Chapter 27: Tang Ya's Third Soul Ring (1)
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"So, as you can see, little brother, we're extremely fortunate that it wasn't older." God forbid they encountered a ten-thousand-year-old variant Soul Beast.
Yuhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see. Does it transform again when it reaches ten thousand years of cultivation?" If what they fought was considered young in comparison, then a ten thousand-year-old one… well, that was a nightmare he actually wouldn't mind testing himself against someday.
Bei Bei nodded gravely. "A ten-thousand-year variant Datura Snake becomes black and purple. It's truly a terrifying existence. Variant Soul Beasts mature and mutate much more rapidly, so many thousand-year and ten-thousand-year-old ones have been seen, and from eyewitness accounts, it is stated that they become a whopping 40 or 50 meters."
Yuhao blinked in slight surprise. 50 meters is 164 feet. That was half the size of a football field. Now it wasn't the largest creature he'd seen, but that was still impressive.
"Good thing we didn't meet one then." He muttered dryly. He doubted Bei Bei had the strength to survive a creature like that.
Bei Bei chuckled at his junior's unfazed attitude over it. He kind of liked it. It was an attitude like that that would help a person face challenges head-on. "Not many would have the courage to face it. Even a level 60 Soul King wouldn't dare to provoke a ten-thousand-year-old variant Datura Snake without caution and preparation. It would take at least a level 70 Soul Sage to ensure victory, and even then, it would be a close battle." He explained.
"Variant Soul Beasts are amazing…" Yuhao's eyes shone with the intrigue of a researcher. Their very existence fascinated him, and when comparing them to monsters from his world, it made him want to see more of them.
"They are, but they're just as dangerous. Keep that in mind when seeking future Soul Rings. Though, considering it's you, I'm not that worried." He smirked before then asking, "Say, Yuhao, while Xiao Ya is absorbing her Soul Ring, can you tell me about your soul skill? It's got me curious. How long can you maintain it?"
Figuring he was going to ask eventually, Yuhao already had come up with his story. "It's called Shared Spiritual Detection." He revealed, making sure to draw up both skills as one, along with making his tone sound thoughtful. "As you've felt the range, you already know that it works within a diameter of about thirty meters. I don't understand why, but as my Soul Power increases in the future, this range should be able to increase. I don't know how long I can maintain this for, but it doesn't consume too much Soul Power. Maybe about an hour, or an hour and a half?"
"No way!" Bei Bei's jaw dropped. "Minimal consumption…? Increase range...?" The disbelief in his voice shook even his confidence, but he quickly composed himself. "Your Spirit Eyes Martial Soul is way too strong. This is really hard for me to understand. Our Soul Masters in Soul Land have been researching Martial Souls for over ten thousand years, but in all the books I've read, I've never seen a case like yours. It's truly unimaginable."
He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't heard it from the horse's mouth. Yuhao had astounding physical strength and speed almost on par with him, weapons and items he'd never seen before, and an absolutely godly Martial Soul that almost assured victory in combat to boot. They really found a gold mine when they made their partnership with him.
Yuhao lowered his gaze, pretending confusion. "I'm just as confused as you. Maybe my Soul Ring mutated my already mutated Martial Soul further. Like… mutation multiplied by mutation? Is that possible? Does that even make sense, Senior Bei Bei?"
"It's not that unheard of?" He thought, trying to rack his brain.
Variant Soul Rings were also considered dangerous to absorb because the chances of their body mutating in a horrific way were equally high and irreversible, so people weren't exactly in a rush to fill their Soul Ring configuration with them until they were stronger for their bodies to handle them properly and without any negative drawbacks.
Bei Bei wasn't new to mutations himself. Because of his bloodline, his Martial Soul had a distinct powerful mutation that didn't trigger any serious side effects besides pain after being activated. He, of course, also knew of a person who was heavily mutated without any negative side effects, but he was one of the few outliers.
The Silver Demigod's face turned into a grimace. "Now I'm starting to worry…"
He really wasn't. Even if he did absorb a multitude of variant Soul Rings, it wouldn't affect him negatively. His demigod body was more than enough to shield him from anything harmful, and he can literally change his form to whatever he pleases, so again, there was nothing to be worried about.
Bei Bei waved off the concern instantly. "Relax, little junior brother. One ten-year variant ring won't harm you. Depending on age and other factors, it's only when you absorb more than two that the effects become visible." He said, getting the demigod to whip his head back to him.
"Really?" He asked, sounding the slightest bit hopeful.
"I'm sure of it." Bei Bei confirmed, and the demigod let out a sigh of relief. "A powerful soul skill is always a good thing. With this skill as a foundation, in the future, any Soul Master would be kicking down the doors to work with you. Which brings the question, Yuhao, as a Soul Master with a spiritual attribute, are you planning to walk the path of an Auxiliary System Soul Master or a Control System Soul Master?"
"Not sure... whichever one lets me fight, I guess." He shrugged. He didn't care about the personal battle system. His fighting ability can't be categorized by some system.
As an experienced fighter who has learned and mastered all sorts of powers and combat knowledge from his world, he was the jack-of-all-trades and master of them all type. Trying to categorize him was pointless. He had too many options at his beck and call and could confidently fill any role in a battle.
Bei Bei gave him a strange look but didn't comment on it. Instead, he said, "I guess we can rule out the auxiliary system." He let out a dry chuckle.
"Yeah, like I'm ever going to stand on the sidelines." He agreed, then asked, "But which system do you think suits me, Senior Bei Bei? You're more experienced with this, so… I'd like your advice, please."
"Of course." Bei Bei piped up rather quickly. "Although I don't know what kind of spiritual attribute skills you might gain in the future, from what I've seen, I'm more inclined to take you as a Control System Soul Master. For that, I'd suggest you put more effort into spirit control. The Purple Demon Eyes should help with that. With how you led the fight, I can easily see you as the core of a team."
"A team?" He raised a brow. "Do Soul Masters always have to join a team?" He was very reluctant about the idea.
He didn't need or want a team anymore. Coming from him, that did sound hypocritical since he just became an affiliate for a Sect, but that was for personal gain.
Bei Bei continued explaining about Soul Master teams and the differences between each battle system.
Cooperation wasn't just common but highly encouraged among Soul Masters when it came to hunting Soul Rings and increasing one's strength. Since an individual's strength was miniscule in front of a group or army, teams were necessary to provide support and make up for where others lacked.
Typically, a Soul Master team wouldn't exceed ten members. Within that, it was advised to have a defense system Soul Master responsible for protection, a direct attack system Soul Master for offense, and a control system Soul Master who directed the battlefield. There were also auxiliary system tool-type Soul Masters, auxiliary system food-type Soul Masters, and agility system Soul Masters. This lineup created a perfectly balanced team.
An idea then came up in his mind.
"Has anyone tried to go for both the attack and control systems before?" He asked, wondering if it were possible.
If a person has the means to do both without lessening their combat capability, wouldn't they be extremely sought out? In the future he would gain a second Martial Soul, so in theory that sounded plausible.
Bei Bei blinked in surprise. He had never heard of someone pursuing both paths at once. It was definitely out-of-the-box thinking, but not something he could outright deny. Twin Martial Souls were rare, and Soul Guides already pushed the limits of combat potential.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't know how to go about it. You're pretty greedy, aren't you?" He joked, receiving a nonchalant shrug. "Honestly, where do you even come up with these ideas, Yuhao?"
"I just keep an open mind. Based on what you explained, the assault and control systems complement each other. It doesn't sound that far-fetched, does it?"
"Well, it's never happened officially, but I suppose if you are strong enough, you can do both. I don't know how you'd manage that, though I'm sure the academy would at least entertain the idea. You'll have to talk to a teacher about it." He replied.
Huo Yuhao then said, "I see. So, I take it you're a direct attack system, Soul Master?"
Bei Bei nodded with a smile. "Yes. My Martial Soul is the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon, which is quite powerful among beast Martial Souls. My specialty is direct attacks and long range too, but I mostly lean toward close-quarter combat."
"And I take it Miss Tang Ya is in the control system." He guessed.
"Bingo." He snapped his fingers. "Tang Ya and I make a great team. Her Martial Soul restrains the targets, and I go in for the finisher. That's what I would like to say, but it was just our luck that the variant Datura Snake countered her abilities, so we couldn't work as we normally do until you broke through the chaos." He sent a grateful smile before adding, "Oh, by the way, little brother, didn't you say you're not sure how long your abilities can last? Why don't we test it out? It'll help our coordination in future battles and help you understand your new skills better."
Under Bei Bei's suggestion, Huo Yuhao activated his Spiritual Detection and Spirit Share. Instantly, a three-dimensional sphere of perception stretching thirty meters formed in both their minds.
Spiritual Detection was pervasive, able to pick up even the slightest nuances. As Yuhao immersed himself in understanding the ability's flow, Bei Bei silently marveled at the amplification to his own spirit.
His eyes widened, a slow smile spreading as he processed the sensation. And the longer it continued, the more astonished he became. What shocked him most, however… was Yuhao's endurance. Huo Yuhao showed no sign of fatigue. Within their shared perception, they could even sense subtle changes in Tang Ya's body as she merged with the Soul Ring.
Tang Ya's body jerked as the Soul Ring sank fully into her. Green scales shimmered briefly across her arms and cheeks, refracting the sunlight into serpentine patterns before reverting back into her body.
"Hnn…" Tang Ya released a long breath as her eyes fluttered open. For a moment they sharpened into a light purple hue with vertical slits before fading back into their original color.
A faint pulse of Soul Power rippled from her through the clearing. It brushed the demigod's skin like static, sharp enough that even he took notice, and he stood up immediately.
Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei looked on in awe at her transformation, especially the latter, as she stood up, stretching as if greeting the day. After absorbing the variant Datura Snake's Soul Ring, she had reaped the benefits, and it showed. The proportions on her body became notably more... pronounced, so to speak. Bei Bei was so enamored by her beauty that he let out an audible gulp.
"I did it!" Tang Ya cheered as she leaped to her feet, jumping up and down in celebration.
A surge of increased Soul Power was felt as her Soul Ring configuration rose from her feet. Two yellow and one purple. Tang Ya could feel the power behind her Blue Silver Grass increase to a whole new level alongside many other benefits brought to her by the variant Soul Ring.
But the Titan had something else to say about it. 'That girl just keeps ruining her potential, but I guess it's not that bad if it'll drive her to walk that wicked path considering what her true Martial Soul is.' Kronos mused.
He knew for a fact that Tang Ya's cultivation would stagger heavily after this unless she caved into evil or found some unorthodox method to fix her Martial Soul, but that was highly unlikely.
'Oh well, not my problem.' He shrugged.
The Titan didn't care about her situation enough to bother telling his grandson about it. While he thought her future troubles were amusing, he wasn't interested enough to bring it up. If the girl wanted to ruin herself further knowingly or not, what was he going to do? Not a damn thing.
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(Clouds are nice. So puffy."