...
Xuan Hao withdrew the golden dragon phantom behind him, the dazzling golden light dissipated, and the suffocating pressure also disappeared.
He scratched his head, accepting Hu Liena's incoherent evaluation without question. After all, being called "abnormal" was sometimes a testament to strength in this world.
He turned to look at Bibi Dong and asked curiously, "Sister, you just said that it can't appear directly on a human, so does that mean it can appear indirectly?"
"That's right." Bibi Dong nodded slightly and patiently explained, "The bloodlines of ancient soul beasts that are too powerful cannot be directly inherited by humans, but their bloodline branches can."
"For example, there are Dark Gold Bears with a thin lineage of Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and various sub-dragon species with a trace of true dragon blood."
Soul Masters who possess these Martial Souls, if exceptionally talented, can absorb high-quality Soul Rings that are extremely compatible with their own Martial Souls, and after cultivating to a sufficiently high level.
Typically, after a level 70 Soul Saint awakens their Martial Soul True Form, their Martial Soul has the opportunity to undergo a bloodline reversion, evolving into the powerful creature of its origin.
"By then, the Soul Master's body, having undergone the baptism of level 70 Soul Power and the enhancement of seven Soul Rings, will be strong enough to withstand the evolved Martial Soul power."
At this point, Bibi Dong walked straight up to Xuan Hao.
"Now that we've confirmed that your martial soul is the Golden Dragon, I need to test your current physical limits to determine the age of your first spirit ring."
Bibi Dong raised her hand, her palm glowing with a soft radiance of soul power.
"A Title Douluo can simulate the impact of a soul ring energy on your body by projecting their soul power and mental power.
This process will be extremely painful, even more so than actually absorbing a soul ring, because I will keep increasing the pressure until you reach your limit. Just bear with it."
Xuan Hao took a deep breath and stood up straight: "Come on."
"Alright." Bibi Dong didn't stand on ceremony.
She was also filled with curiosity about this body that could bear the Golden Dragon Martial Soul.
With a slight movement of her palm, a vast yet precisely controlled surge of soul power instantly flooded into Xuan Hao's body, accompanied by a powerful mental pressure that simulated the lingering resentment of a soul beast after its death.
"Hmm!"
Xuan Hao let out a muffled groan, his face instantly turning deathly pale, and veins bulging on his forehead.
One hundred years... two hundred years... four hundred years...
Bibi Dong's surprise deepened. Four hundred years—that was already the theoretical limit for an ordinary Soul Master's first Soul Ring, but apart from his pale face, the child's body didn't tremble at all.
Five hundred years... six hundred years... eight hundred years...
Hu Liena watched in horror. She clearly remembered that when she tested the limit of her first spirit ring, she felt her body was about to crack at 430 years.
Nine hundred years... nine hundred and fifty years... nine hundred and ninety-nine years!
When the pressure reached the critical point, Xuan Hao finally couldn't help but sway, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
However, it was as if something inside him had been activated, emitting a faint dragon roar, and he forcefully withstood the pressure.
"That's fine."
Bibi Dong instantly withdrew her soul power, looking at Xuan Hao, who was panting heavily, with eyes that looked as if she had seen a ghost.
"You'll be fine for anything under a thousand years."
"What?!"
Hu Liena exclaimed in shock, "Less than a thousand years?
That's nine hundred and ninety-nine years?
Teacher, you're not kidding, are you?
The limit of my second spirit ring is only eight hundred years!"
Bibi Dong ignored her disciple's wails and stared intently at Xuan Hao.
Xuan Hao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Although he felt like his bones were about to fall apart, he was still a little proud of the result.
However, he quickly thought of something and tentatively asked, "Then... how about a thousand-year soul ring?"
"Since 999 years is fine, then 1000 years would only be one year short, so it should be about the same, right?"
"No." Bibi Dong's expression instantly turned serious, sternly interrupting his thoughts.
"A hundred years and a thousand years, although only a year apart, is a qualitative leap."
"When a soul beast's cultivation breaks through a thousand years, its soul power will undergo a transformation, and the energy impact contained in its soul ring will increase exponentially.
Your body may be able to barely withstand the energy, but your mental strength will definitely not be able to withstand the soul impact of a thousand-year-old soul beast."
"There is no turning back when absorbing a spirit ring. Once you start, if you go too far, you will overflow, and if you overflow, you will die! Don't gamble your life on that uncertain year."
After being scolded by Bibi Dong, Xuan Hao immediately became obedient.
"I understand, sister is right."
...
After the test went wrong, the three continued their journey.
However, luck is sometimes a very mysterious thing.
Despite having Bibi Dong, a top-tier radar, the soul beasts they encountered throughout the entire afternoon were either too young or completely unrelated to their species.
They are either plant-type spirit beasts that are hundreds of years old, or some strange insects.
As night fell and the forest became pitch black, they still found nothing.
Bibi Dong wasn't in a hurry, and led the two to a sheltered high ground.
"Nana, go set up the tent."
After giving Hu Liena her instructions, Bibi Dong turned to Xuan Hao and said, "Come with me."
Xuan Hao's heart skipped a beat.
Late at night, a lone man and woman... oops, an orphan and a widow... no, that's not right either.
In short, the atmosphere of this one-on-one conversation made him instinctively feel uneasy.
But he still obediently followed.
The two walked to the foot of a huge ancient tree. By the faint moonlight, Bibi Dong turned around and stared intently at Xuan Hao.
"The Golden Dragon is a pure strength-attribute soul beast, possessing the ultimate physical destructive power. It can even be said that it is the nemesis of all the fancy elements."
"However, when I was testing your physical limits during the day, besides that domineering power, there was another fluctuation within you."
Xuan Hao's heart skipped a beat.
"Moreover…" Bibi Dong stretched out her hand, a faint glimmer of light swirling around her fingertips, "After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the elemental energy here is far more concentrated than outside.
My spiritual power sensed that the wind, fire, water, earth… all the elements around me are subtly drawing closer to me, showing a kind of… affinity."
"A pure power-based martial soul cannot attract elements; in fact, it may even repel them."
Bibi Dong stepped forward, bent down, and stared directly into Xuan Hao's panicked eyes with her pale purple eyes.
"So, little guy, you've been hiding your true abilities."
"You must have another martial soul."
Although it is a question, the tone is that of a firm statement.
Xuan Hao took a half step back, somewhat embarrassed, and leaned against the tree trunk.
He also knew that in the face of a Title Douluo's keen observation skills, especially an expert like Bibi Dong who also possessed twin martial souls, it would be almost impossible to remain hidden forever.
Moreover, since we've already boarded the pirate ship... ah no, since we've already accepted Bibi Dong's help, hiding it would only make us seem dishonest and easily arouse suspicion.
"Okay, sister is really amazing, nothing can be hidden from you."
Xuan Hao sighed and resignedly extended his left hand.
"hold head high--"
This time, the dragon's roar was different from the previous deep and majestic one; it was clearer and higher, as if it came from the heavens above.
The elements in the surrounding space instantly became agitated, and multicolored light spots converged wildly.
On Xuan Hao's left palm, a miniature dragon, entirely silver-white with exquisitely beautiful lines, slowly emerged.
Its scales have a strange, translucent texture, as if they are formed by the crystallization of countless elements, and with each breath, it absorbs and exhales the elemental energy between heaven and earth.
Lord of the Elements—Silver Dragon!
Bibi Dong was completely stunned.
Looking at the silver dragon radiating a dreamlike glow, she recalled the domineering golden dragon from earlier that day, and the ancient knowledge about soul beasts in her mind seemed to be violently impacted at that moment.
"Silver Dragon..."
Bibi Dong muttered to herself, her eyes filled with disbelief, "In the theoretical consensus of the Soul Master world, all dragon-type Soul Beasts that control the elements can be traced back to the Silver Dragon lineage.
But the real Silver Dragon, like the Golden Dragon, is an ancestral creature that only exists in myths and legends."
"The golden dragon controls ultimate power and destruction, while the silver dragon controls ultimate elements and creation."
"These two diametrically opposed, even mutually exclusive, forces..."
"It actually... appeared on one person at the same time?"