After finding a clearing, Yang Wudi set both the Qian Jun Ant and Yang Podi down, worry on his face. "Podi, you have to kill a Soul Beast yourself to obtain its Soul Ring. Kill this Qian Jun Ant now."
"Podi, think it over again. This Qian Jun Ant is considerably older than the normal age limit for absorbing a Soul Ring. The danger will be great, and the absorption process will be very painful."
"Grandpa, you've already tested my physical toughness. I'll definitely succeed."
Looking at the wounded Qian Jun Ant before him, Yang Podi summoned his Martial Soul, the Soul Breaking Spear, and thrust it straight into the ant's eye, piercing it through. Blood immediately gushed from the Qian Jun Ant like a fountain, and it breathed its last.
Immediately afterward, a yellow Soul Ring appeared above the Qian Jun Ant's corpse.
Yang Podi looked at the Soul Ring and sat cross-legged on the ground. He took a deep breath, adjusted his mental state to its best, and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Following the Soul Ring absorption method, Yang Podi raised his right hand and gathered all his Soul Power in his palm. As a glint of sharp light appeared, a black Soul Breaking Spear materialized in his hand. At the same time, his entire body seemed to react slightly, as though it, too, craved this Soul Ring. Clearly, the Qian Jun Ant's Soul Ring was very well suited to his Body Martial Soul.
But Yang Podi paid little attention to that. Guided by his Soul Power, the Qian Jun Ant's Soul Ring slowly floated toward him. As it approached, he felt an unprecedentedly powerful pressure, and even the bones throughout his body gave faint creaks beneath it.
Especially once the Soul Ring neared the top of his head, a tremendous force surged from it into his body. This force seemed to exceed Yang Podi's own limits. After entering his body, it rampaged wildly, making both his meridians and blood vessels feel as though they were about to burst.
At that critical moment, the Martial Soul of Yang Podi's own body began to take effect, gradually absorbing this force, and his body slowly settled down as well.
Without giving him any chance to react, the yellow ring of light suddenly contracted into an incomparably solid Soul Ring only the size of a bracelet and slipped directly over the Soul Breaking Spear Martial Soul in his right palm. Yang Podi felt as though his right hand had plunged into lava. Scorching energy poured in wildly, and a violent torrent of heat instantly rushed into his body. In a flash, his innards felt ablaze. His body could not help trembling violently.
At that moment, Yang Podi mustered all his strength, collected his mind, and began using his meditation method to guide the energy pouring into his body throughout it. Under the effects of this force, the Soul Breaking Spear in his hand seemed to have undergone countless hammer blows. Its shaft gradually grew deeper and darker, like a piece of ordinary iron tempered by a thousand hammerings.
At this point, Yang Podi could also see more clearly the direction in which Soul Power flowed within him, as well as his body's internal structure. Within his mind, he saw what seemed to be a giant holding the Soul Breaking Spear amid a sea of fire. The giant's body was powerful, while the Soul Breaking Spear stood proudly amid the flames, unyielding and indomitable.
After an unknown length of time, the powerful energy within him gradually merged with his body. His entire body grew pleasantly warm and extraordinarily comfortable. His meridians, in particular, seemed to have widened considerably, and his Soul Power flowed faster as well. It was as though his body had broken through a bottleneck.
"It worked. I've finally absorbed my First Soul Ring."
When Yang Podi slowly opened his eyes, he felt an incomparable sense of unobstructed ease throughout his body. Both his strength and physical toughness had increased greatly. His body seemed filled with power, and he was much sturdier than before. He had even grown noticeably taller.
Standing nearby, Yang Wudi could not help letting out a breath of relief when he saw that Yang Podi had successfully absorbed his First Soul Ring. After all, this was a Soul Ring nearly six hundred years old. It could be considered the highest record for a First Soul Ring in the Soul Master world, a feat that broke historical precedent.
"Grandpa, I did it! I successfully absorbed my First Soul Ring!"
Yang Wudi's face was also full of gratification. "Podi, you've done wonderfully. You actually absorbed it successfully. As expected of my grandson!"
"Podi, let me examine you and see whether there's anything wrong with your body, or any hidden injuries."
"Grandpa, my body feels great right now. There's definitely nothing wrong."
But Yang Wudi ignored Yang Podi's objections and carefully examined his body before finally speaking. "Good. There's indeed nothing wrong with your body, and you seem to have grown quite a bit stronger. Well, Podi? The Qian Jun Ant's Soul Ring is pretty good, isn't it?"
"Podi, what's the Soul Skill of your First Soul Ring? What does it do?"
"Grandpa, my First Soul Ring's Soul Skill is called Qian Jun's Strength, and its effects are excellent. When I use my First Soul Skill, my physical strength increases by fifty percent, and the Soul Breaking Spear's power increases by a hundred percent. It lasts ten minutes. And my Soul Power is already at rank twelve."
Hearing this, Yang Wudi swallowed. "Podi, your First Soul Skill really is excellent. I'm afraid it can already rival the Strength Clan's thousand-year Soul Skills. And I've rarely heard of a Tool Martial Soul increasing physical strength. Usually, that sort of effect only becomes possible after the Seventh Soul Skill."
Hearing his grandfather's words, Yang Podi could not help smiling. Only after reaching Soul Saint could a Soul Master achieve perfect harmony with a Tool Martial Soul, especially in terms of spiritual power. But he had two Martial Souls, and his second was a Body Martial Soul. The compatibility between his Martial Souls was even better, which was why his body could also receive an enhancement.
It was just like how, before becoming Soul Saints, many people could only see their Tool Martial Souls when looking inward, whereas he could see a body holding his Tool Martial Soul. This was the spiritual connection between the Tool Martial Soul and his body.
Especially with a strength-type Soul Beast, and one beyond the age limit at that, not only had his Tool Martial Soul improved, but even his Body Martial Soul had been strengthened slightly. It could be called perfect.
At this moment, Yang Podi felt that the Soul Breaking Spear had grown much heavier, while his own strength had increased enormously as well, allowing him to adapt perfectly to the change in his Soul Breaking Spear Martial Soul's weight. Even his spiritual power had increased considerably. Could this be the advantage of a full-body Body Martial Soul?
At this thought, Yang Podi was filled with confidence in his decision to choose strength-type Soul Rings. Especially after absorbing a Soul Ring beyond his limit, he felt even more confident that he could absorb every future Soul Ring beyond the normal limit as well.
He remembered that in Douluo II, Du Busi had possessed a full-body Body Martial Soul. His Seventh Soul Ring had been a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, making him incomparably formidable.
He, too, had to train hard and strive to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring as his Seventh Soul Ring.
By then, Yang Wudi had finished dealing with the Qian Jun Ant's corpse and had found no Soul Bones.
Just as the two were about to leave, Yang Podi seemed to think of something. "Grandpa, there seem to be quite a few medicinal herbs in this Sunset Forest. Why don't we look around? We might find something."