Fang Lin sat cross-legged on the ground, his iron blade resting across his lap, and drew the Soul Ring toward him.
The instant the Soul Ring touched him, a sharp pain erupted. Scorching Soul Power bored through his pores, and a violent turbulence several times fiercer than when he had absorbed the Whale Rubber swept through his body.
Limit Soul Rings are this intense?
Fang Lin inwardly cried out in alarm. The violent Soul Power rampaged through his meridians like a wild horse that had thrown off its reins, sending needle-like stabs of pain through every limb and bone.
Fang Yuanqiao, who was standing guard, sensed something was wrong and shouted:
"Brat! Stay conscious! Don't rush it. Circulate your Soul Power slowly!"
Fang Lin's face twisted in pain, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably as beads of cold sweat rolled down his temples.
The others watched anxiously, but none of them could help. Fang Lin could only grit his teeth and get through it himself.
Half an hour later, Fang Lin's pained expression began to settle. The deep yellow Soul Ring descended onto the long blade and slowly drew inward. Finally, its yellow halo abruptly contracted and poured entirely into the blade.
As Fang Lin opened his eyes, Fang Yuanqiao and the others immediately gathered around him, their faces alight with joy.
"Did it work?"
Fang Lin's brows relaxed, and a grin spread across his face:
"Done. My Soul Power has increased quite a bit too. It should be the increase in energy from the Limit Soul Ring."
The moment he successfully absorbed the Soul Ring, Fang Lin felt the bottleneck that had been restricting the growth of his Soul Power being blasted open, allowing it to advance a long way. His Soul Power was now at least well into level eleven, close to level twelve.
Seeing this, Fang Yuanqiao breathed a sigh of relief, and the group immediately set off on the return journey.
The sunlight had already dimmed. Even a team of three Soul Grandmasters wouldn't dare guarantee their safety while spending the night in the core area of the Soul Beast forest.
Before leaving, Fang Lin glanced at where the Nether Leopard's corpse had been. While he had been absorbing the Soul Ring, Fang Yuanqiao and the others had already finished processing it. Only the shriveled hide remained. It had suffered numerous cuts during the fight, lowering its value, so they hadn't taken it with them.
The four retraced their route, moving more than two or three times faster than they had on the way in.
Along the way, Fang Lin could clearly sense every stir of wind and grass around him, every crawling insect and falling leaf. His steps were also far lighter and stronger than before.
A Soul Master's first Soul Ring brought more than changes to Soul Power and Soul Skills; it also greatly strengthened the body and the five senses.
Below level ten, a person was at most an ordinary person with a stronger physique. Only after level ten did one become a true Soul Master.
Just as darkness fell, the group reached the checkpoint at the Soul Hunting Forest. Guards still stood there with spears in hand, and after the group presented their authorization, they were allowed through.
"Even if we head back now, we won't be able to get into the city. Let's spend the night at a nearby inn."
Wang Yu and Old Li agreed with Fang Yuanqiao's suggestion.
"Old Li and I will go deal with the Nether Leopard's Soul Beast meat and teeth. You take your boy and get some rest first."
On the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest, there were shops that specialized in buying Soul Beast materials, just as there were buyers waiting by the sea for fishing boats to unload their catches.
Father and son came to a row of stone houses, and a bald man draped in brown animal hide came out. Fang Yuanqiao paid two Gold Soul Coins and received two keys.
Fang Lin reached for one of them, but Fang Yuanqiao slapped his hand away.
"The other room is for your uncles Li and Wang. You and I are sharing one."
Fang Lin rubbed the back of his hand, looking disgruntled.
Ever since he had been able to walk, Fang Lin had slept alone. Now he had to share a bed with his father, and he really wasn't used to it.
The next day, the group headed straight for Suotuo City.
As they stepped through the stone city gate, they heard the noisy chatter along the streets, the rumble of wheels, and the vendors' endless cries. The air was full of the bustle of everyday life.
When they got home, the house was empty. Mother Fang had presumably gone to the medical clinic.
Fang Yuanqiao led Fang Lin into the courtyard and pointed to a wooden post tightly wrapped in hemp rope.
"Come on, let me see your first Soul Skill."
"All right."
Fang Lin activated Martial Soul Possession. A slender long blade gleaming with a cold light appeared in his hand, and a Yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet and slowly revolved around him.
Unlike when he had manifested his Martial Soul before, Fang Lin felt his physical strength grow noticeably greater, and his limbs felt lighter.
After obtaining a Soul Ring, a Soul Master would receive a boost when summoning their Martial Soul. The boost was weaker for Tool Soul Masters, around thirty percent, while Beast Soul Masters received more.
"First Soul Skill, Hell Power. It can increase my speed and strength by fifty percent and improve my resistance to abnormal states."
As Fang Lin spoke, his Yellow Soul Ring flashed. A layer of dark light coated the blade and spread along his arm to his entire body. His skin looked as though it had been covered in a dull, matte finish, and his muscles appeared firmer and stronger.
With a turn of his wrist, he split the wooden post in two in an instant.
Fang Yuanqiao walked around the post, looking very pleased.
"Not bad. It has both strength and speed, as expected of a Limit Hundred-Year Soul Ring. What's rarer is that it can also improve toughness. We were very lucky this time. That Nether Leopard's bloodline was probably close to that of a high-level Soul Beast."
He paused, then continued.
"Now that you've become a Soul Master, I'll teach you a technique for exerting force used in the army."
With that, Fang Yuanqiao stood before an elmwood post and held his breath in concentration. The muscles and sinews in his arm suddenly bulged, and his long blade slashed forward in an instant.
Fang Lin stepped closer for a look. There were actually sixteen blade marks on the post, each precisely spaced about an inch apart, and even their depths were nearly identical.
That kind of precise control was astonishing.
Fang Yuanqiao gently shook out his arm.
"Use Soul Power to stimulate your meridians and muscles, increasing your explosive power for an instant. It was used to defend against volleys of arrows on the battlefield, and it's also suited to seizing the initiative and suppressing an opponent in real combat. It's simple and practical, and it doesn't consume much Soul Power. The only thing is, using it too much puts a strain on your body. I'll first tell you how to circulate your Soul Power..."
With Fang Yuanqiao guiding him step by step, Fang Lin learned it in less than half an hour. However, he could only deliver nine slashes at once, and his arm was noticeably sore afterward.
Fang Yuanqiao, however, was very satisfied.
"Being able to deliver nine slashes is already very good. When I was still a Soul Master, I could only manage six."
"I told you before that I'd send you to Heaven Dou Academy once you reached level ten. But before that, we'll give you some real combat practice. Starting today, your uncles Wang and Li and I will take turns being your sparring partners. Once you can beat us using blade techniques and moves, you can go to Heaven Dou Academy."
"Combat training? With Uncle Wang and the others too?"
Looking at Fang Yuanqiao's much larger build, Fang Lin found it hard to keep his composure.
Leaving aside the gap in Soul Power, the difference in height alone was extreme. If it were Wang Yu using Martial Soul Possession, Fang Lin would only be able to reach his kidneys even if he jumped.
Fang Yuanqiao shot him a sidelong glance.
"What are you afraid of? We'll suppress our Soul Power to your level, and none of us will use Soul Skills. If you can't beat us even with a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, why bother going to Heaven Dou Academy? At least that'll spare you the embarrassment of getting beaten up."
Fang Lin gave a grunt and said nothing more. He bent his arm slightly and assumed the opening stance for a sweeping slash.
As Fang Yuanqiao had said, if neither side used Soul Skills, Fang Lin had a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, so it wasn't as though he had no chance of winning.
"Come on, Dad. Treasure the time you can still bully me. You won't get another chance later."
Fang Yuanqiao didn't make a move. He plopped down on the threshold and gave Fang Lin a casual glance.
"No rush. We'll wait until your mother gets back."
"Why wait for Mom to get back?" Fang Lin looked puzzled.
Fang Yuanqiao narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"If you get hurt in a bit, your mother can heal you, and we can keep going. It'll save time."