Chapter 12: The Blue Silver Emperor's First Soul Ring (Part 2)
The Black-Scaled Venom Python didn't hesitate. Rustle—its body scales scraped against the blue silver grass on the ground as it slithered in an S-shaped pattern. In just a few breaths, it covered nearly a hundred meters and lunged at Zu Zong with its gaping jaws.
"So fast!"
With a sliding dodge, Zu Zong barely avoided the python's strike. After a few backflips, he landed steadily behind it.
Without wasting time, Zu Zong summoned his martial soul—the Blue Silver Emperor—and formed a hand seal.
"Blue Silver Emperor—activate."
"Blue Silver Emperor—Blue Silver Domain: Minor Area Bind."
Back when Zu Zong awakened his Blue Silver Emperor martial soul, he had simultaneously awakened the embryonic form of the Blue Silver Domain.
At the same time, the domain granted him a disguise skill (using the domain's changes to visually alter the appearance of soul rings, including freely switching colors or rendering them invisible to the opponent).
Aside from that, the Blue Silver Domain was capable of three evolutions, each unlocking an additional ability:
Blue Silver Area Bind (Second evolution: allows wide-range entanglement)
Myriad Threads of Nature (Third evolution: assimilation and suppression; suppresses all attributes of opposing martial souls by 10%, including reducing soul power release. The longer the opponent remains in the domain, the stronger the suppression. Can release Devouring Golden Threads to absorb energy)
All Rivers Return to the Sea (Ultimate evolution: in areas with blue silver grass, converts all surrounding vitality into energy for the Blue Silver Emperor. This energy can take the form of life force, soul power, or spiritual power. As long as blue silver grass remains, the Blue Silver Emperor's energy will never run dry—making the user nearly invincible in forested terrain.)
After three months of continuous exploration and training, with advanced soul power control techniques learned from Itachi, Zu Zong not only mastered the disguise skill but also triggered the domain's second evolution—unlocking Blue Silver Area Bind.
Of course, with his current meager soul power at level 10, using a wide-range bind would likely kill him before it killed the python. So he only cast a small portion.
The ground beneath him cracked open as dozens of arm-thick blue silver vines spread outward, snaking toward the Black-Scaled Venom Python.
Even the python couldn't react fast enough to the sudden entanglement.
But it wasn't an easy opponent either. Known for its strength, it writhed violently with its nearly six-meter-long body.
Snap, snap—the vines of the Blue Silver Emperor were torn apart one by one.
Zu Zong sighed, "Even Blue Silver Emperor vines are still fragile without a soul ring attached."
Within a dozen breaths, the Black-Scaled Venom Python broke free from the vines and lunged at Zu Zong.
But Zu Zong remained calm. A faint, sly smile curved on his lips. A dozen breaths were more than enough for him to act.
Instead of engaging head-on, he kept hopping backward with strange movements, retreating from his original position.
The python picked up speed, and within a few breaths, it was right on top of Zu Zong. Just as it was about to strike—
—it realized it couldn't move forward anymore, no matter how it tried.
Around the Black-Scaled Venom Python were seven kunai stuck into the ground. Between them stretched barely visible black wires, glinting with a cold gleam under the moonlight.
These were steel wires—sharp and sturdy—purchased the day before from the marketplace in Nuoding City.
Each wire was looped through the round rings at the ends of the kunai. Using his masterful throwing technique, Zu Zong had set up a web-like trap.
The more the python struggled, the tighter the wires wound. Sparks flew as its tough scales ground against the steel.
The wires were strong, but still ordinary steel. The python's defensive scales were no joke, and signs of breaking began to appear as the wires kept rubbing and embedding into the scales.
"Such strong defense. In that case, I'll have to use this move."
Zu Zong closed his eyes, then reopened them—his pupils now blood-red, with three tomoe rotating counterclockwise.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
This was the strongest illusion technique Zu Zong could currently use.
Man and serpent locked eyes. The python's pupils began to shift, rotating as three tomoe identical to Zu Zong's emerged in its eyes.
"As expected, the Sharingan is always a snake's worst nightmare. Thanks, Uncle Snake!"
Black-Scaled Venom Python: Excuse me—I'm a female.
Orochimaru, hidden in a curse seal somewhere in the Naruto world: "Hachoo! Is someone thinking of me?"
Out of caution, Zu Zong didn't approach the python directly. He manipulated it to open its mouth, then launched a kunai imbued with soul power—piercing straight through the open maw and into the brain.
The nearly six-meter-long serpent body suddenly stiffened. That black kunai had already pierced completely through its gaping mouth into the brain.
There was no defense there—only soft tissue.
A moment later, searing pain pulled the Black-Scaled Venom Python out of the illusion.
Its body convulsed violently.
Fueled by a powerful will to survive, the python rampaged, breaking free from the steel-wire trap in an instant. Sand and rocks flew as its massive body thrashed across the ground. Wherever it passed, shrubs and saplings were flattened as if swept by a tornado—branches shattered and leaves scattered—but ultimately, its brain had been fatally pierced.
Half a stick of incense later, the Black-Scaled Venom Python finally stopped struggling.
Seeing the python go still, Zu Zong collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. It wasn't an act—he was completely exhausted.
Facing a soul beast with nearly six hundred years of cultivation, such a powerful creature, he may have seemed composed, but in truth, he had gone all out in that moment.
The Blue Silver (Minor) Area Bind alone consumed nearly half of his soul power. Then came the high-level kunai throwing technique and the steel wire trap setup—all of which drained significant stamina, even causing slight muscle strain.
Finally, he activated the Sharingan. Had the genjutsu failed to take effect at that critical moment, the outcome would've been drastically different. His soul power was nearly depleted.
Zu Zong glanced at the unmoving Black-Scaled Venom Python.
He muttered to himself, "Whatever. I've come this far—if I die, so be it."
Out of caution, he threw another kunai, this time aiming for the python's eye. Crack—blood splattered as the kunai plunged deep into the right eye. The python still didn't move.
Only then did Zu Zong relax. He approached and pushed the kunai all the way in. The Black-Scaled Venom Python completely lost all signs of life.
A faint yellow ring of light began to condense above the serpent's body. Compared to the soul rings Zu Zong had seen on Franklin, this one's color was deeper than Franklin's second ring but lighter than the third. Even without touching it, the immense energy it radiated could be clearly felt.
Zu Zong approached, raised his right hand, and suppressed the overwhelming fatigue from soul power depletion (Zu Zong inner monologue: Soul exhaustion really is unbearable!). He gathered his remaining soul power in his palm. A soft blue glow emerged as the Blue Silver Emperor grew out of his hand, emitting gentle pulses of life energy that swayed with the rhythm of his power.
Drawn by the blue glow, the soul ring slowly drifted toward Zu Zong.
The first thing Zu Zong felt—was pain. Unbearable pain.
Probably more intense than any childbirth simulator on Blue Star.
Zu Zong couldn't fathom how those transmigrator predecessors managed to absorb thousand-year, even ten-thousand-year soul rings as their first.
He, at least, had cheat-level abilities. His initial martial soul was the Blue Silver Emperor—a soul only available through second awakening at level fifty—giving him a body far beyond normal people. On top of that, he possessed a second martial soul—the Sharingan—which enhanced his spiritual power.
And even with all that, absorbing a soul ring just slightly above one hundred years had nearly killed him.
But he endured.
Two hours later, the sun was already up. Golden rays bathed Zu Zong's handsome face as a breeze blew through, fluttering his long blue-silver hair.
Zu Zong had succeeded.
The bliss that came after absorbing a soul ring was indescribable.
Zu Zong looked down at himself and found that his body had undergone some changes due to the soul ring. His height had grown slightly—from around 1.3 meters to clearly over it. His shoulders were broader. His fair skin now carried a soft, radiant glow.
Even the muscle strain had completely healed.
Zu Zong pulled out a kunai and used its reflective surface to check his appearance.
"Damn… total heartbreaker."
[Ding! Congratulations, host's soul power has increased to level 14. Reward: four steal attempts!]
(End of Chapter)