"? Is that necessary? As long as it's returned to the Gate of Babylon, even if a Martial Soul that was fired out is lost, a new one can slowly form inside the Gate of Babylon."
Jing Shanshan spoke without a ripple crossing his face, leaving several question marks hanging over Qian Renxue's head.
"Are you kidding me! You mean they can regenerate?!"
"Of course. Didn't I say it stored every Tool Martial Soul from ancient times to the present? A Martial Soul breaking inside the Gate of Babylon couldn't possibly erase it from history, as if it had never been born."
At that moment, Qian Renxue once again understood the true weight of the words "stored every Tool Martial Soul in the world, from ancient times to the present."
Qian Renxue fell silent for a few breaths. Then her voice rang out, certain and even tinged with delight she could barely suppress.
"I can solve your second problem."
"Hmm... it wouldn't really address the root cause, just alleviate it. You could call this a lesson drawn from seeing the Clear Sky Sect's Great Sumeru Hammer and shattering my divine position. With a few modifications, the effect is simple: detonate a Martial Soul to briefly gain abundant Soul Power."
Jing Shanshan stared at Qian Renxue for a long while before nodding in agreement.
Put that way, this really could only count as alleviating it.
If he detonated too many Martial Souls, he would passively expend large amounts of Soul Power repairing them, greatly reducing his Soul Power recovery rate for a long time.
"I'll teach you this move right now."
As Qian Renxue spoke, the technique for detonating Martial Souls appeared bit by bit in Jing Shanshan's mind.
From how to compress Soul Power and build it up inside a Martial Soul to the timing and angle of the final detonation.
Using his own Martial Soul as the trigger, he would instantly detonate the accumulated Soul Power inside a Tool Martial Soul, exchanging the shattering of that Martial Soul for a tremendous amount of Soul Power.
If an ordinary Soul Master used this move, shattering their Martial Soul would destroy their own foundation, with no possibility of repair.
But Jing Shanshan's Martial Souls came from the Gate of Babylon. If one shattered, he could retrieve another.
It was precisely because Qian Renxue had learned the nature of Jing Shanshan's Gate of Babylon that she dared to teach him this technique.
Jing Shanshan closed his eyes.
Golden ripples slowly spread around him. With each breath, the information etched into his mind seeped into the depths of his consciousness like flowing water.
He did not rush to circulate his Soul Power. After confirming that the logic of every step was clear and correct, he began constructing simulated scenarios in his mind.
Crack.
A crisp sound that only he could hear echoed inside his mind.
Before long, his forehead was covered in sweat, and waves of exhaustion swept through his brain.
"Whew..."
His breathing deepened, and his breath grew steady. When he saw the result, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
"Hahaha, beautiful!"
The sudden laughter drew the gazes of the people around them.
Jing Shanshan was quicker, putting on that bronze mask at once.
The core principle remained the same: anything that cheapened his image was done by Shi Lang, not by Jing Shanshan the king!
Seeing two blond children, the people around them paid little attention and returned to their own business.
Qian Renxue: ?
Why did this child suddenly put on a mask?
But that was not the point. Mentioning the Great Sumeru Hammer had reminded her of the Three Gods War in the final ending!
Gods, in turn, reminded her of the nine divine trials. Each time someone passed a trial, there was a chance the reward would be a God-Given Soul Ring!
"I've thought of a solution for choosing Soul Rings for your Gate of Babylon Martial Soul. You just need to find a place with a god's inheritance and undergo the nine divine trials. Each trial has a high chance of granting a God-Given Soul Ring!
"A God-Given Soul Ring can grant the most suitable Soul Skill according to the limits of what a Soul Master's body can withstand."
As for whether Jing Shanshan might receive fewer than nine divine trials?
Impossible.
Even setting aside Jing Shanshan's Twin Martial Souls and his First Martial Soul, Angel.
If the owner of the Gate of Babylon received fewer than nine trials, Qian Renxue would consider that god blind!
"God-Given... Soul Ring?"
Upon hearing the words "God-Given," Jing Shanshan frowned, instantly displeased.
All things belonged to the king. Beneath the heavens, not an inch of land was not the king's!
This was a key point emphasized in The King's Cultivation and Character. The words "God-Given" directly declared that this was not the king's property!
It was an outright provocation against the king! An immense provocation!
One day, he would smash every last god!
"Yes, that's the honorific for a rank-99 Titled Douluo after breaking through to rank 100. Only beings at that level can create God-Given Soul Rings!"
Beneath his mask, Jing Shanshan's brow was furrowed tightly enough to crush a mosquito.
What nonsense was this about only beings at that level being able to create Soul Rings!
He would not only smash the gods, but turn these God-Given Soul Rings into King-Given Soul Rings!
To accomplish these things, he needed more strength!
The first step was still to understand his Gate of Babylon Martial Soul better!
As for his First Martial Soul, Angel...
Qian Renxue should have plans for that. He did not need to worry about it!
Spirit Hall headquarters, the Supreme Pontiff Hall.
Hu Liena had just returned to the academy and had not even had time to change when a deacon stopped her.
"Student Hu Liena, Her Holiness the Supreme Pontiff summons you. Students Yan and Xie Yue are there as well."
Hu Liena froze for a moment.
Teacher had summoned them? Although the three of them were the Golden Generation, given Teacher's status, they rarely had opportunities to interact with her directly.
For Teacher to summon them personally, there must be something important.
The three arrived at a side chamber of the Supreme Pontiff Hall.
Bibi Dong sat in the seat of honor, holding a document and looking down at something. Hearing footsteps, she raised her head and swept her gaze over the three of them.
"You're here. Sit."
Bibi Dong set down the document, her tone gentle.
The three took their places in the three chairs before her in an orderly fashion.
Bibi Dong lifted her teacup, took a sip, then spoke.
"How has your cultivation been lately?"
"Your Holiness, everything is going smoothly."
Xie Yue answered respectfully.
"Good. I called you here today because I have a few things to tell you."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's stern expression softened a little, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Hu Liena and the other two instinctively held their breath, their expressions growing more focused.
Her Holiness did not usually get straight to the point like this. Her directness today meant these matters were very important.
"You must win the Continental Soul Master Tournament two years from now. Spirit Hall Academy's honor must not be lost."
The three answered in unison, "Understood."
Bibi Dong set down her teacup and looked toward the window, through which the sacred, unadorned Worship Hall was visible at a glance.
"Someone new has recently appeared in the Worship Hall: the Great Enshrined's nephew who had been living away from the family. His hair is green. The rest of the information is still being gathered."
Hu Liena was slightly taken aback.
She knew of the Great Enshrined, but this esteemed figure had... a nephew who had been living away from the family?
And with green hair?
Was that "nephew" in the sense she understood?
The three immediately indicated that they knew what to do.
"Lastly, and most importantly, another child with full Innate Soul Power awakened Twin Martial Souls today. He is a blond child named Jing Shanshan. Go make contact with him.
"Barring any unexpected developments, he may be part of the next Golden Generation."
At this point, Bibi Dong looked at Hu Liena and the other two, who had suddenly fallen into a daze, a trace of puzzlement showing in her eyes.
"What is it?"
Hu Liena and the other two snapped back to their senses together, inwardly berating themselves for spacing out before the Supreme Pontiff. Xie Yue considered his words for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Your Holiness, not long ago, we met a blond child... who had just awakened his Martial Soul."