Uncle Ning, Could You Help Me Obtain Ten More Soul Rings-Ten-Thousand-Year Ones?

"All right. Fengzhi has spoken, so I suppose I'll give him a try."

Gu Rong shrugged helplessly and walked to the center of the field, facing Xiao Shenghe.

He held back most of his aura, but the invisible pressure of a Titled Douluo still seemed to make the air heavier.

He looked at the boy opposite him, who seemed a little nervous but had a determined gaze, and grinned.

"Boy, show me everything you've got! Don't worry about hurting me. With that little Soul Power of yours, you couldn't even give me a decent scratch. Let me see what's so special about that strange Soul Ring!"

Xiao Shenghe took a deep breath, suppressing his nerves and his instinctive awe before such a formidable expert.

He knew this was the moment to test his newly acquired power, and a chance to show the elders who cared for him what he could do.

"Forgive me, Grandpa Bone!"

He answered in a low voice, his gaze sharpening at once.

At a thought, the deep, mysterious purplish-black Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up!

Unlike the single-colored glow of an ordinary Soul Ring, purple and black intertwined like living things as light flowed through this one, giving off a strange, scorching pulse.

"First Soul Skill!"

Xiao Shenghe shouted, without calling out the skill's name. He simply drove the Soul Ring and the power of his Earth Soul Martial Soul with all his might.

Bzzz—

An invisible wave of heat spread outward from Xiao Shenghe. It was not the heat of flame, but a strange burning sensation that seemed able to stir the very source of life, yet carried the vast loneliness of the stars.

A purplish-black glow coursed faintly beneath his skin, as though stellar fire were surging through his veins.

Then he raised his right hand, palm up.

A fist-sized purplish-black flame, neither wholly solid nor wholly insubstantial, suddenly sprang to life!

It was neither the orange nor the red of an ordinary flame. Its core was a deep purple, while pitch-black tongues of fire leaped at its edges. Within it, tiny stars seemed to flare into being and die, giving off an energy that made the heart tremble.

"Go!"

Xiao Shenghe snapped the word and thrust his palm forward.

The purplish-black flame did not shoot out like an ordinary fire-type Soul Skill. Instead, it drifted toward Bone Douluo Gu Rong along a path that looked slow but followed some profound, elusive pattern.

Where it passed, the air warped slightly, and even the light seemed to be swallowed by a fraction.

"Oh?"

A sharp gleam flashed in Gu Rong's eyes.

He did not dodge. He did not even raise a Soul Power defense, merely watching with interest as the flame drew near.

He wanted to feel its power and properties for himself.

The flame drifted against the air a foot in front of Gu Rong—where he had casually laid an invisible barrier of Soul Power.

Sss!

A faint sound rang out, like a drop of cold water falling into hot oil.

The moment the purplish-black flame touched the barrier, it neither exploded nor burned fiercely. Instead, as though alive, it swiftly "seeped" into the barrier and "clung" to it!

The Soul Power barrier, strong enough to withstand an all-out strike from an ordinary Soul Ancestor, visibly dimmed and thinned, as though the strange flame were rapidly "devouring" or "dissolving" its energy!

Stranger still, Gu Rong sensed that the flame did more than devour Soul Power. It also carried a faint burning sensation aimed at the soul. That was negligible to someone of his cultivation, but its nature was extraordinarily rare.

"Interesting!"

Far from alarmed, Gu Rong looked delighted. He flicked a finger, sending out a surge of purer Soul Power that scattered the already weakened flame.

As it dispersed, the flame became flecks of purplish-black starlight that slowly faded into the air.

"The flame clings tenaciously and devours energy. It even seems capable of burning spiritual power directly... This is no ordinary fire-type Soul Skill."

Gu Rong turned to Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi, his surprise plain in his voice.

"And its energy is of an extremely high order. The instant it touched my Soul Power barrier, it 'tainted' and broke down part of it."

"It felt... a little like facing the Soul Skill of certain top-tier fire-type Martial Souls, yet entirely different. More... domineering and uncanny."

Chen Xin nodded slightly. He had watched more closely.

"The flame didn't look fast, but its path was hard to predict. Did it seem to affect the stability of the surrounding space to some degree?" He looked to Gu Rong for confirmation.

Gu Rong considered it, then nodded.

"Yes. It was extremely faint, but the flow of Soul Power and the space around the flame did feel slightly sluggish. This boy's first Soul Skill already affects space?"

Ning Fengzhi analyzed it from the perspective of a support-type Soul Master.

"When he activated the Soul Skill, Shenghe's vitality and Soul Power surged and became unusually active. His recovery rate also seemed far beyond others at his level."

"This skill appears to give him a powerful boost as well. It isn't merely an attack."

In the field, Xiao Shenghe's face had gone slightly pale after that strike. Clearly, it had cost him a great deal.

But his eyes were bright. He now had a first glimpse of his Soul Skill's power.

He could feel that the strike had been far from the skill's full potential. The undying nature and stellar qualities of the Three Thousand Burning Flame within it seemed to hold deeper applications still waiting to be discovered.

"All right, boy. That's enough."

Gu Rong waved a hand, satisfaction showing on his face.

"Your first Soul Skill might not rank among the best in raw destructive power, but its properties are exceptionally rare and troublesome."

"Energy devouring, spiritual burning, a slight effect on space, and a powerful boost to yourself... Good grief, one Soul Skill has a whole world packed into it. Its potential is limitless. No wonder that Soul Ring of yours looks so unusual."

Even Chen Xin showed a rare hint of approval.

"Your foundation is solid, and your Soul Power control is decent. You'll need to practice using this skill, especially bringing its different properties together."

Ning Fengzhi walked over to Xiao Shenghe and patted his shoulder, speaking gently.

"Well done, Shenghe. This Soul Skill is unique and powerful, but it also seems to consume a great deal of Soul Power. As you train, focus on building up your reserves and improving your recovery. Remember what we told you: use it sparingly when you're away from home."

"Yes, Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone. I'll remember."

Xiao Shenghe bowed respectfully, his heart full of anticipation and drive for the future.

Ning Rongrong had already run over, her big eyes shining with admiration. "Brother He, you're amazing! Even Grandpa Bone said so!"

Gu Rong laughed heartily.

"Little Rongrong, your Brother He does have a few tricks up his sleeve. But he still has a long road ahead!"

He looked at Xiao Shenghe, his gaze holding a measure of genuine regard now.

"Boy, train hard. That Soul Ring and Soul Skill of yours will probably bring you plenty of 'surprises' and 'trouble.'"

"Uncle Ning, I have a request."

On the open field, the test had just ended. Xiao Shenghe had not withdrawn the eye-catching purplish-black Soul Ring. Instead, he turned to Ning Fengzhi and spoke with a solemn expression.

At his words, Ning Fengzhi emerged from his thoughts about the strange Soul Ring, his usual gentle warmth returning to his face.

Assuming Xiao Shenghe had run into a specific difficulty in training or needed certain resources, he smiled kindly.

"Oh? If it's within my power, don't hesitate to ask."

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo also turned their attention to him, while Ning Rongrong tipped up her little face curiously.

Xiao Shenghe drew a deep breath. His gaze swept over the slowly rotating Soul Ring beneath his feet, its purple and black intertwined. As though he had made up his mind, he said clearly:

"I want... to absorb ten more Soul Rings. Ten-thousand-year ones!"