"Dan Shi... Dan Shi is condensed by following a special cultivation route. At its core, it's still Qi condensed from essence, energy, and spirit."
"So that means my Martial Soul is actually Qi!"
Qin Qi suddenly realized that his Dan Shi Martial Soul should count as a kind of Body Martial Soul.
It was just more complete than those involving eyes, arms, and the like.
Essence was the body, energy was the power within the body, and spirit was the soul and will.
"Body Martial Soul... and it's still related to Soul Power."
"The higher my Soul Power, the stronger my Martial Soul. The stronger my Martial Soul, the faster my Soul Power grows. The higher my Soul Power..."
Qin Qi felt as though he were taking off by stepping on his own feet!
"Hmm, that's a good thing. The stronger I get, the further along I am!"
Qin Qi nodded, then summoned his Spirit Ring to inspect his Soul Skill.
A Yellow Soul Ring appeared beside Qin Qi, hovering quietly in the air.
"My Soul Skill... What the heck, where's my Soul Skill?!"
Qin Qi sensed for a while but didn't notice any changes. Yet when he tried to condense Dan Shi, it appeared in his hand again. This was the second time today.
"Could it be that I don't have a Soul Skill?!"
Qin Qi suddenly thought of the Nine Hearts Begonia. No matter how many Spirit Rings it gained, it only had one Soul Skill: as long as its wielder didn't die, it could heal any injury.
His Dan Shi Martial Soul seemed to be the same. Adding a Spirit Ring had only increased the number of times he could use Dan Shi.
It hadn't given him any other new Soul Skills.
Qin Qi spent the rest of the time carefully observing his changes, and finally reached a conclusion.
"I really don't have a Soul Skill, but my Soul Power has changed. My body now carries the Mandala Snake's poison."
"At the same time, when I use Qi Poison: Bamboo Green Snake, my Soul Power flows more smoothly."
"The Bamboo Green Snake's appearance has also become more like the Mandala Snake's."
Qin Qi looked at the Qi Poison: Mandala Snake coiled around his hand. Its eyes and scales were lifelike.
It even felt real to the touch, and its defense, speed, and attack power had all improved!
"Go pick the fruit from that tree for me."
Qin Qi set the Mandala Snake on the ground and gave it an order. It immediately carried it out, climbing the tree to pick the fruit.
"They say Spirit Rings contain the souls of Soul Beasts... Hmm, this doesn't look like a soul. It's more like a sense of sentience."
"I absorbed this thing's sentience, and when I use Bamboo Green Snake, that sentience gets added to it."
Qin Qi tried several times. The Mandala Snake had no consciousness of its own; it was more like an object imbued with sentience.
It could just barely understand Qin Qi's instructions, such as attacking, moving, or retrieving something.
But if he told it to dance, the Mandala Snake couldn't do that.
"All right, I've gotten plenty out of this. Time to head back."
Qin Qi looked at the Qi Poison: Mandala Snake on the ground. The Mandala Snake he had condensed was about as thick as a child's arm and roughly one meter long.
"Hmm, you can come with me. It'll be a good way to train my control."
Qin Qi could dispel the Mandala Snake's body, but he didn't. Instead, he planned to keep it in existence.
That way, he could train his control over Qi Poison and his ability to sustain it. Both were essential for learning the secret technique, Green Hundred Shadows.
"Hiss, hiss."
The Mandala Snake flicked its tongue, then slithered up Qin Qi's body and hid inside his sleeve.
"It's so light. As expected, it's still Qi Poison, not a real Mandala Snake. It weighs far less."
"Looking closely, the details are lacking too."
Qin Qi examined the Qi Poison: Mandala Snake and shook his head. His control still wasn't good enough.
The Mandala Snake he'd made still had flaws in its details, but that was fine. He could improve his control little by little.
By the time Qin Qi reached the exit of the Soul Hunting Forest, it was nearly evening. The teacher leading the group was angrily arguing with the guards.
"Hello, teacher."
Qin Qi walked over with a sweet smile and greeted him.
"What do you mean, 'hello'?! Where have you been? How many times have I told you not to wander off, not to wander off?!"
"You... You're very good! Such a good child!"
The moment the leading teacher saw Qin Qi return, he'd been ready to give him a good scolding.
But Qin Qi activated his Spirit Ring, and the Yellow Soul Ring appeared behind him. The teacher's expression changed at once.
"Teacher, I liked you better when you were being stern."
Qin Qi grumbled inwardly. Why had the teacher gone from acting so high and mighty to sucking up? What a drastic change.
"Is this the student you said had gotten lost?"
The guard looked at Qin Qi and spoke.
"What do you mean, 'gotten lost'? Watch your mouth! He's a little genius from our academy. How could he get lost?"
"He just came out a little late, that's all. Hmph, there's no point trying to explain it to you. We're leaving."
The teacher grabbed Qin Qi and turned to leave, as if he hadn't just been angrily arguing with the guard.
"Idiot."
The guard watched the teacher walk away and couldn't help cursing.
When they returned to the inn, the sixth-year students who saw Qin Qi began asking why he'd gotten lost.
But when they spotted the Yellow Soul Ring, their expressions changed.
"Little brother, are you thirsty?"
"Little brother, would you like some fruit?"
"Little brother, you're so cute! Want to be big sister's little brother?"
Everyone crowded around Qin Qi, fussing over him with sudden enthusiasm.
"Ahem, have some restraint. What kind of behavior is this?"
The teacher coughed twice, then spoke.
"Yes, teacher."
Only after hearing the teacher's words did everyone slowly calm down. But when they looked at Qin Qi, their eyes had grown even friendlier.
"All right, all right. You've had a long day. Go get some sleep. We'll be hunting Soul Beasts again tomorrow."
"Qin Qi, stay behind. I need to talk to you."
The teacher sent the other students back and kept Qin Qi behind alone.
"Teacher, my Spirit Ring is..."
Qin Qi started to give the excuse he'd prepared, but the teacher cut him off before he could finish.
"Don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"Getting a Hundred-Year Soul Ring was your own ability. How you got it has nothing to do with me."
"But there's something I need to discuss with you. When we get back, don't tell the principal that you went off on your own."
"Just say you obtained a Hundred-Year Soul Ring under my care. Please."
The leading teacher didn't care how Qin Qi had gotten his Spirit Ring, but he did care about his salary.
If the principal found out a student had gotten lost while he was in charge, he'd definitely have his pay docked!
"Hmm, I only got the Spirit Ring because you were looking after me."
Qin Qi replied.
"Whew. Good kid. You know how to behave."
The teacher patted Qin Qi's shoulder in relief. "All right, I had someone save you dinner downstairs. Go eat."
"Hmm, order two more chicken legs too. My treat."
The teacher paused after speaking, then added that.
"Thanks, teacher."
Qin Qi left to eat. As he ate, he couldn't help reflecting.
"Who says teachers at junior academies are ordinary? Who says kids are stupid?"
"Every last one of them is as clever as a monkey."
[ Ding, obtained first Spirit Ring. Achievement Points +10, Credits +200. ]
[ Ding, first Soul Hunt completed. Achievement Points +1, Credits +100. ]
[ Ding, Soul Power increased. Credits +100. ]