In less than an hour, Bing Yekong had finished absorbing the Soul Ring.
As the Soul Ring was successfully absorbed, Soul Power surged into his dantian, and his Soul Power Level began soaring as if on a rocket.
The bottleneck at level ten was broken through almost instantly.
Level eleven.
Level twelve.
Level thirteen.
In the end, Bing Yekong's Soul Power stabilized firmly at the peak of level fourteen.
The reason he had improved so much was partly because he had absorbed a Soul Ring beyond his limit, and naturally, because Bing Yekong possessed an ultimate attribute.
Before reaching the Soul Elder realm, his cultivation speed would be much faster than that of an ordinary person with Innate Full Soul Power.
Shui Qingrou was also greatly surprised when she sensed the level of Soul Power within Bing Yekong's body.
She had not expected the benefits of absorbing a Soul Ring beyond one's limit to be this great.
Still, this was something only geniuses could do. Ordinary people might survive the absorption, but they would not survive succeeding.
"Little Yekong, what is your first soul skill?"
Only after hearing Shui Qingrou did Bing Yekong snap out of the joy of his increased Soul Power and begin examining his first soul skill.
He summoned his martial soul. The Tianshuang Sword appeared in his hand, followed by a dark yellow Soul Ring slowly rising beneath his feet.
Holding the Tianshuang Sword, Bing Yekong released his first soul skill without hesitation.
"First Soul Skill, Tianshuang Battle Body!"
Bing Yekong shouted, and icy blue light burst from his entire body.
His aura began to skyrocket, and the pressure he emitted became incomparably powerful.
As a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse, Shui Qingrou immediately saw what was happening.
"I never expected your luck to be so good, Little Yekong. It's actually a soul skill that enhances all attributes! Quickly, tell me its exact effects."
Bing Yekong roughly sensed it before replying, "Aunt Shui, my first soul skill is called Tianshuang Battle Body. It increases all attributes by fifty percent, with attack power increasing by one hundred percent. Also, in an icy or snowy environment, this soul skill's consumption is halved."
A fifty-percent increase to all attributes and a one-hundred-percent increase in attack power—such numbers were truly terrifying for a first soul skill.
At least, Shui Qingrou had never seen such a powerful first soul skill.
What was more, its consumption was halved in icy and snowy environments. It was simply perfectly suited to an ice-attribute martial soul.
"Little Yekong, you're amazing!" Shui Qingrou happily scooped Bing Yekong up.
After absorbing his first Soul Ring, Bing Yekong had grown quite a bit taller. Even so, Shui Qingrou still easily lifted him and spun him around.
After successfully obtaining the Soul Ring, Shui Qingrou took Bing Yekong back to the Shui Family.
"What? Little Yekong, you're level fourteen?!"
Upon hearing that Bing Yekong had returned from obtaining a Soul Ring and broken through to level fourteen, Shui Yue'er was naturally the most shocked and the least able to accept it.
She was a year older than Bing Yekong, and because she did not possess Innate Full Soul Power, she was only level thirteen even now.
Bing Yekong had gone out to obtain a Soul Ring and returned having jumped four levels in a row, directly surpassing her. How could Shui Yue'er possibly accept that?
Shui Bing'er beside her was equally shocked.
When she had absorbed her first Soul Ring, her Soul Power had increased by more than one level as well. But breaking through four levels in a row was something she had not even dared imagine.
Bing Yekong felt his scalp tingle under their stares. "Um, Sister Yue'er, Sister Bing'er, it's getting late, so I'll head back and cultivate first!"
With that, Bing Yekong bolted toward his residence.
"Big Sis, do you think Little Yekong is even human? He absorbed one Soul Ring and broke through so many levels!"
Shui Yue'er looked utterly defeated.
"Now I've become the weakest among us!"
Shui Bing'er tapped Shui Yue'er on the head. "If you know you're weak, then hurry up and cultivate. Stop whining here."
Then she looked in the direction Bing Yekong had left, the corner of her lips lifting in an almost imperceptible curve.
When Bing Yekong ran back to his residence, he was completely dumbfounded.
"Bro, where's all my stuff?!"
The room was completely empty. Nothing remained.
Even the bedsheets had vanished.
"Damn, did thieves break into the Shui Family?!"
Realizing something was wrong, Bing Yekong hurriedly went to find Shui Qingrou.
When Shui Qingrou heard that Bing Yekong's room had been stripped clean, she did not seem surprised at all.
"Don't worry, Little Yekong. There weren't any thieves. Auntie just changed your residence to somewhere with a better environment. I'll take you there now."
Seeing the mysterious, motherly smile on Shui Qingrou's lips, Bing Yekong had a bad feeling about this.
Inside Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er's residence.
"Big Sis, have you seen my hairpin?"
Having just finished bathing, Shui Yue'er entered the room with her freshly dried hair and asked Shui Bing'er.
Shui Bing'er skillfully found Shui Yue'er's hairpin and tied up her hair for her.
Just then, the door to the hall outside was pushed open.
"Bing'er, Yue'er, are you asleep?"
The startled sisters relaxed only after hearing their mother's voice.
Wearing pajamas, the two of them opened their bedroom door.
Shui Qingrou came into view, followed by Bing Yekong.
"Little Yekong, why are you here?"
Bing Yekong shook his head. Shui Qingrou had brought him here, so how was he supposed to know why he had come?
Shui Qingrou smiled lightly. "I was planning to move Little Yekong somewhere else. Don't you have an empty room here? Let him stay with you. I already had someone deliver his things in advance."
When Shui Yue'er heard that Bing Yekong would be living here, her first reaction was actually happiness.
She threw an arm around Bing Yekong. "That's great, Little Yekong! From now on, you'll live with us!"
Shui Bing'er was a little older than Shui Yue'er and already understood some things.
Yet she did not object to Shui Qingrou's decision. She merely looked at Bing Yekong with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Naturally, Bing Yekong was the most confused of them all.
But he quickly understood.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were children, but that did not mean Bing Yekong was one too.
Bing Yekong knew perfectly well what Shui Qingrou meant by doing this.
Feelings had to be nurtured from childhood, after all.
Bing Yekong did not particularly mind.
He had grown up in the Shui Family, and his relationship with the sisters could already be considered that of childhood sweethearts.
Besides, they were only living in the same house, not the same room.
Seeing the three of them getting along so happily, the smile on Shui Qingrou's face deepened.
That night, Bing Yekong sat cross-legged on his bed, cultivating.
While meditating, he was also considering another question:
Now that he had awakened the Tianshuang Sword martial soul, where should he go to learn swordsmanship?
There were only a few people in the world skilled with a sword—Chen Xin or Qian Daoliu.
But Bing Yekong had no intention of taking a master.
If he apprenticed himself to Chen Xin, he would be bound by the sect. He did not like being restrained. Wouldn't it be better to go solo?
And Qian Daoliu? That Grand Priest was also an old shut-in. No one could even catch a glimpse of him, so how could Bing Yekong become his disciple?
Before you continue