Encountering Tang Hao Again in Notting City, the Secret of Self-Condensed Soul Rings

Zhao Ming traveled tirelessly, taking two days to reach Notting City.

Zhao Ming stopped a few hundred meters outside the city gate; he did not rush into the city.

A year and a half ago, he and Dugu Bo had fought with Xiao Wu. Although there's a high chance Tang Hao went to Suotuo City with Gangzi and the Little Scumbag, what if what happened a year and a half ago made Tang Hao wary and he chose to stay?

Tang Hao definitely knew about the Golden Iron Triangle; having a Soul Saint to help Tang San obtain his Third Soul Ring was enough.

To be fair, Zhao Ming wasn't afraid of Tang Hao.

Especially after he personally killed Tang Fangrui, Zhao Ming won that battle decisively, and Tang Fangrui had almost no chance to fight back.

After that battle, Zhao Ming completely lost his faith in the Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master. The so-called number one weapon Martial Soul in the world was nothing but an ant in front of him. His configuration was a natural counter to those who wielded the big hammer.

Although Tang Hao is much stronger than Tang Fangrui, they are essentially the same type of person.

Even if Tang Hao uses his trump card, the Grand Sumeru Hammer and the Ring Detonation, Zhao Ming is confident of victory.

The problem is, winning takes time.

Tang Hao is not Tang Fangrui. The difference between level 95 and Level 91 is not a simple matter of addition and subtraction. Even if Zhao Ming wins, it is impossible for him to achieve a quick victory.

If he and Tang Hao were to fight in Notting City, Xiao Wu would definitely be on alert.

Although this silly rabbit isn't very bright, its intuition is extremely sharp, and its first reaction to sensing danger is always to run away immediately.

Once Xiao Wu escapes, it will be difficult to find her again.

Therefore, the best strategy is to avoid being discovered by Tang Hao.

With a thought, Zhao Ming used the Mustard Seed Space to Intangibility.

Under the cover of the Mustard Seed Space, Zhao Ming's body was located in the layer between the main world and the Mustard Seed Space. People outside could not see him or sense him. Even Titled Douluo- level mental scan could not detect his existence.

The only drawback is that Zhao Ming cannot use his Soul Power while in the Intangibility state; otherwise, the balance of the Mustard Seed Space will be broken, and the concealment effect will also fail.

However, this drawback is perfectly acceptable for infiltration.

Zhao Ming swaggered into Notting City.

The city gate guards only felt a gentle breeze and were completely unaware that someone had passed by them.

Zhao Ming passed through the city gate and headed north along the main street of Notting City, towards the Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy.

When Zhao Ming arrived near the academy, he paused slightly.

He sensed an aura, a powerful and domineering aura, like a dormant volcano, calm on the surface but containing earth-shattering power within.

Zhao Ming was all too familiar with this aura; wasn't this the unique Soul Power fluctuation of Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master?

Tang Hao was indeed staying in Notting City to watch over Xiao Wu.

Tang Hao, however, was clearly unaware of Zhao Ming and was simply keeping watch as a routine matter, oblivious to the fact that someone was secretly spying on him.

Zhao Ming withdrew his gaze and continued walking into the academy.

His cautious choice proved to be correct; Tang Hao did not go to Suotuo City with Tang San and Yu Xiaogang to find Flender, but stayed in Notting City instead.

If Zhao Ming hadn't used his Intangibility and had instead barged in directly, he would probably be fighting Tang Hao at the academy gate by now.

Zhao Ming crossed the academy's playground, bypassed several school buildings, and arrived at Dorm Seven for work-study students. Xiao Wu was sitting cross-legged on her bed, cultivating.

After a year and a half, this silly rabbit hasn't changed much.

She still wore her signature scorpion braid, a pink dress, and had a round, fair face with long, slightly curled eyelashes, looking sweet and adorable.

But Zhao Ming knew that beneath that obedient exterior lay a violent heart; the students at the Nuoding Academy she had beaten could line up and circle the track twice.

At this moment, Xiao Wu was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her eyes closed, with faint fluctuations of Soul Power surrounding her.

The fluctuation was rising slowly but steadily, crashing against an invisible barrier like waves. Clearly, Xiao Wu was trying to break through to level 30.

Zhao Ming arrived at just the right time. He didn't disturb Xiao Wu, but waited quietly outside.

Xiao Wu's breakthrough lasted for three whole days.

The transition from level 29 to level 30 is the first real bottleneck on the path of Soul Master's cultivation.

Soul Master with Innate Soul Power of level 3 or below generally do not encounter any bottlenecks when progressing from Soul Scholar to Soul Master and from Soul Master to Soul Grandmaster.

However, when you break through level 30 at level 29, you will feel the existence of a bottleneck. Crossing it means that you have stepped from a low-level Soul Master to a mid-level Soul Master. Your Soul Power will undergo a qualitative leap, and you will be able to try to obtain Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

For ordinary Soul Master, this stage often requires months of accumulation, and some people may even be stuck at this step their entire lives.

For example, a master who reached level 29 and then surpassed 50 years old.

In fact, there are many people like Master Da in the Soul Master World, most of whom are below level 3 innate Soul Power.

If Innate Soul Power is at level 4, breaking through to the Soul Elder is not a problem.

In a sense, Master is quite a figure. He was able to cultivate his Innate Soul Power from half a level to level 29, but it was a bit expensive. The resources provided by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to support his cultivation could probably have nurtured a Soul Saint or even Soul Douluo.

On the evening of the third day, the fluctuations of Soul Power within Xiao Wu's body suddenly became more intense.

"Is she finally about to break through?" Zhao Ming's spirits lifted, and he stared intently at Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu's Soul Power circulated rapidly through her meridians, growing faster and faster until the barrier finally shattered.

A surge of immense Soul Power erupted from Xiao Wu's body, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly engulfing her limbs and bones.

Xiao Wu's Soul Power Level officially broke through to level 30 at this moment.

Xiao Wu opened her eyes, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her bright, lively eyes.

She jumped out of bed, stretched her limbs, then tiptoed open the dormitory door and peeked out.

After confirming that no one was around, Xiao Wu dashed out of the dormitory and ran towards the back mountain of the academy.

Zhao Ming followed silently behind her.

The back mountain of the Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy is a small hilly area covered with low shrubs and wild grass, with a few crooked trees standing alone on the slope.

Xiao Wu skillfully navigated through the bushes and arrived at a secluded clearing deep in the back mountains.

This clearing is surrounded by mountains on three sides and dense forest on one side. In the middle is a grassy area about ten zhang in diameter, with several smooth boulders scattered on the ground.

Xiao Wu sat cross-legged on the largest boulder, closed her eyes again, and began to condense her Third Soul Ring.

Zhao Ming stopped under a crooked tree about twenty feet away from Xiao Wu.

This distance was close enough for him to clearly perceive every detail of Xiao Wu condensing her Soul Ring.

Zhao Ming released his mental energy completely, like an invisible net, enveloping Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu's process of condensing her Soul Ring was completely different from Zhao Ming's process of condensing his own Soul Ring.

Zhao Ming condensed his Soul Ring by using the breathing technique of "Nine-Breath Qi Absorption" as a basis. He gathered the spiritual energy between heaven and earth around his body and then forcibly compressed it with his mental power to form the prototype of the Soul Ring.

This process requires extremely precise control; the slightest mistake could cause it to explode.

However, Xiao Wu doesn't need these steps at all to condense her Soul Ring.

She simply sat there quietly, and a dormant power within her slowly awakened.

That power did not come from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the outside world, but from her own body. It was the essence of the Soul Beast that had accumulated in her body when she was Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit in her previous life.

After Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast transforms into human form, its cultivation from its previous life does not completely disappear. Instead, it slumbers deep within its transformed body in a special form.

Whenever Transformed Soul Beast breaks through a major realm, these dormant origins are awakened and automatically transformed into Soul Ring.

Zhao Ming could clearly sense that the essence of the Soul Beast within Xiao Wu's body was surging out from the depths of her dantian, slowly rising along her meridians, and finally converging above her head.

Those primordial elements emanated a faint pink hue, radiating a soft and warm light, completely unlike the violent nature of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Once the primordial energy gathers to a certain extent, it begins to rotate, compress, and condense automatically.

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation or strain.

Xiao Wu didn't even need to consciously control it; her body instinctively knew what to do. This was a memory etched deep within the soul of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, an innate talent she possessed after transforming into human form.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the rudimentary form of a Soul Ring slowly appeared above Xiao Wu's head.

It was a white Soul Ring tinged with pink, radiating a soft light, completely different from the white, yellow, and purple Soul Ring obtained by ordinary Soul Master from hunting Soul Beast.

The outline of the Soul Ring was still slightly blurry, but as Xiao Wu's essence continued to flow into it, it was becoming solid at a visible speed.

Just as the Soul Ring was about to be fully formed, Zhao Ming's pupils suddenly contracted.

He sensed that at the critical point when the Soul Ring transitioned from illusion to reality, a special change occurred within the Soul Ring.

Countless fine rays of light Entanglement and swirled within the Soul Ring, outlining an extremely complex and exquisite pattern.

The light rays were not random, but arranged and combined according to a certain pattern, forming mysterious patterns.

Those patterns look like some kind of magic circle.

Zhao Ming focused his mental energy entirely on Xiao Wu's Soul Ring, not daring to relax for a moment.

His mental power was like the most precise scanner, deeply engraving every detail of those patterns into his mind.

The patterns are numerous, densely interwoven, and at a rough glance, there are at least a thousand.

However, they do not conflict with each other, but coexist in a very harmonious way within the Soul Ring, forming a complete loop system.

Each line has its specific position and direction; if any one of them deviates, the entire system will collapse.

As the patterns were gradually completed, the form of the Soul Ring became more and more stable.

The previously somewhat ethereal outline became clear and solid, and the original white-pink light gradually subsided, eventually transforming into a Thousand-Year Soul Ring that was entirely purple and emitted a faint halo.

Zhao Ming sensed it and found that the age of this Soul Ring was close to 2000 years. Xiao Wu's Third Soul Ring was 2000 years old as soon as it was formed.

This is the terrifying aspect of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast taking human form. Unlike human Soul Master who gradually improve their Hundred-Year Soul Ring, they can directly condense high-age Soul Ring that match their cultivation level.

After the Soul Ring was formed, Xiao Wu did not stop. She continued to guide the source of her essence into the Soul Ring, seemingly wanting to increase its age by a few more years.

The purple Soul Ring deepened in color under the nourishment of her essence, eventually changing from light purple to pale purple, and its age remained at 3000 years.

Only then did Xiao Wu slowly open her eyes, revealing a satisfied smile.

Subsequently, the Third Soul Ring merged directly into her body, and Xiao Wu's Soul Power reached level 31, almost breaking through to level 32.

"Done!" Xiao Wu jumped down from the boulder, dusted off her skirt, and smiled with satisfaction.

Xiao Wu stretched her body a bit, feeling the power she gained after the breakthrough, and then skipped away from the back mountain, heading back to the academy.

Throughout the entire process, she remained unaware that beneath the crooked tree twenty feet away, there was a Intangibility figure who had witnessed the entire process of her condensing her Soul Ring.

After Xiao Wu left, Zhao Ming didn't rush to leave.

He remained standing under the crooked tree, his eyes closed, the scene he had just witnessed replaying in his mind.

The patterns inside Xiao Wu's Soul Ring when she condensed it were undoubtedly the key to replacing the soul fragments of the soul Soul Beast.

Zhao Ming's previous experiments have proven that self-condensing Soul Ring requires two steps: First, gather and compress the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to form a prototype Soul Ring; second, inject fragments of the Soul Beast's soul to transform the Soul Ring into a finished product.

He had completely mastered the first step, but he couldn't get around the second one. Without the soul fragments of Soul Beast, the nascent Soul Ring couldn't be stable and would inevitably collapse in the end.

Now, Xiao Wu's breakthrough process has given him the answer.

When Transformed Soul Beast condenses its Soul Ring, it does not need any external soul fragments.

They rely on the essence of the Soul Beast accumulated within their bodies, which naturally contains the soul imprints of their previous lives.

When the source is drawn out to condense into Soul Ring, those soul imprints will automatically engrave special patterns inside the Soul Ring, and these patterns are the key to making the Soul Ring transform from illusion into reality.

In other words, the reason why Soul Beast's soul fragment can form Soul Ring is not because of the soul fragment itself, but because the soul imprint contained in the soul fragment replaces this pattern.

In other words, as long as the same pattern can be engraved inside the prototype of the Soul Ring, no soul fragments of any Soul Beast are needed to make the Soul Ring fully formed!

Zhao Ming opened his eyes, a flash of understanding crossing them.

He has memorized all the patterns inside Xiao Wu's Soul Ring. He only needs to use these patterns as a reference to improve them, and then he can be considered to have successfully condensed his own Soul Ring.