As Su Ze absorbed the Lightning Devouring Python's Soul Ring,
he saw the origin of this mutated Lightning Attribute Soul Beast.
Deep in a sun-dappled forest, a slender White Snake found a special, withering vine in the middle of a huge crater.
The vine's stem was as thick as a forearm, dark purple all over, and covered in intricate Lightning Patterns.
Was this plant a Thunderous Nether Vine?
Su Ze saw that the special vine looked very similar to the Hundred Year Thunderous Nether Vine he had absorbed before.
The difference was that it was larger, and the Lightning Patterns on its body were far more intricate.
Then, in the vision, Su Ze saw the giant White Snake swallow the vine.
Its whole body began to mutate.
It had originally been less than a meter long, but it grew directly to seven or eight meters.
Its entire body turned purple, and Lightning Patterns appeared across it.
Looking at the giant snake's transformation, Su Ze could almost confirm it.
The reason this Lightning Devouring Python had come into being was that it had swallowed a Thousand Year Thunderous Nether Vine.
Legend had it that the Thunderous Nether Vine possessed the bloodline of the Thunder God. This Lightning Devouring Python must have fully evolved because of that.
This was good news for Su Ze.
After all, finding that Hundred Year Thunderous Nether Vine had already been a miracle.
This Lightning Devouring Python was now over two thousand years old, so it could be considered a Two Thousand Year Thunderous Nether Vine.
In other words, his Second Soul Ring came from one of the very best Lightning Attribute Soul Beasts.
As Su Ze continued absorbing the Soul Ring, the Soul Power in his body began to surge violently.
It was as if it were boiling.
His level shot straight up from 20.
Level 21!
Level 22!
Level 25!
Level 26!
Feeling the Soul Power surging within him, Su Ze realized that when he had absorbed the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone earlier, he had accumulated an enormous amount of Soul Power.
But because he had no Soul Ring, his level had remained suppressed.
Now that the Soul Ring restriction was gone, all that stored-up Soul Power erupted at once.
As the Soul Ring's power surged, Su Ze's Sikong Zhen Martial Soul began to evolve as well.
What delighted Su Ze even more was that, as his Martial Soul evolved, it combined with the Soul Power he had accumulated earlier.
The yellow color of Su Ze's First Soul Ring began to deepen, seeping inward.
By the time a purple Soul Ring representing a thousand years had formed beneath Su Ze's feet,
the color of his First Soul Ring had also grown much deeper.
As the Soul Ring's owner, Su Ze could sense the change even more clearly. His First Soul Ring, which had originally been 300 years old,
had now reached 500 years.
"What... what's going on?"
"Why is my Soul Ring's age increasing?"
Su Ze's mind raced as he began to analyze the situation.
His Soul Ring had evolved while he absorbed the Soul Power suppressed by the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, which had in turn caused his Martial Soul to level up.
In other words, absorbing a treasure like a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone and using it to upgrade his Martial Soul could also upgrade his existing Soul Rings.
"If that's true, then I absolutely have to get those Immortal Herbs!"
Su Ze was suddenly thrilled.
Without a cheat, as an ordinary person,
Su Ze figured he would have to wait until his Fifth Soul Ring before he had a chance to obtain a Soul Ring over ten thousand years old.
That would undoubtedly affect his chances of becoming a god in the future.
Now, by absorbing precious treasures like a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone and evolving his Martial Soul,
he could make his Soul Rings evolve too.
In other words, if he got those Immortal Herbs before anyone else,
he might be able to push all of his Soul Rings past ten thousand years.
He imagined himself fighting with every Soul Ring shining black.
Or even with every Soul Ring shining red.
At the thought, Su Ze's eyes lit up with excitement.
Still buzzing with anticipation, Su Ze began to examine the specific improvements he had gained from the Soul Ring.
First, his Soul Power had stabilized at level 26.
He had also gained his Second Soul Skill.
Thunderous Celestial Phenomenon!
Su Ze could influence the weather in a small area around him.
From what he could tell, if he used all his Soul Power, he could take an originally clear sky
and gather a small Dark Cloud overhead, then summon lightning.
Of course, the skill depended on the weather.
For example, if Su Ze used all his Soul Power at night, he could summon a cloud about three or four meters across.
If rain was already on the way, he would need much less Soul Power.
He could also use accumulated Lightning Power in his body instead of Soul Power.
The Lightning Devouring Python had released all the Lightning Power it had accumulated over a thousand years in one go.
That was how it had gathered such a vast bank of Dark Clouds.
But that had worked out in Su Ze's favor, since it had lost the ability to fight back.
This skill was extremely powerful for Su Ze.
Especially now that he could make his Soul Rings evolve.
In the future, after it evolved into a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring or even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring,
perhaps Su Ze would need to expend only a little Soul Power to change the weather.
At that point, combined with Sikong Zhen's Martial Soul, Su Ze would truly be the Thunder God incarnate.
It might lack offensive power and leave him one fewer skill for short-term combat.
But that was fine by Su Ze. Sikong Zhen's skills could make up for it.
Besides, its growth potential fit perfectly with the effects of his Thunderous Force ultimate.
This Second Soul Skill was an incredible bargain.
On top of that, Su Ze's Sikong Zhen Martial Soul had undergone a minor evolution.
From now on, he wouldn't need to recite Sikong Zhen's original voice lines.
He could change a few words, keep the general meaning, and still achieve the same extended Thunderous Force effect.
As Su Ze examined the evolution of his Martial Soul,
Snake Lance Douluo watched him finish absorbing the thousand-year Soul Ring without a problem, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He couldn't help glancing at Qian Renxue beside him.
His young master possessed Innate Full Level Twenty Soul Power, yet her first two Soul Rings were both yellow.
This youngster named Su Ze had actually obtained one yellow and one purple.
And Su Ze had faced no risk of his body exploding while absorbing that thousand-year Soul Ring.
He could surely absorb thousand-year Soul Rings at levels 30 and 40 too.
By then, the youngster's Soul Ring lineup would be yellow, purple, purple, purple, purple.
At the thought, Snake Lance Douluo glanced at his young master again.
Judging solely by their performances at level 20, even his young master was nowhere near this youngster named Su Ze.
Watching Su Ze absorb the Soul Ring without a hitch, Qian Renxue became even more determined to recruit him.
"Brother Su Ze, you can absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring at level 20. Your future is limitless."
"Brother Su Ze, what do you think? Would you like to come with us to Heaven Dou City? I can recommend you to Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
At this point, Qian Renxue realized that she had underestimated Su Ze earlier.
The Golden Generation, whom the Soul Martial Hall had recently been promoting so aggressively, didn't have a single member who could absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring at level 20.
If this youngster named Su Ze really joined the Soul Martial Hall, he would surely become its leading figure.
Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Su Ze, having finished absorbing the Soul Ring, stood up and smiled.