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Yellow, purple, purple, black—with these four soul rings quietly emerging, the fifth black soul ring slowly took shape.
At this moment, Ning Tian's consciousness appeared within his own spiritual sea.
This was his first time seeing it with his own eyes. Based on his rough guess, with his cultivation level steadily climbing, his spiritual sea had probably reached the strength of a Spirit Douluo. Pretty impressive, if he did say so himself.
But what really grabbed his attention was the young girl standing in the middle of this shimmering mental expanse.
She was stunning, like, jaw-droppingly so. Her sky-blue hair flowed down to her waist like a waterfall, casually covering the important parts. Her eyes sparkled like stars reflected on a moonlit lake, framed by a smooth, pale face. She had a slim, graceful figure, lips as soft as cherry blossoms, and an aura as calm as a still pond in autumn. Ning Tian couldn't help but wonder what kind of world-shaking beauty she might become one day.
The second she spotted him, the girl launched herself forward with all the subtlety of a cannonball and shouted, "Master!"
"Ahem!" Ning Tian coughed awkwardly. He had a hunch who she was, but he still asked, "You're Ah Yin, right?"
"Yes, Master! I'm Ah Yin!" She tilted her head up, showing off her delicate features and a figure that was just starting to hint at its future potential.
Ning Tian felt a pang of guilt hit him like a brick. He coughed again, turning his head to the side. "Okay, first off, let's drop the 'Master' thing. Call me Brother instead. And, uh…could you maybe put some clothes on?"
"Okay, Brother!" Ah Yin's face lit up at the suggestion, her big eyes curving into happy little crescents. She took a few steps back, and with a quick flash of blue light, a blue-gold off-shoulder dress materialized on her body.
Ning Tian blinked. "Uh… how about something a little more… covered up?"
She was his sword spirit now, after all. She'd have to fight eventually, and he wasn't about to let her do it, looking like she'd just walked off a beach photoshoot.
Ah Yin cocked her head, thinking hard. Another flash of blue light later, she was wrapped in a high-collared blue-gold robe that covered her from neck to toe, hugging her tiny frame like a protective cocoon.
Ning Tian gave an approving nod. "Much better. Now, Ah Yin, do you remember anything from before?"
She scrunched up her face, then shook her head. "Not really. I just know my name, and that you, my Brother pulled me out of some dark, creepy place. Everything else is kind of a blur."
Ning Tian mused to himself that her sacrifice must have left her soul dormant for ages. Add in the two years he'd been feeding her his essence blood, and it made sense her past was fuzzy.
"Oh!" Ah Yin piped up suddenly. "I do remember a white-bearded old guy who'd stop by sometimes."
Ning Tian's brow furrowed. She had to mean Tang Hao. "Ah Yin, that white-bearded old man? He's bad news. If you ever see him again, don't trust a word he says."
"But why?" she asked, tilting her head. "He seemed nice. He'd water me and pull the weeds around me whenever he visited."
"Because he's the reason you're in this mess!" Ning Tian didn't hold back, diving into a wild, conspiracy-filled tale about how Tang Hao had ruined her life. According to him, Tang Hao had schemed to steal her Blue Silver Grass bloodline, her soul ring, and her soul bone.
He'd somehow passed her bloodline to his son, Tang San, then dragged her all over the continent like a trophy until human Title Douluo caught wind of her. To top it off, he faked an injury while "protecting" her, guilting her into sacrificing herself.
"With the Blue Silver Emperor's special body, no one could've killed you otherwise," Ning Tian said, crossing his arms like he'd just cracked a major case.
He might've looked a bit like a shady uncle trying to sell a kid on a tall tale, but Ah Yin bought it hook, line, and sinker.
"If he wasn't hiding something, why'd he stash you in that gloomy dump?" he finished.
Ah Yin's little fists clenched, her teeth grinding together. "That old jerk's nothing but a liar!"
"Exactly. So if you see him again, keep your cool and don't fall for his tricks, okay?" Ning Tian patted her head gently.
"Mm!" She nodded, leaning into his touch like a happy puppy.
Then she perked up again. "What about that Tang San guy? What do I do if I meet him?"
"Tang San's not even Tang Hao's real son anymore, he's been taken over by someone else. If we run into him and I say it's go time, don't hold back."
…..
Half a day passed from the moment he'd accepted Ah Yin and the Blue Silver clan's offerings, led by the Blue Silver King, to when everything settled.
When it was over, Ning Tian's fifth black soul ring had fully formed, and Ah Yin had vanished, officially becoming his sword spirit.
Ning Tian opened his eyes slowly, a grin spreading across his face.
This fifth soul ring was approximately 50,000 years old. It didn't merely grant him a powerful new ability but it also elevated his soul power from rank 50 to 55 in a single leap. Of course, the four blood ginsengs he had consumed certainly contributed, but even so, it was an impressive breakthrough. His Sword Domain had even advanced for the second time, allowing him to summon eighteen Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords simultaneously.
But the greatest reward was undoubtedly Ah Yin, now fully awakened as his sword spirit.
With her by his side, he no longer needed the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul to raise the upper limit of his fifth soul ring's age as his body grew stronger. Moreover, Ah Yin's strength advanced in tandem with that ring's age. Possessing her was akin to forming a bond with a 50,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor soul beast, an extraordinary boon by any measure.
The only drawback was that her soul power and mental energy drained from him directly. But with Tang Hao around, it was not a problem; his soul energy reserves were more than sufficient to support them both.
Still, he had to make sure Tang San didn't awaken as the Blue Silver Emperor. That'd complicate things.
With that in mind, Ning Tian's five soul rings flared to life. A swirling vortex opened up like a portal, and Ah Yin stepped out, looking as elegant as ever.
The Blue Silver King took one look at her and started bawling. "Thank the heavens, Your Majesty! You've got a chance at coming back!"
Ah Yin glanced at Ning Tian. He gave her a nod, and she cleared her throat, putting on her best grown-up voice. "In my past life, a human Title Douluo deceived and betrayed me. He stole my soul ring and part of my bloodline, passing it to his son. If that guy shows up someday, don't you dare sacrifice our people to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul for his kid. Just tell him his bloodline's too impure and send him packing."
The Blue Silver King nodded as if his life depended on it, fully agreeing with her command.
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