Breaking Through to Soul Elder

Three years passed quietly. Jiang Baiyu was now nine. He had shed his childhood innocence and grown tall and slender, with gentle, composed features and a faint herbal fragrance that always lingered around him.

The courtyard in Jiangshui Village held a Medicine Garden where Spirit Herbs and medicinal plants flourished. A slender Blue Silver Emperor had taken root there, silently tending the plants, watering them, driving away pests, and guarding the garden's vitality as it kept the boy company through his cultivation.

Jiang Baiyu sat cross-legged on a bluestone platform in the courtyard, eyes closed, Soul Power circulating slowly through his body.

The Hundred Herbs Domain opened. Pure spiritual energy surged in, and the phantom of a nine-colored Spirit Deer pranced through the domain. Flowers bloomed wherever it passed.

The Shennong Cauldron slowly appeared as well, gathering a dense force of life.

His Soul Power, at the peak of level twenty-nine, battered against its bottleneck. The Heart of Hundred Herbs soul bone in his chest glowed with a gentle warmth, nourishing his meridians and soothing his restless Soul Power as it helped him break through.

The Blue Silver Emperor swayed its stems and leaves, drawing the abundant plant energy from the surroundings and guiding it into the boy's body to help him refine his Soul Power.

Hum—

His martial soul gave a low hum, and the barrier that had held his Soul Power in check for so long shattered.

Rich, powerful plant Soul Power swept through his entire body, washing his meridians until they grew clearer than ever. Two Soul Rings rose beneath Jiang Baiyu's feet. The thousand-year Dragonblood Medicineheart Wood ring, threaded with gold and red, radiated a steady weight.

The purple Nine-Colored Spirit Deer ring followed, shimmering as nine-colored light flowed faintly across it.

He had reached the peak of level thirty, breaking through at last.

Jiang Baiyu slowly opened his eyes. A glimmer of light crossed them. He pressed one hand downward, and both Soul Rings vanished into his body. Peace returned to the courtyard.

Beside him, the Blue Silver Emperor gently unfurled its leaves. Sensing its master's breakthrough, it swayed and released wisps of fresh plant fragrance.

The Spirit Herbs in the Medicine Garden trembled together, the whole garden brimming with life as if celebrating with him.

The instant he sensed Jiang Baiyu's breakthrough, Su Wu opened his eyes on the stone seat where he had been meditating. He shot to his feet, astonishment written across his face.

A thousand-year first Soul Ring. A five-thousand-four-hundred-year second ring. And now a Soul Elder before the age of ten. Jiang Baiyu's talent was terrifying!

In just three years, Jiang Baiyu had climbed from level fifteen, when he absorbed his first Soul Ring, to level thirty. Su Wu had never seen speed like it.

And his second Soul Ring was no ordinary thing. At the thought, Su Wu's mind returned to two years earlier. After absorbing his soul bone and Soul Ring, Jiang Baiyu's Soul Power had soared, and he had reached level twenty early.

The two had entered the Star Dou Great Forest in search of a Soul Beast suited to his path of healing the world. They had found nothing and were about to leave when the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer came to them of its own accord.

The Nine-Colored Spirit Deer had been gravely wounded and close to death. Its jade-colored horn had lost its luster, most of the nine-colored radiance had faded from its coat, and it lay curled beside a spring, barely breathing. Its life essence was exhausted; it no longer had the strength to struggle. Jiang Baiyu approached, but instead of killing it, he activated the Heart of Hundred Herbs soul bone within him. He released its pure, gentle Medicine Dao aura and used the Shennong Cauldron's mild spiritual power to slowly tend its wounds.

The Nine-Colored Spirit Deer was an Auspicious Beast born of the world's vital essence. Nine kinds of plant light flowed across its coat, and it lived on Spirit Spring water and the pure energy of plants. Killing it outright would have gone against his path of saving lives, not to mention the medicinal heart at the core of his being.

Sensing Jiang Baiyu's medicinal heart and Shennong Cauldron, as well as the natural warmth that surrounded him, the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer's dim eyes brightened faintly. It knew its time had come and did not want its plant essence to vanish with it. With Su Wu as witness, it willingly released that essence and sacrificed itself to become his Soul Ring.

What was more, because Jiang Baiyu had been eating Whale Rubber all along, he absorbed the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer's five-thousand-four-hundred-year Soul Ring without the slightest difficulty. It strengthened his body and Soul Power, gave him an almost mystical affinity with nature, and granted him a powerful Power Attack System soul skill: Spirit Deer Nine Seals.

Looking at Jiang Baiyu now, even Su Wu had to marvel at his extraordinary fortune. Over those three years, Jiang Baiyu had not neglected his Medicine Dao studies either. With the help of his medicinal heart, he had advanced even further.

Jiang Baiyu drew in his Soul Power until his powerful level-thirty Soul Elder aura was completely concealed, leaving him looking like the same gentle, clean-cut boy as before. Su Wu watched him with pride in his eyes. Then a teasing smile spread across his old face.

"Well, well. My Baiyu is a proper level-thirty Soul Elder now. You can finally go to Heaven Dou City openly and see that angel girlfriend of yours. No more staring at that feather every day because you miss her, or writing her letters every month to say so."

Jiang Baiyu blushed at the old man's teasing. Since parting from Qian Renxue, the two had been unable to meet for a while, so they had begun exchanging letters. It felt a little like an online romance from his previous life. But hearing the old man say it aloud was more than even Jiang Baiyu could take in stride.

Seeing the boy's embarrassment, Su Wu smiled wider. He stopped teasing and said seriously:

"All right, jokes aside. Now that you've reached level thirty and become a Soul Elder, it's time to enter the Star Dou Great Forest and claim your third Soul Ring—the Azure Origin Ancient Cypress."

Then, remembering something, he added, "And I have some thoughts about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well you mentioned."

Jiang Baiyu's eyes lit up. "Grandpa, are you about to become a Title Douluo?"

"How could I? I'm only just at level eighty-six. It'll be a long time before I break through. What I mean is that we could treat the Dugu family's poison in exchange," Su Wu said. "Your martial soul has such immense vitality that it might work wonders against the poison you described."

"All right." Jiang Baiyu felt a little disappointed. So treatment was the only way to make the exchange? It was not that he minded helping Dugu; he would gladly do it. But they would have to face a Title Douluo, and a temperamental one at that. It could be troublesome.

Seeing his spirits sink, Su Wu said, "It's fine. That precious place isn't going anywhere. Let's get your third Soul Ring first, then head to Heaven Dou City and find a way."

"Okay!" Jiang Baiyu perked up. He looked toward the Blue Silver Emperor in the Medicine Garden, where it swayed its vines and wrapped bright green leaves around his wrist.

Jiang Baiyu bent down and said softly, "Grandpa and I are going to the Star Dou Great Forest. Stay here, tend the garden, and look after the house." The Blue Silver Emperor's leaves trembled gently. Though reluctant to part with him, it obediently remained rooted in place, spreading a web of fine roots to protect every Spirit Herb in the garden.

Looking at the Blue Silver Emperor's growing intelligence, Su Wu could not help marveling. "Your Spirit-Awakening Method really is remarkable. Little Blue must be close to the strength of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast by now."

"Let's go." After a moment's admiration, Su Wu spoke softly and took the lead.

Jiang Baiyu glanced back at the peaceful courtyard, the Blue Silver Emperor guarding their home, and the thriving garden. Then he followed his grandfather.

Grandfather and grandson walked side by side toward the distant Star Dou Great Forest. This time, they knew exactly where they were going: straight to the Azure Origin Ancient Cypress, Jiang Baiyu's chosen third Soul Ring.