I didn't know whether it was because of his Martial Soul or something else.
The Soul Ring's impact was like a millstone, grinding against his mind again and again.
Slowly and steadily, over and over.
His mind swung repeatedly between destruction and recovery.
Each time it recovered, his mental strength increased by a fraction.
But the pain was thousands upon thousands of times worse.
Gu An clenched his teeth until they creaked, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
His body trembled uncontrollably, too.
If he'd faced this level of pain in the state he'd been in when he first crossed over, there was no chance he would have endured it.
When had anyone in peacetime ever suffered like this?
But years of hardship had tempered his will.
Even though Gu An's breathing was ragged and rapid, his chest heaved violently.
His back remained straight. He swayed as if he might topple at any moment, but he never fell.
Time passed, one second at a time.
The light in the forest grew dimmer and dimmer.
The black Soul Ring around Gu An was also slowly merging with his body.
At last, the Soul Ring finished absorbing.
Only then did Leng Yaozhu let out a long breath.
Even her usually composed face couldn't hide her delight.
"Xiao An did it! I knew I was right about him!"
Even after finishing the Soul Ring absorption, Gu An kept his eyes closed.
The wounds on his body were healing at a visible speed.
His body was brimming with power, so much that he felt almost giddy.
Gu An opened his eyes.
He looked at his hands and clenched his fists, feeling the abundant strength within him.
As expected, power is intoxicating, he thought.
After all,
in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, weakness was a sin!
Then he lifted his head and looked around.
His gaze swept over the bluestone and the campfire, then fell on a curvaceous figure.
Leng Yaozhu stood with her back to him, apparently fiddling with something.
She seemed to sense Gu An's gaze and turned around, smiling.
"Xiao An, you're finally awake."
Gu An looked at her smiling face and remembered the pain he'd just gone through. His teeth began to itch with the urge to grind them.
He spoke through clenched teeth.
"So that's what you call a little bit of pain?"
Leng Yaozhu blinked her beautiful eyes, looking utterly innocent.
"Of course. Just a tiny, tiny bit."
She held her thumb and forefinger close together, leaving only the tiniest gap.
"And you made it through, didn't you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately changed the subject.
She took several skewers of roasted meat from behind her back and waved them in front of Gu An.
"Come on, come on. Big sister made you something delicious. You must be hungry, right?"
Changing the subject, huh?
Gu An rolled his eyes inwardly.
But his stomach betrayed him with a growl.
Gu An didn't bother with formalities.
He snatched the skewers from Leng Yaozhu's hand and wolfed them down like a starving wolf.
The meat was grilled to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender within. Some unknown seasoning had been sprinkled on it, and its aroma went straight up his nose.
Gu An ate ravenously, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.
Leng Yaozhu sat down across from him, resting her chin on one hand as she tilted her head and stared at him with a strange look.
How should he put it?
She looked as if she were sizing up something interesting.
Gu An felt uncomfortable under her gaze. He swallowed the meat in his mouth and glared up at her.
"What are you looking at?"
Leng Yaozhu smiled, a teasing glint in her expression.
"For your age, you've certainly got a decent physique."
"But it's still not enough."
Gu An froze for a moment and looked down.
There was nothing to see.
The clothes on his body had been torn into strips by the energy spilling out of him as he absorbed the Soul Ring.
At this point, wearing them was basically the same as wearing nothing at all.
Gu An's face turned bright red.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Even a little kid like him had his pride!
Leng Yaozhu stifled a laugh, took a clean set of clothes from her Storage Soul Guidance Device, and handed them to him.
Gu An snatched them up and pulled them on in a few quick movements.
As he dressed, he noticed something.
His body had grown.
His body, which had originally been six years old, now looked more like that of an eight- or nine-year-old.
His arms and legs had grown longer, and his shoulders had broadened.
Gu An understood. This was how people in Douluo Continent grew stronger in Soul Power and developed physically.
In other words, it was the so-called early-maturing trait.
The life-force infusion that came with absorbing a Soul Ring caused the body's appearance to mature ahead of time.
But it was only an outward change. His bone age remained the same; six years old was still six years old.
He stood up and moved around in his new body, taking a few seconds to get used to it.
"Now that I've obtained a Martial Soul, we can carry out the next part of the plan as scheduled."
Gu An raised his right hand.
A miniature Green Blade Falcon appeared in his palm.
It was only about the size of his palm, with dark green feathers, a silvery-gray beak, wings tucked in slightly, and bright, lively eyes.
Leng Yaozhu's gaze fell on the Green Blade Falcon, her expression unchanged.
"Looks like you got quite a bit out of your first Soul Skill?"
Gu An grinned.
"All I can say is, no wonder it came from a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
A satisfied smile spread across Gu An's face.
How could a thirty-thousand-year-old Soul Beast's Soul Ring not yield something impressive?
Otherwise, wouldn't all that pain have been for nothing?
He had no intention of hiding it from Leng Yaozhu.
He raised his hand and held the Green Blade Falcon Soul Spirit in his palm, then spoke.
"My first Soul Skill is called Whispering Melody."
Leng Yaozhu's brows lifted slightly as she listened attentively.
Even though she knew she wouldn't betray Gu An, and he knew it too,
the fact that he told her directly still made her feel good.
"The melodies played by this Soul Skill can turn into sharp slashes at any time, inflicting tearing wounds."
"At the same time, the music slows all enemies within range by ten percent."
"It's useful against both single targets and groups."
Gu An paused, then added,
"As my strength improves, the frenzied slashes formed from the music will grow more powerful and increase in number, while the slowing effect will also become stronger."
After hearing his description, Leng Yaozhu's expression shifted from attentiveness to delight. Her lips curled up, and her eyes gleamed.
From that description alone, she had already judged the value of this Soul Skill.
Melodies played by a Soul Skill.
That was the sort of thing that was impossible to guard against.
An enemy could be in the middle of a fight when a slash suddenly appeared beside them, leaving no chance to dodge.
How insidious.
And on top of that, there was the ten-percent slowing effect.
An attack-type Martial Soul had gained support and control abilities as well.
And the slowing effect could grow stronger with his strength.
Just how devious could it get?
The more Leng Yaozhu thought about it, the more pleased she became. She folded her arms across her chest and raised her chin slightly.
"Tsk, see? Big sister didn't lead you astray."
"This was worth every bit of it."
Gu An rolled his eyes, but he didn't deny it.
It really had been worth every bit of it.
He drew the Green Blade Falcon back into his body, felt the flow of Soul Power within him, then looked up at Leng Yaozhu.
"By the way, Sister Yaozhu, do you know where the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is?"
Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu's smile faded a little, and her expression turned serious.
She immediately understood what Gu An wanted to do.
"You want to use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to establish an academy?"
Gu An nodded.
"You know me well, Sister Yaozhu."
"Exactly."
"Even though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect won't have the same influence ten thousand years from now, it will still be the continent's number one auxiliary Martial Soul."
"And they're richer than a kingdom."
"They're the best choice."
Gu An paused, then added as if it were nothing,
"If they refuse, I'll just have to rob the rich to help the poor."
He said it casually, without the slightest sense that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was worth taking seriously.