Xu Tianran stopped laughing and turned his sharp gaze toward the three Soul Masters. "Did any of you experience discomfort during the absorption process?"
"Other than a slight prickling pain in my head, none at all," the Fire Tiger Soul Master leading them immediately replied.
Xu Tianran looked at Lu Ren. "Why is that?"
"The Soul Spirits I gave them were of a relatively high tier, and their own Spiritual Power was insufficient. That was what caused the prickling pain in their heads," Lu Ren explained. "To absorb a Soul Spirit, one's Spiritual Power must meet the required standard."
"Of course, the requirement isn't particularly high. Ordinary Soul Masters can generally meet it, provided they don't have an innate deficiency in Spiritual Power."
"Moreover, a Soul Spirit can provide a Soul Master with multiple Soul Rings. As the Soul Master's cultivation improves, the same Soul Spirit can continue evolving and provide its host with subsequent Soul Rings, sparing them the trouble of repeatedly hunting Soul Beasts."
"The advent of the Soul Spirit Contract will consign the resource shortage that has plagued the entire continent for tens of thousands of years to history."
"That's because Soul Spirits can be cultivated independently, can continue evolving, and can even be passed down to one's descendants."
"Soul Spirits won't disappear when their Soul Masters die. Instead, they can be passed down through generations within a family. This effectively transforms Soul Rings from a nonrenewable resource into an inheritable one."
Hearing this, Xu Tianran's gaze settled on Lu Ren.
He studied the boy before him, who was only fifteen, and an exceedingly complicated feeling welled up inside him.
There was appreciation and apprehension, but more than anything, an unprecedented sense of anticipation.
Not only had this boy pioneered a technology capable of changing the continent's