First Soul Skill

Xu Yuan rolled over and sat up, then once again used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to charge at the Green Leaf Silk Vine.

Relying on the subtle footwork of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Xu Yuan darted nimbly through gaps between the roots. Just as he was about to reach the main trunk again, the thickest root suddenly swept across his path, blocking the way like a solid wall.

He tapped a foot against the root and sprang into the air, stabbing the dagger backward at the roots pursuing him.

Xu Yuan twisted sharply, using the force of his descent to drive the dagger hard into a point three inches below the main trunk.

The Green Leaf Silk Vine's fibrous defenses seemed to have slackened slightly this time. Xu Yuan could feel a little less resistance as the blade sank in.

"Bzz—"

Every root of the Green Leaf Silk Vine went berserk at once, like countless enraged giant serpents, crashing toward Xu Yuan with a roaring rush.

Xu Yuan didn't dodge or retreat. He clamped his left hand around the dagger's hilt, drew the spare short knife from his waist with his right, and wedged it into the gap around the dagger to pry it open.

With a sharp crack, the tough layer of fibers finally split, and the dagger sank another three inches.

The roots thrashed wildly against Xu Yuan's body, but to him they still felt light and harmless, causing no pain at all.

Xu Yuan actually laughed aloud. He twisted the dagger hard with his wrist. "Let's see how much longer you can hold out!"

The Green Leaf Silk Vine's leaves began to tremble violently. Dewdrops pattered to the ground, and the roots' attacks gradually weakened.

Seizing his chance, Xu Yuan poured all his Soul Power into his right arm and drove the dagger sharply downward.

"Pfft!"

The dagger pierced the air sac node completely, and pale green sap carrying a fresh, grassy fragrance gushed out.

The Green Leaf Silk Vine's roots instantly went limp and drooped, while its leaves turned yellow before his eyes.

A Yellow Soul Ring floated out from within the Green Leaf Silk Vine.

Xu Yuan panted heavily as he watched the Yellow Soul Ring slowly rise, excitement clear on his face.

He pulled out the dagger. Pale green sap clinging to its blade trickled along the grooves and dripped onto the layer of rotting leaves, spreading into a small damp stain.

"Finally." Xu Yuan muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Those few prying, twisting, and stabbing motions had seemed simple, but each one had precisely targeted the pressure points around the air sac node. Without Purple Demon Eye locking onto the instant the fibers loosened, he would have had to work at it for quite a while longer.

God King Tang San gave a slight nod, secretly thinking that Xu Yuan had a tenth of the skill he himself had once possessed.

Xu Yuan sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing.

Once he had settled himself, Xu Yuan began absorbing the five-hundred-year Soul Ring.

There was none of the resistance or impact he had expected. The Green Leaf Silk Vine's Soul Ring energy seemed naturally compatible with his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Following the flow of his Soul Power, it seeped docilely into every part of his body.

In just a short while, Xu Yuan could feel the Soul Power in his dantian growing more condensed.

"Only a few minutes..." God King Tang San's blue phantom paused, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Ordinary Soul Masters needed quite a while to absorb a Soul Ring, and the slightest misstep could leave them injured by a surge of violent energy.

Xu Yuan's smooth progress surprised even him.

But then he thought of Xu Yuan's unusual ability to avoid injury, and understood.

Perhaps this was his unique talent: accepting the power of a Soul Ring in the gentlest way possible.

When the last wisp of Soul Ring energy merged into his body, Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

"What Soul Skill did you get?" God King Tang San asked curiously.

Although he knew Blue Silver Grass was suited to Life, he had no idea what Soul Skill Xu Yuan would obtain.

Xu Yuan said to God King Tang San, "My first Soul Skill is called Life Entanglement, sir. When it entangles an enemy, it can absorb energy and transfer it back to me or to an ally I choose, restoring stamina and Soul Power."

After hearing its effects, God King Tang San nodded with satisfaction.

As expected, he had been right. Blue Silver Grass was suited to Life, not poison.

He remembered that his own Entanglement skill hadn't been nearly this effective.

Yu Xiaogang, you really are useless.

God King Tang San thought to himself.

If it hadn't been for him, Yu Xiaogang would have been stuck at level 29 his entire life.

At first, he had thought Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul was a useless one. Only later had he realized it was an exceptionally powerful Martial Soul.

The reason his Innate Soul Power was only level 0.5 was that Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul had undergone a beneficial mutation only halfway.

In theory, if he had fed Luo Sanpao the flesh of those draconic Soul Beasts for a few years, his Martial Soul should have evolved.

But that fool Yu Xiaogang had kept feeding Luo Sanpao nothing but radishes.

Xu Yuan was puzzled. Why hadn't his level increased after absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone?

In those fanfics, didn't absorbing the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone raise the protagonist's level by several ranks?

Why hadn't his level increased after absorbing it?

He was level 11 now, still a third of the way from level 12.

Could it be because the Soul Bone had already been absorbed once before?

When Xiao Wu sacrificed herself, hadn't the Soul Bone merged directly into Tang San's body?

He couldn't quite remember the details, but he was certain there hadn't been any scene in the novel where Tang San took a Soul Bone out of Xiao Wu's body.

With that thought, Xu Yuan pretended to ask curiously, "Sir, didn't you tell me earlier that absorbing a Soul Bone would raise my level?"

God King Tang San came back to himself. He was momentarily taken aback by Xu Yuan's question.

He remembered that when he had absorbed the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, his level hadn't increased either. It had simply helped him open up his eight extraordinary meridians.

God King Tang San's blue phantom paused. A flicker of light crossed his eyes, then he quickly returned to normal, his tone carrying a hint of profound mystery. "A Soul Bone's purpose has never been limited to raising your level."

He floated in front of Xu Yuan and lightly tapped his brow with a blue finger. "Try circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Pay close attention to the flow of Soul Power inside you."

Xu Yuan did as he was told. As the Mysterious Heaven Skill's inner force completed a cycle, he suddenly noticed something different.

The Soul Power in his dantian was more condensed than before, and it flowed nearly twice as fast.

"Can you feel it?" God King Tang San's voice held a faint, barely perceptible smile. "That Soul Bone widened your meridians, doubling the efficiency of your Soul Power circulation. That's more important than simply gaining one or two levels. Level is only the surface. With a solid foundation, you'll find it a hundred times easier than others to break through bottlenecks."

He paused, then added, "Those claims of sudden leaps in level are nothing but talk from people chasing quick gains. True powerhouses never rely on external things to get somewhere overnight. Your body already has a decent foundation. Make steady progress, and you'll go much further."

As Xu Yuan listened to God King Tang San, he nodded with an expression that said he had learned something.

Inside, however, he could only shake his head at God King Tang San's words.

Come on, have you even listened to the nonsense you're saying?

When you leveled up, you really did it at rocket speed.

First Xiao Wu sacrificed herself, then Daming and Erming sacrificed themselves.

That rate of advancement was beyond what ordinary people could ever match.

"Don't get hung up on the numbers." God King Tang San patted his shoulder, his blue phantom gradually turning transparent. "Once you return, work hard to strengthen your foundation. When your Soul Power has built up enough, breaking through will come as naturally as water flowing into a channel."

Before his words had even faded, the phantom returned to the Sea of Consciousness.