pagoda shone noticeably more brightly and lustrously than the other eight, while the Demon Spider pattern upon it seemed almost lifelike.

"My First Soul Skill seems to... have two forms." Qin Mo's tone held a trace of excited curiosity.

"Two forms?" The gleam in Qin Yuan's eyes intensified. Dual-form soul skills were not unheard of, but they usually came from exceptionally powerful soul beasts and mostly appeared in high-level soul rings acquired later on. For a First Soul Ring to possess two forms was further proof of this martial soul's extraordinary nature.

"Mm." Qin Mo nodded, and his thoughts shifted.

The deep purple soul ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up!

"First Soul Skill: Demon Spider Summon!"

As he activated his Soul Power, the Human-Faced Demon Spider pattern on the first level of the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda abruptly burst with dim light!

A condensed black-green streak of light shot out from the pagoda and landed in an open patch of ground nearby. The streak rapidly expanded and transformed. In the blink of an eye, the vicious, terrifying Hundred-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider that had supposedly "died" appeared out of thin air once more!

It stood quietly before Qin Mo. Its eight compound eyes flickered with cold light, and its carapace was completely intact. Its aura even seemed slightly stronger than it had been in life. Its savage and violent presence had not diminished in the slightest, but its previous wildness and madness were gone, replaced by absolute, deathly obedience. It slightly lowered its hideous head like the most loyal puppet guard, awaiting its master's command.

"Th-this is a summon?! It came back to life?!" Yan'er cried out in alarm, instinctively taking half a step back. Though she knew it was the Young Sect Master's soul skill, the Demon Spider's vicious appearance still made her heart tremble.

Bing'er's pupils contracted as well, her cool face filled with shock. She could clearly sense that this summoned Demon Spider was not an energy phantom, but possessed a tangible, powerful body! This completely overturned her understanding of soul skills!

Qin Yuan's hand paused as he stroked his beard, and a startling gleam burst from his eyes. "It isn't an energy simulation, but... directly summoning the sealed entity itself?! Good! What an excellent method! This is equivalent to gaining a Hundred-Year Soul Beast with complete combat strength as a fighter for free! And..."

He keenly sensed that this summoned Demon Spider was closely connected to the Demon Pagoda and to Qin Mo. It seemed able to draw faint energy from the void to replenish itself and even... possessed the potential to grow, albeit extremely slowly?!

Qin Mo tried issuing commands to the Demon Spider with his thoughts.

Forward! Back! Attack that ancient tree! Shoot webs!

The Human-Faced Demon Spider responded immediately. Its movements were swift and precise, without the slightest delay, carrying out Qin Mo's will perfectly, as naturally as moving his own limbs. He could even share the Demon Spider's vision, observing the world through its compound eyes as a strange, multi-angled view appeared in his mind.

Incredible... Qin Mo silently marveled. This sense of control far exceeded his expectations.

After demonstrating the summoning form, Qin Mo shifted his thoughts again.

The summoned Demon Spider instantly turned into a streak of light and returned to the first level of the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda, becoming the pattern on its wall once more.

"The first form summons the Demon Spider to assist in battle. It possesses all of its combat abilities from when it was alive, obeys me absolutely, and can share its vision with me." Qin Mo gave a brief explanation, then raised his right hand.

"And the second form is this."

He activated the soul skill again, but this time, the target was not a summon—it was himself!

The purple soul ring beneath his feet shimmered, and a strange energy surged from the first level of the Demon Pagoda, swiftly covering his right arm. His index and middle fingers came together, and from their tips, a condensed black energy spike flashed into existence, solid as substance and glimmering with a dim poisonous light!

The spike was about half a foot long, black as ink. A chilling grayish-green glow flowed over its surface, emitting the same cold, numbing aura as the Human-Faced Demon Spider's venomous fangs!

"This is... attaching the Demon Spider's poison sting ability to yourself?" Bing'er asked in surprise.

Qin Mo swept his gaze over a nearby tree trunk as thick as an adult's waist. He held his fingers together like a blade and casually swung them!

Ssh!

The black poison sting sank into the hard tree trunk as easily as slicing through tofu, leaving behind a small hole. The struck area of bark rapidly turned gray-black and withered at a visible rate, spreading outward as though all life had been instantly devoured and paralyzed by the deadly poison!

"What terrifying poison! What incredible piercing power!" Yan'er clicked her tongue. This power was definitely far beyond the First Soul Skill of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.

"That's not all." Qin Mo dismissed the poison sting at his fingertips and explained, "This enchantment form seems capable of affecting not only myself. It should also be possible to apply it to an ally's weapon or attack, adding a neuroparalytic toxin and additional piercing power."

Attack, support, and summoning all in one!

One soul skill, three uses! And every one of them was so practical and powerful!

After hearing this, Qin Yuan could no longer suppress his excitement. He clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his voice shaking the forest canopy. "Good! What an excellent First Soul Skill! A summoned beast fighting in coordination, self-enchantment for powerful offense, and support for allies as well! Mo'er, the value of your First Soul Skill is enough to rival the third or even fourth soul skills of ordinary soul masters! Hahahaha! Heaven blesses my grandson! Heaven blesses my Myriad Manifestations Sect!"

The more he looked at Qin Mo, the more satisfied he became. This martial soul, these soul skills—they were simply perfect weapons born for battle! Their potential and practicality were beyond measure!

The way Bing'er and Yan'er looked at Qin Mo was also filled with worship and awe. The Young Sect Master's power had already surpassed their understanding, becoming ever more mysterious and formidable.

Qin Mo felt the lingering fluctuations of poison energy at his fingertips, as well as the close connection in his mind with the Demon Pagoda and the sealed Demon Spider. The road ahead became even clearer to him.

He looked up toward the deeper reaches of the forest, where stronger and more ancient auras permeated the air.

"Grandpa," he said softly, though there was anticipation in his voice, "I feel like the target for my Second Soul Ring is already getting impatient too."

Having only just obtained his First Soul Ring, he had already set his sights on his next target. That confidence and drive made the smile on Qin Yuan's face grow even brighter.

"Good! Then today, let me see just how many surprises my grandson can bring me!"