The Soul Ring's Other Skill

The return trip took two days less than the journey there.

Ning Buhui leaned against the carriage wall for an afternoon nap. The carriage jolted along, but he slept soundly. He was only six, after all, and the journey there and back had been hard on him. Whenever he woke, he lifted the curtain to check the sky outside, then closed his eyes again, turning over every detail of his First Soul Ring. The Soul Power inside him was much richer than it had been before he left the city. It was like a freshly dug canal: the water did not surge, but flowed steadily and far.

By the time they reached Spirit City, it was evening again.

A deacon had long been waiting at the western side gate. Seeing the carriage approach from afar, he bowed, then trotted forward to take the reins. Ning Buhui jumped down, and when his feet landed on the city's stone-paved road, he felt a little dazed. He had only been away for ten days or so, but he had gained a purple Soul Ring. Some things really were different now.

Zhou Qing and Wu Tie said their farewells inside the gate and went their separate ways. Bibi Dong walked ahead, stepping through the twilight that covered the ground as she entered Pope Hall. Ning Buhui had meant to follow, but she dismissed him with a single sentence: "Go back and rest first. Come to the side hall tomorrow evening."

He returned to the quiet room, washed his face, boiled a pot of water, and changed out of the clothes that had picked up mud on the road. By the time he finished, the sky had finally gone completely dark. He sat cross-legged on the bed, in no hurry to enter the tower and cultivate. Instead, he opened his right hand and studied his palm by the moonlight filtering through the window.

Nothing had changed. But he knew his Martial Soul now had its first Soul Ring, and a purple one aged 2,026 years at that.

He spent the night cultivating in the tower as usual. Now that he had absorbed the Soul Ring, he could steadily raise his level, so he had even less reason to slack off.

The next day passed peacefully. When night fell, he arrived at the side hall on time.

The hall doors stood half open, with no deacon in sight. Ning Buhui walked in and saw Bibi Dong sitting behind her desk, a thin booklet in her hand. A single small lamp burned on the desk, its flame veiled in gauze and casting the surroundings in an indistinct light. When she heard him enter, she put the booklet down.

"Sit."

Ning Buhui bowed and sat down. Without waiting for her to ask, he spoke up. "Teacher, there's something else I didn't say in front of everyone yesterday."

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow, indicating that he should continue.

He gathered his words and said slowly, "My First Soul Ring's skill does provide support and amplification, but that's only half of it, not the whole thing." As he spoke, Ning Buhui released his Martial Soul. The black-and-white tower floated above his right hand, the yin and yang fish swimming around it. "My Martial Soul is rather special. It really does have both yin and yang attributes. The skill released by the yang fish provides support and amplification, while the yin fish can also release a skill, but it's a sealing and control type."

Bibi Dong's eyebrows twitched slightly, but she did not interrupt.

"The yin fish can release a black butterfly. When the target it attaches to next uses a Soul Skill, the Soul Power consumed increases by 25%, and the Soul Skill's power decreases by 10%. The butterfly's shadow lasts for 30 seconds. If the target is attacked three times during that period, the shadow detonates early, causing Soul Power disruption for 0.5 seconds." He paused and looked up. "Actually, my First Soul Ring gave me two Soul Skills. One yang, one yin. One for support, one for control."

The hall fell silent at once.

Bibi Dong did not look particularly surprised, but Ning Buhui noticed her fingertips curl against the edge of the desk. It was a tiny movement, as though her joints had merely bent of their own accord, but it was enough to show how shaken she was.

"One ring, two skills? And yet not Twin Martial Souls," she repeated.

"Yes."

Bibi Dong looked at him for several seconds, then suddenly asked, "Why didn't you say so back in Hundred Mist Valley?"

"Zhou Qing and Wu Tie were both there." Ning Buhui said, "I may be young, but I know what matters. The fewer people who know my Martial Soul is special, the better."

"But you're willing to tell me now."

"You're not just anyone, Teacher." Ning Buhui's tone was entirely natural, even carrying a hint of childish certainty. "Besides, I still need your help to conceal the origins of this Martial Soul. If word gets out, it'll bring either trouble or disaster."

Bibi Dong said nothing, only stared at him. Her gaze was deep, colder than the wind on the city walls the night before, yet beneath that chill lay a faint glimmer, like moonlight on ice.

"You're cautious, at least," Bibi Dong said.

Ning Buhui did not respond. He knew he had passed this hurdle, and Bibi Dong would not do anything to him.

As though digesting what he had told her, Bibi Dong waited a good while before nodding. "This goes no further than me. From now on, only disclose the support portion of your Soul Skill to outsiders. As for the control portion, you are not to use it lightly unless absolutely necessary, and you must never let anyone know that your single ring has two skills."

"I understand, Teacher."

The lampwick in the hall gave a soft pop, as if in answer to his words.

"Hold out your hand."

Ning Buhui raised his hand as instructed. Bibi Dong took something from her sleeve and placed it in his palm. It was a silver-gray ring with a narrow face set with a tiny white crystal. It was not bright, but it felt heavy.

"A Storage Soul Tool," Bibi Dong said. "You've called me Teacher for so long, and you've done well on your own. This is a little gift. I've put some Gold Soul Coins inside for your everyday expenses. You won't have to carry that shabby bundle of yours whenever you need to bring things along anymore, either."

Ning Buhui closed his hand around the ring, brushing his fingertip over the cool crystal. In his previous life, he had seen far too many heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the original work, but when he actually received his first Soul Tool from this world, his chest still warmed.

"Thank you, Teacher."

"Mm." Bibi Dong said, "Next, let's talk about Whale Rubber."

Ning Buhui slipped the ring onto the ring finger of his left hand. His child's fingers were slender, so it was a little loose, but he shook his hand and found it did not get in the way.

"I thought it over again last night. We can't spread the news about Whale Rubber with great fanfare." He spoke slowly. "If the whole Spirit Hall knows, we won't be able to keep it from outsiders. Would the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Heaven Dou Empire, or the Star Luo Empire be able to sit still? Once word leaks out, I'm afraid Whale Rubber prices in the coastal city-states will soar head over heels. By then, even if we want to use it, we might not be able to get it as easily as we can now. It would be better to draw a circle from the start and limit the knowledge to the core members."

"Go on."

"I'm only a child. As for the specifics, I'll have to leave those to you, Teacher." Ning Buhui tactfully drew back. "I just think our own people should be the first to use something good. Once everyone's strength has improved enough, we can make it public and raise Spirit Hall's prestige in the two great empires."

Bibi Dong gave a very soft huff, as if laughing at his shrewdness, or perhaps pleased by his sense of propriety.

"I'll summon several elders tomorrow," she said thoughtfully. "You'll be there too."

"Me?" Ning Buhui's heart skipped a beat.

"You provided the Whale Rubber method. If you aren't there, how will they believe the words of a six-year-old child? Your First Soul Ring is the strongest proof."

Ning Buhui lowered his head. "I'll do as you say, Teacher."

Three days later, in the inner hall of Pope Hall.

Only seven people were present. Besides Bibi Dong, there were two from Pope Hall: a feminine-looking man and a gloomy man. The moment Ning Buhui saw them, two names sprang to mind: Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, Bibi Dong's right and left hands.

One of the visitors from the Worship Hall was a handsome old man with graying hair and a sacred presence about him. He wore white-and-gold priestly robes embroidered with angelic patterns, and his snow-white hair fell down his back. Though the furrows of time were carved deep into his face, he still stood upright as a mountain. His eyes were deep and vast, seemingly untouched by the mortal world when calm, yet wherever his gaze swept, it carried the oppressive presence of a god. The other looked rather fierce. He was enormously tall and broad, with bronze skin, rugged lines across his face, and a coarse, wiry beard covering his jaw. Clad in dark-gold heavy armor patterned with scales, he was as solid as a mountain, his muscles bulging and a savage, overbearing presence radiating from him. These two were presumably Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo.

There were also two Soul Douluo in charge of core affairs.

"This is the youngster?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, his voice hoarse and carrying a barely perceptible note of scrutiny.

"His name is Ning Buhui," Bibi Dong said. "He's my newly accepted disciple. After strengthening his body with Whale Rubber, he has finished absorbing his First Soul Ring."

The hall fell quiet for a moment.

"Release it and let us see," Qian Daoliu said calmly.

"Release it and show them," Bibi Dong said coolly.

Ning Buhui stepped forward twice and released his Martial Soul. A light-purple Soul Ring appeared plainly around him.

The elders examined it in turn, each wearing a different expression. Some looked surprised and doubtful, some grave, and others gave nothing away. Ning Buhui stood beside a pillar, taking in every expression.

Then Ning Buhui took out the detailed instructions and procedure for using Whale Rubber that he had written beforehand and presented them to the elders for their inspection.

"Refining Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue in portions can actually raise the age limit for absorbing a Soul Ring by around 1,000 years." The white-haired elder set the paper on the table, his voice rising involuntarily. "If everyone in Spirit Hall took it, our strength could rise by at least a whole tier. And the core disciples who join us each year from now on would have stronger foundations than others."

"The benefits are real," another dark, thin elder interjected. "But have you considered what will happen outside if word gets out? Heaven Dou and Star Luo fight until their heads are broken and bleeding every year over a few promising geniuses. If they also learn about something like Whale Rubber..."

"That's why I said it must be limited to the core members." Bibi Dong set down her teacup. Her voice was not loud, but it silenced everyone at once. "The method of using Whale Rubber will be classified as Spirit Hall's highest internal secret, available only to the core disciples of each hall and those in the top training ranks. All Whale Rubber materials will be allocated centrally by the main hall. Private purchases and stockpiling are forbidden."

With each sentence she spoke, the hall grew quieter. By the time her final word fell, only the soft crackle of candle flames remained in the inner hall.

"What does the Grand Elder think?" Bibi Dong looked at Qian Daoliu.

"We'll do as you say," Qian Daoliu said calmly.

The others in the hall exchanged glances, but no one else spoke.

"Then, from this day forward, the matter is settled."

The elders rose and left one after another. As Qian Daoliu passed Ning Buhui, he suddenly looked at him and said gently, "Would you be willing to come to my Worship Hall?"

Ning Buhui froze for a moment, then immediately bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Grand Elder, but Teacher treats me extremely well."

Regret showed in Qian Daoliu's eyes. He offered Ning Buhui a token bearing an angel emblem. "If you ever need help, you may bring this token to the Worship Hall and find me."

Ning Buhui glanced at Bibi Dong. After seeing her nod, he accepted the token with both hands and thanked Qian Daoliu again.

Qian Daoliu said nothing more and turned to leave.

Only after everyone had gone did Ning Buhui slowly let out a breath.

Bibi Dong looked at him. "You rendered a great service by providing the method of using Whale Rubber. If there's anything you want, you may ask for it, and I'll help you obtain it."

Ning Buhui thought seriously about what he lacked at the moment. Truth be told, he wanted a Soul Bone, one at least ten thousand years old, and preferably a hundred thousand years old. But he also knew Soul Bones were not cabbages and were not so easy to obtain. He had just finished absorbing his first Soul Ring and lacked nothing else for now. After a moment's thought, he replied, "I don't lack anything at present. Could the reward be kept for now, until there's something I want to exchange it for?"

Bibi Dong was a little surprised, but she said, "All right. If there's something you want later, you can come to me again." Then she waved for Ning Buhui to leave on his own.

Ning Buhui stepped out of the hall.