First Soul Ring

The winding path through the Icebound Forest continued deeper, and the temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. Tiny ice crystals began condensing in the air, while the frigid wind grew even more biting.

Ling Jing could not help pulling his thick clothes tighter around himself.

Fortunately, Qian Xunji had prepared thick clothing before they entered the Icebound Forest. Otherwise, with his current little body, he would definitely have been frozen half to death.

Noticing Ling Jing's movement, Bibi Dong's gaze shifted slightly. She untied the scarf around her neck, bent down slightly, and took the initiative to wrap it around Ling Jing.

Bibi Dong quickly bundled the scarf around him, not forgetting to tie a pretty bow at his chest in the end.

The scarf still seemed to carry the delicate fragrance of Bibi Dong's hair, instantly lingering beneath Ling Jing's nose.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Hearing Ling Jing's voice, Bibi Dong's lips curved faintly, and she felt inexplicably pleased.

Qian Xunji, who had witnessed the scene, also revealed a gratified smile—Bibi Dong was now the Holy Maiden and would certainly succeed to the position of Pope in the future. In his plans, Ling Jing would become Bibi Dong's most capable assistant. As long as the senior sister and junior brother worked together, Spirit Hall would only grow more prosperous.

Now, it seemed that their relationship was quite good, and everything was progressing in the direction he had envisioned.

As they ventured deeper, the types of Soul Beasts appearing around them gradually became more varied. Some Soul Beasts sensed the invisible pressure radiating from Azure Luan Douluo from afar and fled in panic. Others, either bold or simply brainless, still approached them on their own initiative, only to be knocked unconscious by the pressure Qian Xunji casually released when they were still dozens of meters away.

Naturally, whenever he saw Soul Beasts approaching them, Qian Xunji took the opportunity to teach Ling Jing about those Soul Beasts and related knowledge.

After traveling for roughly another half hour, Azure Luan Douluo suddenly stopped and fixed a sharp gaze on an area of scattered rocks ahead to the left, covered in thick ice.

"Found it!"

Ling Jing perked up and followed Azure Luan Douluo's gaze. Amid the rocks, an Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast noticeably larger than the previous one was crouched atop a massive ice boulder.

This Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast was nearly two meters long. The scales covering its body were clearer and brighter than those of the previous one, while the pale white ice pattern along its back was far longer than the previous ten centimeters.

Azure Luan Douluo flashed forward and appeared beside the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast the very next instant. Before it could react or split itself apart to escape, it was imprisoned in place by an invisible force.

Qian Daoliu immediately stepped forward to determine the age of the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast.

Before long, delight also appeared on his face.

"The ice pattern on this Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast has reached seventy-eight centimeters. That means it is around seven hundred and eighty years old! The limit for an ordinary Soul Master's first Soul Ring is around four hundred years, but Little Jing, having consumed Whale Rubber, can absorb this Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast's Soul Ring!"

At those words, delight flashed through the eyes of both Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong.

It seemed their luck on this trip was rather good.

Ice-Pattern Mirror Beasts were not actually that numerous, yet they had encountered two of them in succession. One of them even had such a perfect cultivation age!

"Do it, Little Jing." Qian Daoliu's voice was calm as water, yet it carried a trace of encouragement. "For a Soul Master to absorb a Soul Ring, the Soul Beast must be killed by their own hand."

Ling Jing nodded and copied Bibi Dong's Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul once more.

"No... Although Dong'er's first soul skill could kill this seven-hundred-and-eighty-year Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast, it would take much longer. Use this dagger and finish it directly. Its fatal weakness is at the ice pattern on its back."

A trace of confusion flashed through Ling Jing's eyes, but he still accepted the dagger Qian Xunji tossed over.

In his previous life, he had not even killed a chicken. At most, he had swatted a few flies, killed a few mosquitoes, or stepped on a few ants. Yet in this life, he actually had to hunt a Soul Beast with his own hands...

So Qian Xunji wanted him to personally kill the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast, rather than use a soul skill, so that he could overcome that psychological hurdle?

Ling Jing walked up to the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast, and as though it had realized something, the creature began trying to twist its body.

But under Azure Luan Douluo's control, it remained utterly unable to move and could only allow Ling Jing to plunge the dagger into its body.

Very soon, a bright yellow Soul Ring rose from the corpse of the Ice-Pattern Mirror Beast.

"Sit down, focus your mind, and draw the Soul Ring into your body."

Ling Jing obeyed, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes. The next moment, as if summoned by something, the bright yellow Soul Ring slowly drifted toward him.

Seeing that nothing went wrong as Ling Jing absorbed the Soul Ring, everyone relaxed. Azure Luan Douluo took the opportunity to praise him.

"Big Brother, I have never seen a six-year-old child with such extraordinary memory. He remembered every bit of what Xiao Ji explained just now. Even when tested again after some time, he could repeat it all perfectly."

Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, and an unconscious smile appeared on his face.

Thanks to the enhanced physique brought by the Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, Ling Jing did not feel much pain while absorbing this Soul Ring. He absorbed it completely without issue.

After an unknown amount of time, Ling Jing slowly opened his eyes.

The bright yellow Soul Ring had quietly appeared beneath his feet, while the mirror wings of his Mirror Beast Emperor Martial Soul seemed to have become more translucent.

"Success!" Bibi Dong was the first to cry out in delight. She quickly stepped forward, crouched down, and carefully examined Ling Jing, her eyes full of concern. "How do you feel?"

"Little Jing, what soul skill did you obtain?"

"I'm fine, Senior Sister."

Ling Jing shook his head, then stood facing Qian Daoliu, Azure Luan Douluo, and Qian Xunji.

The bright yellow Soul Ring flickered faintly. In an instant, a figure nearly identical to Ling Jing appeared at his side.

"This is my first soul skill. I named it Mirror Image Proliferation. Its effect is to create a clone. The clone possesses seventy percent of the original body's strength. I can dismiss it voluntarily, and it will also disappear if it suffers a fatal injury. The number of clones increases as my strength rises."

Seventy percent?

Qian Daoliu and the others exchanged glances, each seeing satisfaction in the others' eyes.

Seventy percent of the original body's strength was already a very good soul skill effect. Moreover, the number of clones could increase along with his strength. The only thing they still needed to determine was whether this clone could also copy Bibi Dong's Martial Soul.