Bibi Dong said in surprise.
"I never expected there to be a Crystal Mysterious Turtle in this Soul Hunting Forest. I thought this kind of Spirit Beast had already gone extinct."
"It's fine. Today, it'll go extinct again."
Shang An looked at the Crystal Mysterious Turtle in Chrysanthemum Douluo's hand. He could sense that this Crystal Mysterious Turtle suited him well.
"Xiao An, the Crystal Mysterious Turtle is a top-tier Spirit Beast. It is said to possess the bloodline of Xuanwu. A thousand-year-old Crystal Mysterious Turtle is comparable to an ordinary ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast."
"This Crystal Mysterious Turtle's shell is as large as a millstone. Its cultivation should be around eleven hundred years. Xiao An, are you sure you want to absorb this Spirit Ring?"
Bibi Dong stared at Shang An. When Shang An had previously told her that he intended to absorb a thousand-year Spirit Ring as his first ring, her first reaction had been to refuse. According to that person's theory, the limit for a first Spirit Ring was only four hundred and twenty-three years. Absorbing a thousand-year Spirit Ring for his first ring—wasn't that courting death?
As his teacher, she naturally could not let Shang An throw his life away.
However, Shang An had fed her a whole pile of twisted reasoning. Not only had she failed to persuade him, but he had somehow persuaded her instead.
Things like how his innate Soul Power was level twenty and his Martial Soul was god-tier, both unheard of,
how his will was firm and his body was naturally powerful, and so on.
At first, Bibi Dong had remained unmoved. But Shang An had persistently pestered her over the past few days, and after examining him, Bibi Dong found that his physique truly far surpassed that of children his age. Then, for some reason, she had agreed to let Shang An try. Yet now that the moment had come, Bibi Dong still wore a grave expression as she repeatedly questioned him.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, standing to the side, also tried to persuade him.
"Xiao An, how about we keep looking? Absorb a hundred-year Spirit Ring for your first one. A thousand-year Spirit Ring is still far too dangerous."
Shang An took a deep breath, bowed first to Bibi Dong, then said,
"Teacher, Elder Ju, I won't gamble with my future. My Martial Soul tells me that this turtle is very suitable for me. I want to try."
Naturally, Shang An would not joke around with his life. After comparing them, he knew that after cultivating the Taiyi Immortal Origin Body, his physique was no weaker than Hu Liena's when she was a Soul Elder. Moreover, with the Great Freedom True Scripture holding the fort, he was still confident about a mere thousand-year Spirit Ring.
Seeing this, the others stopped trying to dissuade him. Chrysanthemum Douluo tossed the Crystal Mysterious Turtle onto the ground and suppressed it with Soul Power, forcing its ** out so it could not retract it. Shang An took a dagger from his Soul Tool and slowly walked up to the Crystal Mysterious Turtle.
"Xiao An, do it. This is something you must go through."
"Spirit Masters and Spirit Beasts are natural enemies. You need not pity it. Spirit Masters need Spirit Rings to advance, so they are destined to be enemies of Spirit Beasts. To Spirit Beasts, humans are merely food as well. Therefore, it is only natural for humans to hunt Spirit Beasts."
Bibi Dong spoke to Shang An.
Shang An nodded. He would not feel any pity. In a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, weakness was a sin. That was why he had to become stronger.
Looking at the Black Tortoise's blue crystal-colored neck, he moved with swift hands and sharp eyes. His dagger was likewise incomparably sharp. With one thrust, the Black Tortoise lost its life in an instant. The hatred in its eyes gradually faded, and it unwillingly closed them.
A purple halo condensed above the Crystal Mysterious Turtle's body. The Spirit Ring floated above it, giving off a hazy purple glow that looked rather mysterious.
"Xiao An, have you truly made up your mind?"
Bibi Dong could not help asking once more.
"Junior Brother..."
Hu Liena's eyes were filled with worry as well. She hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Shang An blinked at Bibi Dong and the others, signaling them not to worry. Then he sat cross-legged nearby and raised his right hand. The Taiyi Bead appeared. Today, he would truly embark upon the path of cultivation. It was also the first step on his path to attaining the Dao.
He steadied his mind, focused his attention on his Martial Soul, and circulated his Soul Power into his palm, drawing in the nearby Spirit Ring. Pulled by the force, the Spirit Ring flew toward Shang An. The purple Spirit Ring contracted and descended over his Taiyi Bead Martial Soul.
A surging force poured into Shang An's body, seemingly about to burst him apart. As expected of a top-tier Spirit Beast, the Crystal Mysterious Turtle. However, that force was quickly suppressed by his powerful body, then guided into his meridians. As the Great Freedom True Scripture circulated, the Soul Power was rapidly absorbed and transformed.
At the same time, Shang An carefully sensed the power of the Spirit Ring. When Hu Liena had absorbed hers before, he had only been an observer and could see merely the surface. Now that he was experiencing it firsthand, perhaps he could discover the secrets of Spirit Rings.
Beside Shang An, Bibi Dong and Hu Liena both watched him anxiously as he absorbed the Spirit Ring.
"Junior Brother will be all right, won't he?"
Without waiting for anyone to answer, Hu Liena muttered to herself again.
"Junior Brother will be fine."
Bibi Dong opened her mouth but said nothing. A first ring of a thousand years—despite all her knowledge, she had never seen such a thing. She had no idea whether Shang An would succeed.
Although she had only accepted him as a disciple recently, Bibi Dong had truly acknowledged Shang An as her disciple. Naturally, she was extremely worried about him.
She stared at Shang An without blinking. The instant he showed any sign of being unable to endure it, she would intervene and interrupt the process. Though it might damage his foundation, it was still better than death.
Fortunately, not a trace of pain appeared on Shang An's face. Throughout the process, he showed no sign of difficulty, as though the absorption was proceeding exceptionally smoothly.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and Shang An's aura rose to its peak. The absorption of the Spirit Ring was also nearing its end.
Bibi Dong and Hu Liena both let out sighs of relief.
At that moment,
Bang!
"Not good!"
Bibi Dong was greatly alarmed. A burst of Soul Power erupted from where Shang An sat, sweeping up a cloud of dust. Several scraps of clothing flew out from within it.
"Junior Brother!"
Hu Liena cried out in grief.
Bibi Dong leaped forward to check on Shang An.
"Cough, cough. Teacher, I'm fine."
The moment Shang An opened his eyes, he saw Bibi Dong standing before him, Soul Power gathered in one of her palms as though she were considering whether to strike him. He hurriedly spoke up.
What a joke. He had not failed to absorb it. He had no desire to take that palm strike.
Hu Liena also stepped forward.
"Junior Brother, this is..."
As the dust dispersed, Shang An stood up. He was clad in a form-fitting suit of blue-gold armor. The armor closely conformed to his body, with the joints connected by a material resembling cloth. Its design was flawless, unlike anything that should exist in the mortal world.
The armor also emitted a faint glow, making it resemble the battle armor of a deity. Worn by Shang An and paired with his perfect features, he looked like a youthful god.
Looking at the little boy clad in battle armor, Hu Liena's fox-like eyes nearly sparkled with stars. Bibi Dong also revealed a look of amazement. Chrysanthemum Douluo, however, recovered quickly.
"Young Master Shang An, did you successfully absorb your first Spirit Ring?"
"Yes."
Shang An nodded. The Taiyi Bead appeared, and a purple halo wreathed in violet mist floated above it, further accentuating the Taiyi Bead's extraordinary nature.
"Hiss."
Chrysanthemum Douluo sucked in a cold breath. A thousand-year first ring—he had never expected to truly witness the birth of a thousand-year first ring today. Although he had been prepared for it earlier, seeing it with his own eyes still shocked him. Young Master Shang An truly possessed limitless potential. He had to build a good relationship with him. Chrysanthemum Douluo silently made up his mind.
"Xiao An, this armor of yours... could it be an External Soul Bone?"
Bibi Dong also came back to her senses. Looking at Shang An's battle armor, she spoke with some uncertainty. After all, she had never heard of such a peculiar External Soul Bone.
Hu Liena also stared at Shang An with wide, curious eyes.
"Teacher, I don't know either. This armor seemed to suddenly appear inside my body after I absorbed the Spirit Ring."
"Mm, it should be a special kind of External Soul Bone. It seems your luck is quite good, Xiao An."
Bibi Dong did not suspect anything. What schemes could a six-year-old child possibly have?
In truth, calling it an External Soul Bone was not wrong. Shang An had created this armor himself. While absorbing the Spirit Ring, Shang An discovered that the Spirit Beast itself contained a vast amount of Soul Power, while the Spirit Ring was merely a small portion of it.
Shang An guessed that the formation of a Spirit Bone was the condensation of a Spirit Beast's Soul Power, bloodline, and soul. A Spirit Bone contained a Spirit Beast's Origin Spirit Skill and part of its Soul Power, so it was highly likely to be related to bloodline and Soul Power. Furthermore, a Spirit Beast's jealousy and resentment could increase the chance of a Spirit Bone forming, so it might also be connected to the soul.
Thus, Shang An guided the residual Soul Power and bloodline within the Crystal Mysterious Turtle, then used Psychic Power to knead and shape the Black Tortoise's lingering soul before stuffing it into the turtle shell. At the same time, he tried injecting his own Psychic Power into the shell.
Then it became what it was now. It could be said that Shang An's bold idea had indeed succeeded, though he would need to conduct more experiments before he could mass-produce Spirit Bones. Naturally, he could not tell Bibi Dong any of this, or he would be unable to explain it clearly. So he might as well let them misunderstand.
With that thought, Shang An willed it, and the armor turned black. It no longer looked as divine as before, but it appeared even more imposing. With another change, the armor became a white garment trimmed in gold. The fabric was soft and smooth, its style elegant. White was the main color, while golden lines formed patterns across the pale background. It looked understated yet luxurious, making him every bit the graceful young nobleman.
Shang An nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that after incorporating Psychic Power, this External Soul Bone was indeed remarkably convenient. He then tried drawing it back into his body.
"Ah, Junior Brother, have some shame."
Hu Liena hurriedly covered her eyes with her hands, though for some reason, she left a slit about a centimeter wide between her fingers.
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