Chapter 17: Limit Spirit Ring
The first day back at the academy after taking leave.
After the afternoon classes ended, Mo Bai 'coincidentally' ran into Tang San. Compared to before when Mo Bai would take the initiative to greet him, this time, Tang San actually wore a smile and raised his hand in greeting, "Brother Mo Bai, you're back from hunting Soul Rings? How was it?"
Even though his teacher had told him that even if Brother Mo Bai had Innate full soul power, it was impossible for him to Cultivate so quickly, he knew about something Brother Mo Bai had mentioned to him—the purple pole grass.
What if that purple pole grass really was a Spiritual Plant? It wasn't impossible, so he still placed quite a bit of trust in the matter.
Furthermore, the sense of pressure Brother Mo Bai gave him now was just like his teacher's—a Great Soul Master!
Mo Bai didn't hide his aura at all. Feeling a bit surprised inwardly, he stepped forward and put his arm around Tang San's shoulder, putting on a showy expression: "Little San, guess how many years the Soul Ring I hunted this time is?"
"750 years!"
Tang San answered without any hesitation.
This crisp and straightforward answer made Mo Bai startle slightly, feeling for some reason that today's "deception" was exceptionally smooth.
Tang San keenly noticed Mo Bai's daze and smiled proudly, explaining, "Wang Sheng told me that before I came, Brother Mo Bai studied with Teacher for a while. You must have a very precise grasp of the optimal age limit for Soul Rings.
With your strength, you would definitely absorb a Limit Spirit Ring. Besides, Brother Mo Bai's reaction to my question just now shows I guessed right, didn't I? Brother Mo Bai."
Mo Bai's gaze unexpectedly fell slowly onto Tang San's confident face. Who helped him fix Tang San's attitude? That's unlikely...
But Tang San's trust in him in this regard was particularly high. If that was the case, he could try to complete the set, but before that, he had to add a trust patch.
A faint light flashed imperceptibly in Mo Bai's eyes, but on the surface, he turned his head away, looking like he felt the frustration of being seen through.
"Sigh, I was originally thinking of waiting for you to not believe me so I could show off the Rank 50 Soul King my Family sent me to shock you, but...
It was guessed just like that."
"A Soul King guard?"
Tang San's heart stirred as he stopped walking. These past few days, he had heard that many outsiders had come to the city, including many Soul Kings, and Spirit Hall had even sent a Soul Saint, though he hadn't seen them.
It wasn't impossible for Brother Mo Bai to be assigned a guard in this situation, especially for hunting Soul Rings.
Speaking of which, he hadn't seen a Soul King yet.
He heard from Teacher that anything above Soul King is another Realm, because a Soul King can already absorb ten-thousand-year Soul Rings, which is a massive leap in combat power. At least, such a powerhouse didn't exist in Nuoding City yet.
Looking at Tang San's curious little eyes, Mo Bai snapped his fingers crisply, and the white-robed Pupil One appeared behind him.
Pupil One knelt respectfully on one knee, "Young Lord."
Without needing to say more, Pupil One released his Soul Rings, and a brilliant light instantly radiated from around him.
"It really is a Soul King!" Tang San looked at the five floating Soul Rings, especially the primarily black fifth Soul Ring, and couldn't help but feel admiration in his heart.
To send a Soul King guard just to handle an 800-year Soul Beast for a second spirit skill—perhaps this was Brother Mo Bai's request, but it also showed that Brother Mo Bai, like him, pursued the limit age for Soul Rings.
His guess just now was even more correct!
"Withdraw." Mo Bai casually waved away Pupil One, who had already achieved the desired effect.
Given Tang San's look, there was almost no need to say more; the matter of the Soul Ring's age was settled, and he had also planted the impression of a powerful Family influence.
However, Tang San's knowledge was much, much lower than Yu Xiaogang's. Even if he claimed a higher Family Rank, Tang San wouldn't be able to imagine it right now, and thus it couldn't be manifested.
There would be opportunities in the future.
Now...
Mo Bai gave a long sigh, "Little San, the path of Limit Spirit Rings is not easy to walk. You must consider it carefully and not delay your own Cultivation. After all, even I spent so much energy just to hunt two Limit Spirit Rings, right?"
Delusion activated!
"Brother Mo Bai is right."
Tang San solemnly recalled his first Soul Ring, which was still 40 years short of the limit, but that was already his limit at the time.
Unlike Brother Mo Bai, who had help from his Family, the next ones would only be more difficult. However, it was hard to say; if he could create his own Hidden Weapons later, he might be able to catch up to Brother Mo Bai.
[Ding! Tang San has believed your lie—the Limit Spirit Rings of the two-ring stage. Trust level 100%, manifestation level 100%, successfully manifested a 423-year first Soul Ring and a 764-year second Soul Ring!]
Before Mo Bai, who had achieved his goal, could speak, Tang San took the initiative to say goodbye again, "Anyway, I won't say more for now, Brother Mo Bai. It's getting late, I need to go to Teacher's place to study. Let's chat when we have time."
"Then... see you another day?"
Mo Bai watched Tang San's fast-receding back, wanting only to say one thing: he felt Tang San was exceptionally cooperative today. Could someone really be helping him adjust Tang San?
Suddenly, the Soul Power inside his body surged, and two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, circling around him.
Mo Bai closed his eyes in meditation. The hypnosis of his First Spirit Skill had restored to the strength of a 400-year spirit skill, and the second spirit skill was... Clairvoyance?
Mo Bai opened his eyes. It seemed Yu Xiaogang had mentioned his Family to Tang San, and Tang San had an impression of it. Unfortunately, this spirit skill wasn't very useful to him; he would still have to use the rabbit for a custom spirit skill later.
But lately, the rabbit seemed to be having a stress response. Except for classes, she hid stubbornly in the dormitory and wouldn't come out. The dormitory wasn't a good place for communication either.
His best bet was to wait.
But he wouldn't wait long. Days of gaining nothing wouldn't make people stay for long, especially in a remote little place like Nuoding City with no entertainment value.
Soul Masters were people who lived the good life, and those above Rank 50 were even more so; it would be hard for them to stay long.
...
As the bright moon rose, Tang San, who had been studying for a while, also brought up the matter of seeing Mo Bai's Rank 50 Soul King guard today during an idle chat.
Yu Xiaogang acted very calm upon hearing this. He had long suspected this was a Family with a Rank 70 Soul Saint; this only confirmed his view.
Only, when he later heard Tang San say that both of Mo Bai's Soul Rings were absorbed according to the limit years he had mentioned...
"Does this count as stealing my teachings?"
Yu Xiaogang sneered inwardly while remaining indifferent on the surface, but then he suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed slightly. "Wait, Little San, you said Mo Bai hunted his second Soul Ring? Isn't he..."
Speaking to this point, Yu Xiaogang paused, the scene of Mo Bai mocking him back then flashing through his mind—ontological martial soul, Incomplete Form.
Other than this characteristic, he couldn't think of why Mo Bai could hunt a second Soul Ring so quickly.
Yu Xiaogang shifted his questioning, "Little San, did you see his Soul Rings with your own eyes?"
"No." Tang San shook his head.
Yu Xiaogang instantly felt a sigh of relief in his heart.
But then he heard Tang San add:
"But the pressure Brother Mo Bai gave me was very similar to yours, Teacher."
"Is... is that so?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze. This description wasn't very good, but he really needed to look into it. If it really was that kind of characteristic...
It takes 18 years for eyes to fully mature. If he's already close to Innate full soul power now, his future achievements might not be inferior to Little San's Twin Martial Souls.