"Protect me!"
As the purple soul ring appeared, Tang Ya hurriedly gave the command, then quickly sat cross-legged beside the Mandala Serpent. A soft blue glow flickered at her right hand. With a gentle lift of her slender fingers, she lightly tapped the purple soul ring hovering above the serpent. Instantly, the ring was drawn toward the blue light on her hand, merging smoothly into her body.
Beside her, Huo Yuhao watched the entire process with curiosity—this was the first time he had witnessed the absorption of a soul ring.
"Tang Ya's soul spirit is Blue Silver Grass," Beibei explained gently, noticing Huo Yuhao's inquisitive expression.
"Blue Silver Grass? Like the one in the Tang Sect legend?" Huo Yuhao feigned surprise. "But Blue Silver Grass is a plant-type soul spirit. Why would she absorb a soul ring from a Mandala Serpent?"
Beibei nodded, affirming Huo Yuhao's question. "According to a theory proposed by the master ten thousand years ago, plant-type soul masters can absorb soul rings from beast-type soul beasts as long as their attributes are compatible. Records from the Tang Sect show that the first generation sect leader absorbed soul rings from the Mandala Serpent, Ghost Vine, Man-faced Demon Spider, and Abyssal Spider under the master's guidance, laying a solid foundation for future growth."
Hearing Beibei's explanation, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but voice a doubt that had troubled him while reading novels in his past life. "Isn't that the obvious approach? If soul rings could only be absorbed from the same type as the soul spirit, then how would weapon soul spirits absorb soul rings? Would they have to wait a hundred years to absorb a hammer's soul ring? And for soul spirits like mine, which come from our very bodies, wouldn't that mean absorbing soul rings born from humans? Of course, assuming humans can generate soul rings at all."
Beibei's gentle expression stiffened at the barrage of questions, leaving him momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
"And even if plant soul spirits can absorb beast soul rings, how could Blue Silver Grass and creatures like snakes or spiders truly be compatible? Is it just because they can both bind and use poison? Blue Silver Grass is the most widely distributed plant with incredible adaptability. While individuals are weak, the species endures tirelessly. As a soul spirit, it should absorb soul rings from plants or animals with matching traits. Moreover, Blue Silver Grass isn't very compatible with poison. I've even seen Blue Silver Grass growing weak near toxic areas..."
Huo Yuhao's relentless questioning darkened Beibei's expression bit by bit. He wanted to refute him but didn't know where to begin and instead cast a worried glance at Tang Ya, who was still absorbing the soul ring.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's continued shared mental detection, Beibei watched Tang Ya intently. Within the mental connection, he could sense subtle changes in Tang Ya's body as she fused with the soul ring.
Tang Ya's figure seemed to have grown more slender, and her aura rapidly strengthened. Her skin gained a healthy sheen, and her vitality surged.
On the surface, everything appeared to be the typical enhancement expected when absorbing a soul ring. Yet, through the shared mental detection, Beibei clearly felt Tang Ya's growth was significantly less than the increase he experienced when he absorbed his own third soul ring—almost half as much.
"Is it because of the difference in soul spirit strength?" Beibei wondered inwardly, but he quickly rejected this thought.
"No. Tang Ya's physical constitution is weaker than mine. The Mandala Serpent is a high-level soul beast. Its soul ring quality isn't much different from mine. If the soul ring fit well, even if Tang Ya's boost isn't as great as mine, it shouldn't be less than half. Back when I had three soul rings, my physique was already very strong, so a smaller boost at the third ring stage was expected. But Tang Ya's physique is weaker and yet she gains so little... there's only one explanation—most of the power is wasted just to adapt the soul ring to her!"
As a genius student of Shrek Academy, Beibei wasn't foolish. Though he hadn't considered this before, Huo Yuhao's probing had quickly clarified the situation.
But hadn't their ancestor said that the Mandala Serpent's soul ring was perfectly suited for the Blue Silver Grass soul spirit? Could the ancestor have been wrong?
"Damn it!" Beibei cursed silently, unsure whether he was blaming the ancestor or himself.
He wanted to help Tang Ya, but what could he do now? Interrupt her absorption?
Not to mention the disastrous backlash that could occur from forcibly stopping the process—this was already the final step of absorption, not something he could casually interfere with.
Seeing Beibei's expression, Huo Yuhao realized his guidance had taken effect and finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Tang Sect disciples truly revered Tang San as in the original story, they might be vulnerable to his influence. But once that belief faded, Tang San's power over them would diminish.
Though he wasn't sure how useful this move would be, it was a small favor he could do for Beibei. Why not?
"Xiao Yuhao..." With Tang Ya's third soul ring now a reality, Beibei began contemplating her future path. "If it were up to you, what soul ring would you choose for Tang Ya's fourth?"
"Well..." Huo Yuhao forced a smile. "Beibei big brother, I wish I could answer that, but we only just discovered the Mandala Serpent because of me. How could I possibly choose a soul ring for her?"
"Sorry, I didn't think this through. Let's not tell Tang Ya about this yet."
Huo Yuhao's earlier demeanor had made Beibei imagine him as a master theorist of soul spirits, but now he remembered Huo Yuhao was still a rookie, just beginning his journey as a soul master.
"Yeah." Huo Yuhao nodded quietly.
At that moment, Beibei had already made up his mind. He would go back and thoroughly research the information—he couldn't allow Tang Ya to absorb another unsuitable soul ring. That's right, Teacher Wang Yan's theoretical knowledge was highly praised throughout Shrek Academy; perhaps he could seek Wang Yan's advice as a reference.
The atmosphere fell into silence, broken only by the faint sounds of Tang Ya absorbing the soul ring. Nearly half an hour passed before Huo Yuhao's body trembled slightly, signaling the end of his mental detection sharing. He barely managed to steady himself, sitting cross-legged to meditate and recover his soul power.
"Including the time spent in the battle... maintaining it for about half an hour is pretty impressive," Beibei murmured.
Once his anxiety subsided, Beibei quietly observed Huo Yuhao. When he saw that Huo Yuhao, despite exhaustion, did not collapse but instead sat cross-legged with difficulty to meditate, a faint smile appeared on his face. He nodded silently. More than talent, Beibei valued one's character. Without a doubt, this junior brother had already passed his test in his eyes.
Without the support of the mental detection sharing, Beibei casually scattered some snake-repellent medicine, gathering his focus to remain alert to the surroundings. Now, he was the only one guarding—there could be no mistakes!
"Ugh..." Tang Ya exhaled deeply and slowly opened her eyes. Her bright gaze shone with a piercing brilliance, and her entire spirit seemed significantly enhanced.
In the cultivation of soul masters, level thirty was a crucial threshold. Crossing it meant entering the realm of Soul Sovereign—a true powerhouse among soul masters, with limitless potential ahead. Many soul masters with lesser talent spent their entire lives unable to break past this level.
"I did it!" Tang Ya exclaimed excitedly, leaping to her feet. With a surge of soul power, three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—quickly ascended from the ground. The most striking was the thousand-year-level purple soul ring, radiating a noble aura. From this moment on, Tang Ya's strength had fully reached the Soul Sovereign tier.
Beibei smiled warmly as usual. "Congratulations, Tang Ya."
He said nothing about the soul ring's compatibility; Tang Ya already bore enough burdens. Since the matter of the soul ring was settled, Tang Ya only needed to rejoice in earning her third soul ring. The rest was for him to handle.