Once, twice, three times.
Pop.
The mist burst apart and dissipated into the air.
Gui Mei looked at him expressionlessly. "Keep going."
Gui Yuan tried another dozen or so times. Finally, on his twentieth attempt, a crooked, slender black needle condensed in his palm.
Its shape was ugly, its presence weak and highly unstable. It was nowhere near the level of the needle Gui Mei had condensed.
But at least he had succeeded.
Gui Mei nodded slightly. "Not bad. Faster than I expected."
"Condensing a slender needle requires very strong control. I originally thought you wouldn't manage it even with an entire afternoon."
"Now let's look at the second one, Shadow Step."
Gui Mei took a step, his figure instantly blurring as he appeared five meters away.
A faint afterimage remained where he had stood, then dissipated.
"Use Netherworld Power to cover both legs, increasing your movement speed for a short time. The distance and duration depend on your degree of control over Netherworld Power."
"These two skills, Netherworld Needle and Shadow Step, will be the Soul Skills you need to study seriously over the next year or two."
"Once you're proficient, they'll be enough to protect yourself, and they'll also help improve your cultivation."
Learning these two Soul Skills required him to continually expend Soul Power.
Once his Soul Power was exhausted, he needed to meditate to recover it.
Through this repeated process, the Soul Power within Gui Yuan would slowly accumulate and increase.
That evening.
After eating dinner, Gui Yuan rested briefly, then returned to his bed and sat cross-legged, beginning his meditation and cultivation.
Initially, there was a limit to how long a Soul Master could meditate. His spiritual power and body could not endure it for too long.
But as his cultivation realm rose, this limit would slowly disappear.
After reaching Soul Elder, many Soul Masters could even meditate all day.
This was also one reason cultivation became faster after rank thirty than it had been in the early stages.
Five days later.
Today was the day Gui Yuan would obtain his First Soul Ring.
Inside the Supreme Pontiff's Hall.
Bibi Dong still sat in the seat of honor, with Hu Liena seated diagonally below her.
When Gui Yuan met Hu Liena's foxlike eyes, she even cast him a flirtatious wink.
Gui Yuan simply ignored it.
Over these five days, Hu Liena had also come to chat with Gui Yuan in between cultivating.
Although they had known each other before, it had been different from these past few days.
Previously, Hu Liena had known Gui Yuan entirely because of Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo.
But now?
Gui Yuan was her junior brother, so their relationship was naturally closer.
Hu Liena found it a little strange. She believed she had cultivated her power of charm quite thoroughly.
Even without using a Soul Skill, her whole being was naturally enchanting.
So why hadn't it been working very well on this little junior brother of hers lately?
Bibi Dong said to Gui Yuan, "I won't be accompanying you to obtain your First Soul Ring this time."
"I'll have your First Dad and Second Dad go with you."
"I still have many matters to attend to in Spirit Hall. We'll discuss it again when you need to hunt Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old."
Gui Yuan nodded. "Yes, Teacher."
Bibi Dong then turned to Yue Guan and Gui Mei. "Do your best to hunt the Soul Beast ranked first in compatibility. There's no need to rush. Understood?"
"Understood."
Over those five days, Bibi Dong and Yue Guan had selected thirty suitable Soul Beasts for Gui Yuan, ranked from first to thirtieth.
The list recorded their habits, the Soul Skills they might yield, and other details.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei took Gui Yuan straight toward Star Dou Great Forest.
They did not choose to take a carriage. That would have been too slow.
Gui Mei was very fast. Five days later, they reached the outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest.
That was mainly out of consideration for what Gui Yuan could endure. Otherwise, Gui Mei could actually have arrived sooner.
As they entered Star Dou Great Forest, Gui Yuan clutched the list and followed beside Yue Guan.
Occasionally, low beast roars came from the depths, carrying a faint, elusive pressure.
"Most Soul Beasts in the outer region are between a hundred and a thousand years old. Just right for you," Yue Guan said as they walked.
His footsteps were light, barely making a sound as he stepped on the fallen leaves.
Gui Mei was like a shadow, sometimes scouting ahead, sometimes disappearing among the treetops.
"Ironback Turtle. Ranked eighteenth."
Yue Guan stopped beside a pool and pointed at a hazy outline at the bottom.
"Around three hundred and fifty years old. Too young. Absorbing it would waste your physique."
The second day.
"Vajra Ape. Ranked twenty-fifth."
Yue Guan crouched on a fallen tree trunk, gazing at an enormous black ape pounding the ground in the distance.
"Seven hundred years old. Too old for you to withstand, and its ranking is too low anyway."
At dusk on the third day, they encountered a Black Armor Rhinoceros.
"Black Armor Rhinoceros. Ranked eleventh."
Yue Guan examined it carefully. "Its age is suitable, somewhere around five hundred to seven hundred years."
"But its ranking isn't high. We can keep looking and see whether we can find one in the top five, or even the first."
Gui Mei emerged from the shadows and said evenly, "Let's go farther. Up ahead is the boundary between the outer and mixed regions. There are more varieties of Soul Beasts there."
The fourth day.
They arrived near a marsh.
The vegetation here was denser, and the air carried a damp, rank smell.
"Earth Armor Crocodile. Ranked seventh."
"Wrong age. Too young."
"Rockscale Python. Ranked fourth."
"A little too old. Forget it."
Gui Yuan followed behind them, feeling somewhat helpless.
He had to admit that searching for a suitable Soul Beast was truly dull and tedious.
They had encountered quite a few suitable Soul Beasts, but either their ages were wrong or their rankings were less than ideal.
Fortunately, since Yue Guan and Gui Mei were both Titled Douluo, no Soul Beasts blind enough to attack them had appeared.
The faint traces of presence the Titled Douluo gave off alone were enough to keep these Soul Beasts from approaching.
"Don't rush." Yue Guan patted his head. "Finding a Soul Beast isn't something you can rush, especially when you're looking for the one ranked first."
Early on the tenth morning.
Gui Mei suddenly stopped and raised a hand in a signal.
All three fell silent at once.
Deep within a dense stretch of woods ahead, they could vaguely make out vines with a pale golden sheen entwined around a massive tree.
The vines were as thick as an arm, their surfaces covered in fine, dense golden markings, their leaves thick and tough.
The entire vine sprawled among the treetops like a sleeping giant python.
Yue Guan narrowed his eyes and watched for a moment, the corners of his mouth slowly rising. "Vajra Vine."
Among the thirty suitable Soul Beasts, this one ranked first.
It had a rare bloodline and an extremely singular ability focused on defense, and it was a Plant-type Soul Beast!
His Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul was a plant type, after all. Although plant types could also absorb animal Soul Beasts, if they could find a Plant-type Soul Beast with a suitable bloodline, then a plant type would certainly take priority!
Beside him, Gui Mei observed it for a while. "Judging by the thickness of its vines and the density of its golden markings, it's a little over six hundred years old. Just within Xiao Yuan's tolerance."
Yue Guan smiled. "We're lucky. This thing is even harder to find than the second-ranked Iron Armor Dragon Turtle."
The Vajra Vine was an extremely rare existence among Plant-type Soul Beasts.
It had no offensive capabilities and could not move. Its sole trait was its astonishing defense.
Furthermore, because its roots ran extremely deep, anyone seeking its Soul Ring had to sever its root system first, or it would keep regenerating.
"Let's do it," Gui Mei said evenly.