Honest Confession

Fang Mo slowly opened his eyes.

His face was still pale, his forehead covered in sweat, and his lips had turned slightly purple from enduring the impact.

But his eyes were bright.

He could clearly feel that his Soul Power Level had leaped directly from level ten Innate Full Soul Power to level thirteen.

Three levels.

The addition of a single Soul Ring had directly raised his Soul Power by three levels.

That was not a normal degree of improvement.

It was an additional benefit brought by devouring.

Fang Mo lowered his head and looked at his palm. Dark-purple Soul Power flowed through it, more than twice as dense as before.

"Fang Mo."

Bibi Dong's voice came from behind him.

Cold. Suppressed.

Fang Mo turned around and met those violet eyes.

Bibi Dong stood behind him, having regained her dignified bearing.

But her expression had completely changed. The panic from before was gone, replaced by a deep, scrutinizing gaze.

"The age of your Soul Ring is wrong..."

Her voice was terrifyingly calm.

"A five-hundred-year Shadow Wolf Soul Ring should not be this color."

Fang Mo did not avoid her gaze.

"Teacher..."

"Another power appeared within your body."

Bibi Dong slowly crouched down until she was eye level with Fang Mo, making him feel a slight chill.

"It is not your Soul Power, nor is it a normal reaction from your Martial Soul. It is a third kind of power."

Her violet eyes were close at hand. Fang Mo could read many things in them: shock, confusion, concern, and a trace of anger at having been kept in the dark.

Fang Mo was silent for three seconds.

Then he lowered his head.

"Teacher, this disciple has a secret."

Bibi Dong said nothing and merely watched him quietly.

Since he had already verified the feasibility of indirectly raising a Soul Ring's age, there was no need for him to keep it from Bibi Dong now.

"This disciple's second Martial Soul, the Rakshasa Scythe." Fang Mo's voice was very soft. "It is not an ordinary tool Martial Soul. It possesses the ability to devour."

The air froze.

Bibi Dong's pupils contracted slightly.

"Devour?"

"It can devour the Soul Power and life force of external soul beasts, convert them into higher-purity energy, and inject it into this disciple's meridians and Soul Rings."

Fang Mo raised his head and looked at Bibi Dong.

"The reason this disciple's Soul Ring age increased was because, during the absorption process, I attempted to use the Rakshasa Scythe to carry out this method. Because I was afraid Teacher would worry, I did not tell you. I was also worried Teacher would not allow me to try."

Bibi Dong looked at him in silence for a long time.

Long enough that Fang Mo thought she was about to get angry.

Then she raised her hand and flicked Fang Mo on the forehead.

It was not hard.

But it was very clear.

"You little brat."

Fang Mo froze.

Bibi Dong stood up and turned her back to him. "Why didn't you tell me in advance about something this important?"

"This disciple... wasn't sure whether it would succeed."

"If even you weren't sure, how did you dare gamble with your life?"

Bibi Dong turned around, and the anger she had been suppressing finally surfaced in her eyes.

"Your meridians nearly collapsed just now, do you understand? If I hadn't adjusted my Soul Power output in time..."

She did not finish.

Because she saw Fang Mo's expression.

It was neither fear nor regret, but a calm gaze that even carried a trace of gratitude.

"This disciple knows," Fang Mo said softly. "But this disciple trusts Teacher."

Bibi Dong's anger caught in her throat. She opened her mouth, then ultimately let out a heavy breath.

"You..."

She did not continue.

After a long silence, Bibi Dong crouched down again and placed her hand on Fang Mo's wrist, carefully examining the state of his meridians with Soul Power.

"Your meridians are undamaged." Her voice returned to calm. "The strengthening effect of the Whale Rubber indeed worked."

"For the next three days, you are not allowed to circulate Soul Power. No meditation. Nothing related to cultivation."

Fang Mo obediently nodded.

"Yes, Teacher."

Bibi Dong withdrew her hand and stood.

She looked at Fang Mo's Soul Ring, whose color was clearly much deeper than before, and a complicated glint flashed through her eyes.

"Devouring to raise a Soul Ring's age..." she murmured softly. "If outsiders learn of this ability..."

"This disciple understands," Fang Mo said. "Only Teacher knows about this."

Bibi Dong looked at him, and the scrutiny in her gaze gradually faded. It was not merely the affection between teacher and disciple, but more like a sense of mutual recognition.

"Let's go."

She turned and walked toward the edge of the forest.

"After we return, I want you to tell me everything that happened today from beginning to end. Every detail."

"Yes, Teacher."

Fang Mo stood and followed behind Bibi Dong.

As he left the clearing, he could not help looking back. He had raised the five-hundred-year Shadow Wolf Soul Ring to six hundred and fifty years.

His first Soul Ring.

His first devouring.

The first step toward becoming stronger.

Inside the carriage.

Bibi Dong leaned against her seat with her eyes closed, not saying a word. Fang Mo sat quietly opposite her, not daring to make a sound either.

Within the Spirit Sea, Dong'er had fallen asleep again.

However, Fang Mo could sense that her phantom had become more solid than before, and Dong'er had absorbed the overflowing energy as well.

After the carriage had traveled for about fifteen minutes, Bibi Dong suddenly spoke.

"Fang Mo."

"This disciple is here."

"That devouring ability of yours..." Her voice was very soft. "Can you control it yourself?"

Fang Mo thought for a moment. "Not completely at present. Today was the first attempt. This disciple judged everything by instinct."

"An ability that cannot be fully controlled is a double-edged sword." She opened her eyes and looked at Fang Mo. "Before you use it again, it must be evaluated and approved by me."

Fang Mo nodded.

"This disciple understands."

Bibi Dong watched his obedient expression, and the tightly furrowed lines between her brows eased slightly.

Yet a trace of worry remained in her eyes.

If the ability to devour and raise a Soul Ring's age were exposed, it would draw the attention of not only the Elder Hall and Worship Hall.

Soul Masters across the entire continent would go mad over it.

At that time, Fang Mo would no longer merely be her disciple. He would become prey coveted by everyone.

Bibi Dong closed her eyes and lightly tapped her fingers against her knee.

She had to become stronger.

Strong enough to unite the continent, strong enough that no one dared defy her will, strong enough that no one dared set their sights on her disciple.

By the time the carriage returned to the rear entrance of the Pope Palace, it was already dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed Spirit Hall a dark gold. Long shadows stretched across the stone road like one slash after another.

Fang Mo jumped down from the carriage, the lingering aftereffects of his Soul Power not yet fully settled.

The addition of his first Soul Ring had brought a subtle change to his entire bearing.

His gaze was deeper, his steps steadier, and a faintly chilling aura lingered around him.

Bibi Dong walked ahead, her pace slightly faster than usual.

She did not look back at him. From the time they returned from hunting the soul beast until now, she had not said a word.

Fang Mo knew very well what she was thinking.

The Rakshasa Scythe's devouring ability, the abnormal increase in Soul Ring age—those revelations were far too overwhelming. She needed time to process them.

This was practically an existence that overturned the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.