A Year Later, Breaking Through Level 40

Speaking of cultivation, over the past year, Zhao Ming had devoted most of his attention to pill refinement, causing his Soul Power cultivation progress to slow somewhat compared to before.

It was not until today that his Soul Power Level finally broke through level forty.

Although becoming a level-forty Soul Ancestor candidate at the age of nine was an unprecedented achievement on the continent, Zhao Ming still felt that his cultivation speed was too slow.

"Looks like I put too much energy into pill refinement." Zhao Ming sat cross-legged in the Mustard Seed Space, feeling the endlessly surging Soul Power within his body. He muttered to himself, "Pill refinement is important, but it is ultimately only a supplementary means. Soul Power is the foundation of everything. Without sufficient Soul Power to support it, even the best pills cannot produce their proper effects. From now on, I should focus mainly on cultivating Soul Power and slow down my pill refinement a little."

He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs, gazing toward the rolling mountains in the distance. A glimmer of anticipation flashed through his eyes.

"But no matter what, my Soul Power has now broken through level forty. It is time to prepare to hunt for my fourth soul ring."

The fourth soul ring was an extremely important milestone for any soul master.

According to common knowledge on the Douluo Continent, a fourth soul ring generally ranged from three thousand to five thousand years. In the original story, Tang San had only reached the ten-thousand-year level for his fourth ring after consuming three immortal herbs.

Under the dual tempering of Nine-Breath Qi Absorption and Body-Strengthening Pills, Zhao Ming's physical strength had reached an utterly terrifying level. His spiritual power had long since reached the level of a Soul Emperor.

Given his current conditions, absorbing a fourth soul ring between twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand years old should not pose much of a problem.

As for the choice of soul ring, Zhao Ming decided to go big this time and let the Treasure-Dropping Coin decide for him.

When he had hunted for his third soul ring last time, he had made a wish to the Treasure-Dropping Coin. As a result, a sixty-thousand-year Firefeather Eagle had directly delivered his third soul ring right to him.

This time, Zhao Ming likewise intended to rely on the Treasure-Dropping Coin to find the fourth soul ring best suited to him. Moreover, he did not plan to limit the choice of soul skill this time. He would leave it entirely to the Treasure-Dropping Coin and see what kind of fourth soul ring it would bring him.

Before that, however, he needed to discuss it with Qian Renxue first.

After all, absorbing a thirty-thousand-year third soul ring was no trivial matter. He would definitely have to go to the Star Dou Forest, and he would need a Title Douluo-level expert to protect him there.

After all, the most dangerous thing about hunting soul rings was not soul beasts, but people.

Zhao Ming emerged from the Mustard Seed Space and headed straight for the study in the Crown Prince's Palace.

Qian Renxue was still reviewing memorials at her desk. When she saw Zhao Ming enter, she set down her vermilion brush and asked with a smile, "Xiaoming, did you break through?"

Zhao Ming nodded, walked over to Qian Renxue, and said seriously, "That's right, Sister Xue'er. My Soul Power has broken through level forty."

Qian Renxue's hand paused slightly. Then a delighted smile blossomed across her face. "So you really did break through. I saw the Soul Power aura surging around you and felt that you had made a breakthrough. It has only been half a month since your ninth birthday, and you are already a level-forty Soul Ancestor candidate. Xiaoming, you've impressed your sister once again."

Yet Zhao Ming did not wear his usual smug smile. Instead, he said earnestly, "Sister Xue'er, I want to go to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for my fourth soul ring."

Qian Renxue's smile faded slightly. She looked into Zhao Ming's determined eyes, fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "All right. I'll arrange for Uncle Snake Lance to accompany you. Do you have any thoughts about your fourth soul ring?"

Zhao Ming pondered for a moment before saying, "I want to try absorbing a soul ring around thirty thousand years old."

Qian Renxue frowned slightly, but her brows soon relaxed.

She knew that Zhao Ming never did anything without confidence. Since he dared make such a request, he must have had his reasons.

Besides, his third soul ring had already been at the ten-thousand-year level. Absorbing a thirty-thousand-year fourth soul ring did not seem impossible for him.

"All right, I believe in you." Qian Renxue stood and walked over to Zhao Ming, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "But you must promise your sister this: if anything goes wrong during the absorption process, you must give up immediately. Don't force yourself. Your life is more important than anything else, understand?"

Warmth filled Zhao Ming's heart, and he nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Sister Xue'er. I won't joke around with my own life."

As usual, Zhao Ming was accompanied by Snake Lance Douluo when hunting for a soul ring.

This Title Douluo expert from Spirit Hall had developed a rather peculiar understanding with Zhao Ming.

His experiences from the previous three soul ring hunts had taught him one thing: this boy Zhao Ming was downright uncanny. Other people hunted soul rings by carefully selecting and weighing every option, terrified of choosing the wrong soul beast and wasting an opportunity to absorb a soul ring.

But Zhao Ming was different. Every time he entered a soul beast forest, a suitable soul beast would deliver itself right to his doorstep, as if some unseen force were arranging everything for him.

It had been like that the first time, the second time, and the third time as well. Snake Lance Douluo had lived for so many years and seen countless genius soul masters hunt soul rings, yet he had never seen anyone as worry-free as Zhao Ming.

Therefore, on the way to the Star Dou Forest this time, Snake Lance Douluo did not even ask Zhao Ming what he wanted from his soul ring.

What was the point of asking? It would be pointless anyway. A suitable soul beast would come crashing into them on its own eventually. He only needed to protect Zhao Ming while he absorbed the soul ring.

Zhao Ming was now already a Soul Ancestor candidate. A level-forty Soul Ancestor candidate at the age of nine—just thinking about it made Snake Lance Douluo's scalp tingle.

What had he been doing when he was nine? He seemed to have still been struggling desperately to break through level twenty.

Yet this kid had already touched the threshold of Soul Ancestor at nine years old. And his physical constitution was absurdly formidable. In terms of physical strength alone, he probably did not lose to some Soul Emperors.

For that very reason, Snake Lance Douluo did not choose to travel by carriage this time. Instead, he directly took Zhao Ming into the air and sped toward the Star Dou Forest.

A Title Douluo's flying speed was extremely fast. After Snake Lance Douluo unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, his entire body transformed into a streak of black light, streaking through the clouds at high speed.

Zhao Ming was protected at his side by his Soul Power, so he did not feel any jolting. Only the wind howled past his ears like the thunder of ten thousand galloping horses.

After flying for a day and a night, the two finally arrived at the small town outside the Star Dou Forest.

This town was the final supply point before entering the Star Dou Forest. It was filled year-round with soul masters—some had come to hunt soul rings, some to gather medicinal herbs, and others to kill soul beasts for soul bones and pelts.

The town was not large, but it had everything one could need: inns, taverns, blacksmith shops, and herb stores. The streets were bustling with people and quite lively.

Snake Lance Douluo brought Zhao Ming to a reasonably clean-looking inn and settled in.

The two rested for a while, mainly so Snake Lance Douluo could recover the Soul Power he had expended during their day-and-night flight.

Although a Title Douluo's Soul Power recovered extremely quickly, powerful soul beasts could appear at any time after entering the Star Dou Forest. Snake Lance Douluo had to remain in peak condition to ensure Zhao Ming's safety.

Zhao Ming, meanwhile, used this time to make his own preparations in the inn room.

He sat cross-legged on the bed. With a thought, the Treasure-Dropping Coin flew out of the Mustard Seed Space and hovered above his palm. After more than a year of accumulation, the fortune stored within the Fortune-Gathering Domain had reached a rather considerable amount.

Zhao Ming pressed his hands together, clasping the Treasure-Dropping Coin between his palms. Closing his eyes, he focused all his attention and made his wish to the Treasure-Dropping Coin. "My fourth soul ring should be between twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand years old. You decide the soul skill—make it the one best suited to me."

The instant his words fell, a faint golden glow lit up across the surface of the Treasure-Dropping Coin.

The light was not dazzling, yet it carried an unfathomable aura, as though an invisible thread of karma had been stirred somewhere in the unseen.

Zhao Ming clearly sensed that, in that instant, more than half of the fortune gathered within the Fortune-Gathering Domain had been consumed. Like floodwaters released from a dam, it poured forth toward some unknown direction.

Clearly, his wish had succeeded.