The First Soul Ring

In the Star Dou Great Forest, towering ancient trees blotted out the sun. Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, scattering broken patches of light below. The undergrowth was lush, insects chirped and beasts roared on every side, and the distant cries of Soul Beasts echoed faintly through the valleys.

Jiang Baiyu walked slowly through the Star Dou Great Forest beside Su Wu.

Su Wu held his Nine-Section Bamboo in one hand. A faint green glow flowed along its length as plant-aspected Soul Power spread outward, probing for hidden presences and driving off weaker Soul Beasts.

They had come to choose Jiang Baiyu's first Soul Ring.

"Xiao Yu, are you sure you want a thousand-year Soul Ring for your first?" Su Wu asked as they walked. Jiang Baiyu's eyes were closed as he sensed the presences around them.

"Yes. Since I absorbed the Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone, my body has grown much stronger. That's not even counting what Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and the Herb-Gathering Art have done for me. I can handle it."

"All right. I'll trust you this once." Su Wu studied the boy. He had been tempering his body lately. Perhaps he really could try.

"Your martial soul, the Shennong Cauldron, is a top-tier Medicine Dao martial soul. We must choose its Soul Beast carefully," Su Wu told him as they walked. "We're not looking for one that excels at killing. We need a woody spirit, preferably one that can harmonize medicinal properties, strengthen the foundation, and purge malign influences. Only then can we bring out the Shennong Cauldron's full potential."

Jiang Baiyu nodded and sank his awareness into his dantian. The Shennong Cauldron trembled faintly, releasing wisps of emerald light. Its instincts responded to the plants all around them, helping him distinguish spirit plants from Soul Beasts.

They traveled in fits and starts. Thanks to Su Wu's Soul Douluo strength, their journey remained peaceful.

They encountered Soul Beasts of every kind along the way, but discarded each one.

The first was a thousand-year Rock-Splitting Berserk Bear, its brown-black fur covering knotted muscles. It roared when it spotted them, then sensed Su Wu's presence and immediately backed away into the dense forest.

"A Soul Beast of brute strength," Su Wu said calmly. "It can shatter rock and excels at close combat."

"No," Jiang Baiyu said at once. "It doesn't suit the Shennong Cauldron at all."

Jiang Baiyu understood why Su Wu had explained it. A good Soul Master needed to know Soul Beasts.

They passed a swamp, and Su Wu stopped. "A thousand-year Jade-Scaled Poison Salamander lurks in there. It exhales miasma. Its age is suitable, but it carries vicious poison. Though it lives among wetland plants, poison is its defining trait."

Jiang Baiyu rejected it outright.

Finding nothing suitable nearby, they pressed deeper into the forest.

As they walked, Su Wu pointed to an ancient vine and fixed his senses on it. "Thousand-Thread Spirit-Restoring Vine. A plant-type Soul Beast, full of vitality. It excels at binding prey and regenerating. An ordinary thousand-year Soul Beast would only end up devoured by it. Its age is right, too. What do you think?"

Jiang Baiyu closed his eyes and sensed the Soul Beast before him. After a moment, he shook his head. "It's woody, but it relies on binding and ambush attacks. That doesn't fit what I want from my first Soul Ring: refining medicinal properties and commanding vitality. Ideally, it should have some fire affinity as well."

And so they kept searching, passing countless beast, flying, poison, and ordinary plant-type Soul Beasts.

Some leaned too heavily toward killing, some had only one suitable attribute, and others carried viciousness or toxins. Not one met Jiang Baiyu's goal. Soul Beasts with both wood and fire attributes were exceedingly rare.

After half a day wandering the great forest, they still had nothing. Su Wu sighed. "Give me two days. I'll search the inner forest alone and see if I can find something better."

They were about to leave when an explosion in the distance caught their attention. A wave of heat reached them.

Su Wu grew curious. "Come on. Let's see who's absorbing a Soul Ring." With that, he led Jiang Baiyu quietly toward the explosion.

Su Wu concealed his Soul Douluo aura completely. His plant-aspected Soul Power formed an invisible barrier that hid their presence, footsteps, and Soul Power fluctuations. Jiang Baiyu dimmed the Shennong Cauldron's glow and stilled his mind and body. They moved through the forest like a pair of shadows.

The deeper they went, the hotter and holier the air became. It was not the searing heat of flame, but a supreme, utterly pure holy light tinged with judgment. Holy light at its purest... the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. Qian Renxue! Jiang Baiyu was stunned to encounter her here. At the same time, the warmth she radiated made his martial soul feel remarkably at ease.

Su Wu also recognized that the person absorbing the Soul Ring was extraordinary. Grandfather and grandson exchanged a look, then stilled themselves and slipped through the cover of massive trees to a shadowed cliff ahead. From there, they peered out.

The entire valley floor was awash in blazing gold.

A girl in white sat cross-legged in midair, golden hair falling over her shoulders and nobility in her bearing. Five brilliant Soul Rings floated around her, while high above her head hovered a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring radiating formidable power.

Beside her lay the enormous corpse of a Soul Beast: a Golden-Light Dragon-Plumed Falcon.

It was a holy-light flying Soul Beast found only in the Star Dou Great Forest, no ordinary bird but a remnant of an ancient sacred lineage.

Glazed golden feathers covered its body, and its wings could span a hundred zhang. The light of judgment flowed across its plumage. It spent its life where sunlight shone brightest, taking in only the holy light of sun and moon, untouched by corruption and free of viciousness.

Qian Renxue was at the most critical stage of absorbing the ring. Golden holy light swirled around her, and six translucent angel wings slowly unfurled and solidified behind her. The ten-thousand-year ring descended, pouring a steady stream of holy essence into her body. Her aura climbed higher and higher, its holy pressure sweeping across the valley.

In the shadows, Jiang Baiyu's martial soul stirred. The innate purity, warmth, light, and judgment within Qian Renxue's angel martial soul resonated with the Shennong Cauldron's gentle vitality.

Su Wu's gaze darkened. He whispered:

"Boy, we need to leave. She's reached Soul Emperor with her sixth ring at such a young age. Her talent is terrifying. And that martial soul... she's likely connected to Spirit Hall. Someone is bound to be guarding her."

Su Wu caught Jiang Baiyu's arm to leave.

Then two ice-cold waves of Title Douluo pressure locked onto them from opposite sides of the void. The air seemed to freeze. Suffocating pressure and killing intent closed in.

A slender figure stepped from the void on the left, holding a black snake lance. Cold light flickered at its tip, and a bone-chilling aura rolled off him. Snake Lance Douluo!

On the right, heavy pale-purple Soul Power spread outward. Its source was a burly man surrounded by layer upon layer of pufferfish-shaped defensive energy. His defense was unmatched. Pufferfish Douluo!

The two Titled Douluo had guarded Qian Renxue throughout her advancement, setting an inescapable net around the valley. Ordinary concealment might fool lower-level Soul Masters, but never the domain senses of Titled Douluo!

They had noticed Su Wu and Jiang Baiyu the moment they arrived. The faint trace of plant energy that had escaped the Shennong Cauldron when it resonated had given them away.

Snake Lance Douluo's eyes were cold as a serpent's. His gaze pierced the dense trees and fixed on the hidden pair. "Who are you?" he asked hoarsely. "Why are you spying on the young master as she absorbs her Soul Ring?"

Purple defensive energy surged around Pufferfish Douluo. Layered barriers spread out, sealing their escape while his aura bore down on the clearing. "Sneaking about in the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest. What are you after?"

The crushing pressure of two Titled Douluo came down like a landslide. Su Wu shielded Jiang Baiyu behind him. Green light blazed from his Jade-Green Nine-Jointed Bamboo as he released his Soul Douluo power to resist. Inside, he groaned. What is this? Both times I've gone to see what the commotion was about, it's ended like this! Does the Star Dou Great Forest have it in for me? We're done for this time, and I've dragged Xiao Yu down with me.

At that critical moment, the figure absorbing the Soul Ring slowly opened her eyes. "Wait."

Qian Renxue rose, her Soul Power still unsettled. "You must be Senior Medicine King and his young grandson." As Spirit Hall's young master, she knew the Medicine King had reappeared. He was also the one who had given them the information that brought her here to find Tang Hao.

"Yes," Su Wu answered. "Greetings, Your Eminences of Spirit Hall." He owed Titled Douluo a bow. As for Qian Renxue, he had little choice. If he did not lower his head, he would die.

"Please, rise. I'm still young. How could I let a senior bow to me?" Qian Renxue said quickly. Then she looked at Jiang Baiyu. "And who is this?"

Su Wu instinctively moved to shield Jiang Baiyu. "My young grandson. He hasn't seen much of the world. Please forgive him if he offends you, young master."

Looking at the boy, Qian Renxue remembered the stirring of her martial soul. "Could I see your martial soul?" Her gaze burned with interest. If she had sensed correctly, their martial souls were extraordinarily compatible. The boy's martial soul must be of exceptional quality—hers was a god-tier martial soul!

There was no avoiding it. Jiang Baiyu stepped forward, and the phantom of the Shennong Cauldron slowly appeared behind him, releasing a rich breath of life.

The two Douluo watched in wonder. Such potent life energy. What an extraordinary martial soul.

Qian Renxue felt her own martial soul tremble. Yes! This is a Martial Soul Fusion Skill! She looked at Jiang Baiyu eagerly. "Little brother, can you feel what your martial soul is sensing?"

With Qian Renxue looking at him like that, Jiang Baiyu saw no point in hiding it. "I can. My martial soul is drawn to you." After all, an angel with authority over the sun was bound to hold a powerful attraction for Shennong's path of the Hundred Herbs.

"What?" Jiang Baiyu's words were vague, but no one present was foolish. An attraction between martial souls meant a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!

"Is it true, young master?" Snake Lance blurted, staring at Jiang Baiyu with burning eyes.

"Why not try it?" Pufferfish added. A Martial Soul Fusion Skill was a divine ability that could overcome differences in level, especially with a god-tier martial soul involved.

"I'm sorry, Your Eminences, but Xiao Baiyu hasn't absorbed a Soul Ring yet," Su Wu said, forcing himself to speak. "If he attempts Martial Soul Fusion with a Soul Emperor, his body may not withstand it." Jiang Baiyu was too young and not yet strong enough. Then there was the enormous gap in their Soul Power. It would be best to wait until they were within thirty levels of each other. Otherwise, the slightest mistake could make his body burst apart.

The three remembered that, and their excitement faded.

Then Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. "If little brother hasn't absorbed a Soul Ring, we can help him hunt for one. That Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood would be excellent, if only it weren't too old." She pointed to a tall tree beside the Golden-Light Dragon-Plumed Falcon, already on the verge of collapse.

Su Wu looked sharply ahead. In the middle of the valley stood an ancient tree more than ten zhang tall, now fallen and barely clinging to life.

Its trunk was a deep amber-red, with dragon-like grain winding upward in rings. A golden-red glow seeped from its heart. It was indeed Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood. Thick, blood-red resin oozed from cracks in its trunk and dripped onto the soil, nourishing the Spirit Herbs beneath it.

Medicineheart Wood was an exceptionally rare Soul Beast. A medicine heart grew inside it, and it was born to command the Hundred Herbs, favored by heaven and earth. Having absorbed dragon blood, this one possessed even richer medicinal properties and powerful Bloodline Power. On the Douluo Continent, dragons were formidable creatures.

Su Wu examined it closely. The Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood had lived well beyond a hundred years—twelve hundred, in fact. Its deep, gentle vitality continued to spread outward.

Jiang Baiyu's breath caught. He quietly tugged Su Wu's sleeve. Su Wu turned to him. "Are you certain? That Soul Beast is twelve hundred years old." Seeing the resolve in Jiang Baiyu's eyes, Su Wu sighed and addressed Qian Renxue. "Young master, this Soul Beast is just what we need. We came here to find a thousand-year Soul Beast for his first Soul Ring."

"No," Qian Renxue protested. "It's already a thousand-year Soul Beast. A Soul Scholar's body couldn't withstand it."

"It's all right. Xiao Yu knows his limits. I trust him. Besides, my martial soul can heal his injuries," Su Wu said. Since its Martial Soul Evolution, his martial soul had gained remarkable healing power.

"All right. If anything goes wrong, the two elders and I will help you," Qian Renxue said when she saw she could not change their minds.

With Qian Renxue's permission, Su Wu led Jiang Baiyu quickly toward the Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood. It was gentle by nature and did not attack others unprovoked, much less now that it was gravely wounded and near death. Under Su Wu's Soul Power, the thousand-year spirit tree had no chance to resist.

When they reached it, Jiang Baiyu raised a hand and summoned the Shennong Cauldron. A speck of green light drifted toward the Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood. As it settled, the tree shuddered and released an indescribable aura. The Spirit-Awakening Method!

Jiang Baiyu slowly placed his palm against the thick trunk. A faint consciousness entered his mind:

"Help... help me. It hurts. I want to see so many, many Immortal Herbs."

"That feels so nice. Is that Mama?"

After a moment's thought, Jiang Baiyu said softly, "Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood, would you come with me? I'll take you to see the Hundred Herbs. With my Shennong Cauldron as our foundation, will you be the first companion on my path?

"I swear this:

"I will never bully the weak, use medicines to harm or kill, or squander the essence of the Hundred Herbs and betray your pact with them.

"I will harmonize medicinal properties with countless Spirit Herbs, uphold the endless cycle of life among plants, and preserve the pure heart of the Medicine Dao. I will not fall to a path of slaughter. My actions will honor your nature.

"I will take you to see the countless spirit medicines of this world, and perhaps even the Divine Realm.

"If I break my word, may all medicines abandon me and my medicine heart shatter. What do you say?"

Perhaps it was their imagination, but after Jiang Baiyu's oath and the Shennong Cauldron's rich plant energy reached it, the Medicineheart Wood's leaves and branches trembled ever so slightly. Then the tree dissolved into specks of light that flowed toward Jiang Baiyu.

As the light faded, the ancient tree's vitality ebbed away. A magnificent purple thousand-year Soul Ring hovered in the air, radiating a deep violet glow.

Jiang Baiyu drew a deep breath and sat cross-legged before the ring, drawing it toward him. The purple ring descended and settled heavily around his body.

In the secluded valley, the thousand-year ring lowered itself over Jiang Baiyu.

Su Wu had already spread his Soul Douluo power through the boy's meridians, ready to shield him from the violent impact of the Soul Beast's energy. He feared the overwhelming force of a thousand-year ring would put Jiang Baiyu through agony.

But the expected pain of torn meridians never came.

Jiang Baiyu sat with his eyes closed and his mind open. Within his dantian, the Shennong Cauldron glowed with warm green light. He recalled the oath he had just sworn: to follow the Medicine Dao, aid the world with the Hundred Herbs, never use medicine to kill, and preserve the endless life of plants.

That pure devotion to the Medicine Dao aligned perfectly with the Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood's thousand-year will.

The ancient tree's lingering Spirit Awareness sensed the boy's sincerity. All viciousness vanished from the thousand-year ring, leaving a gentle stream of golden-red vitality. It flowed through his body without striking against him or tearing his meridians. Instead, it nourished his meridians and dantian like rain after a long drought.

The entire process was calm and gentle, without any of the agony usually suffered when absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring. The instant their Soul Power fully merged, the Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood's innermost medicine heart separated from the ring's essence. It became a brilliant streak of light and flew straight into Jiang Baiyu's chest.

The golden light drew inward, gradually condensing into a translucent red Soul Bone, warm as jade, that wrapped snugly around his heart. Its markings formed the shape of a Coiling-Dragon Medicine Heart.

This was the Medicineheart Wood's gift to him: its unique innate ability, the Medicine-Heart Soul Bone.

Jiang Baiyu slowly opened his eyes and touched his chest. He could clearly feel a warm piece of bone against his heart. A steady trickle of plant-based medicinal power seeped from it, nourishing his soul and body.

Su Wu, who had remained tense throughout, ready to protect Jiang Baiyu's meridians at any moment, hurried forward and asked with concern:

"Baiyu, how do you feel? Did the thousand-year ring hurt your meridians? Is your Soul Power flowing smoothly? Any lingering injuries?"

Jiang Baiyu opened his eyes. They were clear and gentle, and his aura had grown steadier and richer. He smiled. "No, Grandpa. I've never felt better!"