Fifty-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring, a "Chance Encounter" with Huo Yuhao

The number of Imprints was limited to three.

Although there were three per day, they did not accumulate. They were overwritten instead.

If he did not use today's three, they would disappear tomorrow and be replaced by three new Imprints.

It was impossible to permanently keep an Imprint within an Aperture.

That was when the power of Soul Tools came into play.

Core Array!

Su Fan had conducted similar research before, engraving Core Arrays within Apertures.

However, he had devoted most of his energy to Void Engraving Core Arrays and had not delved deeply into engraving Core Arrays inside Apertures.

"I need to find an array that can achieve the effect of the Crimson Flame Claw."

Soul Tools had originally been derived from Soul Master soul skills.

Su Fan now intended to emulate the earliest Soul Engineers, drawing insight from soul skills and extracting their Core Arrays.

This was difficult.

Yet for Su Fan, it was not all that difficult.

Having mastered Imprint, he could experience the characteristics of soul skills in the most direct way.

Those characteristics were the hardest to replicate with arrays, yet Su Fan could perceive them directly.

"Still, I can't waste too much time on this for now. Cultivation is the foundation."

Once his Soul Power Level rose, whether he was researching Core Arrays or developing the power of these Apertures, everything would become much easier.

Su Fan knew what mattered most. He understood what was most important for him at present.

"A Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring and an Aromatic Silk Beauty brought my Soul Power directly to level thirty-nine."

He was only one step away from level forty.

But Su Fan knew that breaking through to level forty would take some time.

That did not mean he could spare time for other things. On the contrary, he would be extremely busy during this period.

"I still haven't condensed the Apertures."

Before obtaining his third Soul Ring, Su Fan had estimated that his limit was one hundred and eight condensed Apertures.

Now that he had obtained his third Soul Ring, that limit was naturally gone.

His Soul Power had directly reached level thirty-nine, but his Apertures had yet to catch up.

"Before reaching level forty, I'll strive to truly condense the Heavenly Circuit Apertures."

Su Fan believed that the Heavenly Circuit Apertures were anything but ordinary.

As for the positions of the Apertures, he was not worried.

He had experimented on his own before. Once an Aperture was condensed, it could actually be moved again.

If an Aperture's position was truly unsuitable, he could still adjust it later.

In the blink of an eye, a year and a half passed.

Su Fan was nearly eleven years old.

"Huo Yuhao should be setting out soon."

After ending his meditation, a sharp glint flashed through Su Fan's eyes.

"This time, I must at least win Electrolux over."

Connecting his spiritual power to the bracelet on his right wrist, Su Fan sensed the jade box within that radiated an aura of light, and a sense of peace filled his heart.

He took out the jade box, held it in his hand, and lovingly stroked it all over.

Inside was the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife.

The knife was vicious and baleful. After Su Fan obtained it from the Starlight Auction House in Star Luo City a year ago, he had opened it once and been invaded by a wave of icy energy.

Had he not already condensed the Heavenly Circuit Apertures at the time and forged an unparalleled physical foundation with many Ten-Thousand Year spiritual herbs, that icy energy might even have severely injured him.

Its erosion of his meridians was even stronger than that of a fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring.

Yes, fifty thousand years.

Su Fan had personally experienced the impact of a fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring.

His fourth Soul Ring had still been obtained through a Soul Hunting application to the academy.

However, his requirements this time had been too excessive. After rigorous review and coordination, the academy had sent a vice principal at the Spirit Douluo level along with three Soul Saints to help Su Fan hunt a fifty-thousand-year Evil Spirit Orca.

Yes, they had gone to the deep sea and killed a fifty-thousand-year Evil Spirit Orca.

Su Fan had also obtained the soul skill he wanted.

Evil Spirit Orca Mirror Annihilation was a powerful group-destruction soul skill.

When activated, the space within a certain range would transform into mirrors. As the mirrors shattered, the enemies within the area would be torn apart as well.

What Su Fan obtained was a soul skill based on this—Evil Spirit Mirror Annihilation!

When unleashed through his Apertures, he could determine the range of the Evil Spirit mirrors with even greater precision. Paired with Heaven Sealing Earth Locking, the group control and area attack combination was simply devastating.

At least in battles against Soul Masters of the same level, Su Fan had yet to encounter anyone who could withstand this combination of two skills.

Usually, before his mirrors shattered, his enemies were already at death's door.

Putting the jade box back into his Storage Bracelet, Su Fan got out of bed.

"My application was approved. I can finally leave the academy."

In the eyes of Dou Ling Royal Soul Master Academy's higher-ups, Su Fan was practically academy property.

Hunting that fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring had been no easy matter. All three Soul Saints had returned injured.

The ship they had taken had even nearly been overturned by the Evil Spirit Orca pod midway through the journey.

If it had truly capsized, they would have had no way to return from the deep sea.

Su Fan had also made things clear with the academy long ago.

For this Soul Hunting trip, he would lead the Dou Ling Team to claim the championship once.

Star Dou Great Forest.

Su Fan had arrived at the outskirts early.

He had pored over the map until it was practically worn out. There was only one junction point in the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest between the route from the Duke Mansion and the route from Shrek City for Soul Hunting.

He had waited there early.

It did not matter even if he failed to run into Huo Yuhao.

As long as he was in this area, it would be enough.

Whether it was Tian Meng or Electrolux, when they appeared, they could sense an entire region rather than merely Huo Yuhao's immediate surroundings.

Su Fan's luck was not bad.

After waiting for three days,

an exceptionally distinctive fragrance drifted over.

It was the scent of grilled fish.

It differed from all the grilled fish Su Fan had eaten before. The aroma was pure, yet seemed to carry a one-of-a-kind flavor.

Following the scent,

"It smells so good!"

On the other side, a boy and a girl appeared alongside Su Fan.

The girl ran up to Huo Yuhao and stared at the grilled fish.

Her large eyes were fixed on it, and it looked as though drool was already gathering at the corners of her mouth.

"Are you selling that grilled fish?"

"N-no, I'm not selling it. If you want some, you can have it. It's free."

Huo Yuhao replied haltingly.

He handed the grilled fish in his hand to Tang Ya.

Then he looked at Bei Bei behind Tang Ya, as well as Su Fan, who had arrived from the other side.

"You two big brothers can join us too."

After speaking, Huo Yuhao lowered his head and continued grilling fish.

"Thank you." Bei Bei said with a cheerful smile.

Su Fan glanced at the river beside them.

With a flick of his finger, a streak of Soul Power shot into the river and formed an Aperture within it.

Splash!

The water churned.

The entire small stream was stirred up by that single streak of Soul Power.

The Aperture began to operate, guiding the water into arrows that burst forth, pierced fish after fish, and carried them out of the water.

Su Fan pressed his right index and middle fingers together, guiding the dozens of water arrows to land before Huo Yuhao.

"With the three of us joining in, you might not be able to eat your fill. Make some more. Do you need any seasonings?"

At that moment, both Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei were dumbfounded.

Tang Ya stopped gnawing on her grilled fish as well. She stared directly at Su Fan, a trace of wariness flashing through her eyes.