Hundred-Thousand-Year Eighth Spirit Ring and Training Plan

The next day.

Dawn rose in the east, swept across the Soto Great Plain, and slowly illuminated the peak of Immortal Mountain.

The pale golden sunlight complemented the rustling red maples and verdant pines, making the place seem like an immortal realm from a dream.

Last night, Ning Rongrong had tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Her mind was filled either with the fleeting image of her teacher, Su Chen, or with fantasies of soon transforming from an auxiliary-system Soul Master into an assault-system Soul Master, becoming the pride of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and astonishing her father, Sword Grandpa, and the others when she returned.

By the time she rose from bed, still bleary-eyed, morning light had already streamed in through the window and the maple trees.

The moment she opened the door and rubbed her almond-shaped eyes, she saw that Su Chen was already standing before the Immortal Residence. The aura emanating from him was even more ethereal and sacred than it had been yesterday.

His plain white robe with broad sleeves drifted leisurely in the wind. His incomparably handsome face was expressionless, yet every movement followed the natural flow of the world.

Neither hurried nor slow, he raised his hand as Qian and lowered his palm as Kun. His movements flowed in a gentle, rounded rhythm without the slightest trace of sharpness, yet they stirred the Dao resonance of heaven and earth's Eight Trigrams. Faint phantoms of yin-yang fish emerged in the void around him, while the trigrams of Qian Three Unbroken, Kun Six Broken, and the rest shimmered indistinctly. Azure-golden Dao patterns slowly circled around his fluttering robes.

His steps moved like clouds, advancing and retreating in circles. His elbows sank and shoulders relaxed, emptiness and solidity giving rise to each other. His white robes swirled with his movements as air currents gathered and revolved with the motion of his palms. Every stance was slow and gentle, seemingly light and leisurely, yet the power of the Eight Trigrams rose and fell with his actions. The surrounding breeze naturally curled around him, the mountain grass and trees trembled faintly, and the clouds and mist slowly flowed along the paths of yin and yang.

Like drifting clouds falling into an abyss, like a bright moon rising into the sky.

The sight instantly dispelled seven or eight parts of Ning Rongrong's drowsiness, leaving her fully alert.

"Good morning, Teacher."

"Teacher, you're so diligent. You started cultivating so early in the morning."

"But what Soul Skill were you using just now, Teacher? Why didn't I see any Spirit Rings flash?"

Ning Rongrong asked curiously.

[Super Nine-Choose-Three Roulette Draw]

Ding

1. Hundred days' worth of premium body-tempering herbs

2. Forty-Thousand-Year Wind Baboon Left Leg Bone

3. An additional three-level increase in Soul Power

4. A 20% increase in base attribute values

5. A 20% increase in elemental attribute intensity

6. Seven-Star Lamp Soul Tool

7. Fenghou Qimen supreme art

8. Increase any body part by 3 CM

9. Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring added! (Red)

The system's nine options were reflected in Su Chen's pupils.

This was the Super Roulette Draw chance he had received after successfully taking on a disciple.

He could choose three of the nine options.

All nine rewards were extremely precious.

Especially the eighth option, which was probably a reward no man could resist.

Spirit bones, attribute increases, Soul Tools...

If he were selecting the three options that would provide the greatest boost to his strength, they should have been 7, 9, and 5.

Yet Su Chen chose 7, 9, and 1.

Early that morning, he had already absorbed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring, obtained his hundred-thousand-year eighth Soul Skill, and gained an initial understanding of Fenghou Qimen.

He had also planned Ning Rongrong's upcoming training schedule and prepared a body-tempering medicinal bath using premium herbs.

Only then had Ning Rongrong gotten out of bed.

"The path of cultivation demands diligence. You should be the same. From now on, you must rise at the hour of Mao every day to cultivate."

Su Chen patiently explained to Ning Rongrong.

It took ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people.

Teaching others required gradual progress and proper guidance. That was the way of a teacher.

"The hour of Mao? That's so early. I've never gotten up that early before."

The moment she heard that she would have to wake up at the hour of Mao to cultivate from now on, Ning Rongrong's expression turned mournful.

This was killing her. Getting up early was the worst.

Ning Rongrong stretched lazily, looking somewhat aggrieved, but Su Chen's expression turned stern.

"You must understand that a year's plan begins in spring, and a day's plan begins in the morning."

"If an auxiliary-system Soul Master wishes to become strong, the road ahead is incomparably difficult. It requires more time and effort than control-system and assault-system Soul Masters. If you cannot even wake up early, diligent study and hard training are nothing but wishful thinking. How can you accomplish what ordinary people cannot?"

"You should know that Immortal Mountain's graduation standard is to cultivate nine Supreme-Grade Trait Entries!"

Su Chen could accept Ning Rongrong having a bit of a temper, but if her attitude toward learning was not proper, then her limits would only extend as far as inheriting the divine position of the Nine-Colored Goddess.

"Nine Supreme-Grade Trait Entries?!"

Ning Rongrong's little face immediately paled in shock upon hearing that.

She had practically maxed out Sword Grandpa's retirement fund just to gather three Supreme-Grade Trait Entries. How much money would nine Supreme-Grade Trait Entries cost...?

Gasp!

Although Ning Rongrong could be willful at times, she had been raised in a great sect. She was not lacking in manners or incapable of understanding reason.

To light up nine Supreme-Grade Trait Entries, money alone probably would not be enough. She would definitely have to become a true powerhouse!

However, it should be noted that lighting up the nine Supreme-Grade Trait Entries did not require fulfilling all nine primary Trait Entries of supreme potential, top-tier beauty, exceptional background, Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, Ultimate Attributes, peerless character, supreme label, and top-tier core. Each primary Trait Entry also had sub-traits. For example, the top-tier beauty category included sub-traits such as [Top-Tier Delicate Beauty] and [Top-Tier Cold Beauty], all of which counted as Supreme-Grade Trait Entries.

Seeing Su Chen's serious expression, Ning Rongrong immediately straightened her attitude.

"I understand, Teacher!"

"To become strong, one must endure bitter meditation and practice diligently a hundred times over. I know a sword fanatic who, despite his extraordinary talent, still began practicing his swordsmanship before the hour of Mao every day. That was how he raised his swordsmanship to heights ordinary Soul Masters could scarcely reach!"

Ning Rongrong's attitude surprised Su Chen somewhat.

Though she was called a little devil, compared with Shrek's other students, she was far too normal. At most, she merely had a little girl's temper and needed to be coaxed.

Only then did Su Chen nod and say,

"If you can think that way, then that is for the best."

"What I demonstrated just now was not a Soul Skill, but a supreme art."

"A supreme art?" Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled.

"That's right. A supreme art is a skill beyond Soul Skills. It is no longer limited by Spirit Rings, and in some ways, it is even more powerful than Soul Skills."

"And the set of martial arts and supreme art I just performed are what I will teach you: Tai Chi Fist and Bagua Qimen."

Su Chen said to Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong should not have been unfamiliar with supreme arts. After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possessed an inherited secret technique—Heart Separation Control.

When cultivated to the highest realm, the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, it allowed one to observe in all directions, listen in every direction, use one mind for seven purposes, and greatly reduce one's Soul Power consumption.

"From today onward, we will officially begin cultivation training."

"At the hour of Mao, wake up, wash up, and meditate on the morning dew."

"At the hour of Chen, bathe in the morning sunlight. This is the best time to increase your Soul Power."

"At the hour of Si, climb the mountain fifty times with weights, continuously increasing the amount."

"At the hour of Wu, consume beast blood and lean meat, then soak in the medicinal pool to strengthen your physique."

"At the hour of Wei, rest and recuperate, locking in the cultivation gains from the first half of the day."

"At the hours of Shen and You, study martial techniques and enhance your practical combat ability."

"At the hour of Xu, meditate and cultivate, drawing in the power of the setting sun and evening glow."

"At the hour of Hai, consume beast blood and lean meat, then soak in the medicinal pool once more."

"At the hour of Zi, use the power of moonlight and stars to balance your physique..."

By the time Su Chen finally finished speaking, Ning Rongrong felt like dying.

My heavens.

Was this even cultivation?

Across all the Soul Master Academies on the continent, there was nothing this intense.

The entire day was spent either cultivating or preparing to cultivate.

Just listening to it sounded exhausting!

But when she saw that Su Chen had risen early to create a cultivation plan for her and prepare a body-tempering medicinal bath, and saw how his incomparably handsome face was filled with longing for her bright future, Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth and thought,

I'll do it. I'll give it everything I have. If I can't manage it, I'll just take Teacher home and live off my family.

If I succeed, I'll shock my father for the rest of his life!

"Teacher, say no more. Rongrong understands. Let's train. Even if you train me to death, I'll accept it!"