"Cruel?"
"I don't think so. When all is said and done, you're simply too greedy."
At that moment, Bibi Dong's cool voice rang out. "Even if we concede that each enhancement only increases a Soul Ring's age by one tenth, enhancing it to ten would still more than double its age.
"Gui Mei, Yue Guan, you're both Titled Douluos. Think carefully: with your Soul Ring ages more than doubled, how many Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings would you have? And just how far would your strength rise?"
Ah!
Well!
Her words instantly brought Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo to their senses.
That was right.
They really had been too greedy.
By His Holiness the Pope's calculations, their ninth Soul Rings becoming Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings was a certainty.
Even their Eighth Soul Rings, which were only a little over forty thousand years old, could be enhanced into Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
A Titled Douluo with two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings could practically swagger across the Douluo Continent, as long as he didn't go courting death, right?
Ghost Douluo thought to himself.
Chrysanthemum Douluo even bowed. "Your Holiness is right to reprimand us. We were indeed too greedy."
"Good, as long as you understand." Bibi Dong nodded and said no more.
Yet inwardly, she felt some regret. If only that drawback could be resolved. With the Spirit Hall's support, her strength would then reach a truly terrifying level.
Just then, however, Hu Liena spoke. "Teacher, Elders, the shopkeeper said that if you're lucky, you can get an Enhancement Protection Scroll. Even if an enhancement above ten fails, the worst that happens is that all previous enhancement effects are reset. The Soul Ring won't shatter."
What?
It really could be prevented?
This was truly a pillow arriving just as they grew sleepy.
Bibi Dong's heart trembled at those words, but her face betrayed nothing.
Ghost Douluo grew impatient, his eyes brimming with delighted surprise. "That's wonderful! Quick, tell me where that little shop is. I'm going there right now to get ninety Enhancers and enhance every one of my Soul Rings to ten."
Good grief, did he think Enhancers were cabbages, that they were so easy to get?
And his enhancements would never fail, would they? Straight to ten every time?
Xie Yue and Yan both wore peculiar expressions, at a loss for words.
"That little shop is called the Lucky Jar Shop. It's on the busiest street in Spirit City. There should be quite a few people lining up there now."
Seeing Ghost Douluo about to take his leave, Hu Liena hurriedly reminded him, "Please wait, Elder. There's no need to rush off to open jars. The shopkeeper said they're limited. Each person can only open ten jars a week."
"But..." Ghost Douluo wanted to say more, only to be interrupted.
Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "No buts. Calm down, old ghost. Since the jars are limited, what's the rush? Why not see what treasures Xie Yue got first and think about what you actually need?"
Ghost Douluo nodded. "You do have a point..."
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong also sank into thought.
This little shop seems more extraordinary by the moment.
Even obtaining a reward that increased Soul Ring age through trials left behind by a god was an extremely cumbersome process.
How could it compare to simply tossing a Soul Ring into an Enhancer?
It was utterly outrageous.
Could this shopkeeper be a representative a god left in the mortal world?
At that thought, Bibi Dong felt it was quite possible.
Just like Qian Daoliu of the Spirit Hall and Bo Saixi of Sea God Island.
Unfortunately, the Douluo Continent had almost no records of gods beyond the Sea God, the Asura God, the Rakshasa God, and the Angel God.
She had no way to guess his true background.
Forget it. Hearing of someone is no substitute for meeting them. I'll find an opportunity to go there myself and meet this mysterious shopkeeper.
That was what Bibi Dong thought.
Meanwhile...
Xie Yue had taken out another small box and opened it for everyone to see.
It contained neither a Soul Bone nor an Enhancer.
Instead, there were two little yellow-and-green objects.
Chrysanthemum Douluo pondered for a moment before asking tentatively, "What are those? They're so small. They can't be all that useful, can they?"
How shallow. Everything from that shop is a quality item. Small as they are, they're the concentrated essence... Hu Liena turned to Xie Yue. "Brother, tell the two Elders what these are."
Xie Yue nodded. "These two little capsules are called Experience Capsules. Once used, they can increase soul power..."
"Wait."
"That tiny thing can increase soul power?"
Ghost Douluo froze and asked.
It was not that he wanted to doubt him. The things Xie Yue produced were simply too strange.
And each was different from the last.
"You don't believe him, Elder?"
A slight smile curved Hu Liena's lips as she asked.
"I'm curious, that's all."
Ghost Douluo gave an embarrassed smile, though on his stiff face, it looked uglier than crying.
He looked like an ancient corpse that had not rotted in its coffin, suddenly climbing out to give someone an eerie smile.
"Xie Yue, stop keeping us in suspense. Just use it and show us."
Chrysanthemum Douluo could not help urging him on as well.
He had a vague feeling that this might be another supreme treasure, no less valuable than a Soul Bone.
At this point, someone was bound to ask why he felt that way...
Heh. Don't ask.
If you had to ask, it was a woman's intuition.
"Mm."
Xie Yue gave a soft assent and, without any hesitation, put the Experience Capsule straight into his mouth.
Boom!
The next instant, Xie Yue felt as though a volcano had erupted inside him. Vast amounts of soul power spread directly through his limbs and every part of his body.
His soul power ceiling was rising rapidly.
"His aura is growing stronger. The Experience Capsule does indeed increase soul power..."
Seeing this, Bibi Dong gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Amazing. Truly amazing. The speed at which his soul power is increasing leaves one tongue-tied."
Ghost Douluo could not help murmuring, shock showing on his face.
As before, despite having lived for decades, this was the first time he had seen anyone increase their soul power this way.
He could not help wondering how those Experience Capsules were made.
How could they directly increase someone's soul power?
"Wonderful. This is truly wonderful."
"If this has no level restrictions or drawbacks, wouldn't taking it continuously give me a chance of breaking through to level ninety-six in a short time?"
Different people sought different things. Ghost Douluo wanted to enhance his Soul Rings, while Chrysanthemum Douluo yearned to increase his soul power.
A short while later, Xie Yue's aura gradually stabilized.
"It seems you've taken another step toward level fifty. That tiny Experience Capsule has saved you several months of cultivation."
Bibi Dong nodded.
Ghost Douluo speculated, "Still, something that suddenly increases your strength like this is bound to leave your combat power inflated. You'll surely need to spend some time honing it afterward."
"Some honing will definitely be necessary."
Chrysanthemum Douluo wholeheartedly agreed with that remark.
Xie Yue, however, shook his head, rejecting their views.
"There's no need. The strength gained through an Experience Capsule has none of the drawbacks you two Elders mentioned."
Seeing their disbelief, Xie Yue added, "Actually, as my strength increased, I also gained many insights into techniques for using soul power. The effect is exactly the same as several months of diligent cultivation. If you don't believe me, I still have one Experience Capsule left. I'll take it now and show you.
"And I believe that after taking this one, my soul power will definitely break through to level fifty, and I'll officially become a Soul King."