The growth of Xiao Wu's fourth soul ring finally came to a halt at the seven-thousand-five-hundred-year mark.
Under normal circumstances, the average limit for a fourth soul ring was no more than five thousand years. Yet Xiao Wu had been taking whale glue steadily for the past two months, strengthening her physique little by little. It was thanks to this medicinal nourishment that she had been able to withstand the pressure and push her soul ring's age far beyond convention.
As for the Starry Body Tempering Technique that Xiao Tian had passed on, Xiao Wu had only just started practicing it. A technique of such depth required long-term cultivation before results could show, so the changes in her physical condition so far were negligible.
Xiao Wu slowly opened her beautiful eyes, her gaze landing directly on Xiao Tian's face as he leaned close. The sight of his handsome, calm features caused her cheeks to redden slightly, and she suppressed the surge of shyness before speaking in a soft voice.
"Brother Tian, did you… discover anything?"
Hearing her, Xiao Tian gently pulled his forehead away from hers. He stayed quiet for a while, as if arranging his thoughts, before finally nodding.
"I've made some discoveries. If a few problems can be solved, I think it might be possible for a soul master to condense a soul ring by themselves."
"Really? Hurry up and tell us, Xiao Tian!" Er Ming's booming, impatient voice rang out.
On the side, Da Ming and Ah Yin both leaned forward, eyes shining with anticipation.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Tian explained his findings clearly:
"To condense a soul ring, three conditions must be met. First, one must be able to accurately control the flow of spirit power. Second, one's spiritual power must reach a certain standard. Third, the body must possess enough inner essence to sustain and form the ring itself."
Da Ming's brows furrowed as he digested the words. After a long pause, he muttered, "The first two conditions… perhaps possible. With focus and special cultivation methods, spirit masters can still strengthen their mental and spiritual control. But the third condition is different. How could an ordinary human spirit master possibly have inner essence on the level of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast who's transformed? That's an impossible gap."
Xiao Wu blinked, puzzled. "But… we've already developed training methods that meet the first two points you mentioned. Brother Tian, do you have a way to solve the third?"
Xiao Tian shook his head, expression calm. "Not yet. This part can't be solved directly. Xiao Wu, Ah Yin—your cases are unique. As spirit beasts who have cultivated a hundred thousand years, you managed to transform into human form. When you did, the inner essence in your bodies was just enough to give you the foundation to condense up to your sixth spirit ring. But past that, it gets harder. When your original essence is exhausted, you can't push beyond that limit without powerful external forces.
"That's why your sixth rings are special—for both of you, your sixth soul ring is your core, a natal soul ring. It evolves further as your cultivation progresses, but it's tied directly to your essence."
He paused, then continued, voice steady.
"For humans, however, they have no such natural foundation. To meet the requirements, the only realistic path is relying on external resources—elixirs, rare herbs, or similar substances."
"Pills?" Everyone looked surprised.
"Yes," Xiao Tian nodded. "Elixirs that can speed up the absorption of energy from outside. If the inner foundation is lacking, then only one option remains—condensing a soul ring by drawing natural energy directly from the world around us. I realized something just now: when Xiao Wu condensed her ring, even though she is a soul beast, natural energy from the outside world surged into the process. That is the breakthrough. It means there's a chance to replicate this for humans. I still need to study it further with that old monster later."
Ah Yin tilted her head, still confused. "But one thing I don't get… why does it require a certain level of mental strength? When I condensed my rings before, I don't think I needed mental energy at all."
Xiao Tian chuckled softly at her doubt. "It's not that mental energy manifests like external spirit skills. What I meant is more subtle. Think about it—the purpose of condensing soul rings is to obtain soul skills, right? Those soul skills don't just appear out of thin air. They're subconsciously constructed by the soul master during the ring's formation. That requires at least a baseline level of mental awareness to coordinate the process.
"It doesn't mean one has to be able to externalize mental power like an advanced spiritualist, but within your own body, you must have subconscious control strong enough to shape skill structures. And that's incredibly hard for a soul master just starting out, someone who doesn't even possess their first ring yet."
He sighed lightly, voice carrying a trace of lament.
"In the end, the cultivation system of soul masters has made people complacent. They depend on old methods, enjoy shortcuts, and lack curiosity for the unknown. That's why no true foundation of techniques has ever been recorded—no manuals of body refinement, no real guidance on spiritual strength. A system that has lasted for generations is still incomplete. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Everyone fell silent. Yet none of them looked discouraged. Instead, their eyes brightened, and faint smiles spread across their faces.
If someone else had said those words, they would have brushed them off as a daydream. Condensing soul rings by oneself? Nonsense. But since the one saying it was Xiao Tian… they couldn't help but believe.
Xiao Tian smiled faintly and turned to Xiao Wu. "Oh right, now that you've obtained your fourth soul ring, how much did your spirit power rise?"
Xiao Wu's lips curled with pride, a gentle smile blooming on her face. "Level forty-four. The Acacia Heartbreak Red really deserves its title as the King of Immortal Herbs. Even after reaching the Soul Sect stage, it still boosted me by four full levels."
Xiao Tian wasn't surprised at all. He had already anticipated as much. The true brilliance of Acacia Heartbreak Red lay in combining it with the rare Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—it was only with both that its greatest medicinal power was unlocked.
He could still sense residual medicinal essence lingering deep within Xiao Wu's body.
However, Xiao Wu's background was too unique. She was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form. That meant she couldn't gain level increases from soul ring ages the same way humans did. Otherwise, with her fourth soul ring reaching such a terrifying seven-thousand-five-hundred years, she would have been at least level forty-six by now.
Realizing that, Xiao Tian decided to set aside the matter of self-condensing rings for the time being. It was an exciting possibility, but rushing into it would yield nothing. Better to approach slowly, methodically. For now, he chose to focus on the present.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Tian opened his spiritual space, allowing Da Ming, Er Ming, and Ah Yin to return inside. He closed it again a moment later.
"Ahem… Xiao Wu, it's late. We should rest."
Xiao Wu, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed, flushed deeply as Xiao Tian drew her gently into his arms. She leaned against him obediently, allowing him to guide her down.
That night, the room grew quiet. No words were exchanged, only muffled, intermittent sounds drifting faintly out into the night.
By dawn, they were already up. Xiao Tian led Xiao Wu straight to the academy gate to await Dugu Bo. Not long after, Zhu Zhuqing arrived.
The moment she saw the two of them standing together, her clear eyes flickered with something complicated. After hesitating slightly, she finally asked, "Xiao Wu… did you not return to the dormitory last night?"
Xiao Wu's heart leapt in alarm. She had almost forgotten about that! Her gaze immediately darted toward Xiao Tian, cheeks burning, and she shot him a quick glare.
But Xiao Tian's expression didn't waver in the slightest. Calm and composed, he answered in a level tone, "We were discussing something last night. By the time we finished, dawn had already arrived."
Zhu Zhuqing's sharp eyes lingered on Xiao Tian's face, searching for a crack in his composure. But he was like still water—impossible to read. Meanwhile, Xiao Wu's sudden blush left Zhu Zhuqing suspicious. Research? Was that the only thing happening between them?
Before the awkwardness could stretch further, Xiao Wu seized the chance to divert the topic. She quickly pointed forward and exclaimed, "Oh look—Rongrong's here! And there are two people with her."
Zhu Zhuqing turned toward the direction, her attention captured.
Indeed, Ning Rongrong was approaching, cheerfully waving as soon as she spotted her friends. Two figures walked beside her, one of them tall and protective.
Gu Rong noticed Xiao Tian and the others watching. With a flicker of space energy, he transported Ning Rongrong and her companion directly to the group.
"Why are you all gathered here at the gate so early in the morning?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously. "Are you waiting for someone?"
Zhu Zhuqing folded her arms and answered coolly, "Rongrong, you came back at just the right time. Senior Dugu Bo is taking Dugu Yan to Sunset Forest to obtain a soul ring. I'll be accompanying them."
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