Arriving at Ning Fengzhi's courtyard residence, Gu Yang saw Ning Fengzhi seated at the head of the table.
Ning Fengzhi beckoned to Gu Yang.
"Come, Gu Yang, sit here."
Gu Yang nodded, then went over and sat beside Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Rongrong sat on Ning Fengzhi's other side, facing Gu Yang.
This was not their first dinner like this, so Gu Yang was not particularly reserved.
Dinner was simple, strictly following the standard: four dishes and one soup.
There were not many dishes, and they were simple, but the ingredients alone were expensive, all taken from thousand-year Soul Beasts.
Eating them yielded twice the results for half the effort, whether for cultivation or maintaining health.
Taking the opportunity over dinner, Gu Yang told Ning Fengzhi his plans.
"Sect Master, I'm planning to leave the sect for a while soon."
"For your third Soul Ring?"
"Yes."
Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction, not forgetting to address Ning Rongrong on his other side. "Rongrong, Gu Yang awakened his Martial Soul only two months before you did, and his Soul Power Level has already reached thirty. Yet you're only at seventeen, and all you think about all day is running off to play!"
Relying on Ning Fengzhi's affection for her, Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue. "My Soul Power Level can only reach seventy-nine at most, while Gu Yang's can reach ninety-nine. There's no hurry. I'll give him a twenty-level head start!"
"You little girl..." Hearing Ning Rongrong's absurd reasoning, Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly.
Because of their Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the direct-line disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were indeed limited to a Soul Power Level of seventy-nine.
So the first half of Ning Rongrong's statement was not wrong.
But as for the second half...
It had been so long since anyone on the Douluo Continent had become a god that godhood had become a distant, illusory goal in Soul Masters' hearts.
Thus, the continent's Soul Masters naturally considered level ninety-nine the limit for a Soul Master.
But was Gu Yang's goal really only level ninety-nine?
That would disgrace transmigrators far too much.
Without becoming a god, he would be too embarrassed even to pop up in the group chat.
Unable to do anything about Ning Rongrong, Ning Fengzhi could only turn back to Gu Yang. "Gu Yang, what is the maximum age you can absorb for your third Soul Ring?"
"The maximum age of the Soul Beast I can absorb a ring from is around fifteen thousand years." After reaching Soul Power Level thirty and stabilizing his cultivation, Gu Yang had naturally already asked the AI about the absorption limit for his third Soul Ring.
However, this limit was what his body could withstand. Compared with thousand-year Soul Beasts, ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts actually added Soul Shock to the process of absorbing their Soul Rings.
The impact of the energy tested the body, but the Soul Shock formed by the not-yet-fully-dispersed soul of a high-ranking Soul Beast that had reached ten thousand years after its death was the hardest part to handle.
Even if the body withstood the impact of the Soul Ring's energy, once Soul Shock damaged the mental world, the result would be idiocy at best and death at worst.
Thanks to his Martial Soul, Shikotsumyaku, Gu Yang's body was indeed strong, but its enhancement of his mind was extremely slight.
Gu Yang had also considered how to resolve this problem.
For example, he could strengthen his spiritual power by consuming suitable Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot.
In Gu Yang's view, this was actually the most direct and effective method.
But the key lay in how he was supposed to explain knowing about the existence of the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot.
Naturally, he had to seize the opportunity at the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot. Gu Yang also wanted to find a chance to go out alone, so he could make his story hold together rather than be unable to explain it.
Ning Fengzhi was widely learned and seemed to have thought of this as well.
"There is an essential difference between thousand-year and ten-thousand-year Soul Rings. A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring isn't so easy to absorb. Leaving aside the immense impact of its energy, even the residual Soul Shock from the Soul Beast when you absorb its ring after its death would be very difficult for you to withstand."
"Generally speaking, absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast's Soul Ring requires at least level fifty Soul Power. This is because, when a Soul Master's Soul Power Level reaches fifty, all their bodily functions have reached a certain standard, and their spiritual power also improves accordingly. Only then can they barely attempt to resist the Soul Shock of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."
"But even then, they must be especially careful when absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. One careless mistake, and they would be doomed beyond redemption."
Gu Yang listened quietly, his gaze remaining on Ning Fengzhi throughout.
"Sect Master, do you have a way to deal with this Soul Shock?"
Gu Yang did not believe Ning Fengzhi would yap for so long without anything to follow.
Ning Fengzhi smiled. Aside from admiring Gu Yang's temperament and talent, the key was that Gu Yang was no fool.
Clever people liked clever people.
Ning Fengzhi unhurriedly took a brocade box out of his Storage Soul Tool.
The instant the brocade box opened, a dazzling red glow shone from within.
Only after the light faded slightly could Gu Yang look inside.
It was a bone, something Gu Yang was no stranger to-and a Soul Bone at that, a Head Soul Bone whose preciousness ranked below only an External Soul Bone and a Torso Bone.
The red radiance brimmed with intoxicating energy fluctuations.
Seeing a Soul Bone for the first time, Gu Yang could not help feeling his heart stir.
"Sect Master, this is..."
Ning Fengzhi continued with a smile, "Didn't you ask how to resolve the Soul Shock of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring? To deal with that Soul Shock, you can only start with spiritual power. And the most direct way to strengthen spiritual power is undoubtedly to absorb a spiritual-type Head Soul Bone."
Not enough spiritual power? Make up for it with a Soul Bone!
"This is the Head Soul Bone of a sixty-thousand-year spiritual-type Soul Beast. Since today happens to be your birthday, consider it a birthday present from your Uncle Ning."
"Once you absorb this sixty-thousand-year spiritual Head Soul Bone, you will naturally be able to handle the Soul Shock of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."
"Sect Master, this is a little too precious..."
Did he want it? Of course Gu Yang wanted it!
But he could not accept a reward without merit. Ning Fengzhi was no fool, and Gu Yang did not want to sell himself off just for one Soul Bone.
Yet Ning Fengzhi showed no intention of taking it back.
"Gu Yang, you're Uncle Gu's grandson, so we're family. There's no need for outsiders' formalities between family. It's only a Soul Bone, so don't turn it down."
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's firm attitude, Gu Yang did not make a fuss. He closed the brocade box again and accepted the sixty-thousand-year spiritual Head Soul Bone.
A Soul Bone. Was he finally going to get his first Soul Bone?
Gu Yang had not expected it to happen this way.
The three then began eating.
During the meal, taking advantage of Ning Rongrong's brief absence, Ning Fengzhi suddenly asked, "Gu Yang, what do you think of Rongrong?"
Hearing this, Gu Yang's hand holding his bowl paused.
Sure enough, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Ning Fengzhi definitely had an ulterior purpose in suddenly giving him such a lavish gift!
Well, could he no longer hold back? Was he finally going to lay his cards on the table?
He wanted to buy me off with just one Soul Bone?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
At that thought, Gu Yang did not beat around the bush and refused decisively. "Sect Master, I don't think we're suitable!"