A boost in physical strength?
That was the effect of the first-tier spirit herb that had exploded inside the queen's storage ring.
The ability to absorb a Soul Ring with a higher age?
That was a seed he had planted in advance, preparing to break through to a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
With a body strengthened by spirit herbs, absorbing a Thousand-Year First Soul Ring wasn't just wishful thinking.
But saying something like that outright would be far too explosive. He needed to wrap it in a reasonable explanation first.
The changes caused by his Martial Soul being restored were the perfect smokescreen.
After all, there wasn't another case like his anywhere in the world.
Who could disprove it?
No one could.
She Xian's face was full of a young man's honest sincerity.
Inside, he'd already given his own act a score of ninety-five out of a hundred. He'd docked five points in case he got too proud.
After hearing him out, a flicker of interest passed through Qian Renxue's golden eyes.
A significant improvement in physical strength? Overnight?
She was skeptical.
Rising from behind the desk, she strode over to She Xian, her white robes fluttering.
"Hand."
Her tone was commanding, all business.
She Xian obediently held out his right hand.
Qian Renxue's fingers touched his wrist.
Her touch was cool.
Though she wore Xue Qinghe's handsome face, her hands gave her away.
Her fingers were long and fair, the joints slender, and her skin so smooth it bore not a single callus.
These were definitely not a man's hands.
They were Qian Renxue's hands!
Warm Soul Power slowly flowed from her fingertips into his meridians.
The power was cool and formidable, yet controlled with exquisite precision as it scanned every inch of his bones, meridians, and muscle fibers.
She Xian felt as though an invisible curtain of light had swept over his entire body, scrutinizing every last detail without missing a spot.
Then Qian Renxue placed her other hand on his shoulder.
Through his clothes, she gently pressed, feeling the hardness of his bones.
Her fingertips slid along his shoulder to his arm, testing the spring in his muscles.
Then she traced her way back to his shoulder blade, her fingers pausing for an instant near his collarbone to assess the strength of his frame.
She Xian maintained an obedient, respectful expression the entire time.
But inside, he was grumbling up a storm.
Teacher, aren't you examining me a little too thoroughly?!
From the depths of his mind, Xiao Bai's voice drifted out, dripping with jealousy.
"That blonde woman... She's touching my husband again."
Queen Medusa's cold voice followed right after. "Shut up, you stupid snake."
One point apiece.
Qian Renxue's hand stopped.
Her golden eyes slowly widened a fraction.
She discovered that She Xian's bone density far exceeded the limits for a six-year-old child.
His bones were as resilient as those of a Soul Grandmaster who had trained for years.
His meridians were just as abnormal in width and elasticity, more than twice as wide as those of children his age and exceptionally supple.
It was as though some gentle force had repeatedly washed through them and stretched them open.
His muscle fibers still belonged to a child's body,
but the explosive power and flexibility within them had no place in a six-year-old's frame.
On their way to the Great Rift yesterday, she had carried She Xian herself.
Back then, he'd been light as a feather, with a slender frame—the picture of a typical six-year-old boy.
And after a single night, he'd become like this?
Qian Renxue withdrew her hand and looked at She Xian differently.
She was no longer a teacher routinely assessing her student.
She was a genius taking another look at a fellow genius.
"The hardness of your bones and the width of your meridians really are comparable to those of a Soul Grandmaster."
"Could simply restoring the missing part of your Martial Soul really bring about such a drastic change?"
She Xian had learned to read Qian Renxue's microexpressions.
The fact that she'd slowed her speech meant she was genuinely shocked.
So he let just the right touch of bewildered surprise show on his face.
"This disciple finds it unbelievable too. But it really did happen overnight."
Qian Renxue studied him, a complex light churning in the depths of her beautiful eyes.
Twin Martial Souls—the rarest talent on the Douluo Continent.
If this Martial Soul really had some special mechanism that allowed it to be restored after being incomplete,
then it all made sense.
Qian Renxue didn't press him any further.
Instead, she made another decision.
She summoned Elder She Long.
Soon, She Long arrived at the study.
After hearing Qian Renxue's brief explanation, the old man's face was filled with deep suspicion.
His grandson's body had changed drastically overnight?
The old man had spent most of his life on the Douluo Continent and had never heard of anything like it.
"This subordinate will examine him."
She Long stepped forward and placed his broad, rough hand on She Xian's shoulder, sending Soul Power into him.
The perception of a Titled Douluo at level ninety-two far surpassed Qian Renxue's. His scan was finer and deeper; even the slightest changes deep in the boy's bone marrow couldn't escape his notice.
A few breaths later,
She Long's expression changed one layer at a time.
From suspicion to astonishment to utter disbelief.
"This... How is this possible?"
Even his voice trembled.
He had examined She Xian himself when the boy awakened his Martial Soul two days earlier.
He'd had the standard physique of a six-year-old child: soft bones, narrow meridians, the sort that seemed ready to crumble at a squeeze.
But now?
His bones were more than twice as hard.
His meridians had widened considerably.
His physical foundation was so solid that She Long could hardly believe it.
"Xian'er!"
She Long grabbed his grandson by the shoulders, his old eyes wide. "What on earth happened? Why has your physical strength improved so much all of a sudden?"
She Xian spread his hands, looking completely innocent.
"Grandpa, your grandson doesn't know either."
"It just happened naturally after my Martial Soul was restored."
He blinked, his voice so sincere it was impossible to fault.
"Your grandson is just as baffled."
She Long choked on his words.
He wanted to ask more, but what could he ask?
There was no precedent for a Martial Soul being restored. Where was he supposed to find something to compare it with?
He could only turn to Qian Renxue and say with a wry smile, "Young Master, this old man can't make sense of it either. I'll leave it to you to decide."
Qian Renxue pondered for a moment, then chose not to probe further.
Some things had no answers, no matter how many questions you asked.
The tension eased a little.
She Xian keenly seized the moment.
He put away his bewildered expression and replaced it with a grave look, as though he'd given the matter careful thought.
"Teacher, Grandpa, I have an idea."
He looked at Qian Renxue, then at She Long.
"Given my current physical condition and the foundation of my Innate Full Soul Power, perhaps I can try absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as my First Soul Ring."
The study fell silent for a beat.
She Long was the first to explode.
"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
His voice shot up two octaves.
"Xian'er, have you lost your mind?!"
"Absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as your First Soul Ring—no one has ever heard of such a thing!"
"According to common knowledge, the limit for a First Soul Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years. Thousand-Year Soul Rings are only considered for the third or fourth ring!"
The more She Long spoke, the more agitated he became. Spit was practically flying from his mouth.
"What if your body can't take it? Do you want Grandpa to bury you before his own time?!"
She Xian remained calm and unhurried.
He knew this was how his grandfather would react.
But he also knew that She Long wasn't the one who would make the final decision.
Sure enough,
Qian Renxue raised a hand.
She Long's voice cut off mid-sentence.
In front of her, a Titled Douluo was as obedient as a primary school student.
Qian Renxue's golden eyes settled on She Xian.
Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, a body that had transformed overnight after his Martial Soul was restored, bones and meridians far beyond those of his peers.
With all these factors combined, the idea of absorbing a Thousand-Year First Soul Ring seemed far less outrageous.
She studied the white-haired boy before her, just six years old.
There was a stubborn streak in this child.
She found it oddly familiar, like... herself.
"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring." Qian Renxue softly repeated the words.
She didn't reject the idea.
But she didn't agree to it either.
She Long's heart had climbed into his throat.
A gleam flickered in Qian Renxue's eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had interested her.
"We'll discuss it once we reach the Soul Hunting Forest."
Her tone brooked no argument.
She Xian lowered his head slightly.
No rejection was the best answer he could hope for.
He bowed. "Thank you, Teacher."
Qian Renxue picked up her red brush again without looking up.
"Go back and get ready. We'll head out to hunt souls tomorrow."
Before you continue