Quite a few Soul Masters had needed only that little bit more lifespan to break through their limits and step into a new realm of strength!
They absolutely could not let anyone else know that Jing Shanshan possessed a Martial Soul with such a heaven-defying effect now!
Qian Renxue began considering how she could get some of the potion from Jing Shanshan for her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, to drink later.
If Qian Daoliu became young again, his strength would surely rise another level. He might even have hope of breaking past level 99, reaching level 100 and attaining godhood!
"The potion from the Rejuvenation Martial Soul needs to be replenished once every ten years."
Seeing Qian Renxue looking thoughtful, Jing Shanshan calmly added that remark.
"Ah, mm... does that potion reset memories to the past too?"
Qian Renxue looked somewhat enlightened. Watching the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, which was as silly as a newborn, she then naturally changed the subject out of curiosity.
Jing Shanshan narrowed his eyes, slowly shook his head, and added an explanation.
"It looks like this because of the A Dou Spiked Club Martial Soul."
"A Dou Spiked Club?"
This was another Martial Soul Qian Renxue had never heard of.
"The A Dou Spiked Club Martial Soul has a very simple effect. When it hits an enemy, it doesn't inflict physical damage or harm their mind or soul. It only knocks their IQ clean away, beating the enemy into an idiot.
"So this Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's innocent appearance right now isn't an act."
He had come out to obtain a Soul Ring and also gained an extremely rare, very imposing Soul Beast. He could be said to have exceeded his goals. Jing Shanshan was in a good mood, undisguised pleasure in his voice.
Qian Renxue lowered her head and looked at the little black cat trying to scratch its own tail with its paws. Its body was too short to reach, leaving it anxiously spinning in circles, and for a moment, she did not know what expression to make.
A sixty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast capable of wrestling with a Titled Douluo, an existence that gave even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts headaches in the Star Dou Great Forest, had now become a stupid cat that could not even scratch its own tail.
"Unfortunately, I can only use the A Dou Spiked Club Martial Soul for now. Once the possession effect wears off completely, I'll have to wait until I become a Soul King before I can take it out and use it."
His enemies would surely love a Martial Soul that could subdue opponents so quickly!
"The Gate of Babylon... it's like an all-purpose pocket. You can always pull out a Martial Soul that can solve the problem at hand."
Qian Renxue suddenly felt that the Six-Winged Angel passed down through her family had lost its appeal, and she marveled from the bottom of her heart at how comprehensive the Gate of Babylon's effects were.
Jing Shanshan nodded cheerfully, brought the Rock-Breathing Tortoise over and set it on the ground, then took another identical collar from the golden ripples.
He slipped the collar over the Rock-Breathing Tortoise's neck, and it went on without the slightest resistance.
There was absolutely no need to first beat the Rock-Breathing Tortoise within an inch of its life, torment it with all sorts of Martial Souls, madly wear down every aspect of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's condition, beat it stupid to wipe out its intelligence and memories, and then reset it to infancy!
Jing Shanshan looked at the unconscious Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, then at the Rock-Breathing Tortoise, which was only dizzy for a while, and could not help sighing.
"The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was as tough and tenacious as a stalk of Blue Silver Grass. Only after being reduced to that state could it be collared."
As Jing Shanshan rubbed its head, the little black cat opened its mouth to bite his finger, but its teeth had not all grown in yet, and it let out a disgruntled "lao-wu."
Qian Renxue turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Jing Shanshan did not notice her reaction. His attention had already shifted to the collars.
After Chrysanthemum Douluo collapsed, signifying that the possession effect had completely dissipated, three mystical markings had appeared on the collars.
This was a sign that the strength of the Martial Soul's effect had returned to his level as a level 16 Soul Master.
Those three markings meant that the collar could only force a Soul Beast to carry out three commands. At all other times, the Soul Beast could simply refuse to obey.
He tried giving the Rock-Breathing Tortoise its first command.
"From now on, do whatever this king tells you."
The Rock-Breathing Tortoise poked its head out of its shell, stared blankly at him, then withdrew its head again.
The first marking on the collar slowly vanished, as though someone had rubbed it away with an eraser.
Jing Shanshan had two chances left to force commands on the Rock-Breathing Tortoise.
"Walk three steps to the right?"
The Rock-Breathing Tortoise kept its head tucked in, showing no sign of walking three steps to the right.
Jing Shanshan pondered for a moment, then used another forced command, trying to give a more specific instruction.
"Walk three steps to the left."
The Rock-Breathing Tortoise kept its head tucked in, but its four legs had ideas of their own, slowly crawling three steps to the left.
The second marking slowly vanished, just like the first, as though someone had rubbed it away with an eraser.
Seeing this, Jing Shanshan understood.
A command that did not specify a concrete action had practically no binding power over a Soul Beast and merely wasted a chance to force a command.
Only instructions specifying concrete actions made forced commands effective.
After figuring out the rules of the collar Martial Soul in its current state, Jing Shanshan did not feel in the slightest that those two forced commands had been wasted.
With a thought, the collars shone with golden light. Enveloped in that light, the originally rather large Rock-Breathing Tortoise and Dark Demon Evil God Tiger began to shrink.
Before long, the Rock-Breathing Tortoise had become a palm-sized tortoise, while the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger truly became the size of a black house cat about fifty centimeters long.
Jing Shanshan picked up the Rock-Breathing Tortoise and placed it on his shoulder, then bent down to scoop up the little black cat and tuck it into his arms.
The little black cat struggled a couple of times in his arms. He held its head down and rubbed it, and it actually settled down, lying against his chest and purring.
Watching this, Qian Renxue wanted to speak but stopped herself.
That was a sixty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger! He was just holding it like that?! As though he were holding a pet cat...
Forget it. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger really wasn't much different from a house cat now anyway.
Golden ripples spread through the air, and several Martial Souls with healing effects appeared before Jing Shanshan. Gentle light flowing from them enveloped Chrysanthemum Douluo and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, slowly healing their injuries.
"What's next?"
It looked as though things had come to a temporary close, and Qian Renxue was curious about their next move.
Would they return to Spirit City or go somewhere else?
"Since we're already out, let's handle some miscellaneous matters and set out for Heaven Dou City. This king remembers you saying it was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Jing Shanshan patted the little black cat's back in his arms and looked at Chrysanthemum Douluo, still unconscious on the ground, with a few ideas in mind.
Having a Titled Douluo go home to report that he was safe seemed like a good choice.
A week later, Heaven Dou City.
The capital of the Heaven Dou Empire was somewhat different from Spirit City.
For example, Spirit City centered around Spirit Hall's headquarters, and those maintaining order in the streets were all Soul Masters or Spirit Hall personnel.
In Heaven Dou City, those patrolling the streets and maintaining order were all people without Soul Power, yet no one dared pick fights or cause trouble. Peace and harmony reigned.
Qian Renxue had temporary authority to freely command the Shadow Doll Puppet. Shortly after entering the city, she left the group to handle what she called matters "related to Xue Qinghe."
Jing Shanshan did not ask further. Taking the shrunken Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and Rock-Breathing Tortoise with him, he wandered the city alone.
Because of the collars, passersby who saw them would at most marvel and curiously ask Jing Shanshan where he had bought that lively-looking black cat or that tortoise with its beautifully colored shell as pets. No one associated the two little creatures with Soul Beasts!
After wandering aimlessly around Heaven Dou City for an hour, Jing Shanshan stopped in front of a gambling house.