The First Soul Ring is a Thousand Years! (Seeking reads, collections)

Zichuan felt a sense of certainty in his heart.

At this moment, Du Busi had already brought him down to a clearing on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, and the humid air was thick with the scent of soil and rotting leaves. From the distance, the roars of soul beasts echoed periodically, the deep, silent woods permeated by omnipresent danger.

"Alright, we're here." Du Busi released his grip, looked at Zichuan, and waved his hand with heroic flair. "Speak up, my good disciple. What kind of soul beast do you want for your first soul ring? As long as it exists in this forest, Teacher will get it for you! Attack type? Defense type? Or something with a special attribute?"

Zichuan did not hesitate, stating directly, "Teacher, I want a soul ring from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear."

"A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?" Du Busi raised his thick eyebrows, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, followed by even deeper admiration. "Good lad, you've got an eye for quality! The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is a hegemon of the Star Dou Great Forest, possessing top-tier offense and defense. That pair of claws, in particular, carries an extremely potent destructive attribute. It's a perfect match for your Heart of Destruction martial soul!"

"However..." He stroked his chin, looking somewhat concerned. "These things aren't easy to find, and even the youngest ones usually have a cultivation nearing a thousand years. The limit for a first soul ring is generally around four hundred years. Even with your unique constitution and two hearts, doubling that would cap you at eight or nine hundred years. A thousand-year ring... the risk is too great."

Zichuan replied, "Teacher, I want to try. I feel that my body, with the enhancements from my two hearts, might be capable of more than just a simple doubling. Besides, didn't you give me the thousand-year Whale-Shark Meat? If I can consume that first to strengthen my constitution, perhaps I can withstand a higher age limit."

Du Busi's eyes lit up. "That makes sense! The potency of thousand-year Whale-Shark Meat is tyrannical; consuming it now is the perfect time to maximize absorption! Fine, let's give it a go!"

Being a decisive man, he immediately added, "Stay here, find a secluded spot, eat the Whale-Shark Meat, and do your best to absorb it. Teacher will be back in a flash!"

Before his words had even faded, his figure flickered, transforming into a streak of dark green light that vanished into the deep forest, moving so fast that Zichuan only caught a glimpse of his afterimage.

Zichuan did not delay. He quickly found an ancient tree that would require several people to encircle and settled into a hollow among its gnarled roots, sitting cross-legged.

He opened the oil-paper parcel, exposing the thousand-year Whale-Shark Meat to the air. The massive Bloodline Power became even more intense, carrying a faint, briny scent of the ocean.

He tore off a small piece and placed it in his mouth. The meat melted instantly, turning into a scalding hot current that surged down his throat and scattered into his limbs and bones in an instant!

"BOOM!"

Zichuan felt as if all the blood in his body were boiling. Every cell was cheering, leaping, and frantically devouring this pure and tyrannical energy.

His skin flushed an unnatural red, his body temperature rose sharply, and the sweat that seeped out was evaporated instantly, forming a faint white mist.

His two hearts beat like war drums—one scorching, one gentle—guiding and digesting this violent energy together, reinforcing his bones, fascia, and muscles.

The process was not easy; the energy of the thousand-year Whale-Shark Meat was far too vast, causing waves of swelling pain as it scoured his meridians. But Zichuan gritted his teeth, relying on the powerful control and recovery granted by his two hearts to endure it through sheer willpower.

Time ticked by. About an hour later, the red glow and white mist around Zichuan gradually subsided.

He opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with brilliance. He clenched his fist and could clearly feel that his strength, constitution, and meridian resilience had all improved significantly! A faint, precious light seemed to flow beneath his skin.

"Not bad, you've absorbed most of it," the God of Destruction commented. "The remaining medicinal power is settled within your body and will be released slowly during your future cultivation. With your current physique, absorbing an eight or nine-hundred-year soul ring shouldn't be a problem. Even one that has just crossed the thousand-year mark... is not entirely impossible to attempt."

Just then, a ground-shaking roar erupted from the distant forest, followed by the thunderous sound of trees snapping. The roar was filled with violence and defiance, but it quickly turned into a whimper and then abruptly ceased.

A moment later, a dark green figure carrying a mountain-like black shadow landed in front of Zichuan with a "boom," shaking the ground three times over.

Du Busi threw the object on his shoulder to the ground; it was a beast over three meters tall, covered in dark gold fur.

"Damn it," Du Busi wiped away non-existent sweat, his expression looking somewhat annoyed. "Bad luck. The one I found just crossed eleven hundred years! It's over the limit! A thousand-year soul ring, even if it's just over the line, is not something a first soul ring can handle. How about I go find you an eight or nine-hundred-year one instead?"

Zichuan stood up and walked over to the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

"Teacher, I want to try," Zichuan said, looking up with a determined gaze. "I feel like I can do it."

Du Busi looked at the unquestionable confidence in Zichuan's eyes, then thought of the various miracles brought about by his two hearts, and gritted his teeth.

"Fine! If you want to try, then try! With me here, nothing major will happen! If it really doesn't work, I'll burn my own soul power to help you shatter the soul ring!"

After the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was killed, a purple soul ring immediately rose from its body.

Zichuan said no more. He sat cross-legged before the carcass of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, adjusted his breathing, and brought himself to his peak state.

Then, he focused his intent on the Heart of Destruction. A dark red light ignited from his left chest, his hair turned dark red once more, and his destruction form was activated.

He extended his right hand, guiding the soul power, and that deep purple thousand-year soul ring slowly drifted over, settling onto his body.

The moment the soul ring touched him:

"BOOM!"

An unimaginably violent energy, like a burst dam or countless red-hot steel files, frantically surged into Zichuan's body!

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's violent, tyrannical, and destruction-craving soul power was of the same origin as his Heart of Destruction, yet it was far more savage and uncontrollable. It rampaged and tore through his meridians, as if it intended to destroy him completely from the inside out!

"Ugh, ah!"

Zichuan let out a low, pained growl. His face turned deathly pale, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his entire body began to tremble violently. Beads of blood even began to seep from the surface of his skin.

"Lad!"

Du Busi's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward, his soul power already raised, ready to intervene at any moment.

The energy of a thousand-year soul ring far exceeded that of a hundred-year one, and the soul power of this Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was exceptionally brutal. The pain Zichuan was enduring now far exceeded his estimates.

However, at this most dangerous juncture, the Heart of Life in Zichuan's right chest suddenly emitted a light brighter and more rapid than it had ever shown before!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The steady, powerful heartbeat sounded like a war drum, yet also like spring rain nourishing parched earth.

Warm and majestic life energy, like the finest trickle of a stream, surged rapidly along another meridian system toward those areas scarred and battered by the violent impact of the destructive soul power.

The power of destruction ravaged, while the power of life repaired.

On one side, the hacking of blades and axes; on the other, the gentle breeze and soaking rain.

The two formed a delicate balance within Zichuan. The destructive soul power remained wild and continued to bring immense pain, but under the constant healing of the Heart of Life, the speed of destruction was consistently suppressed below the speed of repair.

His meridians, repeatedly tearing and healing, instead became tougher and wider.

The look of agony on Zichuan's face gradually eased; although his brows remained tightly locked and cold sweat streamed down, his breathing slowly stabilized.

Du Busi slowly let go of his suspended heart, his eyes gleaming with brilliant light.

"Good lad! What a Dual Heart complement! Destruction absorbs, life heals! This is simply... a perfect cultivation closed loop! Unthinkable! Truly unthinkable!"

Time ticked away, second by second. The deep purple light of the soul ring gradually dimmed, and the majestic energy contained within was absorbed and refined by Zichuan bit by bit, merging into his Heart of Destruction.

Finally, an hour later.

The last trace of soul ring energy sank into Zichuan's body. His frame shuddered violently, and a wave of soul power several times stronger than before erupted outward!

The dark red light receded, his hair returned to black, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Having successfully absorbed the thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear soul ring and seen his soul power soar to level 13, Zichuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. The final trace of dark red light on his skin retracted into his body, and the three-inch dark gold claw phantom at his fingertips dissipated along with it.

He stretched his limbs, feeling his entire body filled with explosive power. Soul power surged and flowed through his widened, toughened meridians—it was more than several times stronger than before.

"How do you feel?" Du Busi leaned in, his large face full of anticipation and curiosity, like a child waiting to unwrap a gift. "What is the soul skill? Tell me quickly!"