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Su Wen had no intention of settling for a mere Third-Class God position.
At the very least, he aimed to condense a First-Class God seat that was no weaker than the Sea God's. Ideally, before achieving godhood, he wanted to possess his own Transcendental Divine Tool and a set of Divine-level soul bone armor.
Realizing such a goal was no simple feat. First, he couldn't let the opportunity provided by the Sea God's Nine Trials go to waste; he had to seize every chance to complete them perfectly. Second, he couldn't let go of investments from other deities.
"The imprint of the Void Douluo is still in my hands. I haven't contacted him before due to my various tasks. Once I finish this Third Trial—and if the Fourth Trial is relatively quiet—I'll take the chance to contact him and attempt to accept the trials of the God of Space."
Only by shearing more sheep could he lay a truly solid foundation.
"This is a pearl from the Star God Clam. Try to refine the stellar power within it for your cultivation," Su Wen said to Ning Rongrong. "With your talent, you can currently improve by three or four ranks a year. By absorbing the stellar power in this pearl, your efficiency should at least double."
The stellar power within the pearl was potent enough to grant a Soul King level master five full ranks of growth over a year of refinement. Given that soul masters also have their own natural growth rate, the combined speed would be even higher.
Ning Rongrong excitedly took the pearl, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the large gem. Due to her martial soul, she had a natural affinity for such treasures.
"The age of that Star God Clam isn't low. You'll likely have to wait until your sixth ring to absorb it," Su Wen noted, sensing her rank. "How far are you from Rank 50 now?"
"Just the last threshold," Ning Rongrong answered honestly.
She was currently just one bottleneck away from reaching Rank 50 and absorbing her fifth soul ring. Of course, she had her own little schemes, intentionally stopping at the edge of the 50th rank so that Su Wen would have to take her to hunt for her fifth ring.
"Mm. This is a God-Bestowed Soul Ring. Use this for your fifth ring when the time comes; I will protect you while you absorb it." Su Wen produced the God-Bestowed Soul Ring he had received as a reward for the First Trial.
He wanted to observe the process of her absorbing it to gain a better understanding of the essence of soul rings. God-Bestowed rings shared many similarities with rings condensed out of thin air. By watching the process, he might find the catalyst needed for soul masters to condense their own rings.
As for why Su Wen didn't use it himself?
Su Wen felt that while God-Bestowed rings were the ultimate source for other masters, they weren't suitable for him. A God-Bestowed ring grants the most compatible ability for a martial soul and reaches the absolute limit of what the master can endure.
On the surface, this was a perfect benefit.
But for Su Wen, this "endowment" was a limitation. A ring granted purely based on compatibility is, in a sense, mediocre. It conforms to the martial soul's current state. While it might maximize the soul's base power, it sacrifices the opportunity to add new, diverse characteristics.
Take Su Wen's Heavenly Book—it evolved from a basic book soul into a top-tier martial soul with multiple elements and high-level attributes like Space and Stars. Every new ability was the result of a specific soul ring choice.
If hunting soul beasts was like plundering the world's creations to widen one's path of evolution, then God-Bestowed rings were like excavating one's existing potential. Su Wen didn't think plundering was inherently better, and he certainly advocated for digging into one's own power.
But if he was going to dig into his own power, why not condense his own ring? Why rely on an external gift to "bestow" what should be his own discovery?
Su Wen's next ring would be his seventh—a critical turning point for any soul master. For this ring, he intended to walk the path of self-excavation. His plan was to condense his seventh ring himself, using that goal to force himself to develop the methodology.
"The most suitable soul ring?" Ning Rongrong took the God-Bestowed ring, curiously eyeing the pale golden crystal sphere.
Su Wen didn't stay at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for long, but when he left, Ning Rongrong was following by his side.
"Brother Xiao Wen, why don't you make your ring-replacement method public?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Su Wen gave a wry smile. "It's not that I'm keeping it secret, it's that if I published it, no one would be able to learn it."
For other techniques, Su Wen could use soul power circulation routes to mimic the effects. But the foundation of the ring-replacement method was the manipulation of the internal Martial Soul Space. If a person couldn't sense that space or adjust the changes within it, no amount of circulation routes would help.
Ning Rongrong nodded, only half-understanding.
"Don't worry about your soul ring years for now," Su Wen said, tapping her on the head.
Since he was researching the essence of rings to develop self-condensation, he would inevitably find alternative ways to elevate ring years along the way.
Sunset Forest.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Arriving here for the first time, Ning Rongrong's expression was one of constant wonder. "Is this really the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?"
Currently, this place was still Dugu Bo's medicinal garden. However, since he no longer needed the spring to suppress his toxins, he rarely visited except to cultivate or harvest herbs. It was effectively Su Wen's private cultivation ground.
Su Wen had sent word ahead, so Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were both present. Even Yu Tianheng was there.
"Xiao Wen, is there something you need to discuss with us this time?" Dugu Bo asked.
He had a feeling he knew what was coming. Because of the situation with Yu Xiaogang, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan had been caught in an awkward middle ground, and Dugu Bo even more so. He had discovered this place first, but it was essential to Su Wen's path.
So, who did this place truly belong to? Dugu Bo gave his answer.
"Sigh. Xiao Wen, this Ice and Fire Well... I'm handing it over to you from now on. I'll still need to use the environment to grow some poisonous herbs, so I might need to occupy a small corner."
Yu Tianheng's expression was conflicted. This was a legendary treasure land. He had been beyond shocked to learn how many rare herbs grew here. However, he had no authority to make decisions, and remembering what Dugu Yan had told him, his expression gradually returned to calm.
(End of Chapter)