Second Soul Skill: Everlasting Vitality

"After all my tireless persistence and effort, I finally broke through to Level 20!"

Xu Yuan wiped the nonexistent sweat from his brow and sighed.

Then he turned his attention to the red sphere of light inside him.

It radiated a terrifying pressure, with a rich aura of life faintly contained within it.

This was the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring Source extracted from Tang Hao's ninth Soul Ring.

As Xu Yuan released a pulse of Soul Power, the seal on his Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul gradually lifted, and a colorless Soul Ring floated up.

Guided by Xu Yuan, the colorless Soul Ring settled around his Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul, then rapidly tightened.

The next moment, Xu Yuan sensed a powerful surge of energy flooding his meridians and scouring his body at will.

The colorless Soul Ring swiftly turned luminous white, then deepened into a vivid yellow.

The color of Xu Yuan's First Soul Ring changed as well, until it looked almost identical to his Second Soul Ring.

"Both Soul Rings are now around seven hundred years old."

"Looks like awakening my Second Martial Soul, the Light Sacred Dragon Spear, also transformed my body."

Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. The Soul Power radiating from him had reached an astonishing Level 23.

That was not only thanks to the two seven-hundred-year Soul Rings; the Medicinal Power Crystal inside him had played no small part.

"My Second Soul Skill is Everlasting Vitality!"

"It has regenerative healing on par with the Blue Silver Emperor's ultimate secret: wildfire cannot burn it all away; when the spring wind blows, it grows again!"

"It can also absorb the life force and Soul Power of every Blue Silver Grass plant nearby and turn them into my own Soul Power!"

"As long as I have enough Soul Power, I can easily regrow even a severed limb."

Sincere admiration flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes.

As expected of a Soul Ring dropped by a Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor.

Now that the Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul had a Second Soul Skill, Nine Heart Begonia would have to surrender its title as the world's strongest healing Martial Soul.

At the same time, Xu Yuan realized something distinctive about the Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul.

The Soul Skills it gained from absorbing Soul Rings had nothing to do with the Martial Soul itself. Instead, they were directly tied to the Soul Rings.

As for the Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul's own abilities, they would emerge naturally even without Soul Rings attached.

Xu Yuan rose and brushed the grass from his clothes. Standing among the trees on Back Mountain behind Nouding Academy, he saw purple mist rising in the distance.

He leaped onto a thick, concealed branch and stared straight at that trace of purple on the horizon.

As he circulated Purple Demon Eye, streams of warmth flowed through his eyes and into his mind. His eyes felt nourished as never before.

Even without channeling Soul Power into his eyes, Xu Yuan's vision pierced the vast distance.

And with Back Mountain's elevated position, he could look down over Nouding Academy.

Nothing escaped Xu Yuan's Purple Demon Eye. Tang San's figure came into view as well.

Tang San sat on a rooftop with his back to Back Mountain, using the purple mist drifting along the horizon to cultivate Purple Demon Eye.

Without the aid of innate qi this time, there was no telling how long it would take Tang San to reach Micro-Perception again.

Xu Yuan slowly closed his eyes. As the purple energy soaked into them, the initial warmth gradually turned into a faint coolness.

The coolness flowed into his mind, jolting his spirits and leaving him much more alert.

He jumped down from the branch and made a grasping motion with his right hand. The spear planted in the ground flew up and landed in his grip.

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon!

It was a unique force-manipulation and grappling art from the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record. Mastered to its peak, it could freely control objects within range.

Then a lustrous, bluish-white jade sheen spread across Xu Yuan's palms, making both hands seem carved from jade.

"Mysterious Jade Hand blocks poison and grants immunity to a hundred toxins. It makes my hands as tough as cold jade."

"Tang San even dared to catch Meng Yiran's Snake Blade barehanded with Mysterious Jade Hand!"

Xu Yuan had always thought Mysterious Jade Hand offered strong protection. In the original story, only the Infernal Delicate Apricot had managed to burn it.

If he could extend its coverage from his hands to his entire body, it would make a fine body-tempering method.

"Now that I have my Second Soul Skill, I can try improving Mysterious Jade Hand again."

Xu Yuan casually twirled his spear, already forming an idea.

"And it's time I looked for the Blue Silver Emperor's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."

Even with Word Manifestation, pinpointing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone might not be easy for Xu Yuan.

But locating the body of Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor who had lost all her Soul Power, could hardly be simpler.

His only concern was whether he could get inside.

According to the original story, the Blue Silver Emperor's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was hidden amid a sprawling mountain range.

Even the outermost peaks rose high enough to pierce the clouds.

The outer cliffs were extremely steep, nearly vertical.

Tang San had been a Level 43 Soul Ancestor at the time and possessed the Eight Spider Lances Soul Bone. Even so, it had taken him half a day of crossing mountains and ridges to reach the waterfall valley.

For Xu Yuan to climb in now was probably unrealistic.

Still, such a striking mountain range would make it easier for him to determine the Blue Silver Emperor's general location.

"I still need to train!"

Xu Yuan suddenly hurled his spear, striking a distant tree trunk.

As he turned his palm, the Light Sacred Dragon Spear manifested in his hand.

Xu Yuan gently gripped its white-gold shaft. Pure light burst from his body, and lightning coiled around him.

At a thought, an imposing dragon spiraled into view, its body covered in white-gold scales and its horns rising proudly.

Without Tang Hao watching him, Xu Yuan could afford to be much bolder.

Once he had made sure no one was nearby, he summoned his Second Martial Soul, the Light Sacred Dragon Spear.

"Come to think of it, the Radiant Sacred Dragon should be able to fly, shouldn't it?"

Xu Yuan made the Radiant Sacred Dragon take physical form as a Martial Soul outside his body. The dragon was nearly three meters long from the start.

Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Xu Yuan stepped onto the Radiant Sacred Dragon's back, straddled it, and guided it upward.

Just as Xu Yuan had expected, the Radiant Sacred Dragon could fly on its own. He did not need to become a Titled Douluo.

The Soul Power cost of carrying a rider was within an acceptable range, too!

But it was early morning. Even with the small grove and thin mist obscuring the view, he did not dare actually take flight.

"I declare that when this spear lands, its tip will point toward the location of Ah Yin's true body!"

Xu Yuan raised his hand and tossed the Light Sacred Dragon Spear. Its tip struck the ground, pointing northwest of Nuoding City.

Barring any surprises, the Blue Silver Emperor was hidden there.

Xu Yuan put away the Light Sacred Dragon Spear and the Radiant Sacred Dragon's dragon spirit. After steadying his breathing, he walked back to the academy.

He planned to wait until his Soul Power broke through to Level 30 before searching for the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

When the time came, he would also look for a third Soul Ring for his Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul.

"Ah, Soul Rings, Soul Rings."

"Where am I supposed to find the next Soul Ring for my Wish-Granting Tree Martial Soul?"

Kind souls like Xiao Wu and Tang Hao, who delivered Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings straight to him, were far too rare.

If he could meet someone like that every time, why would he ever worry about becoming a god?

"I'll probably have to find my third Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest."

The Soul Hunting Forest was adequate for finding a first or second Soul Ring, but Soul Rings over a thousand years old were hard to come by there.

At that point, Soul Masters had little more than three choices.

The Star Dou Great Forest!

The Sunset Forest!

Or the icebound Far North.