Tang Lan blinked, just about to speak—
"I'm level 40!"
Zhu Zhuqing interrupted with a spell cast—
"And I've improved even more—at least level 45 or higher!"
"And also…"
She summoned her martial soul, Shadow Nether Cat, as three soul rings emerged in sequence—
Yellow, Yellow—Black!!!
The third soul ring wasn't purple—it was black!
"A ten-thousand-year soul ring?!" Ning Rongrong momentarily forgot her frustration, exclaiming in shock. "Zhuqing, wasn't your third soul ring only 5,000 years old?"
"That Lovesick Heartbroken Red can also increase soul ring age?" Tang San was baffled.
"That powerful?!" Oscar clicked his tongue. "No wonder it's so hard to obtain. That's insane!"
Everyone's faces were filled with envy.
They had experienced firsthand just how overpowered Zhu Zhuqing's third soul ability was.
And now, it had evolved?!
Only Tang Lan appeared deep in thought.
The Lovesick Heartbroken Red was indeed a miraculous herb, capable of bringing back the dead and regenerating flesh.
But evolving soul rings? That was beyond its usual scope.
So...
"Zhuqing, your soul ring evolved on its own, didn't it?" Tang Lan said with certainty. "It has been adjusting to your physical constitution, increasing in age along with it."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sparkled, filled with admiration!
"Lan, you noticed?" Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But when it fully evolved into a ten-thousand-year soul ring, I knew it was real."
Tang Lan smiled.
Life-Bound Soul Rings!
He himself had five of them, so he was very familiar with their effects.
But he never expected—
Zhu Zhuqing would have such great fortune that her martial soul evolution came with a built-in Life-Bound Soul Ring.
"Uncle Tang, how did you figure it out?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Tang Lan didn't hide anything and explained the concept of Life-Bound Soul Rings.
The revelation left everyone astounded—
They never knew such an obscure knowledge point existed!
At the same time, they became even more envious of Zhu Zhuqing.
Because according to Tang Lan's explanation—
Wouldn't that mean her third soul ring could eventually evolve into a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?!
"How about your External Soul Bone? Did it evolve as well?" Tang Lan asked.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded rapidly, the admiration in her eyes transforming into floating light particles—Faith Energy!
"Yes!"
"I found that as long as I'm in darkness, it evolves slowly over time!"
"And in darker environments, the growth rate increases!"
Uh…
That evolution condition was way too easy?!
"If you absorb dark-attribute soul beast soul rings, they should also provide an amplification effect," Tang Lan speculated.
He stepped forward and gently examined Zhu Zhuqing's hands and legs.
Her muscles and bones had undergone a huge transformation—this Lovesick Heartbroken Red was seriously overpowered.
"Your third soul ring is 12,000 years old now."
"But your current physical limit is at 18,000 years."
"So—do you want to try pushing it further?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate at all and immediately nodded.
"Yes!"
It was a display of absolute trust in Tang Lan.
On the side—
Tang San hesitated for a moment before reminding—
"Brother, soul rings from ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts come with a spiritual impact!"
Tang Lan glanced at Tang San and calmly nodded.
"I know."
Spiritual impact?
That doesn't exist under the Soul Spirit Equal Contract.
Even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—
As long as the body could endure it, even a rank 10 soul master could absorb its soul ring.
Dai Mubai and the others glanced at Tang San strangely.
No way…
Their sect master was the one who wrote the Tang Sect Encyclopedia!
Did he really need you to remind him of such a basic concept?
Tang San's mouth twitched, and he silently withdrew.
His reputation wasn't great at the moment.
It was better to stay low-key.
"Uncle Tang," Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke up, "What about my soul ring? What do you think?"
Tang Lan nodded and let go of Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
He took out a thousand-year-old Lingzhi, broke off a small piece, and fed it to the Rampaging Earth Bear.
Then, he activated Purple Demon Eye, closely observing the bear's evolutionary progress.
—Soul ring ages could be increased, but they couldn't be reduced.
It was better to go slow and be careful.
At the same time,
he listened to the others' progress updates—
Shui Bing'er had broken through to level 39.
Although, like Tang San, she had only gained one level—
But level 33 and level 39 were completely different power levels!
—After all, the internal energy of Mysterious Heaven Skill wasn't that much superior to the internal energy of Rippled Step.
Besides, the medicinal effect of Nine-Rank Purple Lingzhi was mainly to nourish the foundation and increase potential.
The real power boost would come later.
Shui Yue'er, being at a lower level, had gained a bit more.
Shui Yue'er gained 2 levels, reaching level 32.
Jing Ling also gained 2 levels, now stuck at level 30.
Zhao Wuji, who had been at level 76 for a while, broke through to level 77 this time.
Their gains far surpassed Tang San's!
It made Tang San so envious—
If he didn't have a Snow Swan Kiss to comfort himself, he might have lost control on the spot.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
Tang Lan clapped his hands and stood up.
By now, the Rampaging Earth Bear had been nurtured to exactly 4,399 years.
Precision at its finest.
However—
He turned to Ning Rongrong, organizing his thoughts before speaking.
"Rongrong, I have a completely new theory for absorbing soul rings, but I haven't tested it yet."
"How about we let Jing Ling try first? If it works, you can decide whether you want to try it too."
Ning Rongrong blinked her big, curious eyes.
A new method for absorbing soul rings?
Even Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi were confused.
But given their trust in Tang Lan, they didn't refuse.
"Waiting a bit is no problem." Ning Fengzhi made the decision. "Brother Lan, what exactly is this theory?"
Tang Lan motioned for Jing Ling to step forward.
Jing Ling obeyed immediately, speaking with utmost respect—
"No matter what method it is, I leave it entirely to you, Sect Master! I will fully cooperate!"
—After all, if it weren't for this new theory, Tang Lan wouldn't have personally planned his soul ring.
Not to mention that Nine-Rank Purple Lingzhi.
Tang Lan smiled.
Talking to smart people was so much easier.
"Don't worry, I have solid reasoning behind this."
Tang Lan then explained—
"The soul ring remains the same, but we add something new—"
"The soul beast's soul."
"So even if the experiment fails, you can still absorb the soul ring as usual—the only thing lost is my theory."
"And in the absolute worst-case scenario, Uncle Bone can easily shatter the soul ring on the spot."
"No one's dying today."
Jing Ling simply lowered his head and had no objections.
"Kid, protection isn't a problem," Gu Rong said, puzzled. "But what's the point of adding a soul beast's soul into a soul ring?"
Everyone turned their eyes toward Tang Lan, eager for an answer.
"This is the core content of my second book, the Tang Sect Encyclopedia — Soul Spirits!**"
Tang Lan spoke proudly—
"As the name suggests, a Soul Spirit combines a soul ring with a soul, allowing the soul beast's spirit to retain its consciousness within the soul ring!"
"They become another form of existence for soul beasts, capable of assisting the host in battle, detecting threats, and even actively using soul skills!"
"Additionally, they provide a spiritual boost, allowing soul masters without mental or soul-based attributes to resist charm-type soul abilities."
"But the most important thing is—"
Tang Lan swept his gaze around before dramatically announcing—
(To be continued…)
(End of Chapter)