Half a Year
Half a year is neither a long time nor a short time; it's enough for the Soul Power to develop a solid foundation in the meridians.
Ning Buhui left Spirit City, his days passing by like a precisely marked hourglass, accurate to the last detail. He would rise at the crack of dawn to run laps, practice physical techniques, and hone the precision of his Split Attention Control; in the mornings, he would retreat into the tower for secluded cultivation, focusing on refining his Soul Power; in the afternoons, he would immerse himself in the library, poring over the illustrations of Soul Beast from various regions and the secret manuals passed down through the Spirit Hall; and in the evenings, he would go to the training grounds to spar with Yan and Xie Yue. Occasionally, Bibi Dong would send someone to summon him to a side hall, either to help organize the records of Soul Beast distribution in different regions, or to casually inquire about the feedback on the implementation of the Whale Rubber Body Refining Method among the lower-level disciples. The days slipped by like this, and his Soul Power, like spring snow melting into water, appeared unhurried, but in reality, it increased daily.
The hurdle from level 49 to level 50 requires almost the total Soul Power needed for the previous four levels combined. His physical body, repeatedly tempered by the tower, has meridians that are more than twice as wide as those of other Soul Master of the same level. While others might add water to a cup to level up, he needs to fill an entire vat, doubling his requirements. The rich Soul Power environment within the tower can smooth out most of the gap, but the remaining difference can only be achieved slowly over time.
For the past six months, he hasn't mentioned going out to train again, quietly staying in the Spirit Hall to cultivate slowly. He could vaguely sense that the news of his disappearance for nearly a year and his return with a jump of seven levels had already secretly spread throughout the Spirit Hall. Many people were privately inquiring and discussing that leaving the city rashly at this time would easily cause complications. It would be better to stay in the city peacefully and focus on honing his cultivation.
After half a year, his Soul Power finally reached the critical point.
That morning, he entered the tower as usual, sitting cross-legged on the bamboo chair on the third floor. His Soul Power flowed through his meridians in a continuous cycle, like waves repeatedly lapping against a dam. With his eyes closed, he felt the Soul Power within his body growing thicker and thicker, slowly climbing upwards. When it reached its peak, his meridians swelled slightly, like a cup of water overflowing its rim, just a thin membrane away from breaking through. He didn't rush to force his way through; instead, he steadied his breathing, maintaining the rhythm of his meditation. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the barrier silently cracked open, and his Soul Power poured out through the gap, spreading steadily throughout his body, nearly twice as thick as before.
He opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath of stale air, the breath condensing into a thin thread that dispersed in front of him. Level fifty, finally reached.
When he emerged from the tower, it was just dawn. He sat in the quiet room for a while, carefully sensing the strength of his level 50 Soul Power. Having reached this juncture, the next step was to acquire his Fifth Soul Ring. The choice of the Fifth Soul Ring required careful consideration, as those that perfectly matched his own Martial Soul were extremely rare, and he also needed to select suitable Soul Skill to compensate for or enhance his abilities.
The next morning, he went to the side hall to meet Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong was reviewing a document about the distribution of Whale Rubber when she heard footsteps. Without even lifting her eyelids, she asked, "Level 50?" "I broke through early yesterday morning." Ning Buhui sat down at the desk. "This disciple has come to discuss the matter of the Fifth Soul Ring with Master."
Bibi Dong put down her vermilion brush and leaned back in her chair. "Have you decided on a direction yet?" "I have a few options, but I haven't made up my mind," Ning Buhui. "I'm looking for one that can complement my existing system. My Fourth Soul Ring, the Bear Iron Wall, adds invincibility and burst damage, while the Bear Spirit Curse adds curse control. For my Fifth Soul Ring, I want to focus on sustain and suppression. Ideally, it should have a life-saving and sustaining support ability, plus a crowd control technique involving restrictions."
Bibi Dong looked at him for two seconds, then extended a finger and placed it on his forehead to sense it. She then pulled a thin scroll from the table and pushed it towards him. "With your current physique, the only soul Soul Beast that can withstand Soul Ring of about 50,000 years and whose attributes are even remotely related are those recorded in the Spirit Hall's Intelligence Hall. Take a look for yourself."
Ning Buhui took it and read it line by line. The first one was the Sky Azure Luan Bird, with dual attributes of wind and light, and it lived on the high cliffs in the northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire. Its Soul Skill were biased towards speed and continuous recovery. The advantage was that it could greatly improve agility and had a long-term recovery effect. The disadvantage was that it could only restore Soul Power and could not restore mental power.
The second type is the Profound Water Rock Turtle, which has both water and earth attributes and is found in the deep sea in the southern part of the Star Luo Empire. Its Soul Skill follows a defensive and counter-damage route, making it extremely strong defensively and able to reflect 30% of damage, which somewhat overlaps with the Vine Armor Spring Life.
The third type is the Crimson Flame Fire Python, which possesses both fire and metal attributes and lives in the volcanic rock area of the southern section of the Star Dou Great Forest. Its Soul Skill are mainly focused on explosive armor-piercing, maximizing its offensive power and enabling quick battles. However, its endurance is extremely poor, and it also has negative effects, making it completely different from the Soul Skill he desired.
The fourth type is the Netherworld Phoenix, possessing both dark and fire attributes, and inhabiting the Netherworld Valley in the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire. Ning Buhui's gaze immediately froze. The Netherworld Phoenix possesses both dark and fire attributes, and is capable of Nirvana and sealing.
He continued reading the detailed record: The Netherworld Phoenix contains the bloodline of an ancient phoenix, said to be the offspring of a phoenix that was tainted by darkness and on the verge of death during the ancient war, and its lineage has continued to this day. Its entire body is covered in dark gold feathers, and its tail feathers Entanglement with inextinguishable Netherworld Fire. It has two core abilities: Nirvana and Reincarnation.
He reviewed it three times, finding it increasingly satisfactory. Nirvana corresponded perfectly to the recovery effect he desired, not to mention the invincibility during Nirvana. As for Reincarnation, judging from the Netherworld Phoenix's own abilities, he guessed it would be a sealing effect, but he would only know for sure when he obtained the Soul Ring.
"Netherworld Phoenix." He placed the list back on the table. "This disciple chooses this one."
Bibi Dong took the roster and glanced at it, not speaking immediately. After a few moments of silence, she slowly said, "The Netherworld Phoenix is a rare Soul Beast, very difficult to find. The Spirit Hall's archives only have two sighting records, the most recent being over ten years ago, in the Netherworld Valley in the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire. That place is shrouded in miasma, with complex terrain, and teeming with Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Moreover, the Netherworld Phoenix itself is extremely difficult to hunt. It is not slow and has the ability to Nirvana. If it cannot be killed in one blow, and is given the opportunity to use Nirvana, it will repeatedly revive, making it more and more troublesome the more you fight it."
"Disciple understands," Ning Buhui said calmly. "Therefore, disciple wishes to ask Master for assistance. With Master present, its Nirvana would be meaningless."
Bibi Dong glanced at him, neither agreeing nor refusing immediately. After a moment, she said, "The Netherworld Valley is half a month's journey from here. I'll have someone investigate recent clues to confirm which area the Netherworld Phoenix is active in. You go back and wait; we'll decide on the itinerary once we have news."
"Alright." Ning Buhui, stood up, bowed, and left.
Emerging from the side hall, he walked towards the meditation room, reviewing the information about the Nether Netherworld Phoenix in his mind once more. Dual attributes of Dark Fire, Nirvana and Reincarnation. If he could acquire these two abilities with his Fifth Soul Ring, his support and control system would be even more perfect. He would be one step closer to becoming a hexagonal Soul Master.
He pushed open the door to the quiet room, sat on the edge of the bed, and took out the map of the Supreme Sect Sect's secret realm from his storage ring, spreading it out on the table. He still hadn't found a clue to the location of Heavenly Abyss, but he had already memorized the small print in the corner of the map—"The core trial ground of the Supreme Sect, only Soul Emperor and above can enter." His current cultivation level was not high enough. Once he obtained his Fifth Soul Ring and climbed higher, perhaps he could explore it then.