Soul Ring Contest? Seizing the Mandala Snake's Fortune

Soul Ring Contest? Seizing the Mandala Snake's Fortune

The Yin Hour watch had barely passed over Nuoding Academy's rammed earth walls when Lin Che was already standing silently atop the west courtyard wall. Morning mist wrapped the woods like a milky white veil. The Soul Power Fluctuation Monitoring Talisman in his palm was growing hot, while the electronic map on the system panel flashed with a green dot, precisely marking the Mandala Snake's hiding place beside a stone crevice beneath the Old Locust Tree—exactly three zhang away from Tang San and Master's expected route.

"Brother Lin Che, do I really not need to come with you?" Jiang Zhu's voice drifted up from below the wall. The Healing Scepter inside her cloth bag lightly bumped against the stone slabs. "The scepter can sense soul beast toxins. What if..."

"You stay behind in case anything happens at the academy." Lin Che flipped down from the wall, his Azure Water Sword drawing a pale azure arc through the morning mist. "Don't let the Soul Concealment Talisman's aura disperse. I'll be back before noon." He deliberately slowed his footsteps and suppressed his soul power to the appearance of level fifteen—both the safety line Elder Gu Rong had repeatedly emphasized and a disguise to make Master lower his guard.

Guided by the system map as though pulled by a thread, Lin Che suddenly heard footsteps in the distance as he passed through dew-covered shrubs. He immediately hid behind gnarled tree roots, his fingers clasping the mark of the Universe Cauldron martial soul. Two figures were slowly approaching through the morning light: Tang San carried a Black Iron Short Sword on his back, Blue Silver Grass flickering faintly in his palm; beside him was a middle-aged man in a washed-out cloth robe, his gaze behind his lenses sharp as an eagle's. It was Master Yu Xiaogang, famed for his expertise in soul beast theory.

"A soul ring's age must strictly match a soul master's level." Master's voice carried through the mist as his fingertip brushed over a dew-covered blade of grass. "The limit for a level-ten Soul Master is four hundred and twenty-three years. Exceed it by even a trace, and the meridians will rupture." He glanced at the short sword at Tang San's waist. "The Mandala Snake's venom can make up for Blue Silver Grass's lack of toughness, but you must personally deliver the final blow."

Tang San nodded, silently operating his Purple Demon Eyes as he vigilantly scanned the surroundings. He had always felt that Lin Che's words last night about an "unexpected gain" carried another meaning. Now, an inexplicable unease gripped his heart, as though a pair of eyes were watching his fortune.

Just as the two came within ten steps of the Old Locust Tree, fine cracks suddenly burst from the stone crevice! A brownish-black snake body shot out like lightning, its diamond-shaped pupils glowing crimson. Snake scales three fingers wide gleamed with a metallic sheen in the morning light—it was a Hundred-Year Mandala Snake! Thick venom dripped from its venom fangs, and the grass it touched instantly withered. Its tail whipped toward the back of Tang San's head with a piercing howl.

"Watch out!" Master hurriedly activated his soul power, but his own was too weak, allowing him to barely push Tang San away by half an inch. Tang San felt a sharp pain in his back as venom seeped through the scrape in his skin, numbness instantly spreading to his fingertips. Enduring the agony, he drew his short sword. Just as he was about to operate the Mysterious Heaven Skill, an azure sword light suddenly shot out from behind the tree, accurately slashing toward the snake neck!

"Lin Che?" Tang San's pupils contracted. Lin Che sprang out with a tap of his toes, sword qi from the Azure Water Sword winding around the snake's body like a spiderweb. Though the attack seemed fierce, it still held back thirty percent of its force. "I happened to be passing by. I saw a snake attacking someone, so I intervened." His tone was calm, but his left hand secretly activated the Universe Cauldron—a pale golden halo spread along the sword tassel like invisible tentacles wrapping around the Mandala Snake's Seven-Inch Spot.

[Universe Cauldron Martial Soul activated. Absorbing target soul power... Absorption progress: 30%...]

As the System Prompt sounded in his mind, the Mandala Snake suddenly let out a shrill hiss. Its snake scales rapidly lost their luster, and its once-abundant soul power poured into Lin Che's palm like a tide. Even its venom fangs drooped. Just as Tang San was about to seize the opportunity to stab with his short sword, he suddenly felt the soul power within him churn violently—the Mandala Snake's Soul Power Fluctuation resonated with his Mysterious Heaven Skill, but the resonance abruptly weakened just as it formed, making his meridians sting as if pricked by needles.

"What is going on?" Cold sweat poured down Tang San's face, and his short sword nearly slipped from his grip. Master also noticed something was wrong. The Mandala Snake's aura was clearly still within the hundred-year range, yet its soul power was as weak as that of a dying ten-year soul beast. The fleeting golden light in Lin Che's palm reminded him of a certain legendary Weapon Martial Soul.

Pretending not to notice their abnormal reactions, Lin Che suddenly intensified his sword stance. "This snake's venom is too potent. Keeping it alive would be a danger!" The Azure Water Sword fiercely stabbed into the snake head. The Mandala Snake's body twitched twice before turning into a Yellow Soul Ring that slowly rose into the air. Just as the soul ring was about to drift toward Tang San, Lin Che suddenly "staggered" forward, seemingly crashing into it unsteadily—the Universe Cauldron at his fingertips instantly drained the remaining soul power, and a golden prompt appeared on the system panel at the same time:

[Successfully interfered with the Child of Destiny's fortune. Achievement triggered: Snatcher. Reward: Epic Can ×1]

With a thought from Lin Che, the Epic Can burst open in the System Space. A Dark Gold Talisman drifted from the flowing light, its surface patterns coiling like chains, its edges inlaid with a Purple Soul Ring Halo.

[Item obtained: Thousand-Year Soul Ring Adaptation Talisman]

[Effect: Temporarily upgrades a Hundred-Year Soul Ring to Thousand-Year quality, ignoring the soul master's current absorption limit. Duration: Permanent]

"Not good!" Tang San suddenly cried out. At the instant the talisman took effect, the Yellow Soul Ring abruptly expanded. Its color shifted from earthy yellow to a deep purple, and its Soul Power Fluctuation surged more than threefold, frightening him into quickly retreating. Master's expression changed drastically. "A Thousand-Year Soul Ring? That's impossible! A level-fifteen soul master simply cannot endure it..."

Before he could finish, Lin Che had already sat down cross-legged, the Azure Water Sword laid across his knees. Drawn in as if by a magnet, the Purple Soul Ring poured toward him and entered his body through his brow center. Unlike the painful struggle of an ordinary soul master absorbing a ring, the golden light formed by the Adaptation Talisman circulated through his meridians, gently wrapping the violent energy of the Thousand-Year Soul Ring and merging it into his martial soul like streams flowing into rivers and seas.

[Azure Water Sword successfully absorbed Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Obtained Second Soul Skill: Azure Water Entanglement]

[Skill effect: Releases azure sword qi that turns into vines, binding the target's movements and carrying paralyzing venom (originating from the Mandala Snake's essence)]

Lin Che slowly opened his eyes, a pale azure halo glowing in his palm. With a light wave of his hand, five sword qi vines suddenly burst from the ground and tightly wrapped around a thick nearby tree. The spikes on the vines still dripped with Light Purple Venom. "Just luck." He rose and dusted himself off, deliberately keeping his Soul Power Fluctuation at level fifteen. "Perhaps this snake's age far exceeded what it appeared to be, and it happened to suit my martial soul."

Tang San stared at the Purple Soul Ring, his nails digging deeply into his palms. The numbness still lingered in his meridians, but more painful was the disappointment of losing his fortune—Master had said that the quality of one's First Soul Ring directly determined one's future potential. This Mandala Snake had originally been the most suitable choice for him.

A cold gleam reflected off Master's lenses as he stared fixedly at Lin Che's soul ring. "As far as I know, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has never possessed a martial soul capable of absorbing a soul ring beyond its age limit." He suddenly stepped forward, his soul power sweeping tentatively over Lin Che, only to be blocked by the golden light automatically rebounded by the Universe Cauldron. "What exactly is the origin of your Dual Martial Souls?"

"Just an opportunity granted by the elders." Lin Che replied indifferently. His Azure Water Sword gave a crisp sound as he deliberately sheathed it. "If you two are still hunting soul rings, I won't disturb you." As he turned and left, the system map automatically marked a new red dot.

[Target: Hundred-Year Yellow Crystal Beast. Compatibility with Tang San: 70%]

As Lin Che's back disappeared into the morning mist, Tang San suddenly began coughing violently, black blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth. "Backlash from disordered soul power." Master hurriedly supported him, his brows knotting tightly. "Someone tampered with the Mandala Snake's soul power. You cannot absorb any soul ring for the time being. We must find a gentler substitute."

The two ventured deeper into the woods and finally discovered a Yellow Crystal Beast half an hour later. This soul beast, covered all over in Earthy Yellow Crystal, was lying atop a rock basking in the sun. Its Hundred-Year Soul Ring fluctuation was stable and gentle, yet it was nowhere near as full of potential as the Mandala Snake. "Its defensive properties can compensate for Blue Silver Grass's fragility." Master's voice carried helplessness. "Though it is a pity, this is the only choice for now."

Tang San tightened his grip on the short sword. Blue Silver Grass suddenly erupted, tightly binding the Yellow Crystal Beast's limbs. Enduring the pain in his meridians, he condensed the Mysterious Heaven Skill at the sword tip and precisely stabbed into a Crystal Gap in the soul beast's body. The Yellow Crystal Beast let out a muffled roar and turned into a Yellow Soul Ring that slowly rose. When the soul ring merged into his body, Tang San clearly felt that his soul power had increased nearly thirty percent less than expected. The new soul skill he obtained, "Crystal Armor Defense," was merely a pure defensive skill, lacking all of the Mandala Snake's control and venom.

"This is not your end." Master patted his shoulder, but his gaze turned toward the direction Lin Che had left, his eyes behind the lenses filled with gravity. "That boy called Lin Che hides too many secrets. His soul power control is frighteningly precise, and the traits of his Dual Martial Souls are unheard of. Stay away from him in the future."

Tang San nodded, but his fingers quietly reached for the Darksteel Dagger at his waist. He could sense that Lin Che had not merely happened to pass by. That sword light that seemed like a rescue had been more like a premeditated plunder. The Blue Silver Grass in his palm trembled lightly, as if voicing its unwillingness at having lost its fortune.

By the time the noon sunlight pierced through the trees, Lin Che had returned to the academy. Jiang Zhu had been waiting at the entrance. Seeing the Purple Soul Ring Halo around his waist, she covered her mouth in shock. "A Thousand-Year Soul Ring? Brother Lin Che, you..."

"Just an opportunity from the system." Lin Che gave a light laugh, azure vines glowing in his palm. "My new soul skill, Azure Water Entanglement, will give me more confidence when dealing with Spirit Hall people in the future." He looked toward the Seventh Dormitory. Tang San's Soul Power Fluctuation curve on the system panel had visibly dimmed, while [Fortune Detection] had already locked onto the next target—the Man Faced Demon Spider outside Nuoding City.

In the distant woods, Master was drawing a soul power diagram on the ground with a branch. The Soul Power Trajectories of the Mandala Snake and Lin Che intertwined on the diagram into strange arcs. "Soul power plunder, absorption beyond the age limit, Dual Martial Souls..." he muttered, suddenly recalling records of the "Universe Cauldron" in ancient texts. His face instantly turned deathly pale. "Could it be the legendary ancient martial soul?"

The wind swept through the woods, rolling up fallen leaves from the ground and setting the gears of fate in motion. Lin Che's Purple Soul Ring flowed beneath the sunlight, while Tang San's Yellow Soul Ring seemed dim and lusterless. This contest over soul rings at dawn not only began the widening gap between their strength, but also made a wise man notice the undercurrent stirring the continent. And all of it had only just begun.