Li Mansion
After falling asleep beside the clone of the Green-Scaled Snake Emperor, Li Changan awoke in his own bed and rubbed his temples. Controlling both bodies at the same time was truly exhausting.
I wonder if this will get easier as my cultivation level rises in the future? he thought.
With that thought lingering, he summoned his sword. He caressed it gently, like stroking the skin of a delicate beauty—careful, reverent, as though afraid of breaking it.
My future glory in this world all depends on the sword in my hand.
"This sword shall be called the 'Bi-Scale Sword'!"
He officially named his martial soul. Then he began to carefully explore the sword's abilities.
After some experimentation, Li Changan discovered that his martial soul was normally in sword form, but could transform into a snake if needed. However, unlike a beast-type martial soul, it couldn't possess him. Instead, it functioned more like a clone—he could control its actions externally, much like controlling a soul beast.
But this wasn't a flaw—it was, in fact, a benefit. After all, hadn't Dugu Bo suffered for years because of the toxins carried by his own martial soul? By not allowing possession, Li Changan avoided the risk of toxin invasion.
At most, he would lose the physical enhancement that came with full possession. But compared to being poisoned, that was a minor tradeoff.
The Next Day
A messenger sent by the emperor arrived at the Li mansion.
He was a middle-aged man with a handsome appearance and carried the aura of a Soul Saint. His purpose was to escort Li Changan to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain his first soul ring.
Although Emperor Tiandou was eager to recruit Li Changan due to his innate full soul power, there remained uncertainty because of his unique martial soul. The "Bi-Scale Sword" was unlike any martial soul ever documented. No one knew whether it was strong or weak, or if it contained fatal flaws.
To avoid investing in a dud, the emperor ordered this trip as a test. Based on the soul skill Li Changan would obtain, the court would evaluate his potential—and decide whether he was worth winning over, and to what extent.
Soul Hunting Forest
This forest, maintained by the Tiandou Empire, was filled with captured soul beasts. It was far safer than the wild Soul Beast Forest, though the variety and age of the soul beasts here were more limited.
But for a first soul ring, this place was more than enough. There was no need to risk the dangers of the wild forest, where even Soul Saints might lose their lives.
The Soul Saint escorting him was clearly familiar with the forest. When they reached the gate, the guards recognized him and immediately opened the entrance without question.
The benefit of authority… Li Changan thought silently.
"As you mentioned," the Soul Saint said as they walked, "your sword martial soul has innate poison properties, in addition to the sharp edge of a weapon-type soul. The most compatible soul beasts would be either poisonous or armor-piercing in nature."
He paused. "Choose one. Poison or armor-piercing."
Li Changan thought for a moment, then asked, "Can I choose both? A soul beast that's both poisonous and armor-piercing?"
The Soul Saint was slightly surprised, then considered it carefully. "Normally, when effects are too scattered, soul skill power will diminish. But with the unique nature of your martial soul, it might be worth trying. Perhaps you can have both."
Of course, he only agreed so easily because the first soul ring was seen as a temporary stepping stone. No matter how strong a hundred-year soul ring was, it wouldn't matter much in the long run. As long as its age was appropriate and it didn't conflict with the martial soul, he saw no harm in taking the risk.
Before long, they arrived at a dense bamboo grove.
The bamboo here was unlike ordinary bamboo—its stalks were jade-white, its leaves like sword blades. Light blue with dark markings, they swayed in the wind and gave off a faint, sharp fragrance.
It looked like a grove of rare, treasured bamboo.
But in fact, these were plant-type soul beasts—Poisonous Sword Bamboo.
Each leaf was as sharp as a dagger and coated in toxin. The bamboos attacked by whipping branches and hurling leaf-blades like flying knives.
There were dozens of them here. The oldest was a thousand years old, the youngest around ten. Li Changan's target was a four-hundred-year-old one.
"Roar!"
With a loud shout, the Soul Saint released his martial soul. His body bulked up, covered in coarse brown fur, and his form transformed into a humanoid bear. Seven soul rings hovered around him, and he activated the second and third rings. Golden light covered his body in a protective layer, and claws extended with several feet of golden light.
With a roar, he charged into the bamboo forest.
The Poisonous Sword Bamboo fought back furiously. Their branches whipped at him, but were blocked by the golden light. The flying leaf-blades also bounced off harmlessly.
Li Changan observed from afar as the Soul Saint rampaged through the grove. Eventually, he dug out a suitable bamboo and rushed out.
Plant-type soul beasts generally couldn't move, unlike animal-type ones. While ancient plant soul beasts might have mobility, these young ones did not. Once uprooted, they couldn't defend themselves.
Sure enough, once it was out of the ground, the bamboo lost its vitality, like a fish out of water.
The Soul Saint tossed it to the ground.
"To kill it, strike the root core. Cut the connection—it will die," he explained.
The uprooted bamboo had already lost many roots. It was heavily damaged and on the verge of death.
Without hesitation, Li Changan summoned his Bi-Scale Sword and thrust it into the root.
"Chi—!"
The jade-like blade pierced the skin. Instantly, green toxin spread from the wound, rapidly corroding the root.
In seconds, the entire base was necrotic and lifeless.
The Soul Saint's eyes narrowed. "Such potent poison… Even plants can't resist it. This martial soul of his is extraordinary."
As the bamboo died, a yellow soul ring slowly rose from its body.
Li Changan didn't absorb it immediately. He looked at the Soul Saint, who reassured him:
"Based on the color, this soul ring is about four hundred and something years old—definitely under five hundred. With your innate soul power, it may be difficult but not life-threatening."
Of course, determining the exact year was impossible. Soul rings didn't announce their age with a prompt like in games. Even the best could only estimate by color.
Yu Xiaogang's famous claim that the first soul ring's safe limit was exactly 423 years? Nonsense. How could he be sure it wasn't 424 or 425? Soul rings didn't come with scan data.
Such precision was pure fiction.
Satisfied with the answer, Li Changan finally relaxed.
Absorbing an overly powerful soul ring without a safety net was far too risky. He had no cheat system—he couldn't gamble with his life. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to improve his soul rings later, through divine trials and other methods.
He sat cross-legged.
Guided by his soul power, the yellow ring floated to the top of his head—then slowly merged into his body.