As Yue Guan listened from the side, a thought stirred in his mind.
"If you can cultivate the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in the Food System direction all the way to Titled Douluo, the food you make will definitely exceed all our expectations."
Gui Yuan smiled. "Dad, do you think that if I become a Titled Douluo someday, the food I make will help improve your cultivation too?"
"You said before that the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was an immortal-grade herb. Once my cultivation reaches Titled Douluo, the food I make should deserve to be called 'immortal-grade' too, right?"
Yue Guan froze slightly.
He had never considered that angle before.
That was right!
The idea Gui Yuan had proposed was entirely possible.
A Food System Soul Master reaching Titled Douluo would itself be something without precedent.
Yue Guan laughed. "Then your dad will look forward to it."
He changed the subject. "Do you have any initial thoughts about your first Soul Skill? I'll look through some reference materials over the next few days too. When it comes to this Martial Soul, I doubt anyone in the entire Spirit Hall knows it better than I do."
Gui Yuan thought for a moment, then said, "Something related to increasing physical strength for my first Soul Skill?"
"Increasing physical strength?"
Yue Guan raised an eyebrow, seemingly not quite understanding.
Gui Yuan explained, "Not directly improving my constitution like Whale Rubber, but bringing out the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum's 'adamantine indestructibility' effect through a Soul Skill."
"If I eat the Soul Skill food made this way over a long period, it can help me forge an adamantine, indestructible body."
After hearing this, Yue Guan's eyes brightened slightly. This approach was certainly unique.
Gui Yuan had discovered that Whale Rubber could temper the body two years ago, "entirely by accident."
At the time, he had secretly taken a piece of Whale Rubber and roasted it over a fire, only to be caught red-handed by Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
Later, when they discovered that roasted Whale Rubber could actually temper the body, they had simply handed it over to Spirit Hall.
It sounded simple enough, but Gui Yuan had only been four at the time.
What would a four-year-old know about what was edible and what wasn't?
And so, he had naturally managed to bluff his way through the whole affair.
Yue Guan pondered for a while. "For that sort of Soul Skill, we'll need to look among defensive Soul Beasts. I'll search the reference materials carefully when the time comes."
"But there's something I need to make clear first. I probably haven't explained this to you before."
"When Food System Soul Masters eat food they've made themselves, its effects are halved."
Gui Yuan's brows shifted slightly. He did know about that rule.
In the original story, Oscar often ate his own sausages, and their effects were indeed reduced.
Yue Guan continued, "But you don't need to worry. Once you cultivate to Soul Saint, this drawback should disappear."
For Food System Soul Masters, reaching Soul Saint was a qualitative transformation.
Both the quality of the food they made and the duration of its effects would improve by leaps and bounds.
Afterward, Yue Guan and Gui Mei took him back to the sleeping quarters and began teaching him Spirit Hall's meditation method.
Gui Mei stood to the side, his voice hoarse. "The core of the meditation method lies in drawing external energy into your body, circulating it through a full cycle, and converting it into Soul Power."
"Give it a try."
Gui Yuan sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
Following Gui Mei's guidance, he began sensing the energy around him.
To his surprise, the process went remarkably smoothly.
In less than four hours, Gui Yuan could absorb external energy into his body, circulate it through a full cycle, and gather it into Soul Power of his own.
Gui Mei nodded, a rare hint of satisfaction appearing on his expressionless face. "Your comprehension is quite good. You actually learned it this quickly."
"When some people first encounter the meditation method, those with poor comprehension can spend days or even a month studying without grasping the basics."
Yue Guan smiled from the side. "Of course. Just look at whose son he is."
Gui Mei glanced at him. "What does that have to do with you? You didn't give birth to him. Besides, he clearly takes after me in comprehension."
"You?" Yue Guan immediately took offense. "Since when did you have that kind of comprehension?"
Gui Yuan kept his eyes closed and pretended not to hear.
He was already accustomed to his two dads' daily "sweet exchanges."
Only after cultivating until nightfall did Gui Yuan return to his own room.
After closing the door, he immediately sat cross-legged on the bed.
On the surface, he appeared to be meditating, but his consciousness had actually sunk into his mental world.
The illusory [Artifact Anvil] hovered before him.
Gui Yuan took a deep breath.
He silently said, Activate.
The moment the words fell, four figures of light unfolded before him in succession, each giving off a completely different presence.
[1. Darkin Bow · God Devourer] [Base attributes: +25% Soul Power attack strength, +25% attack speed] [Core effects: Every 10 attacks automatically condense Darkin power into a "God-Devouring Arrow," dealing divine soul damage equal to 500% of base Soul Power attack. Can pierce 3 targets, with damage decreasing by 33% for subsequent targets; The wielder gains the special "Darkin" constitution, granting immunity to mental charm and mental attacks below god level, and resistance to those above god level. Soul Power attacks inflict dark erosion (continually depletes the target's Soul Power)] [2. Horizon Focus · Soul Brew] [Base attributes: +40% Soul Skill power, +15% maximum Soul Power] [Core effects: After a Soul Skill hits an enemy, gain 1 stack of "Soul Brew" (+5% Soul Skill power), lasting until the battle ends. Maximum stacks depend on the user's level; At maximum stacks, Soul Skill damage increases by an additional 20% and inflicts drunkenness (reduces the target's Soul Power circulation speed by 10%)] [3. Lighthield Crest · Radiance] [Base attributes: +20% energy defense, +20% mental defense, +15% maximum Soul Power] [Core effects: Grants the wielder "Dawn Blessing" every 10 seconds, increasing energy defense and mental defense by 10%; If "Dusk Holy Shield · Shadow" is also equipped, activation frequency increases to once every 5 seconds, and the blessing's effects double] [4. Mittens · Combo] [Base attributes: +20% attack speed, +10% Soul Skill power] [Core effects: Attacks have a 15% chance to trigger a combo, launching an additional attack that deals 50% damage; when a combo triggers, the wielder's attack speed increases by 10%]
The descriptions of the four artifacts appeared before his eyes one after another.
Gui Yuan glanced down and saw another line of small print at the bottom.
(Friendly reminder: Base attributes will change as the user's level increases, while core effects remain unchanged. Artifacts are adapted to the Douluo Continent. The host may independently develop Soul Skills suited to himself.)
Only upon seeing that line did Gui Yuan breathe a sigh of relief.
I thought so. These are artifacts, after all. How could they give Soul Masters such tiny boosts?
A twenty-five percent increase in Soul Power attack strength couldn't even compare to a decent hundred-year Soul Skill on the Douluo Continent.
What Soul Ring amplification didn't start at thirty or fifty percent?
But after thinking it over carefully, he understood.
What mattered about artifacts had never been their base attributes, but their core effects.
Just like the Sea God Trident: what truly made it formidable was its ability to counter Sea Soul Beasts and dark-attribute targets, not how much attack power it added.
Among these four artifacts, there was really no need to hesitate.
Hesitating for even one more second would be disrespecting Darkin Bow · God Devourer!