The First Soul Ring, the Mysterious Place

"Why?"

Qian Renxue stopped in her tracks, her brows knitting slightly.

Clearly,

if he could not persuade her, she would not agree.

"Because the number of Soul Rings and soul skills a Soul Master can possess is fixed. Rather than wasting any Soul Ring, I want the soul skills of my first four Soul Rings to all be utility or enhancement types."

Ouyang Ling counted on four fingers, his gaze shifting to She Long and Ci Xue. "Grandpa She Long and Grandpa Ci Xue are both powerful Soul Masters, right? But at your level, how many times do you actually use the offensive soul skills of your first four Soul Rings in battle?"

"Few enough to count on one hand."

She Long and Ci Xue shook their heads. They had already understood what Ouyang Ling was getting at.

In fact, Ouyang Ling was not the first person throughout history to have such an idea. But why had no one put it into practice?

Besides the issue of having no offensive means in the early stages, the fundamental problem was that most enhancement soul skills could not stack. In the end, an offensive soul skill was simply more practical.

Ci Xue and She Long exchanged a glance, immediately arriving at the same thought: This kid did not understand any of that. He was being far too idealistic.

But before they could refute him, Qian Renxue had already taken over. "Actually, your reasoning is not entirely without merit."

Though she said that, her tone abruptly shifted.

"But can you accept lacking a decisive offensive method in the early stages, which could put you at a disadvantage in battle?" She did not correct Ouyang Ling's mistake, choosing instead to let him discover it himself.

"I can accept that."

Meanwhile,

the uninformed Ouyang Ling agreed without hesitation, because Hainas had given him tremendous confidence.

To put it in terms from ten thousand years later, his martial soul was an ultimate martial soul. Even without offensive soul skills, it would still be powerful enough.

"What about when your life is on the line?"

Ouyang Ling did not answer. He merely raised his head and stared directly at Qian Renxue.

"Big Sister Xue'er will protect me, right?"

Acting cute, acting cute.

At his age in this life, there was nothing shameful about playing pitiful.

"Pfft—"

Her serious expression instantly crumbled. Qian Renxue lowered her head and smiled. "You are supposed to be the one protecting this young master."

"Aren't you my big sister?"

It was clearly a rebuttal, yet it unexpectedly struck a chord in Qian Renxue's heart, making the smile at her lips even gentler.

"Fine, then we'll do as you say. We'll try to find you the most suitable Soul Beast and strive to get you an enhancement soul skill."

But once she finished speaking, a teasing glint appeared at the corner of her mouth. "If you regret it, remember to tell me early. Your big sister can make up for it with your other Soul Rings. But when that time comes, I'll laugh at you."

Ouyang Ling immediately nodded. "No problem. If I regret it, Big Sister Xue'er can laugh at me however she wants." He acted as though it were only natural.

"...You little rascal."

With the map to guide them, Ouyang Ling's group had a very clear objective. Coupled with the protection of two Titled Douluo, they could practically roam unimpeded through the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

It did not take long for them to arrive near a river on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. It was not particularly wide, but its riverbed could not be seen. Faintly, fish and shrimp could be spotted swimming through the water.

"According to the records, there is a Gyarados clan beneath here. They are sub-dragon, water-attributed Soul Beasts. Most importantly, they possess an instinct: once they win a battle, they grow stronger the more they fight."

Qian Renxue said to Ouyang Ling, "Their traits are very distinctive. If you hunt this type of Soul Beast for a Soul Ring, there is a high chance of obtaining an enhancement soul skill. In every respect, they fit the requirements."

"Then I'll have to trouble you two grandpas."

"A small matter."

Ci Xue shielded Qian Renxue and Ouyang Ling behind him, while She Long fixed his gaze on the center of the river and pointed from afar.

Bang—

The river's surface instantly exploded, sending waves surging in every direction.

The next moment, roars rose one after another as several furious Gyarados burst from the water. Their savage faces and gaping bloody maws made for quite an intimidating sight.

Already blinded by rage, they immediately locked onto the culprits who had disturbed their territory. Clusters of white light gathered in their mouths, completely ignoring the aura emanating from She Long.

Then, a wave of soul power pressure swept out.

The aggressive Gyarados immediately fainted. She Long reached out and effortlessly drew one of them onto the shore.

Throughout the entire process, it had not possessed even the slightest ability to resist.

Watching it all unfold, Ouyang Ling could not help but feel impressed.

These Gyarados were really brave!

"This one is less than five hundred years old. You can absorb it."

Tossing it before Ouyang Ling, She Long used his hand like a blade to cut off the Gyarados's trident-like dragon horn. "Use your dagger to stab it in here, and it will die quickly."

"Thank you, Grandpa She Long."

"Do it."

Taking the dagger from Qian Renxue, Ouyang Ling aimed at the Gyarados's brow, but hesitated at the last moment over taking a life.

In both my past and present lives, I've never killed anything.

Much less a Soul Beast with greater intelligence like this.

At the sight, neither Qian Renxue, Ci Xue, nor She Long urged him on. Who had not gone through this stage?

It was normal for people to feel pity and kindness.

Once he did it once, it would get much easier.

"I'm sorry."

The moment he steeled himself, Ouyang Ling said nothing more. With all his strength, he drove the dagger into its brow.

The unconscious Gyarados barely struggled at all. A glowing yellow Soul Ring floated above its corpse.

"Remember this: when absorbing a Soul Ring, you must guard your mind. No matter how the Soul Ring's energy impacts you, enduring it means success."

Under Qian Renxue's reminder, Ouyang Ling sat down cross-legged.

The instant he closed his eyes, his martial soul immediately possessed him.

His body began to change. An azure tail extended from behind him, while Hainas's armor began to cover him.

Once it enveloped his entire body, sharp shards of ice radiated a chilling cold.

As Ouyang Ling drew over the Soul Ring and began absorbing it, his consciousness slowly sank, as though ocean currents were dragging him toward an abyss on the seafloor. The feeling was almost identical to when he had transmigrated a year ago.

He did not resist, nor did he need to.

At least, that was what his instincts told him.

He did not know how long had passed before a glimmer of light appeared amid the darkness. It was that azure radiance stretching between heaven and earth once more, and three distinct shadows flickered in and out of his sight.

This time, Ouyang Ling did not refuse.

He stepped forward as though entering a long canyon.

Here, countless scenes flashed before his eyes.

It was an entire world of dinosaurs, yet it was not realistic. Instead, it was filled with the colors of fairy tales and fantasy.

Pterosaurs soaring through the sky ate lollipops, while triceratops walking the land strolled alongside crystal balls. The Four Divine Dragon Kings guarded the world. There were even human buildings, and trains traveling between continents...

This was a world that belonged to Dragon World.

Only when Ouyang Ling entered a boundless ocean did the scenes of Dragon World completely vanish.

Before Ouyang Ling could investigate where this place was, a stone path rose beneath his feet, guiding him onward.

And the direction it led was precisely that azure pillar of light.

With just one step, it was as though he had crossed the earth in a flash of golden light.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the only island in the vast ocean within his sight.

Mountain ranges towered on both sides, enclosing the center in a ring, with only a single gate standing before him.

Yet the two murals upon that gate quickly drew Ouyang Ling's attention.

One Pisces, one Scorpio.

They were the two Star Dragons corresponding to Hainas, powers belonging to the Water Zodiac.

However, just then, a voice came from behind him, interrupting Ouyang Ling's examination.

"Well? This place isn't bad, is it?"

Ouyang Ling spun around in shock!

"Who?!"