Tang San sneered inwardly. A Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring? Yu Xiaogang had some nerve suggesting that.
But in his previous life, it had also been Yu Xiaogang who'd told him to absorb a Hundred-Year Mandala Snake Soul Ring.
Now...
His goal had always been that Hundred-Year Mandala Snake. Only its Soul Ring could awaken the true power of control within his Blue Silver Grass.
But he didn't refute him outright. He merely said calmly,
"Teacher, I'd like to look around a little more. There might be something more suitable."
[Tang San's thoughts: Once we find a Mandala Snake, I'll show you what a truly top-quality Soul Ring is. Fu Qin's watching from the side, so this is the perfect chance to let him see that following me is the way to get ahead.]
Fu Qin followed behind them, his eyes sweeping over their surroundings.
God-Level Luck allowed him to vaguely sense the nearby Soul Beasts.
His target was clear: the Iron-Veined Stone Scorpion.
This Soul Beast wasn't rare, but it had a tough defense and special abilities, making it a perfect match for his Alchemy Gloves.
Seeing the thoughts on Tang San's panel, Fu Qin's lips curled into a sly grin.
A Mandala Snake?
He might as well give up. Sure, Tang San was a child of fortune, but Fu Qin's own luck wasn't the least bit inferior.
As long as Fu Qin stayed by his side, Tang San would never find the Mandala Snake from the original story.
A quarter of an hour later...
Fu Qin stopped, his eyes fixed on the thicket ahead.
"Xiaosan, Grandmaster, there's something moving over there!"
Yu Xiaogang immediately grew alert and signaled for them to crouch.
"Careful. It might be a Soul Beast!"
Tang San furrowed his brow as well. He pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its limits and made out a scorpion lying in the thicket. Its body was silver-white, covered in fine silver markings, and its poisonous stinger glinted coldly.
[Soul Beast: Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion (Mutant)] [Age: 400 years] [Soul Ring Effect: Materialization. By touching any nonliving object with his fingertips (wood, stone, iron, cloth), the user can infuse it with Soul Power to enhance it. He can also change its state, transforming it into any object he desires. [Quality: Top-grade (Silver markings appear on Iron-Veined Stone Scorpions only once every thousand years. This is a mutant, with exceptionally high quality)] [Current State: Lying in wait to hunt (100% absorption success rate)] [Soul Bone Drop Rate: 100% (Left Palm External Soul Bone. Effect: When using this Soul Ring ability, the Soul Skill's consumption is reduced by 50%. The Soul Ring ability can be used anywhere within a ten-meter radius. Note: This effect will gradually grow stronger as the External Soul Bone improves)]
Fu Qin's panel clearly displayed the information about the Soul Beast. He was delighted. This was exactly the Soul Ring he wanted!
And it was a mutant, with a quality far beyond that of an ordinary Iron-Veined Stone Scorpion.
"It's an Iron-Veined Stone Scorpion!"
"Xiaosan, Grandmaster, I want it to be my first Soul Ring!"
Fu Qin's voice held a hint of excitement.
Yu Xiaogang had also gotten a good look at the Soul Beast, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Wait, its markings are silver. It's a mutant! It must be at least three hundred years old!"
Tang San also recognized it as a mutant Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion. He looked at Fu Qin, a hint of appraisal in his eyes.
He didn't know what sort of abilities Fu Qin's Martial Soul had.
But this Soul Beast was formidable in every way. Fu Qin was only an auxiliary-type Soul Master. Could he really absorb such a powerful Soul Ring?
But just then, the Intelligence-Reducing Halo quietly took effect.
[Intelligence-Reducing Halo activated. Tang San's judgment: "Fu Qin has exceptional talent and can absorb a 400-year Soul Ring."] [Yu Xiaogang's judgment: "The Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion may be strong, but Fu Qin has Innate Full Soul Power. He should be able to absorb it."]
"Fu Qin, this Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion is perfect for you!"
Yu Xiaogang spoke first, his eyes alight with enthusiasm.
"Your Silver Glove is a tool-type Martial Soul. This Soul Beast's defensive attributes could greatly increase your Martial Soul's toughness. It might even grant you a good enhancement-type Soul Skill, which would greatly benefit your future development!"
Tang San nodded as well, his tone encouraging.
"Fu Qin, Teacher and I will take care of this Soul Beast. Get ready to absorb its Soul Ring. This is the perfect chance to show you what true strength looks like."
He figured that helping Fu Qin take down this Soul Beast would make Fu Qin admire him even more, while also giving him a chance to show off his own strength. Two birds with one stone.
"Thank you, Xiaosan! Thank you, Grandmaster!"
Fu Qin immediately put on a grateful expression, stepped aside, and pretended to nervously prepare to absorb the Soul Ring.
Heh heh heh, buffs sure were great. They saved him so much trouble.
This 400-year mutant Soul Ring was his!
Only now did Fu Qin truly understand how good the male leads in fantasy novels had it.
Luck buff + intelligence-reducing buff + likability buff.
Other people did all the dirty and exhausting work, while he just waited to reap the rewards.
Tang San paid Yu Xiaogang no mind and boldly attacked the 400-year Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion.
Although Yu Xiaogang wasn't very strong, he was experienced. Seeing Tang San attack startled him, but he quickly circulated his Soul Power and directed Luo Sanpao to distract the Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion.
Tang San darted forward, using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to reach the Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion in an instant. His Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul possessed him, and several strands of Blue Silver Grass immediately wrapped around the scorpion's limbs.
"Tssee—"
The Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion let out a piercing hiss and thrust its poisonous stinger at Tang San.
"Watch out!" Yu Xiaogang shouted.
But Tang San didn't panic in the slightest. He turned his wrist, and a dagger glinting with cold light appeared in his hand.
It was a Hidden Weapon he had forged from Mysterious Iron.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the dagger flying straight at the Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion's eye.
The Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion shrieked in pain and struggled even more violently, but the Blue Silver Grass tightened around it.
Tang San seized the opportunity to plant a foot on the scorpion's back and pin it firmly down.
"Fu Qin, now!"
Tang San shouted.
Fu Qin rushed forward at once. His Alchemy Gloves possessed him, and silver-white gloves covered his hands. He circulated his Soul Power and punched the Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion in the head.
The Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion had already been badly wounded by Tang San and Yu Xiaogang working together. Now it was powerless to resist. Its head was smashed to pieces, and it died on the spot.
A deep yellow Soul Ring floated from the Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion's corpse, radiating a dense wave of Soul Power.
At 400 years, its color was darker than that of an ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Ring, and its quality was exceptionally high.
"Hurry and absorb it!"
Yu Xiaogang urged him, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
He was curious whether Fu Qin, an auxiliary-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power, could successfully absorb a Soul Ring far beyond the limit an ordinary Soul Scholar could withstand.
Fu Qin nodded, sat cross-legged, and reached for the Soul Ring.
The Soul Ring transformed into a beam of light and merged into his body.
A vast surge of Soul Power rushed into his meridians, even stronger than he'd imagined.
But with God-Level Luck bolstering him, the Soul Power did no harm. Instead, his Mysterious Heaven Skill quickly absorbed and refined it.
Fu Qin felt an unprecedented fullness of energy within him. His Alchemy Gloves Martial Soul also changed subtly: faint silver markings appeared on the gloves, and both their toughness and resilience improved significantly.
Two hours later...
[Successfully absorbed the 400-year Silver-Veined Stone Scorpion Soul Ring!] [Successfully absorbed the Hundred-Year External Palm Bone!] [Soul Power increased to level 15!] [God-Level Luck active: No risks during absorption. Soul Ring perfectly fused.]