Absorbing Soul Rings Aids Development

A surge of majestic soul power surged around Xiao Shan.

Immediately, eight soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—emerged from beneath his feet, arranging themselves neatly around him and radiating a heart-palpitating aura into the twilight.

A massive, pitch-black cauldron appeared in his hands. Its body was archaic, engraved with patterns similar to those on Xiao Xiao's Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, yet it appeared far heavier and more stable, carrying a powerful sense of oppression forged by the passage of time.

He did not charge directly into the rhinoceros herd. Instead, he gathered his soul power, vaulted into the air, and streaked toward the center of the herd.

At the heart of the Thick-Armored Iron Rhinoceros herd, the largest of them all—a king with a cultivation of around thirty thousand years—was the first to sense danger.

It jerked its head up, instinctively letting out a low warning growl before pawing the ground with its front hooves, its thick hide shimmering with a dull luster.

However, the next moment, a massive black cauldron appeared directly above it.

The cauldron hummed, and a black suppressing force poured down like a waterfall, pinning the Thick-Armored Iron Rhinoceros King and all the surrounding rhinoceroses firmly in place.

The rhinoceros king struggled, but its four limbs seemed nailed to the ground, its massive body unable to move an inch.

Meanwhile, Xiao Shan had seized the opportunity to drop into the center of the herd.

He moved with extreme speed, grabbing one of the medium-sized Thick-Armored Iron Rhinoceroses. He locked his fingers onto the edge of its hide and delivered a violent jolt of soul power.

The rhinoceros didn't even have time to make a sound before it fell unconscious and was hoisted up entirely by him.

"Go!"

Xiao Shan shouted to the group hiding in the distance, his figure already streaking out of the herd.

The two Soul Kings, clearly having anticipated this, did not hesitate for a second; they each grabbed Jiang Ci'an and Xiao Xiao and retreated at high speed.

As Xiao Shan moved away, the martial soul's natural suppressing force, which had permeated the entire herd, suddenly dissipated.

The herd immediately erupted into a riot, low roars echoing one after another as iron hooves made the ground tremble.

Yet, as they looked around, they could find no clear target, only the lake shore filled with their kin and the lingering scent of strangers in the air.

In the end, the herd could only let out a few low growls before sullenly beginning their migration ahead of schedule.

Evening.

A naturally formed cave.

The entrance was small, just wide enough for two or three people to enter side-by-side, but the interior was unexpectedly spacious, enough for a dozen people to use as a temporary base.

The two Soul Kings stood guard on either side of the entrance, their gazes scanning the pitch-black forest outside with vigilance.

Inside the cave, Elder Xiao and Jiang Ci'an sat on stones, their eyes fixed on the carcass of the Thick-Armored Iron Rhinoceros not far away.

There, Xiao Xiao sat upright with her small, pitch-black cauldron hovering before her. A clear yellow soul ring was being drawn out from the carcass, slowly circling the small cauldron before sinking into it bit by bit.

This was a soul ring between four and five hundred years old.

For a child like Xiao Xiao, who had never lacked nutrition and possessed a very solid foundation, absorbing it was not difficult.

Jiang Ci'an stood nearby, light flickering in his golden pupils as he focused on observing Xiao Xiao's absorption process.

He discovered something interesting.

Xiao Xiao... was growing.

Of course, it wasn't anything strange, but rather subtle changes occurring in her body.

Her height seemed to have increased slightly; she had barely reached his chest before, but now she seemed a fraction taller.

Although she was still quite small, Jiang Ci'an was certain the change was real.

So, could a soul master's absorption of a soul ring promote physical development?

Jiang Ci'an was lost in thought.

This could explain why soul masters on the Douluo Continent were generally precocious.

It wasn't due to any strange reason, but rather the nourishment of soul power itself, combined with the energy surge during soul ring absorption, which facilitated the growth of bones and meridians.

It was as if she had grown a year or two older out of thin air.

Jiang Ci'an gained a bit of insight and silently continued to observe Xiao Xiao's progress.

Time slipped away bit by bit.

At a certain moment, the clear yellow soul ring finally sank completely into Xiao Xiao's body, settling firmly around her and rotating slowly.

The soul power fluctuations around Xiao Xiao rose by a level.

She opened her eyes, a flash of light crossing her emerald irises before fading. The small cauldron hovering before her trembled slightly, turning into a streak of black light that vanished into her palm.

"Whew—"

Xiao Xiao exhaled softly, her small face showing a sense of novelty at having tasted power for the first time.

Elder Xiao had already stood up, taking a soul power tester from his soul storage device and handing it over.

"Try your soul power."

Xiao Xiao obediently took it, placed her small hand over it, and injected her soul power.

Soon, a small number popped up.

"Twelve."

Xiao Shan looked at the number and couldn't help but nod, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out slightly.

Innate full soul power, combined with a smooth breakthrough to level twelve after obtaining her first soul ring—everything was on the right track.

Jiang Ci'an stepped forward and asked, "How is the soul skill?"

Xiao Xiao lowered her eyes, as if sensing the new ability within her body. A moment later, she looked up, her eyes serious as she said:

"My first soul skill is called 'Weight of the Cauldron'."

She extended her hand, and the phantom of a pitch-black small cauldron appeared in her palm, with a clear yellow soul ring rotating around it.

"Its effect is to increase the weight of the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron; the amount of weight added depends on how much soul power I inject."

"If all three cauldrons are summoned together, they can also coordinate with each other for defense."

Jiang Ci'an breathed a slight sigh of relief.

While such an effect wasn't as direct as other soul skills that provided various buffs, it offered a wide range of development potential and wouldn't fall behind for a long time.

Elder Xiao, standing to the side, also nodded unconsciously.

With both offense and defense, Xiao Xiao's first soul skill could be considered quite excellent.

Moreover, having already secured a soul ring for one person on the very first day of entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the mood was truly quite good.

Elder Xiao smiled, but then, as if thinking of something, he turned to look at Jiang Ci'an again.

"Speaking of which, Ci'an, have you not decided on your first ring yet?"

Hearing this, Jiang Ci'an paused and said slowly, "About that, I already have an idea."

"You have an idea?"

Xiao Shan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Why did he have a feeling of impending doom?

One month later.

Star Dou Great Forest, outer perimeter.

Under the shade of a tree.

Elder Xiao's brows were tightly locked, his expression one of wanting to speak but holding back, then wanting to speak again.

He looked at the gray mouse, about thirty to forty centimeters long, lying peacefully on the ground in front of Jiang Ci'an, and remained silent for a long while before finally being unable to hold back:

"You intend to use this as your soul ring?"

Jiang Ci'an nodded, lowering his eyes to look at the mouse lying in such a peaceful posture on the ground.

Silent Form Mouse.

A gregarious, omnivorous soul beast whose innate ability was concealment. It possessed a touch of mental attributes, moving without anyone noticing.

It usually operated at night, relying on its innate ability to attack small soul beasts while they slept, dragging them underground to devour them once successful.