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Another month passed, and Ye Wen finally reached the Soul Sage stage. All he needed now was one more soul ring to unlock his True Body of the martial soul.
Looking at the Ice and Fire Dual Eye they had nurtured for nearly half a year, both Ye Wen and Ah Yin felt a pang of reluctance. Turning to Ah Lan, Ye Wen said sternly:
"From now on, it's up to you to protect this place, Ah Lan.
Anyone who mistakenly enters here—kill them without mercy."
The words carried a chilling aura. Ye Wen had never been a kind-hearted person. Anyone who crossed his bottom line would meet their end.
"Leave it to me, Emperor. Even if a Title Douluo comes, I will fight to the death to protect this place," Ah Lan vowed solemnly.
Though ordinary Title Douluos rarely ventured this deep into the forest for soul rings, the only person likely to find this place in the future might be Dugu Bo. Still, Ah Lan's determination moved Ye Wen deeply.
After bidding farewell to Ah Lan, the two set off on their journey to hunt for soul rings.
Although the Sunset Forest boasted a wide variety of spirit beasts with respectable cultivation levels, they were no longer of much interest to Ye Wen at his current level. By now, Ye Wen's physical strength had reached a terrifying 200,000 jin (approximately 100 tons). If he could hold the Sea God's Trident, he could wield it effortlessly like a toy.
If he were to encounter and absorb the energy of a ferocious beast with 200,000 years of cultivation, the only concern would be its mental power.
The main purpose of this trip was to help Ah Yin obtain her seventh soul ring. Unlike Ye Wen, Ah Yin, despite pushing her physical limits from time to time, remained within the realm of a normal genius soul master—not yet reaching extraordinary heights. However, after being empowered by the Love-Breaking Red, tests indicated that Ah Yin's seventh soul ring would require around 70,000 years of cultivation.
"Brother, what kind of spirit beast do you think I should hunt for my seventh soul ring?" Ah Yin asked curiously.
She had learned from Ye Wen that professional questions should be left to professionals. Though she knew much about spirit beasts, she didn't know which ones truly suited her.
Ye Wen pondered for a moment before replying: "Once a soul master reaches the seven-ring Soul Sage stage, regardless of the soul ring's age—even if it's a hundred-thousand-year ring—the soul skill obtained is still the True Body of the martial soul.
However, depending on the quality of the martial soul and the age of the soul ring, the final manifestation of the True Body's power will vary.
To summarize, the stronger the soul master's martial soul and the higher the age of the seventh soul ring absorbed, the more powerful the True Body will be when unleashed.
Moreover, at the Soul Sage stage, if the soul ring obtained has a high affinity with the martial soul, there's a small chance of triggering an evolution of the martial soul. I discovered this while reviewing many ancient texts. The probability is so low, and most soul masters who reach the Soul Sage stage already possess strong martial souls, so such cases are extremely rare."
"Oh, I see."
But soon, Ah Yin grew troubled.
"But my Blue Silver Emperor martial soul is already considered one of the top-tier plant-type martial souls. It seems there aren't any spirit beasts in the Sunset Forest—or even the Star Dou Great Forest—that can trigger an evolution of my martial soul."
"That's true. Your Blue Silver Emperor martial soul has almost reached the pinnacle of vitality among all plant-type spirit beasts. Aside from the legendary Golden Ancient Tree, no other spirit beast can enhance your Blue Silver Emperor's vitality further."
Ye Wen nodded in agreement but then shifted the topic:
"However, martial souls have their own unique qualities. Every time a soul ring is absorbed, the martial soul can strengthen itself based on the acquired soul skill.
Your Blue Silver Emperor martial soul, though incredibly potent in vitality, also possesses remarkable adaptability. While this seventh soul ring won't grant your martial soul stronger soul skills, it can cause a certain transformation in your Blue Silver Emperor.
After all, you've always condensed soul rings using your own essence, which is different from how you'll acquire this soul ring."
Upon hearing this, Ah Yin suddenly understood. Indeed, human martial souls were strange entities. While obtaining a soul ring didn't necessarily lead to evolution, it could give rise to peculiar characteristics.
Take, for example, the Hao Tian Hammer of the Hao Tian Sect. While the main lineage focused on maximizing offensive capabilities, the various elders' hammers took on bizarre forms due to the odd soul rings they absorbed. Some hammers emitted bubbles as attacks, while others were hurled directly at enemies.
It could only be said that even a prestigious sect like the Hao Tian Sect remained narrow-minded. To ensure absolute dominance of the main lineage, other branches were deliberately weakened, which explained why they were utterly crushed by the Spirit Hall. After being forced into seclusion, Tang Xiao, the current sect leader, lacking the overwhelming power of his ancestors, was constantly marginalized and mocked by the elders.
Ye Wen continued:
"Based on your current soul skills, your control abilities are overwhelmingly powerful. Even soul masters or spirit beasts a whole realm above you can't do anything against you. However, your offensive skills are limited to just your fifth soul skill, the Blue Silver Tyrant Spear. That's your weakness. So this time, we need to address that."
"How do we fix it?"
"Absorb a spirit beast whose entire body can serve as a weapon!"
The timing was perfect. Ye Wen pointed ahead.
Not far away stood a towering willow tree ten meters tall. Surrounding it was an empty clearing—no plants or animals dared to live there.
Ah Yin looked at the spirit beast in surprise and exclaimed:
"A ten-thousand-year Sword Willow King? You're not seriously suggesting I absorb its soul ring, are you, Brother? My limit is only 70,000 years!"
The Ten-Thousand Sword Willow King seemed to sense their presence. Its thick, wind-resistant branches began to sway slowly, ready to attack if the two dared to approach further.
"The Sword Willow, though rarer than Blue Silver Grass, can be found in virtually every spirit beast habitat.
Its leaves are as sharp as swords, hence the name 'Sword Willow.' Once it surpasses ten thousand years, it becomes known as the 'Ten-Thousand Sword Willow,' and beyond fifty thousand years, it earns the title 'Ten-Thousand Sword Willow King.'
This type of spirit beast is a favorite among weapon-wielding soul masters who specialize in releasing sword qi.
Most of the soul skills it carries are tied to its innate talent—sword qi.
If you absorb its soul ring, your Blue Silver Emperor martial soul may gain sword-like sharpness.
Even your ordinary control-type skills might transform into devastating offensive skills, leaving behind trails of carnage wherever you go."
As Ye Wen explained further, Ah Yin's eyes grew brighter. After all, no matter how good control skills were, nothing beat the satisfaction of slicing through enemies directly.
But Ah Yin frowned again, saying, "But I can't absorb an 80,000-year-old Ten-Thousand Sword Willow King!"
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