An Unexpected Discovery: Void Crystal Jade Bamboo

Knowing that Mo An and Ning Rongrong were nearly as sturdy as Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, Sword Douluo released enough pressure to overwhelm a level 21 Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. When neither of them budged, he slowly increased it.

As the pressure approached the level of a three-ring Soul Elder, Ning Rongrong could no longer withstand it and fell. Based on what they had learned from more than half a year of experiments, her First Soul Ring could probably bear an age of a little over nine hundred years.

Soul Masters of this era on the Douluo Continent had remarkably fragile bodies. Nearly all of them hit hard but broke easily, which was why Tang San's Hidden Weapons so often proved devastating.

Even though Ning Rongrong could withstand pressure approaching that of a three-ring Soul Elder, and could theoretically absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as her first, they still needed to estimate conservatively to avoid an accident during absorption.

Ning Fengzhi helped the slightly exhausted Ning Rongrong to a seat nearby. She watched Mo An, who was still standing under Grandpa Jian's pressure, with admiration in her eyes.

Whale Rubber, Immortal Herbs, persuading Poison Douluo, Innate Full Soul Power—each of these marked Mo An as exceptional and compelling in a world where strength reigned supreme.

Most importantly, whenever Mo An found something good, he shared the benefits with her.

Once Ning Rongrong was out of range, Sword Douluo saw that Mo An was still doing well. He raised the pressure to the level of a three-ring Soul Elder, then increased it one level at a time.

The leap from a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster to a three-ring Soul Elder was enormous. With a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, one Soul Elder could take on more than a dozen Soul Grandmasters.

For Mo An, who did not yet have even one ring, pressure at a Soul Elder's level was still too much. He felt its weight and fought with all his might to resist it.

Level 32...

Level 35...

Level 39...

As Mo An struggled desperately, an even stronger pressure surged from Sword Douluo and bore down on him like the sky falling. It forced him to one knee. "Grandpa Jian, stop. I really can't take any more."

"Incredible, absolutely incredible. I had to raise the pressure all the way to a Soul Ancestor's level to bring you down. Your First Soul Ring will be unprecedented—and perhaps never surpassed."

Sword Douluo stood among the strongest of the Douluo Continent's second tier. Mo An was the first person ever to earn such praise from him.

Mo An silently grumbled at the compliment. Ten thousand years from now, there'll be someone called Huo Yuhao. His First Soul Ring will be a million years old and give him four Soul Skills. That's a real cheat.

"Soul Ancestor-level pressure? Going by our earlier experiments, doesn't that mean Little An can absorb a First Soul Ring around four thousand years old?"

"Uncle Jian, you're not joking, are you?"

Even Ning Fengzhi doubted the conclusion he had just drawn. A First Soul Ring over four thousand years old—if he had not worked it out himself, he would never have dared imagine it.

"Fengzhi, do you think I'd lie about something like this?"

Sword Douluo understood Ning Fengzhi's disbelief. He had doubted it himself and had released the same pressure again to test it. That was why Mo An had begged him to stop.

Hearing Uncle Jian's answer, Ning Fengzhi gave a helpless smile. "This... sigh. It's simply unbelievable."

"I never expected the Immortal Herb to be this powerful, either."

Mo An was just as stunned. He had only planned on obtaining a Soul Ring a little over a thousand years old. Who could have expected such an astonishing windfall?

Once he had accepted it, Ning Fengzhi turned to the most pressing question. "In that case, the eight-hundred-year-old Wishful Vine we found won't do for your First Soul Ring. Little An, what do you plan to do?"

"I can't think of a suitable Soul Beast right now."

If he was aiming for a Soul Beast around four thousand years old, his original choice might no longer be the best. He would probably have to stay up late searching through books tonight.

"I do know of a Soul Beast that might suit you."

Seeing Mo An stumped at last, Ning Fengzhi offered the suggestion and immediately caught his attention.

Mo An stopped searching his memory of the Green Bamboo Compendium and looked at Ning Fengzhi. "Uncle Ning, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me."

Under Mo An's expectant gaze, Ning Fengzhi slowly said, "A four-thousand-one-hundred-year-old Plant-Type Soul Beast: Void Crystal Jade Bamboo."

"Wait, Uncle Ning. Wasn't Void Crystal Jade Bamboo supposed to be extinct?"

Mo An looked at Ning Fengzhi doubtfully.

The Green Bamboo Compendium contained a record of Void Crystal Jade Bamboo, but its last known sighting had been over six hundred years ago. Since then, no human had seen it.

The Soul Beast Compendium updated by Spirit Hall two hundred years ago had even declared it extinct.

"It isn't extinct. Just over ten years ago, someone rediscovered one in an area of extremely unstable space near the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest's middle region. They sold the information to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"As luck would have it, that Void Crystal Jade Bamboo is just over four thousand one hundred years old. I'd intended it to be your third or fourth Soul Ring, but now it seems exceptionally well suited to be your first."

Without keeping Mo An in suspense, Ning Fengzhi laid out what he knew.

According to the records, Void Crystal Jade Bamboo was an exceptionally rare, elusive Plant-Type Soul Beast. It grew only in places where spatial energy was unusually active and the ground was highly unstable.

Void Crystal Jade Bamboo possessed unusual Space Element abilities. Ordinarily, it shrank itself and hid within a special Reflection Space, one reason it was so difficult to find. To hunt, it released a peculiar spiritual secretion that lured prey close, then expanded in an instant and impaled it with its rigid body.

It therefore had a small chance of granting a Soul Master a Space Element Soul Skill, and a much greater chance of granting a Soul Skill that could freely change the size of their Martial Soul or make it harder.

Any one of those three Soul Skills would suit Mo An perfectly.

The mere thought made Mo An impatient to set out. He looked at Ning Fengzhi expectantly. "Uncle Ning, can we leave tomorrow and get the Soul Ring as soon as possible?"

"Hahaha! Of course."

At last, Ning Fengzhi had regained a little face in front of the young genius who seemed to know a bit about everything and had startled him time and again. He agreed with a laugh.

Ning Rongrong's First Soul Ring was less of a concern. Because of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul's unique nature, any Soul Beast around nine hundred years old that enhanced strength would do, regardless of its type.