Soul Ring Selection

A Rou spent two days searching and finally narrowed down several types of soul beasts suitable for Nezha.

She spread several sheets covered in notes before Nezha and spent a long time explaining them one by one.

From the strength of the Thousand-Pound Ant to the defensive power of the Ironclad Rhinoceros, then the speed-oriented traits of the Windshadow Wolf, she analyzed each one's strengths, weaknesses, and the possible directions their soul skills might take with utmost clarity.

A Rou's list even included the Titan Giant Ape.

After listening carefully, Nezha did not pick and choose. He merely nodded and said, "Aunt Rou can decide. I trust you."

A Rou laughed at his grown-up manner and reached out to ruffle his hair.

Having selected several targets, they wasted no time. That very morning, A Rou set out with Nezha.

However, only she and Nezha left this time.

The reason was simple.

Xiao Wu, Da Ming, and Er Ming were all genuine hundred-thousand-year soul beasts and had not taken human form to cultivate anew.

The pressure naturally emanating from their hundred-thousand-year soul beast bodies was practically the arrival of a natural predator to lower-level soul beasts.

As long as they drew near, every soul beast within several miles would be frightened into hiding.

At that point, let alone hunting a suitable soul beast, they would be lucky to even spot a ten-year soul beast.

Xiao Wu had strong objections to this.

She squatted at the entrance to the treehouse, her enormous pink ears drooping as she wore an unhappy expression.

"I want to go too! Why won't you let me go?"

"Be good, Xiao Wu." A Rou bent down and gently pinched her large ears. "You, Er Ming, and Da Ming wait for us at home. We'll be back soon."

"But..."

"I'll bring you something tasty when I come back."

Xiao Wu's ears twitched, and her eyes lit up. Then she gave an intentionally dissatisfied snort. "Then I want those honey cakes from the town. Three of them."

"Sure, even five would be fine."

Only then did Xiao Wu nod in satisfaction and let A Rou go.

Da Ming coiled around the ancient tree, his bull's head lowered. His voice was deep, but filled with concern. "Aunt Rou, be sure to be careful."

Er Ming crouched nearby, his massive fist thumping the ground with a dull boom. "Aunt Rou, if there's any danger, send a signal. Big Brother and I will come immediately."

"Don't worry." A Rou smiled. "What danger could there be from soul beasts in the outer regions? I'm a Soul Sage, after all. Stop worrying over nothing."

With that, she took Nezha's hand and headed toward the outskirts of the forest.

The trees of Star Dou Forest blotted out the sky and sun.

The farther outward they went, the sparser the canopy became. Sunlight filtered through layer upon layer of leaves, scattering patches of broken gold across the ground.

Fallen leaves rustled beneath their feet, while the air was filled with the fresh scent unique to soil and vegetation.

Nezha followed behind A Rou, calculating in his heart as he walked.

The age limit for his first Soul Ring.

In the original work, Yu Xiaogang's theory stated that the upper limit for a first Soul Ring was four hundred and twenty-three years. Exceeding that limit would cause irreversible damage to the body.

But that theory had a premise: the physical strength of an ordinary soul master.

Nezha's physical strength clearly could no longer be summed up by the word "ordinary."

With the body he had been born with—three heads and six arms—along with the initial tempering from the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique over the past few days, even he could not say exactly how far his physical condition had improved.

Comparing himself to an ordinary six-year-old was obviously unfair, but what about an adult soul master?

After thinking it over, Nezha decided it was better to be cautious.

For his first Soul Ring, he would set a target of at least five hundred years. He would see how his body reacted during absorption. If it was easy, then he would directly consider a thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for his second.

"Aunt Rou."

"Hmm?" A Rou was using a wooden stick to push aside vines blocking the path. Hearing him, she turned around.

"I want to discuss something with you." Nezha quickly caught up and walked beside A Rou.

"I hope my first Soul Ring can come from a soul beast over five hundred years old."

A Rou's steps paused slightly, and she frowned.

"More than five hundred years?" She turned to look at Nezha, her tone carrying obvious disapproval.

"Nezha, I read in books that a human soul master's first Soul Ring should ideally not exceed four hundred and twenty-three years. Five hundred years is too risky."

"I know you want to become stronger."

A Rou crouched down so that she was level with Nezha, her tone gentle but serious.

"But you have to take things one step at a time. Your talent is already exceptional—innate full soul power and a top-tier martial soul. Your future achievements will be limitless. There's no need to take such a risk with your first Soul Ring."

Nezha had expected A Rou to say this.

He did not rush to argue. Instead, he spoke calmly. "Aunt Rou, I've read some books too."

A Rou blinked.

"Some books say that the upper age limit for absorbing Soul Rings mainly depends on a soul master's physical strength. There isn't a fixed standard that applies to everyone."

Nezha spoke with clear reasoning. "The four-hundred-and-twenty-three-year limit is a theory proposed by Yu Xiaogang, but it is based on the physical strength of ordinary soul masters. If someone's body is stronger than an ordinary soul master's, then naturally, the Soul Ring they can absorb should be older as well."

A Rou froze slightly.

Nezha continued, "And I noticed something else. Every time a soul master advances a rank, their physical strength improves as well, right?

For example, even without releasing his martial soul, a Soul Elder's physical condition is far superior to that of a low-level soul master."

A Rou nodded thoughtfully.

"This proves that the upper limit for Soul Ring absorption is indeed directly related to physical strength. Since the stronger the body, the older the Soul Ring one can absorb, then with my physical strength, I can absolutely try absorbing a Soul Ring over five hundred years old."

A Rou fell silent.

She looked at the six-year-old child before her, unsure what to say for a moment.

Nezha's analysis was orderly and logically sound, entirely consistent with his usual words and behavior.

This child had been different from the moment he was born. Not only was his appearance unusual, but his mind far surpassed those of children his age.

And besides...

A Rou remembered the circumstances of Nezha's birth. That infant with three heads and six arms had been thrown into a pile of fallen leaves in Star Dou Forest, yet no low-level soul beast had harmed him.

At the time, she had thought he was merely lucky. Looking at it now, perhaps Nezha's constitution had always been extraordinary.

And there was his usual behavior.

He played and roughhoused with hundred-thousand-year soul beasts like Da Ming and Er Ming. Though they deliberately held back their strength, an ordinary human child would not be able to endure even the lightest touch from them.

But Nezha?

He could tumble and get knocked around as if nothing had happened. Even when he occasionally bumped into something, his skin would not so much as break.

His physical strength truly far surpassed that of an ordinary human child. It might even already rival some lower-level soul beasts.

Thinking of this, A Rou's expression softened somewhat.

"But..." She was still worried. "You're only six years old, after all. What if something goes wrong..."