I Want the Millennium's First Ring!

The next day—

Having meditated all night to further stabilize the soul power within his body, Xue Mingqing rose early.

He had benefited immensely from the Hurricane Body Tempering that Feng Qingyang had brought him yesterday.

First, his meridians were now completely unobstructed, cleared of all impurities, which enhanced both his innate talent and his future cultivation speed.

Second, his soul power, which had been at the peak of level 8, had surged directly to level 10.

He was now heading to the City Lord's Hall to find Xue Ningxian and ask her to help him obtain a soul ring.

As Xue Ningxian's adopted son, she would grant any request that wasn't excessive, let alone a request to find a soul ring for himself.

There was basically no chance that Xue Ningxian would refuse.

Sure enough, upon hearing Xue Mingqing's request, Xue Ningxian, who was seated on the City Lord's throne, raised an eyebrow.

"Finding a soul ring for you is not difficult, but..."

At this point, Xue Ningxian looked toward Xue Mingqing in the hall.

Her perception was incredibly sharp; she could naturally sense that the soul power fluctuations radiating from Xue Mingqing were already at level ten.

However, Xue Ningxian felt no joy at the child's growth; instead, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Lowering her gaze, she spoke: "Do you know that medicinal pills are ultimately external objects? Relying on them too much will hinder your foundation."

Hearing this, Xue Mingqing blinked, stunned for a moment, before he realized what she meant.

Xue Ningxian mistakenly believed that he had consumed the cultivation pills sent by the Ling Family, forcing his growth and boosting his soul power.

Realizing this, Xue Mingqing shook his head with a wry smile.

"Mother, rest assured, I know my limits."

Glancing at him indifferently, Xue Ningxian nodded.

This child had always been independent and didn't require her to worry too much. A reminder not to rely on pills was enough; saying more would only make her seem long-winded.

She stood up and spoke in a cold, clear voice.

"What kind of soul beast do you want for your first soul ring, and what is the required age?"

Blizzard City had its own Soul Beast Enclosure located behind the City Lord's Mansion, specifically for the city's youth and exceptionally talented commoners to obtain their first three rings.

The soul beasts inside were mostly those common to the Far North.

Their ages ranged from ten years, to one hundred years, up to a maximum of five thousand years.

After thinking for a moment, Xue Mingqing spoke calmly.

"I want an Ice-Spine Hedgehog, a one-thousand-year-old one will do."

"Very well, an Ice-Spine Hedgehog, one thous—"

Hearing the first half of Xue Mingqing's sentence, Xue Ningxian had been ready to step forward.

But hearing the second half made her freeze in place.

Silently turning her head, Xue Ningxian swept a cold glance at Xue Mingqing.

"Did you sleep until you're muddled, or did I hear you wrong...?"

"One thousand years? A one-thousand-year-old first soul ring? Are you serious?"

Feeling the gaze from his mother, Xue Mingqing instinctively shrank his neck.

Even though he had lived two lives, and even though Xue Ningxian was not his biological mother, facing her "death stare" still made his scalp tingle.

Coughing twice, he whispered.

"That's right... it, it is one thousand years."

Seeing Xue Mingqing's stubborn look, as if he were determined to crash into a thousand-year soul ring, Xue Ningxian's beautiful eyes narrowed.

There was an indescribable trace of disappointment in them.

Yesterday, she had thought Xue Mingqing was a talent worth molding, but look at him now?

He had popped pills to reach level ten and now he was getting cocky, even daring to aim for a thousand-year first soul ring?

If this continued, would he want a ten-thousand-year third ring? Was that reasonable? It was completely unreasonable!

Crossing her arms, Xue Ningxian, convinced that Xue Mingqing was relying on pills to boost his strength, raised an eyebrow, her voice turning even colder.

"The soul beast you mentioned does exist, but—"

"I will not help you. I can have it brought here, but you must face and hunt it yourself."

A one-thousand-year soul beast was equivalent to a human soul master of around level 29; Xue Ningxian did not believe he had the strength for it.

She said this deliberately to dampen his arrogance, wanting him to know that there is always someone better, and that strength gained from pills was never truly one's own.

Regardless, with her watching from the sidelines, even if Xue Mingqing truly couldn't defeat it, he wouldn't be in any danger.

Closing her beautiful eyes, Xue Ningxian waited for Xue Mingqing's reply.

And as for Xue Mingqing?

Upon hearing Xue Ningxian's words, not only did he not shrink away, but a rich, burning desire for battle ignited within his dark eyes!

Ever since arriving on this Douluo Continent, Xue Mingqing had yet to truly let loose and fight with all his might.

He craved a hearty, exhilarating battle to prove his own strength.

Previously, when facing an Evil Soul Master or Ling Gui, either the gap in levels was so vast that a fight was impossible, or the difference in rank was so great that the opponent collapsed before he could even exert himself.

This left Xue Mingqing feeling incredibly stifled; it felt as though he possessed a wealth of ability but nowhere to unleash it.

But now, a thousand-year Ice-Spine Hedgehog, comparable to a human around level 29, was a challenge he could face—especially with his self-created soul skill, Snow Transforms Into All Things.

Although there was a 19-level gap, and he didn't have a single soul ring, he still felt—it was not impossible to fight!

Cupping his hands, Xue Mingqing said sincerely.

"Very well, I ask that Mother please capture the soul beast for me."

Closing her eyes, Xue Ningxian let out a deep, weary sigh and looked at Xue Mingqing in silence.

She stopped trying to persuade him; since he was determined to hit the wall before turning back, she would let him have his way.

Turning around, Xue Mingqing walked quickly toward the back of the City Lord's Hall, to the soul beast breeding grounds she managed and guarded.

Watching Xue Ningxian's departing back, Feng Qingyang's voice echoed in Xue Mingqing's mind.

"You brat, you've truly infuriated her."

This time, Feng Qingyang was not in a deep slumber; he had merely exhausted too much energy and could not take action for a month, but mental communication was still possible.

Hearing the voice in his mind, Xue Mingqing couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. How could he not see Xue Ningxian's emotions?

However, after a month of bitter training to temper his body, undergoing Hurricane Body Tempering and cleansing his marrow, Xue Mingqing's physical constitution was now absolutely formidable. To say he could accommodate a thousand-year soul ring was an understatement.

If one were to really calculate it, a twelve-hundred-year soul ring might not be out of the question.

But could Xue Mingqing speak of the Hurricane Body Tempering?

He could not. As his final trump card, he absolutely could not reveal even a shred of information about Feng Qingyang to anyone.

Thus, he could only compromise and state a number he could accept, one that wouldn't shock Xue Ningxian too severely.

Yet, who knew that Xue Ningxian would still be angry?

Sighing softly, Xue Mingqing rubbed his hair.

"Things in this world are hard to predict..."

With a light chuckle, Feng Qingyang spoke.

"Rest assured, it is she who will be shocked later. You can do this."

Raising an eyebrow, Xue Mingqing smiled.

"You have such faith in me?"

"Hmph, you brat were cultivated with a massive amount of my soul power. If you can't even handle a mere thousand-year first ring, you might as well find a block of tofu and smash your head against it."

With a faint smile, Xue Mingqing said softly.

"That goes without saying. I can do it..."

Just then, light, rapid footsteps approached from the distance.

As soon as these footsteps appeared, Feng Qingyang went quiet, returning to his dormant state.

And Xue Mingqing, too, withdrew the playfulness from his face.

The next second—

A black shadow flew out from the depths of the corridor.

It landed lightly, neither too far nor too close, exactly ten paces away from Xue Mingqing.

It was a soul beast covered and sealed in ice crystals, and it was Xue Mingqing's target—the Ice-Spine Hedgehog.

Shaped like an ordinary hedgehog, its entire body was a snowy blue, with ten sharp ice spines growing along its back. It possessed excellent offensive capabilities, making it most suitable for an assault-type soul master.

Startlingly, it was an Ice-Spine Hedgehog that had just crossed the thousand-year mark.

Looking at the Ice-Spine Hedgehog before him, Xue Mingqing's eyes were profound.

He had his eye on it not because of its offensive power, but because of an extremely special effect—Armor Piercing.

This Ice-Spine Hedgehog possessed the extremely rare Armor Piercing effect, and that was exactly what Xue Mingqing wanted.

"This is what you wanted, a thousand-year Ice-Spine Hedgehog. It is not too late to change your mind."

Xue Ningxian walked out slowly, having arrived between the two at some unknown moment.

Shaking his head, Xue Mingqing said nothing.

In his hand, his martial soul, Snow Wind, emerged. In an instant, soul power surged, and the octagonal Snow Wind transformed into a Snow Sword, entirely snow-white and wreathed in a circle of cyan, flowing wind.

Seeing this scene, Xue Ningxian closed her eyes.

Without another word, she retreated to the side.

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

As the crisp sound of the snap fell, the ice crystals covering the Ice-Spine Hedgehog cracked piece by piece.

Beneath the ice, a pair of scarlet eyes slowly opened...