Life and Light

Ning Chuan's consciousness returned, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

He was still in that crude wooden hut, where the lingering glow of the setting sun outside painted the room a warm gold.

Sensation flooded back into his body at once, and the hunger in his stomach returned, even fiercer than before.

But he had no time to care about that.

With a thought, his twenty-fifth-level Soul Power surged through him, filling every limb and bone with an unprecedented sense of fullness and strength.

"Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul, appear!"

Ning Chuan gave a low shout and raised his right hand.

Buzz!

A Martial Soul entirely different from before quietly emerged.

It was still about half a foot tall, crystalline and emerald green throughout, but the golden motes flowing through its veins were now clearer and brighter. The sword-edge-like glint along the grass blades had also become far more pronounced.

Most peculiar of all, the vibrant life force radiating from the grass seemed to be mixed with a warm, pure aura.

But that was not all!

The instant the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass appeared, two completely different yet equally dazzling Soul Rings abruptly rose beneath Ning Chuan's feet and circled his body!

The first Soul Ring clung close to his ankles, a vibrant emerald green brimming with life. Its glow was soft and gentle, like fresh shoots sprouting in early spring, radiating invigorating vitality.

Above the Soul Ring, a slender, elegant tree-shaped phantom with unfurled leaves slowly drifted into view.

That was the mark of the Tree of Life Elf!

The second Soul Ring floated above the first. It was a pure, warm milky white, its light not blinding, yet carrying a vast, righteous presence capable of purifying all things and dispelling darkness, like the dawn at daybreak.

Above it, a tiny elf phantom with wings of light flickered in and out of sight, scattering specks of luminous dust.

That was the mark of the Light Elf!

One green, one white.

Two thousand-year-tier Soul Rings!

The energy fluctuations brought by the Soul Rings made the air around Ning Chuan ripple slightly, and the flame of the oil lamp on the table swayed.

"It worked... it really worked..." Ning Chuan stared at the two dreamlike Soul Rings around him, feeling the immense power within them. He was so excited he could barely contain himself.

Overnight, he had gone from having no Soul Rings to two! From zero Soul Power to a twenty-fifth-level Soul Grandmaster! It was practically a miracle!

After his excitement faded, Ning Chuan quickly calmed down. Soul Rings were only the surface; Soul Skills were what truly mattered.

What abilities would these thousand-year Soul Rings, fused from parallel worlds in the form of Soul Spirits, grant him?

He held his breath and focused, sinking his consciousness into his Martial Soul as he carefully sensed the two Soul Spirits closely connected to his soul.

First was the First Soul Ring from the Tree of Life Elf.

The moment his thoughts touched it, a vast yet gentle life energy began flowing naturally, and information about the Soul Skill surfaced clearly in his mind:

"First Soul Skill: Endless Life. Attributes: life, recovery, enhancement."

"Effect One: Healing Light. Releases emerald light containing life energy, rapidly healing the injuries of oneself or allied targets, restoring stamina, and dispelling low-level negative conditions such as poisoning and weakness. The healing effect is proportional to the Soul Power infused."

"Effect Two: Flora Affinity. Passively enhances the ability to communicate with and control plants. Allows one to sense plant emotions to a certain extent, guide plant growth, and slightly enhance the effects of Soul Skills unleashed through plant Martial Souls."

"Effect Three: Life Gift (requires active activation). Consumes a large amount of Soul Power to inject life energy into a designated plant, including one's own Martial Soul, causing it to undergo beneficial mutation for a short time, grow rapidly, or temporarily gain special abilities."

"What a powerful support Soul Skill!" Ning Chuan was overjoyed. This "Endless Life" was practically tailor-made for him!

Not only did it possess formidable healing abilities, it also had Flora Affinity and Life Gift—effects that could greatly unleash the potential of the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul!

This was far more than simple recovery. It also contained tremendous potential for control and enhancement!

Next, Ning Chuan shifted his consciousness toward the power of the second Soul Ring, the Light Elf's power.

As his thoughts touched it, a warm, pure energy stirred within him, carrying a majesty that could not be profaned.

"Second Soul Skill: Holy Radiance Judgment."

"Attributes: light, purification, attack."

"Effect One: Radiant Impact. Releases either a concentrated beam of pure white light or a fan-shaped wave of purifying radiance, dealing light-attribute impact damage to enemies. It possesses extremely strong restraint and additional purification effects against darkness, evil, undead, and filth-type targets."

"Effect Two: Shelter of Light. Activates the Power of Light to form a short-lived shield of light around oneself or an allied target. It can withstand a certain degree of physical and energy attacks, while inflicting continuous burning damage on nearby enemies with evil attributes."

"Effect Three: Beacon of Piety (requires active activation). Releases a lasting beacon of light that continuously emits a gentle radiance, dispelling darkness, fog, and low-level illusions across a wide area, while granting allied targets within range a slight recovery of energy and an evil-deterrence effect."

Attack! Support! Domain!

This Holy Radiance Judgment was just as incredibly versatile!

It not only possessed powerful single-target and small-area attack capabilities, but also combined defense with a rare domain-type support effect!

Its restraint against evil and dark creatures in particular was nothing short of godlike!

Ning Chuan was so excited he nearly began trembling.

Two Soul Skills, and not a single useless one!

What was more, they complemented each other perfectly. One focused on life, recovery, and growth; the other on light, purification, and judgment. Together, they perfectly covered support, healing, defense, offense, purification, domains, and more!

This setup was simply luxurious beyond belief!

Forget Holy Soul Village—even in all of Nuoding City, or somewhere even larger, this would undoubtedly be the setup of a top-tier genius!

"I have to test them!" Ning Chuan's heart itched with impatience, and he wished he could immediately find somewhere to try out his Soul Skills.

He glanced out the window. The sun was about to sink completely below the horizon.