First Soul Skill: Bloodbath Asura

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had no shortage of money, and its business network spanned the entire continent. It could buy up Whale Rubber without anyone noticing.

Even if it couldn't monopolize the Whale Rubber market, getting a head start would be enough.

For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, that alone would be an enormous gain.

Perhaps the title of Number One Sect Under Heaven would even pass from the Clear Sky Sect to their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

This was a strategic resource through and through!

Raising the age limit of Soul Rings a Soul Master could absorb meant that, given the same talent, they could start from a higher level.

As the benefits accumulated over generations, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's strength would undergo a fundamental transformation.

Even if Whale Rubber's effects eventually became public, the sect could use the opportunity to grow wealthier still.

"Go on. Finish it."

Ning Fengzhi took a dagger from his Soul Tool and held it out to Ning Wen.

Ning Wen drew a deep breath, gripped the dagger, and walked toward the Bloodflame Tiger.

Unlike the largely peaceful world of his previous life, the world of Soul Masters had always been cruel.

Deception and deadly fights were everywhere.

Avoiding bloodshed and killing altogether was impossible.

Ning Wen had to take this step himself. No one could do it for him.

[Heh heh heh. This will be the first step in This Seat's return to the summit!]

[Little tiger, becoming This Seat's Soul Ring is your honor. Rest easy and become the fuel for This Seat's strength!]

[Once This Seat regains his divine throne, perhaps he'll bring you back to life and make you a divine beast in one stroke!]

[Assuming This Seat still remembers you, of course. Heh heh heh...]

Ning Wen: "???"

Come on, man!

You're completely ruining the mood!

Can't you see I'm steeling myself over here?

And could you stop laughing like a villain?

It's giving me a really bad feeling.

Besides, I've never even killed a chicken in my life.

Ning Fengzhi: "..."

Chen Xin: "..."

Gu Rong: "..."

This guy could really put on an act!

He looked timid on the outside, but deep down he couldn't wait for the Bloodflame Tiger to die.

They had seen people who hid their true feelings, but never anyone who took it this far!

Ning Wen looked down at the Bloodflame Tiger lying motionless on the ground.

Fear filled its amber eyes, and faint whimpers kept escaping its throat.

Even though he had prepared himself, holding a blade over a living creature brought a surge of instinctive discomfort.

[Don't blame This Seat. Soul Spirits don't exist yet, so if This Seat wants to grow stronger, he has no choice but to hunt Soul Beasts.]

[Nature selects the fittest. That's simply how the world works. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too weak!]

The Voice Pack sounded again. There was less childish posturing in it now, and more of a cold indifference that brooked no argument.

"Soul Spirits?"

A thoughtful look flashed through Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

These Soul Spirits must be something extraordinary.

Ning Wen gritted his teeth. No longer hesitating, he strode forward and drove his arm down.

Cold light flashed as the dagger pierced the vital spot between the Bloodflame Tiger's eyes.

A faint, brief cry rang out. The tiger's huge body convulsed twice, then went still.

Warm blood ran down the blade and seeped into the earth beneath his feet.

Only then did Ning Wen calm down.

A moment later, yellow motes of light began to appear above the Bloodflame Tiger's corpse.

Countless tiny lights drifted from its body like fireflies, slowly gathering into shape.

In the blink of an eye, a deep Yellow Soul Ring with a rich color and a steady, profound glow hovered in the air, turning slowly.

"Little Wen, sit cross-legged."

Ning Fengzhi continued, "Clear your mind and guide the Soul Ring into your body."

Ning Wen sat cross-legged as instructed, closed his eyes, and stilled his mind.

As though drawn by an invisible force, the Soul Ring slowly descended and merged into his body.

The instant its energy entered him, a blood-red light flickered.

The energy should have been wild and violent. Instead, an unseen force seemed to tame it, stripping away all its ferocity and heat until it became gentle.

Damn it. I really lost out this time.

Ning Wen cursed inwardly, then focused entirely on absorbing the Soul Ring.

He didn't know why, but judging by how things were going, absorbing a Thousand Year Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring should have been no problem.

A thousand-year First Soul Ring!

It would have been great for boosting his strength and showing off.

Ning Fengzhi stood to one side, never taking his eyes off Ning Wen. Even he looked surprised.

Ning Wen's absorption was going far too smoothly.

"Fengzhi, it looks like an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring was nowhere near this boy's limit."

Chen Xin raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning on his face.

"That boy's a monster."

Gu Rong clicked his tongue. "I think he could try absorbing a Thousand Year Soul Ring for his Second Soul Ring!"

"The energy of a Thousand Year Soul Ring fluctuates several times more violently than that of a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "Trying to absorb one without preparation would be too risky. But we'll let him decide."

A long while later, the fluctuations of Soul Power around Ning Wen finally settled.

He slowly opened his eyes. For an instant, a sharp scarlet gleam flashed deep within their clear, dark depths.

"Little Wen, how did you fare with that eight-hundred-year Soul Ring?" Ning Fengzhi asked with a smile.

[How did I fare? This Seat lost out badly!]

[Even This Seat didn't expect the mark Asura left behind to have this effect!]

[That's a God Realm Enforcer who breaks the very laws he enforces for you.]

[Since This Seat benefited this time, he'll spare you the insults!]

Broke the laws he enforced?

A God Realm Enforcer?

A strange look flashed through the eyes of Ning Fengzhi and the other two men.

It seemed the Deities who stood so high above them were not so different from mortals after all.

"My Soul Power Level rose by two levels."

After checking his Soul Power Level and the effects of his Soul Skill, Ning Wen smiled and said:

"My Soul Skill is called Bloodbath Asura. When activated, it boosts all my attributes by forty percent and absorbs the blood of all enemies within range, converting it into stamina."

"Most importantly, as long as I have enough Soul Power, I can maintain the boost indefinitely."

"It's that powerful? Such a huge boost, and it lets a Soul Master keep fighting?" Gu Rong asked, stunned.

Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi were too shocked to speak.

Most enhancement Soul Skills had a time limit and had to cool down before they could be used again.

Ning Wen's Soul Skill could not only be maintained indefinitely but also replenished his stamina.

The size of the boost was impressive, too.

Even a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill might not be this strong.

This clearly wasn't a Soul Skill a normal Hundred-Year Soul Ring could grant.

Could it be because of his Asura Armor Martial Soul?

It was rare for a Soul Master's Martial Soul to influence a Soul Ring, but it did happen.

For example, Soul Masters with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda gained support Soul Skills with much the same effects regardless of which Soul Beast their Soul Rings came from.