A Four-Hundred-Year Soul Ring? You Haven't Even Reached Level Ten

"A four-hundred-year-old Earth Savage Bear?"

The hammer in Dong Shan's hand slammed onto the table.

Bang!

The wooden table shook, and the teacup the old village chief had just picked up nearly fell to the ground.

"You haven't even reached level ten Soul Power. How are you supposed to absorb a Soul Ring?"

Dong Jian froze.

Ever since the Divine Dragon Secret Realm had shown him the image of the Earth Savage Bear, he had been thinking about the Soul Beast's age and how to hunt it, but he had overlooked the most basic rule for Soul Masters.

Only when a Soul Scholar cultivated to level ten and their body reached the limit of its current stage could they break through using a Soul Ring.

The Soul Power he could freely control was only at level seven.

Even if the total energy in his body was close to level nine, that did not mean he was qualified to absorb a Soul Ring.

"The secret realm didn't give me a task for right now."

Dong Jian quickly realized what was going on.

"It was advance guidance for my First Soul Ring."

Dong Shan did not hear his muttering.

He stared at his son, his expression even more serious than before.

"A Soul Ring isn't something you can absorb whenever you want."

"If your Soul Power hasn't reached level ten, the connection between a Soul Master and their Martial Soul hasn't completed its first stage of growth."

"If you force the absorption, the best outcome is that the Soul Ring's energy can't enter your body."

"The worst outcome-"

Dong Shan raised a hand and tapped his injured left leg.

"Is that your meridians rupture and your Martial Soul is damaged."

Dong Jian looked at his father's impaired leg.

"Does your injury have something to do with a Soul Ring?"

Dong Shan fell silent for a moment.

"Partly."

"Back then, when I was trying to break through, I chose an Ironback Ape that was older than I could handle."

"I did manage to absorb its Soul Ring in the end."

"But the power it left behind exceeded what my meridians could withstand."

"Later, I got into another fight, and the old injury flared up. The meridians in my left leg were completely severed."

"So it's not that you can't aim for an older Soul Ring."

Dong Shan looked at Dong Jian.

"But first, you have to be capable of withstanding it."

The courtyard fell quiet.

Dong Jian did not get angry at being told no.

The Divine Dragon Secret Realm was indeed powerful.

But the secret realm had never told him that he could ignore the cultivation rules of the Douluo Continent itself.

Li Man took out her record book and turned to the page where she had recorded yesterday's Soul Power test.

"Uncle Dong is right."

"The total energy in Dong Jian's body is close to level nine, but most of it is deposited in his Martial Soul and body."

"The Soul Power that can actually circulate steadily through his meridians is only at level seven."

"Before his outer Soul Power reaches level ten, there's no point in forcing the absorption of a Soul Ring."

Dong Jian looked at her.

"What if I can draw out all the hidden power?"

"That still won't work."

Li Man's answer was blunt.

"The total amount of energy and Soul Power Level aren't the same thing."

"A person can use medicine to gain power far beyond what they normally possess for a short time, but if their body and meridians haven't finished growing, they still won't be able to withstand a Soul Ring."

She drew a line in the record book.

"What you need most right now isn't to keep increasing your energy."

"It's to bring your body, meridians, and Martial Soul up to level ten together."

Dong Jian slowly nodded.

"How long will that take?"

"At the rate an ordinary Soul Scholar cultivates, going from level seven Innate Soul Power to level ten could take about a year."

The old village chief was somewhat disappointed to hear that.

"Then won't he miss the chance to hunt for a Soul Ring with Tang San?"

Dong Jian glanced at the old village chief.

"Why do I have to keep up with him?"

The old village chief was taken aback.

"That child from Holy Soul Village has Innate Full Soul Power."

"And you two are the most talented children from the nearby villages this year."

"Of course everyone wants to see who'll become a Soul Master first."

"Just because other people want to see it doesn't mean I have to play along."

Dong Jian picked up his Martial Soul certificate.

"My Martial Soul is different from Tang San's, and so is the way I cultivate."

"It's not worth choosing the wrong First Soul Ring just to beat him by a few days."

Even so, Dong Jian did feel some pressure.

Soon after Tang San entered Nuoding Academy, he would take Yu Xiaogang as his master.

With the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he had already reached level ten.

Once he obtained a Mandala Snake Soul Ring, he would officially become a Soul Master.

Dong Jian, meanwhile, still had to cultivate from level seven.

That gap could not be closed immediately with a few secret realm trials.

Still, falling behind for the moment did not mean falling behind forever.

The road of a Soul Master was long.

Taking the first step quickly did not mean every step that followed would be free of mistakes.

"It's best that you see it that way."

Dong Shan picked up his hammer again.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you basic meditation."

Before Dong Jian could answer, Li Man shook her head.

"No."

Dong Shan frowned.

"Why not?"

"Ordinary meditation methods only guide the outer Soul Power in the meridians."

"Dong Jian also has black and white power and emerald-colored energy in his body."

"If his outer Soul Power rises too quickly, the imbalance from before could happen again."

"Then he shouldn't practice anything at all?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

Li Man pushed the record book between the two of them.

A temporary plan was already written in it.

Physical training during the day.

Guide his Soul Power's circulation for a short time at noon.

Observe changes in his Martial Soul and body in the evening.

No meditation session was to exceed one shichen.

If the black and white light in the Soul-Revealing Liquid began to clash violently, he was to stop at once.

"First, we'll use the most basic methods to establish a record."

Li Man said:

"As long as there's no imbalance for seven days straight, we can gradually increase the meditation time."

After reading the plan, Dong Shan looked a little less resistant.

"Cultivating like this will be very slow."

"At least it won't ruin him."

Li Man refused to back down.

Dong Shan looked at Dong Jian.

"You decide."

Dong Jian did not hesitate.

"We'll follow Li Man's plan."

The Divine Dragon Secret Realm could teach him to control his body and use his power, but it could not replace normal Soul Power cultivation.

Until he found a cultivation method truly suited to him, caution was more important than rushing ahead.

"There's also Nuoding Academy."

Li Man continued:

"The academy doesn't officially open for another half month, but work-study students can report early."

"The academy has more complete information on Martial Souls, as well as dedicated cultivation grounds."

"We should leave as early as possible."

"We?"

Dong Jian seized on the word.

"You're going too?"

"The Li Family Pharmacy has already paid my tuition."

Li Man spoke calmly:

"I was already planning to enter Nuoding Academy."

"I'm just going a few days early."

Dong Shan looked at her.

"Does your family agree to let you travel with Jian'er?"

"My aunt will send a pharmacy carriage to take us outside the city."

"Once we reach Nuoding City, I'll stay in the academy dormitory."

Li Man had clearly arranged everything long ago.

Dong Jian suddenly felt that, by comparison, he, the transmigrator, had been less thorough than she was in arranging practical matters.

"Then we'll leave in three days."

Dong Shan made the final decision.

"Traveling with the people from Holy Soul Village will be a little safer too."

Over the next three days, Dong Jian did not enter another secret realm trial.

During the day, he learned basic meditation from Dong Shan.

The meditation method Dong Shan knew was quite ordinary.

At its core, it involved focusing on sensing the Soul Power in one's body, then circulating it slowly along a fixed set of meridians.

When Dong Jian tried it for the first time, his outer Soul Power did increase.

But the black and white power shifted slightly as well.

Li Man immediately told him to stop.

On his second attempt, Dong Jian no longer forced his Soul Power forward. Instead, following the principles of Circular Force Redirection, he let it circulate naturally through his meridians.

The black power sank into his bones.

The white power flowed along his meridians.

The two converged in his chest, where an emerald-colored current linked them.

Although they circulated very slowly, there was no clash.

"Your physical skills can affect the circulation of your Soul Power."

Li Man stared at the changes in the Soul-Revealing Liquid.

"Ordinary Soul Masters use Soul Power to strengthen their bodies first."

"You seem to be able to do the reverse and use your body to control your Soul Power."

Dong Jian realized the same thing.

Center of Gravity Perception let him judge the weight of every part of his body.

Circular Force Redirection let him guide external forces.

If he regarded Soul Power as a force flowing through his body as well-

Then he might not have to simply copy ordinary meditation methods.

Three days passed quickly.

Dong Jian's Soul Power did not break through again.

But his Soul Power had completely stabilized at level seven.

His Panda Martial Soul showed no new signs of losing control, either.

Early on the morning of their departure, Dong Shan stuffed a cloth bundle into Dong Jian's arms.

Inside were two changes of clothes, a few pieces of dry rations, and ten Silver Soul Coins.

"It's not much money."

"Spend it sparingly."

Dong Jian squeezed the bundle.

"Dad, aren't you coming with me?"

"Someone has to mind the smithy."

Dong Shan turned around and continued sorting the tools by the forge.

"Nuoding City isn't far from here."

"Come back when you're on break."

He spoke casually.

Yet his hand never loosened its grip on the iron tongs.

Dong Jian didn't call him out.

"When I reach level ten, take me to find an Earth Savage Bear."

Dong Shan's hands paused.

"Reach level ten first."

"You didn't say no outright."

"Get lost and go to school."

Dong Jian smiled and slung the bundle over his shoulder.

Li Man was already standing outside the courtyard gate.

She was still clutching her record book, and now had a small box of medicinal herbs on her back.

At the village entrance, a carriage from the Li Family Pharmacy stood by the roadside.

The old village chief was looking back and forth.

"Why aren't the people from Holy Soul Village here yet?"

No sooner had he spoken than two figures appeared on the dirt road in the distance.

The one in front was an old man with graying hair.

A plainly dressed boy followed at his side.

The boy carried a small bundle, his short black hair was perfectly neat, and his steps were steadier than those of an ordinary six-year-old.

The moment Dong Jian saw him, he knew who he was.

Tang San.

As though sensing the gaze, the boy also raised his head.

Across the thin morning mist, their eyes truly met for the first time at the village entrance.

Tang San first glanced at Li Man beside Dong Jian.

Then his gaze fell on Dong Jian's feet.

A barely perceptible flicker of wariness passed through those calm eyes.

He had noticed-

When Dong Jian walked, his footsteps made almost no unnecessary sound.