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One day, as Ning Tian was meditating, his eyes snapped open, a swirl of purple light dancing within them. As he rose, a soul power fluctuation far surpassing level 39 radiated from him, a clear sign that he had reached level 40.
"Finally, level 40," Ning Tian murmured. His handsome features, sharp and extraordinary, complemented his tall, statuesque frame, exuding an aura that was both captivating and inscrutable.
He was about to depart in search of his fourth soul ring when a vine, as thick as a baby's arm and adorned with intricate golden patterns, slithered up his arm. It settled on his shoulder, brushing affectionately against his cheek.
A gentle mental fluctuation followed, soft and warm, as if trying to convey a message. Ning Tian tilted his head slightly, his piercing gaze narrowing with curiosity. "Are you trying to tell me something?" he asked.
This vine was none other than Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Grass soul beast he had nurtured with his own blood essence for the past six months. Her cultivation had recovered to two or three thousand years, and Ning Tian calculated that it wouldn't be long, perhaps a few years before she reached ten thousand years. Through the bond forged by his blood, Ah Yin's initial wariness had faded, replaced by a growing closeness to him.
Another wave of gentle mental energy pulsed from her, but Ning Tian's brow furrowed as he struggled to decipher it. Without the Blue Silver Domain, her words remained a mystery to him. "Ah Yin has been nourished by the immortal herbs I've consumed: the Blazing Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass," he mused aloud, his voice smooth and contemplative.
"In a sense, she's recognized me as her master through our bloodline connection. But it's one-sided. She understands me, yet I can't grasp her intent. Perhaps fusing with that 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone will bridge that gap."
With a flicker of decision in his enigmatic eyes, Ning Tian reached into his waist storage soul guide and retrieved a pristine, blue-gold right leg soul bone. His choice to absorb it now wasn't impulsive, it was a calculated move. In the Douluo Continent, soul bones were coveted treasures, broadly classified into 100,000-year rarities and everything else.
Ah Yin seemed to sense his intent. Instead of interrupting, she wrapped her vines and branches around him, forming a protective cocoon. With her aid, the absorption process was seamless, and in just two and a half days, Ning Tian fully integrated the 100,000-year soul bone into his being.
As the fusion completed, Ah Yin sent another mental pulse. This time, bolstered by the soul bone's connection to her bloodline, Ning Tian understood her message: 'Soul bone! Absorb! Soul ring! I'll help you!' A faint smile tugged at his lips, his expression unreadable yet tinged with delight. "You want to assist me in obtaining my fourth soul ring?" he asked, his voice soft but carrying a hint of anticipation.
Her next fluctuation clarified her intent: 'Forest, children, soul ring, I'll take you there.' Ning Tian deduced she meant the Blue Silver Forest, home to her kin. A brief spark of excitement flickered within him, but he quickly shook his head, his tone measured and thoughtful. "Your children recognize only the Blue Silver Emperor or those with its bloodline. And right now, you're rooted here. Moving would cause irreparable harm. It's better to wait until your cultivation reaches ten thousand years and you can roam freely."
Ah Yin paused, as if processing his words. Then, suddenly, the cliffs surrounding her sprouted with Blue Silver Grass. Ning Tian observed her closely, noting the subtle shift in her energy, she was using her Blue Silver Domain to sense something. Moments later, a vine extended, pointing firmly in a specific direction, urging him to follow.
"Is there a suitable soul beast for me there?" he inquired gently, his voice a blend of curiosity and quiet confidence. Ah Yin's blue-gold branches drooped, her leaves wilting as golden dew glistened on their surface. She offered no further response, her energy depleted from overexerting her domain.
"It seems she forced it and exhausted herself," Ning Tian murmured, slicing his palm to feed her a few drops of blood. As her vines regained some vigor, he activated the second skill of his new soul bone, healing his wound instantly.
"Rest well, little one. I'll visit you again soon," he said, stroking her branches with a rare tenderness before activating the bone's first skill, flight, to ascend to the mountaintop. Summoning his Eight Spider Lances, he glided down, landing before the cave with an effortless grace.
At that moment, Jiansheng was guiding the girls, Zhu Qing, Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, in their training nearby. The commotion drew their attention, and they hurried over. "Haha, good lad! Looks like you've broken through. A thirteen-year-old Spirit Ancestor, truly unprecedented," Jiansheng's hearty voice boomed as he approached, his rough demeanor a stark contrast to Ning Tian's composed mystery.
Ning Tian retracted his external soul bone, offering a faint, almost dismissive smile. "Just a stroke of luck," he replied, his tone humble yet laced with an elusive depth that kept others guessing. The group had grown accustomed to his understated responses. Zhu Qing, ever gentle, asked, "Xiao Tian, have you decided on a soul beast for your fourth ring?"
He paused, his gaze drifting momentarily as if peering into unseen possibilities, then shook his head. "Not yet, but there's a place I intend to explore. Senior, I'll need your company." Jiansheng grinned. "No trouble at all. I'm curious to see what catches your eye."
......….
Soon, the pair slipped away, stealthily following Ah Yin's direction. After three days of travel, they reached an unfamiliar region. Consulting the map Qian Renxue had given him, Ning Tian identified it as a perilous part of the Sunset Forest, where high-level soul masters had vanished without a trace. A steady drizzle fell, and distant thunder rumbled from a valley ahead, tightening his focus.
He summoned his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword martial soul, its green light flaring as three soul rings—yellow, purple, purple rose around him. Activating his second soul ring, he conjured a sword shield to envelop them both. "Senior, we must proceed with caution," he said, his voice low and serious.
Jiansheng nodded gravely, sensing an ominous presence that even a Titled Douluo couldn't ignore. As they ventured deeper, the thunder intensified, soon crashing directly overhead. It evoked memories of Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen's might, yet Ning Tian's sword shield effortlessly dispersed each strike, faint golden arcs flickering across his blade and body. Jiansheng watched, intrigued but silent, as the golden hue grew more vivid with each step.
Half a day later, they entered the valley, revealing a scarred, lightning-ravaged landscape. At its center stood a small hill, crowned by a massive vine resembling a bamboo shoot, its surface crackling with thunder: the Thunder Hell Vine.
Ning Tian's eyes gleamed with recognition and a trace of satisfaction. 'A treasure indeed,' he thought, his mind already dissecting its value. Among all soul rings in the Douluo Continent, this plant-type beast, born with intelligence, was unmatched for his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword. Even a 100,000-year ring paled in comparison.
The Thunder Hell Vine's thunder attribute could awaken his Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder, its wood element perfectly aligned with his martial soul, and its weather-altering power hinted at a ten-thousand-year cultivation.
As he pondered, the vine detected them, unleashing a torrent of thunder. The sword shield absorbed it briefly before cracking under the strain, but Ning Tian released his Gold-Devouring Beetles, which devoured the leaking energy, averting disaster.
"This isn't ordinary," Jiansheng remarked, his tone grave. "Its soul power suggests 20,000 years at most, yet it commands the weather. Your martial souls counter it well, otherwise, we'd be in danger. I'll break its thunder; you strike the killing blow."
"Thank you, Senior," Ning Tian replied, his respect genuine. Jiansheng unleashed his nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, five black and summoned his Dark Fragrance Sword, a heavy, power-attack weapon. His seventh and ninth rings blazed, conjuring a towering giant wielding a massive sword, surrounded by plum blossom sword qi. "Ninth Soul Skill: Tiger Spirit Cross Slash!" he roared, unleashing a saber-toothed tiger of sword qi that clashed with the vine's concentrated thunder.
The tiger shattered, but a hidden cross slash erupted, buying time. "Now, Ning Tian!" Jiansheng shouted.
Already in motion, Ning Tian in his beetle armor, thrust forward with his Eight Spider Lances. The vine's thunder was absorbed by his sword, transforming into Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder. When it lashed out with thick vines, he slashed through them with an electrified sword qi. At ten meters, he swung with his first soul ring, a golden thunder beam severing the vine's roots. The stormy sky cleared instantly, and a black soul ring formed above the corpse.
"What is this beast?" Jiansheng asked, eyeing the remains. "Thunder Hell Vine, a cursed, powerful plant-type soul beast," Ning Tian answered briefly, his voice cool and detached. Sitting cross-legged beside it, he added, "Senior, please guard me." Closing his eyes, he began absorbing the ring, his demeanor unshakably confident as Jiansheng stood watch, certain of yet another miracle.
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