Li Zha's Chosen First Soul Ring

After a long while, Gui Mei laughed.

"Ha ha."

His voice was low and muffled, with a somewhat grating edge to it.

"Ten thousand years?"

"If you'd said a thousand years, I could at least call you confident."

"Ten thousand years? Hmph. All I can say is that you think far too highly of yourself."

Li Zha did not argue.

Absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul beast as one's first soul ring—

any soul master would consider that lunacy.

Gui Mei's reaction was already quite restrained.

If it had been Yu Xiaogang, he would probably have already thrown the so-called limits on soul ring age in Li Zha's face,

then taken the opportunity to brainwash him about how perfectly a ten-year Solitary Bamboo suited his Undying Lotus Root.

Just then, Gui Mei suddenly raised his right hand.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!"

Without any warning, Gui Mei directly unleashed his fifth soul skill on Li Zha!

Black mist spread from Gui Mei's body, instantly covering an area sixty meters around them.

Black-red energy spun rapidly along the ground.

The next moment, more than a hundred dark silhouettes of Gui Mei appeared at once.

These silhouettes were nearly identical, all draped in black robes with gaunt faces, emanating gloomy fluctuations of soul power.

They surrounded Li Zha and moved at high speed.

Three shadows on his left abruptly closed in.

Before Li Zha could turn his head, more than ten shadows pounced from his right.

One sinister face after another pressed close before him.

One of the shadows raised its sharp claws and went straight for Li Zha's throat.

Yet Li Zha remained where he stood, not even summoning his Flaming-tipped Spear.

Whoosh!

The ghostly claw passed through the air half an inch from his neck.

There was no wound.

The shadow dissipated the next instant, then condensed again behind him.

The surrounding shadows grew faster and faster.

A hundred figures crossed and darted through one another, yet Li Zha still did not move.

Huh.

Hidden among the shadows, Gui Mei observed for several breaths before voicing his confusion.

Though my fifth soul skill is not primarily an offensive skill,

its effects and pressure are even more despairing than those of offensive soul skills.

This brat isn't afraid at all, even though this is his first time seeing it?

Did he see through my Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts at a glance?

He immediately shook his head.

Impossible.

Even Titled Douluo of the same rank would panic and stay on guard upon seeing this move.

Unless he had guessed that my earlier anger was deliberate,

and that I never intended to attack him at all.

If that was the case,

then this child's judgment was far too terrifying.

How calm would one have to be to dare make such a judgment?

And why would such a calm child say that he wanted a ten-thousand-year first soul ring...

Gui Mei could not understand it, but at the same time, a strange thought surfaced in his heart.

The child before him would achieve no less than anyone in the future.

This was the first time he had ever had such a strange thought about a mere Soul Scholar.

Naturally, Li Zha was not afraid.

Because he had long known that Gui Mei's fifth soul skill, Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, was not an offensive skill.

It was mainly used to confuse enemies, disrupt their vision, and increase his own speed.

Besides, he was only a Soul Scholar, while Gui Mei was a Titled Douluo. It was impossible for Gui Mei to truly get angry at him over a single sentence.

Of course, that might not be true for a certain hammer-wielding fellow.

On the contrary, Gui Mei had only wanted to let him witness the soul skill of a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Though he scolded Li Zha for underestimating ten-thousand-year soul beasts, he was actually showing Li Zha the abilities of a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Otherwise, what decent person shouted out their soul skill for you to hear while trying to kill you?

Gui Mei slowly lowered his fingers within the black mist.

All the surrounding shadows came to an immediate stop.

He intended to confirm his guess.

"You—have you found my true body?"

More than a hundred shadows spoke at once.

Their voices came from every direction.

Li Zha swept his gaze around, then shook his head. "No."

"Then why aren't you afraid?"

"Because Senior Ghost Douluo has no intention of harming me."

Li Zha paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

In an instant, Gui Mei appeared three meters behind Li Zha.

"You're that confident?"

"I can't let you live!"

Black energy gathered in Gui Mei's palm!

It gave off waves of chilling cold as he lunged toward Li Zha!

Just as Gui Mei's hand was about to touch Li Zha, Li Zha turned around and gave a slight bow.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Ghost Douluo."

His tone was exceedingly sincere.

Gui Mei's hand abruptly stopped one centimeter above Li Zha's head.

Gui Mei stared at Li Zha.

After a moment—

"Tsk." He waved his hand.

Within the black mist covering roughly sixty meters around them, every ghostly shadow scattered and vanished.

"No fun. You completely guessed my intentions."

Li Zha straightened up and smiled at Gui Mei with narrowed eyes. "Senior's goodwill was written all over your face."

Even though Gui Mei's face looked rather terrifying, Li Zha was still quite skilled at talking nonsense.

Gui Mei: ...

The corner of his mouth twitched faintly.

With this face of mine, he can still say something like goodwill written all over it.

This brat really is...

Forget it.

"Fine. Since you call me Senior, then let this senior show you a ten-thousand-year soul ring once more. Take some time to comprehend it yourself."

Boom—!

The instant the black soul ring around Gui Mei fully manifested, dense soul power surged outward.

The small stones on the ground were sent flying.

Li Zha raised an arm before his forehead, the hem of his clothes whipping continuously in the wind.

His eyes remained fixed on that inky-black soul ring.

"So this is... a ten-thousand-year soul ring. It really is... black enough."

He had originally wanted to recite a verse or say something more refined.

But, well, his command of words was limited.

Gui Mei withdrew his fifth soul ring.

Then he spoke slowly.

"A person may have dreams, but a ten-thousand-year first soul ring is mere wishful thinking."

"Even I only had hundred-year soul rings for my first two."

"Under normal circumstances, the power of a thousand-year soul ring would be enough to tear apart your meridians."

He lowered his head and looked at Li Zha's left hand.

"However, your Undying Lotus Root is very special."

"You may truly be able to break convention and become the first soul master to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as your first."

This assessment was astonishingly high.

The current Pope, Bibi Dong, possessed twin martial souls, yet even her first soul ring had not reached a thousand years.

Gui Mei had spent less than an hour with Li Zha, yet he already believed Li Zha had a chance to surpass the usual limit for a first soul ring.

Li Zha nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. Li Zha will remember it."

"Good that you will."

Gui Mei turned around and led Li Zha onward.

However, even after witnessing a ten-thousand-year soul ring with his own eyes, Li Zha's resolve did not waver.

The Flaming-tipped Spear and the lotus root.

As symbols that clearly inherited part of the divine power of Nezha, the Lotus Prince.

His first soul ring had to be a ten-thousand-year one.

Otherwise, even absorbing a 9,999-year soul ring would leave a crack in Li Zha's heart.

With an unsteady Dao heart, one could not take a single step forward.

What kind of genius was an ordinary genius?

A genius had to defy the natural order and do what others dared not.

Once we reach Spirit Hall, I'll look through the records myself, Li Zha thought.

The next morning, the two arrived at a hillside.

Gui Mei stopped and pointed ahead.

Tall city walls appeared in view.

At the very center of the city, a massive building stood upon the mountainside.

The moment Li Zha looked over, he sensed several powerful fluctuations of soul power.

Gui Mei adjusted his black robe.

"Spirit City is ahead."

"Once we enter, speak less. Answer whatever Her Holiness the Pope asks you."

"Mm." Li Zha nodded.

So I'm going to meet Bibi Dong.

I wonder which stage of the Rakshasa God's divine trial Bibi Dong has reached by now.