Gui Mei looked at Gui Yuan. "Xiao Yuan, what do you think of this Soul Beast?"
Gui Yuan nodded. "Second Dad, let's go with this one."
Although the theoretical knowledge he had mastered over the past few days was still limited, this Vajra Vine was one of the Soul Beasts they had wanted most on this trip.
He had committed everything about determining a Vajra Vine's age and the possible types of Soul Skills it could produce to memory.
Gui Mei said no more and moved.
He came before the enormous tree and pressed both hands against its trunk.
Black netherworld power spread downward along the roots, reaching deep into the soil.
The Vajra Vine's roots sprawled deep underground, thick and tough, like a net that not even the wind could penetrate.
Gui Mei's netherworld power seeped into every root as though it were alive.
Gradually, the enormous tree began to tremble, and the soil kept heaving up and collapsing.
The Vajra Vine's tendrils shook violently, their golden patterns flickering as though it were struggling.
But against the rank-ninety-five Gui Mei, its resistance was nowhere near enough.
Several minutes later, the netherworld power had completely eaten through all its roots. The Vajra Vine's tendrils began to wither, their golden luster rapidly fading until they were dull and lightless.
Yue Guan called from the side, "Xiao Yuan, hurry and finish it off."
Gui Yuan took a dagger from his Soul Tool and stepped forward.
He located the base of the Vajra Vine's main stem and slashed down.
The Vajra Vine lost all signs of life. Pale golden light spilled from the cut, gradually condensing into a yellow Soul Ring.
He had not chosen to finish it off with the Netherworld Needle.
He had only been learning the Netherworld Needle for a few days and could barely form it. Its power was mediocre, and its accuracy left much to be desired. A dagger was more practical.
Gui Mei came to Gui Yuan's side and said calmly, "Just draw the Soul Ring toward you using the method we taught you."
"While you're absorbing it, keep thinking that you want a Food System skill."
"It might be a bit of mysticism, but perhaps it can increase your chances of success a little."
After all, this Vajra Vine was a Defense System Soul Beast and would give Gui Yuan one of two random outcomes.
One was a conventional Defense System Soul Skill, and the other was a Food System Soul Skill.
Gui Yuan nodded, sat down cross-legged, and began drawing the Soul Ring toward him while silently repeating, Food System, Food System, Food System.
Was this sort of thinking really mysticism? Not entirely.
Among the long-established families on the Douluo Continent, such as the Dai Family with their White Tiger and the Yu Family with their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the first three Soul Rings were relatively fixed.
How did they obtain the Soul Skills they wanted?
Even if they hunted the same kind of Soul Beast, it couldn't produce the same Soul Skill every time, could it?
After all, everyone knew that the Soul Skills produced were random.
Then there was only one possibility-the Soul Masters were thinking about what they wanted while absorbing their Soul Rings, too.
Of course, this "theory" had never been verified.
But Gui Yuan felt that thinking about it cost him nothing anyway.
Whether his first Soul Ring gave him a Food System skill or a Defense System skill, he could still cultivate.
As the Soul Ring entered his body, a tremendous surge of power flooded his limbs and every part of his body.
The Vajra Vine's Soul Power rampaged through him. Gui Yuan gritted his teeth and guided that power along the pathways of his meditation method.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his skin, and his face grew slightly pale.
But he had taken whale rubber, and his constitution was a cut above that of his peers.
He could withstand this much impact.
A day and a night passed.
The Soul Ring around Gui Yuan gradually stabilized, its radiance drawing inward as it solidified around him.
But in the next instant, a sudden change occurred.
Gui Yuan's first Soul Ring abruptly turned from yellow to purple. The radiance of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring flowed around him, and his Soul Power fluctuations surged.
Immediately afterward, a bow-shaped weapon appeared before him out of thin air.
The bow was dark purple, a deep luster flowing over its surface as it gave off a presence that made the heart tremble.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei both caught their breath.
That presence was too powerful. It was like some force that stood above this world; even the mere ripples it released made their scalps prickle.
"Old Ghost, what's going on?!" Yue Guan's voice was low, and he had clearly grown tense.
Gui Mei shook his head. "I'm not sure either. Let's wait until Xiao Yuan finishes absorbing it. From the looks of things, his life shouldn't be in danger."
At that moment, Gui Yuan slowly opened his eyes and stood, looking at the bow in his hand with a face full of "confusion."
According to his earlier plan, he intended to attribute both the increase in his Soul Ring's age and the appearance of the Darkin Bow to a god's inheritance.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei spoke at the same time. "Xiao Yuan, what is this?"
Gui Yuan fell silent for a moment, then said, "First Dad, Second Dad, I think I've received some god's inheritance."
"This is the divine artifact he gave me. He also increased my Soul Ring's age."
"A god's inheritance?!"
Yue Guan and Gui Mei both widened their eyes.
Despite all they had seen and learned, neither had expected this at all.
Gui Yuan nodded. "Yes, but I don't know this god's name. The inheritance just suddenly... descended."
"For now, it doesn't seem to require much of me. I just need to cultivate properly."
Yue Guan composed himself. "Can you let us take a look at this bow?"
Gui Yuan nodded and handed over the Darkin Bow.
Gui Mei reached out to take it.
But the instant his fingertips touched the bow, a darkin presence erupted and invaded his body.
Gui Mei jerked his hand back as though shocked, his expression changing drastically.
"Second Dad, are you all right?"
"Old Ghost!"
Gui Yuan and Yue Guan shouted at the same time.
Gui Mei shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm all right."
"But this divine artifact seems to recognize its master. Just touching it gave me an intense stabbing pain in my mind."
"And although the bow looks light, I could clearly feel how heavy it was just now. I might not be able to lift it."
He paused, still somewhat shaken. "Of course, that was only my first impression. I don't dare touch it again now."
Yue Guan asked curiously, "Can you use this divine artifact now? Also, can you put it away?"
Gui Yuan said, "With my current Soul Power, it'll probably be difficult to use. Even if I can, I should only be able to fire one arrow."
With a thought, the Darkin Bow vanished from his hand.
Gui Mei steadied his breathing and said calmly, "Tell your teacher about this when we get back."
"Perhaps she'll know something. If she doesn't, the Great Enshrined might."
Yue Guan nodded as well. "Yes, let's set this aside for now. Receiving a god's inheritance is a tremendous blessing for you, kid."
"And your Soul Ring's age even increased. A thousand years for your very first ring!"
"Take a careful look. What rank is your Soul Power now? Is your Soul Skill Food System or Defense System?"
Gui Yuan closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes inside him, then said, "My Soul Power should be rank fourteen now."
"Rank-fourteen Soul Power?" Yue Guan was somewhat puzzled. "That shouldn't be right. A six-hundred-year Soul Ring should only raise your Soul Power by two ranks at most."
Gui Mei said, "Perhaps it's because of that divine artifact, or perhaps because the Soul Ring's age increased. That could account for the extra two ranks."
Gui Yuan laughed inwardly. He didn't even have to go out of his way to explain it.
Those extra two ranks were the two ranks of Soul Power that [Level Up!] had rewarded him with at the beginning.
Once he cultivated another two ranks himself, bringing his Soul Power to rank sixteen, he would trigger [Level Up!] again, instantly raising his Soul Power to rank seventeen!
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