Choosing the Second Soul Ring

Early the next morning, Ning Buhui quickly got himself ready and went to the side hall.

He rarely came to see Bibi Dong at that hour. The two stewards outside the hall were surprised to see him, but they went in to announce him nonetheless. Once they had done so, he walked in quietly and saw Bibi Dong sitting by the window, drinking tea. The morning light shone in behind her, casting a softness over one side of her face that made her look less cold than usual.

"So early." She did not turn around.

"I broke through last night, Teacher," Ning Buhui said, bowing before standing at attention.

Bibi Dong's hand paused slightly on her teacup. Only then did she turn to look at him, her gaze lingering on him for several breaths, as though she meant to see the fluctuations of Soul Power inside him through his clothes. A moment later, she nodded. "Faster than I expected."

"I was lucky," Ning Buhui said.

"Is that so?" Bibi Dong set down her teacup and beckoned to him. "Come here."

He stepped forward. Bibi Dong reached out and rested her fingers ever so lightly on his wrist. Ning Buhui felt a current of warm, cool Soul Power brush against his meridians, then withdraw.

"Level twenty, with a solid foundation." She gave her assessment, showing a rare hint of satisfaction. "I've watched how you've spent the past six months and more. Hu Liena said behind your back that you don't cultivate like a seven-year-old, but I think she's making a fuss over something she hasn't seen before."

"Senior Sister meant well. She was afraid I'd hurt myself cultivating," Ning Buhui said.

"She doesn't understand you." Bibi Dong did not mince words. "A child like you can't be talked out of it. Stop you from cultivating, and that's when something would go wrong." She raised a hand, motioning for him to sit. "You came about your Second Soul Ring, didn't you?"

Ning Buhui nodded and sat down at the table. He took several folded sheets of paper from his robes and spread them out. The writing was neat and the entries clearly organized, all listing Soul Beast names, attributes, age ranges, and strengths and weaknesses. Some even had simple sketches of their forms. After leaving the pagoda the previous night, he had not hurried to bed, but had copied the whole thing out again.

"You look less like you've come to ask my advice than to hand in homework." Bibi Dong picked up the papers and lowered her eyes to scan them.

"I thought of a few options myself, but I couldn't decide. I still need you to look them over, Teacher."

"Soul-Binding Vine." Bibi Dong's gaze fell on the name he had circled for emphasis, and she read it aloud. "Dual wood and darkness attributes, a Plant-type Soul Beast. You don't intend to choose a Beast Martial Soul?"

"The Second Soul Ring needs to address control and protection," Ning Buhui said. "The yin fish lacks a skill that can continuously control an opponent. The Soul-Binding Vine's entangling ability is just right, and it can also absorb Soul Power. Its wood attribute carries vitality as well, which suits the yang fish perfectly. So I think it's a good choice."

Bibi Dong did not respond and continued reading. The paper listed several other options: Bone-Corroding Spider, with darkness and poison attributes; Crypt Bear, with earth and strength attributes; and Black-Patterned Snake, with water and poison attributes. Beside each one were notes on its compatibility and its strengths and weaknesses.

"These choices of yours have something in common," she said suddenly. "They all have dual attributes. But your Martial Soul is unusual, so dual-attribute Soul Beasts are indeed a better fit."

"Yes," Ning Buhui said. "That was part of my thinking too."

"How old are you? Yet you talk about your Martial Soul as though you've spent a lifetime studying it." Bibi Dong put down the papers and looked at him. "I remember you saying that when it awakened, you only had a vague idea of your pagoda's name and knew nothing else. But you understand it clearly now?"

Ning Buhui's heart tightened, but he remained calm. "As you know, Teacher, no matter how busy I am, I spend time at the library every day. I often read books on these subjects there, and after reading enough, I naturally came to understand. The Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda's yin and yang attributes were confirmed after I absorbed my First Soul Ring. That was already clear, so I simply followed that line of thought."

The explanation was reasonable, and Bibi Dong did not question him further. She spread the pages out on the table again and pointed to the age column he had written. "Seven thousand years. Are you confident?"

"My physical training over the past six months has begun to show results, and my body has reached another level," Ning Buhui said. "On top of that, I just broke through to level twenty last night, which strengthened my body further, so I want to try. The older the Soul Ring, the more it will benefit me in the future. With my current physique, it's not as though I can't make the attempt. Besides, I have you here, Teacher."

"An older Soul Ring isn't the same as a younger one. The older the Soul Ring, the more severe the mental attack from the Soul Beast's remnant consciousness during absorption. Are you sure you can withstand it as you are now?" Bibi Dong said calmly.

"That's the second thing I wanted to tell you, Teacher. Actually, when I absorbed my first Soul Ring, I discovered that my Martial Soul could defend against mental attacks on its own. The Nether Butterfly's remnant consciousness invaded my spiritual sea, but before it could attack, the illusory image of the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda in my spiritual sea shattered it. I wasn't quite sure why at the time, so I didn't tell you."

Ning Buhui continued, "After I broke through last night, some information about my Martial Soul suddenly appeared in my mind. The fact that the pagoda can passively defend against mental attacks was among it. The 'Soul-Suppressing' in its name isn't just for show. According to the information in my mind, the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda can suppress and seal all things, and protecting its owner's soul is its basic passive effect. At my current strength, I can disregard all mental attacks below the Titled Douluo level, including control effects like Charm. There's a lot of other scattered information. Once I've sorted through it later, I'll explain it to you, Teacher."

Ning Buhui had understated the passive effect somewhat. If Bibi Dong learned that it could grant immunity to all mental attacks below the level of a god, it would be a little too shocking.

Bibi Dong was also somewhat surprised. She had not expected a Martial Soul to come with inherited memories.

"With the Soul Beast remnant's mental attack taken care of, you really can consider a Soul Ring between six and seven thousand years old now. But the absorption process may be very painful," Bibi Dong said. "You'll have to endure it. If things look wrong, I'll step in and interrupt your absorption of the Soul Ring."

"Thank you, Teacher. I'll endure it," Ning Buhui said solemnly.

Bibi Dong gave him a couple of looks and did not pour any more cold water on him. She only asked, "Of these, which do you want most?"

"The Soul-Binding Vine," Ning Buhui said. "The others are alternatives. If we can't find one of the right age, we can settle for the next best thing. A Bone-Corroding Spider would do too."

"The Bone-Corroding Spider is fiercer than the Soul-Binding Vine."

"It is, but with its darkness and poison attributes, it's bound to be good at controlling the field. It's just that it doesn't have an attribute inclined toward yang, so there's no knowing exactly what support skill I'd gain after absorbing it." When Bibi Dong did not respond, Ning Buhui added, "So we should still look for a Soul-Binding Vine first."

"You learned all that from books?" Bibi Dong's tone held a hint of amusement.

"Yes," Ning Buhui said. "I'm rather interested in Soul Beast theory and how compatible they are with Soul Masters' Martial Souls, so I usually read more books on the subject. Fortunately, I do have some aptitude for understanding it."

Bibi Dong neither smiled nor praised him. She simply looked at him for a long while, as though she could see something very distant through the face of this not-quite-seven-year-old child. Her gaze made Ning Buhui uncomfortable, but he did not look away. He knew that what he had just said was too assured, too composed, nothing like a child at all. But he also knew that hiding things from Bibi Dong would only make it easier for her to see through him. This woman had seen too many geniuses; the more unusual he showed himself to be, the more she would value him.

After a while.

"All right." She finally spoke. "Go back for now. I'll have someone investigate the locations of these Soul Beasts and tell you when there's news."

Ning Buhui rose and took his leave. When he reached the door, he suddenly heard Bibi Dong speak behind him. "You're becoming more and more like someone."

He stopped and turned around. "Who?"

Bibi Dong had already withdrawn her gaze and picked up the cup of tea, now completely cold. She said only, "Someone from many years ago. He was also full of theories and strange ideas."

Ning Buhui did not press further. A name rose instinctively in his mind: Yu Xiaogang. But he showed nothing on his face, merely tilting his head like a child. "Did he become powerful later?"

Bibi Dong did not answer. The hall was as silent as if no one were there.

Knowing he would get nothing more, Ning Buhui bowed and turned to leave.

The morning breeze rushed against his face. He took a deep breath, and his heart settled. The "someone from many years ago" Bibi Dong had mentioned was most likely Yu Xiaogang. It seemed the talent for theory he had displayed had plucked some fine old string deep in the Pope's heart. That was not a bad thing. At least it meant he carried more weight in her heart now, which would also benefit him in the future.

After he returned, his daily routine continued as usual. He cultivated when it was time to cultivate and read when it was time to read. On the surface, nothing was different. Only in his heart did he silently count the days.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

That evening, a guard came to the quiet room with a message. "The Pope wants to see you."

Ning Buhui put down his book, put on his outer robe, and followed him to the side hall. As soon as he entered, he saw Bibi Dong sitting behind the table. A map lay spread out before her, with several places marked in red ink. Beside it lay a short letter, its ink not yet dry.

"I found them." She wasted no words, pointing to a place toward the north of the map. "Rotten Wood Marsh. A place where Soul-Binding Vines grow. It's nine hundred li from Spirit City, four days by fast carriage. The other places are areas where Bone-Corroding Spiders and Black-Patterned Snakes have been spotted. None are far from Rotten Wood Marsh. We'll prioritize finding a Soul-Binding Vine of the right age. If we encounter the others, we can make a note of them too. We'll only consider them if we really can't find a Soul-Binding Vine in the end."

Ning Buhui walked over for a closer look. Rotten Wood Marsh was a semi-wetland, low-lying and full of rotting wood and muddy bogs, just right for parasitic plants like the Soul-Binding Vine. He calculated the travel time. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow." Bibi Dong folded the short letter and put it away. "You're not allowed to cultivate when you go back tonight. Rest well and make sure you're ready."

"Yes."

Bibi Dong glanced at him and stood up. "We leave at the hour of the tiger tomorrow. Bring everything you need."

"Yes." Ning Buhui bowed, then turned and went back to pack. He only stuffed two changes of clothes, dry rations, a flask of fresh water, a hunting knife, and a firestarter into his storage ring. He also added a thin illustrated guide to consult on the road.

At the hour of the tiger the next day, it was still dark. He went out with a small, somewhat worn bundle on his back, the wind cold enough to burrow down his collar. An inconspicuous carriage covered in green cloth was already waiting outside the hall. It bore no sign, and no one was accompanying it. Ning Buhui lifted the curtain and climbed in. Bibi Dong was the only person inside.

"Let's go," she said.

The carriage set off toward Rotten Wood Marsh in the north.

Ning Buhui leaned against the side of the carriage, listening to the wind outside mingle with the sound of the wheels, and slowly closed his eyes.