Lin Ciyan listened to his grandfather and nodded, understanding that it was simply an objective fact.
He felt the surging power within him and looked forward to acquiring his first Soul Ring.
"A first Soul Ring of seven or eight hundred years... I wonder what kind of Soul Skill it'll bring when paired with my Holy Radiance Qilin?"
After two months of intensive training, Lin Ciyan felt the surging power within him. He looked at his grandfather, Lin Qingmo, eyes filled with anticipation. "Grandpa, can we go get my Soul Ring now?"
Lin Qingmo stroked his beard with a smile, his eyes full of satisfaction. "Of course. Training is meant to lay a solid foundation, so you can bear a Soul Ring with a higher age."
"The higher the age of a Soul Ring, the more it stimulates a Soul Master's potential and improves the quality of their Soul Power."
"The reason Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings and those beyond are so rare is that the Soul Beasts they come from possess immense power, rivaling human Super Douluo and even Limit Douluo."
He paused and looked at his grandson. "You've tempered your body until it's strong enough to bear the Soul Ring best suited to you right now. As for what comes later... that's for your future self to explore. Your physique has reached its current limit. The time has come."
Lin Ciyan understood.
He thought of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, but he wasn't a spirit-type Soul Master, so he had no way to snatch it away.
He also had no other means of increasing the age of his Soul Rings for now. All he could do was strengthen his body until it could absorb a Soul Ring with a higher age.
As for increasing a Soul Ring's age in the future, that would be for his future self to figure out. He couldn't increase its age out of thin air.
After similar training, Bei Bei's first Soul Ring had only been a little over five hundred years old.
But Lin Ciyan had an Ultimate Martial Soul and had endured two months of "force-feeding" training. Aiming for seven or eight hundred years was already an exceptional advantage.
"Rest for the day. Tomorrow morning, Grandpa will take you to the Star Dou Great Forest himself!" Lin Qingmo declared, settling their plans with a grand sweep of his hand.
That evening, Lin Ciyan met up with Bei Bei for a brief chat.
"Brother Lin, I heard you're going to hunt for a Soul Ring tomorrow?" Bei Bei asked, his eyes full of envy. "The Mystic Ancestor scheduled me for a week from now. I hope you get a powerful Soul Ring!"
"Thanks," Lin Ciyan replied with a smile. "I hope you have good news too."
At dawn the next day, before the sky had even begun to brighten,
Lin Qingmo swept Lin Ciyan, who had everything packed, into the air. They shot off toward the Star Dou Great Forest like a streak of light.
With a Titled Douluo escorting them, they traveled at breakneck speed.
Shrek City lay right beside the Star Dou Great Forest. It was responsible for monitoring the forest, preventing and repelling beast tides, and mediating disputes between empires to keep their wars from spreading too far.
In a little over an hour, as the rising sun cast golden light over the boundless primeval forest, the two of them reached its outskirts.
"The Star Dou Great Forest lies ahead." Lin Qingmo brought Lin Ciyan down and pointed toward the green sea, steeped in an ancient, primeval aura.
"You don't have a Soul Ring yet, so I won't have you train here this time."
"Once you've acquired your second Soul Ring and have the strength to defend yourself, you can come back to hone your combat skills."
His tone was stern. "Taking a child with no Soul Ring into this place to 'train' would be unbelievably ignorant and dangerous." His meaning was clear: stay with Grandpa, put safety first, and focus on finding a Soul Ring.
Letting a child with no Soul Ring wander around the Star Dou Great Forest to train was incredibly foolish. Even Tang God King had Yu Xiaogang escorting him—though Huo Gua was another matter.
Lin Ciyan readily agreed and nodded.
Grandfather and grandson had already discussed the choice of his first Soul Ring.
The Star Dou Great Forest had only a handful of well-known high-level light-attribute Soul Beasts. Whether they found a suitable one would come down to luck.
In short, they would have to adapt as they went.
Their first choice was naturally a light-attribute Soul Beast. One whose powers complemented the Holy Radiance Qilin's divine nature would be even better.
If they couldn't find one, a strength-type Soul Beast could serve as a backup.
As for the basic Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth...
Lin Ciyan could vaguely sense seeds of all five attributes hidden deep within his Martial Soul, but they were still too weak for him to control. Absorbing a related Soul Ring would be too risky, so they would set that option aside for now.
If I can awaken a domain... Lin Ciyan mused to himself. He was sure his Martial Soul would become extraordinary, so he had to be even more careful in choosing his Soul Rings.
But the ideal was rosy, while reality was harsh.
Light-attribute Soul Beasts were already scarce in the Star Dou Great Forest, and most of them belonged to weak species that couldn't live up to Lin Ciyan's hopes.
The two of them searched their way through the dense forest, and before they knew it, more than ten days had passed.
Their search hadn't been entirely fruitless. They had found a Holy Light Crystal Leopard whose age was nearly three thousand years. Its light-element attacks were fierce, and its attribute was exceptionally pure, making it an excellent choice.
Unfortunately, its age far exceeded Lin Ciyan's current limit.
Another week passed, but they still had little to show for it.
Either the Soul Beast's species was too weak, making its Soul Ring hardly worth the trouble, or its age was unsuitable—about as useful as chicken ribs.
Worried that Lin Ciyan might grow impatient at his young age, Lin Qingmo reassured him. "Ci Yan, don't be anxious. Hunting for Soul Beasts is like this. It's common for Soul Masters to spend months searching for one that suits them perfectly."
"Ordinary Soul Masters might settle for less, but you're heaven's favored child. Grandpa will find you the best choice! I'd gladly stay here another month if that's what it takes!"
His fighting spirit blazed. He looked ready to turn the whole forest upside down and lay the strongest possible foundation for the hope of the Lin family's prosperity.
Just then, Lin Ciyan's gaze swept across a nearby clearing bathed in the morning light. It suddenly stopped. He tugged at his grandfather's sleeve and pointed. "Grandpa, what about that one?"
Lin Qingmo followed his grandson's finger, his pupils narrowing slightly.
In the clearing, a strange Soul Beast was basking in the warm sunlight.
It looked like a young deer, but was more agile and nimble. Its entire coat had a translucent, lustrous white sheen, as if it were made of pure light elements.
Most unusual was its head. It had no antlers; instead, a crystal-clear horn spiraled upward.
A soft, milky-white glow shimmered at the horn's tip, waxing and waning with each breath.
Its eyes were a clear, brilliant gold. They were gentle and lively, and pure light aura naturally lingered around its body, soothing the mind and spirit.
"Is that... a Dawn Spirit?" Delight blazed in Lin Qingmo's eyes. "Judging by its appearance and energy fluctuations, it should be between seven hundred and fifty and eight hundred years old. That's perfect for you!"
"Legend says this beast is an elemental spirit born after bathing in the first light of dawn. It's incredibly rare, naturally commands pure dawn power, and carries a trace of life energy!"
"Its Soul Ring could very well grant you a powerful Skill—an attack, purification, or even a minor healing ability—and it would be a perfect match for your Holy Radiance Qilin!"
Lin Ciyan was overjoyed too. After nearly twenty days of searching, they had finally found the target he'd hoped for!
He drew a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the elegant Dawn Spirit.
The Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul within him seemed to sense their kindred aura, sending a wave of excitement through him.
The Soul Hunt was finally about to begin.
Now they only had to find the right moment to strike against this Soul Beast, renowned for its agility and light-based abilities.