The moon hung high overhead.
Lin Qian woke to the cries of Cicada Birds.
After being marked by the little fox, he had also been locked onto by the Silver Dragon King deep within the forest.
But his head was splitting at the moment, leaving him no time to spare for any of that.
"You're awake?"
Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was roaming freely.
Lin Qian's temper flared. "You certainly look relaxed! If I hadn't told you to stop just now, your energy would've blasted me to death!"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm conjured an ocean within the Sea of Consciousness, his enormous body rolling through it.
Hearing Lin Qian, he turned over with the waves. "It was my first time too. I had no experience! Besides, once you told me to stop, didn't I seal my power and hit the brakes in time?~"
Lin Qian thought it over. "True. I'm level eighty-three now. On the Douluo Continent, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is so thin, I've gained three whole levels!"
After all, by his original estimate, cultivating step by step might not have brought him those three levels even after several years. As long as he refined the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's remaining power, he could at least reach Titled Douluo.
After that, things would be simple. Once he was a little older, he would take part in all sorts of divine trials. With a god's blessing, wouldn't his level shoot straight up?
"Tian Meng, thank you!"
In the end, Lin Qian offered his heartfelt thanks. Without him, he really might not have been able to surpass Tang San within the limited time he had!
After all, the only way to deal with a cheating bastard was to use even bigger cheats. With Tian Meng as his enormous power bank, ascending someday was no longer a dream!
Finally encountering a living person, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm poured out his grievances through tears and sobs. "I was just a poor little bug from the Far North. While fleeing for my life, I fell into an ice cavern and accidentally obtained ten-thousand-year cold marrow..."
Being hunted, falling off a cliff, and obtaining a cultivation method should have been the script of a male lead rising to the pinnacle of life. Unfortunately, because of his own limitations and lack of clear understanding, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had fled from place to place, ultimately falling into the hands of several Ferocious Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.
His dual attributes of ultimate ice and spiritual power made those bastards feel they had found a priceless treasure, and they squeezed him dry without mercy.
"...If I hadn't met you, I would've died without even a place to be buried. Little Qian-Qian, you have to avenge me!"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's body wriggled wildly. His tiny eyes blinked, a trace of slyness flashing through them.
At this, Lin Qian gave a scoff. "Please. She's a god-king-level Soul Beast! With this little body of mine, even adding you in, we wouldn't be a match for one of her fingers!"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's eyes widened. "You're this strong, and you still can't beat her?"
Lin Qian smiled mysteriously. "Not right now, but who knows about the future?~"
Tian Meng's eyes rolled again. "Fine. Anyway, I didn't let them have my most precious first time, and I finally escaped. Little Qian-Qian, my life and everything I have are riding on you. Work hard at cultivating, undo the seals soon, and take me soaring with you!"
Afterward, Tian Meng explained the characteristics of his Soul Ring once more.
It was much like in the original story. After the Soul Ring was obtained, its age would gradually increase with his strength. The energy he had sealed inside Lin Qian alone was enough to support ten Soul Rings reaching the hundred-thousand-year level.
After hearing his description, Lin Qian summed up the key points. "So my first Soul Ring will not only keep evolving, but can also produce four Soul Skills, and you're effectively my second Martial Soul?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "That's right. The Martial Soul I've given you is ice, but it has no form, only an attribute." At this point, he began to fidget, his face turning bright red. "If... I mean, if... we get the chance later, let's visit the Far North and help you acquire the first Soul Ring for your ice attribute~"
If it had been someone else, such as Huo Yuhao from Douluo II, he would never have bothered explaining in such detail. They could simply listen and do as they were told.
But with Lin Qian, the man who had taken his first time and also learned the secret of his dream goddess, he did not mind revealing a little~
How did that saying go?
Good brothers, under one blanket!
Lin Qian thought, What a coincidence. I really am interested in the Ice Empress~
So he agreed without hesitation, promising to head to the Far North to find (win over) the Ice Empress once he had his hands free.
On the way back, Lin Qian asked, "My acting was so good at the start. How did you spot the flaw?"
Tian Meng said, "Hmph, hmph. Your performance really was flawless. You almost fooled me. But... you overlooked the most important thing!"
"What?"
"Whenever Bingbing sees me, she either tries to kill me or curses at me. She's never given me a friendly look, much less rushed over to hit on me!"
Lin Qian shrugged. "Fine, you damned bootlicker."
Tian Meng went wild. "Don't I have any dignity? Don't call me that!"
"Sure, you damned bootlicker."
"Aaaargh!"
"..."
Day turned to night, then night to day.
Lin Qian had been gone for two days, and Hu Liena had worried for two days.
When she saw that familiar figure, tears of excitement filled her eyes.
"You damned bootlicker!"
"You narcissist!"
"May you die a horrible death!"
"???" Hu Liena quietly appeared behind him and said in a low, eerie voice, "Who are you talking to?"
Like a husband caught cheating, Lin Qian looked terrified. "Do you walk without making a sound? You scared me!"
Hu Liena repeated mechanically, "Who are you talking to?"
"No one. I was so happy that I started talking to myself."
"Really?"
"Really!"
Unnerved by Hu Liena's stare, Lin Qian turned away guiltily. "Ghost Elder, I've obtained my Soul Rings!"
"Let me see!"
Compared with Hu Liena, he was more curious about Lin Qian's Soul Rings and Soul Skills.
Hum!
Lin Qian activated his Soul Power, and three Soul Rings emerged from his body.
Black, black, black!
Three deep-black Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, shimmering with a profound, mysterious light.
According to Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's theory, Soul Masters could only hunt Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and absorb their rings starting with their fifth Soul Ring.
Now Lin Qian's first Soul Ring was already ten thousand years old, and he had three of them. It was practically slapping Yu Xiaogang's face with resounding smacks!
"Junior brother, are those Soul Rings of yours genuine?"
Hu Liena's reaction was even more exaggerated than Ghost Douluo's. She could hardly believe her eyes!
In fact, Lin Qian's Soul Rings really were fake.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao had been weak, leaving the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm no choice but to disguise himself as a white ten-year Soul Ring to avoid attracting attention.
Lin Qian was powerful, so a Ten-Year Soul Ring would look fake, while a Million-Year Soul Ring would be far too shocking. He had therefore chosen a compromise, having Tian Meng simulate three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings so he could return and report back.
Once his Soul Power was higher, he could slowly increase the ages of his Soul Rings.
"Of course they're real. I might fool anyone else, but never you, senior sister!" Lin Qian said with a smile.
With the youth gazing at her, all smiles, Hu Liena blushed faintly and turned her head away.
Ghost Douluo pressed, "Then what are your Soul Skills?"
"The ones I hunted this time were spiritual-type Soul Beasts, so all three Soul Skills are related to spiritual power-
First Soul Skill: Spiritual Detection.
Second Soul Skill: Simulation.
Third Soul Skill: Group Weakening."
"What? Spiritual-type Soul Beasts? That's rather a waste of heaven's gifts!"
Ghost Douluo was somewhat disappointed after hearing this. He believed Lin Qian's talent made becoming a Power Attack System Soul Master no problem at all. Why had he gone into support?
"But..." Lin Qian continued, "The Soul Beasts I hunted were old and had excellent attributes. Each Soul Ring gave me four skills. In other words-
I have twelve Soul Skills."
Ghost Douluo and Hu Liena: "!!!"