Chapter 182: The Price of Loyalty and the Secret of Soul Spirits
"Is this okay?" While Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were merging with their soul bones, Ling Luochen—though clearly reluctant—finally stepped behind Xiao Qiang and began to massage his shoulders.
"Be gentle. Don't use too much force. And later, rub my head too. Gently."
I'm one of the former Shrek Seven Devils, a genius who reached the level of Six-Ring Soul Emperor at twenty. The people who pursued me could wrap around Shrek City three times. And now, I'm rubbing someone's shoulders like a maid? Believe it or not, I'll knock him out with an ice staff! Ling Luochen grumbled inwardly, but all she said aloud was: "Okay."
After all, the attribute sublimation was truly beneficial to her martial soul. As a user of the ice attribute with innate soul power at level nine, Ling Luochen could clearly feel her soul's transformation—her potential rising to innate full soul power.
That realization calmed her anger. With a sigh, she relaxed her hands on Xiao Qiang's shoulders and adjusted her pressure to a more comfortable level.
She massaged for quite a while, yet Xiao Qiang remained silent, which made her increasingly anxious.
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo had already received benefits and concrete promises. When it came to her, however, Xiao Qiang hadn't even confirmed any future attribute sublimation—only used her in advance. How could she not feel uneasy?
"They've already started merging their soul bones. Shouldn't you at least tell me what I'll get?"
It was the natural point in the conversation to discuss terms with Ling Luochen. But Xiao Qiang didn't intend to let her take the initiative.
"Later. Keep going for now."
Still want me to keep going? Do you really think I'm your servant? Ling Luochen screamed internally. Do you even know who I am? But all she said was, "Okay."
Swallowing her anger once again for the sake of attribute sublimation, she silently endured.
When Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo opened their eyes after fusing their soul bones, they were stunned to see Ling Luochen massaging Xiao Qiang's shoulders. In a flash, panic spread across Ling Luochen's face.
But before she could react further, Xiao Qiang gently grabbed her wrist and passed the soul power of extreme ice into her body. She had no time to feel embarrassed.
Turning his attention to the Lan sisters, Xiao Qiang's expression turned serious. "The pills I gave you are meant to help you grow quickly without harming your future. They're the best you can take without consequences. Do not take any other medicine during this time. Remember, all medicine has side effects. These pills represent the limit. If you take anything else within a year, your foundation will be compromised. Understood?"
"Understood." The two sisters nodded earnestly.
Xiao Qiang then shifted his focus back to Ling Luochen. "I've already given Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo their promised rewards. Now it's your turn, Miss Luochen."
Though she kept her face calm, Ling Luochen's heart was in turmoil. The resources Xiao Qiang offered to the Lan sisters were substantial—but they had martial soul fusion skills and hadn't awakened their true martial souls yet. If their original martial souls awakened fully, Ling Luochen couldn't guarantee she'd still surpass them. Resources weren't given out for free—not unless someone was love-struck. And Xiao Qiang clearly wasn't.
"The Soul Palace I'm building has a special method called the Soul Spirit Secret Technique," Xiao Qiang began. "Unlike traditional soul ring hunting, it doesn't rely on killing soul beasts and absorbing the last bits of energy they release. Instead, it offers several advantages."
He raised a finger. "First, the soul beast isn't killed. Its consciousness remains intact. When the soul master ascends to godhood, the soul beast can ascend with them. Because of this, the soul ring is no longer violent or difficult to absorb. In fact, the soul spirit actively assists with the fusion, and the absorbable age limit more than doubles."
"Second, since the interests of soul beasts and soul masters are aligned, every soul beast will produce a soul bone when transformed into a spirit. That's why I promised you soul bones of more than 50,000 years—they'll come directly from the soul spirits you fuse with."
"Third, depending on the age of the soul beast, the abilities differ. A hundred-year soul spirit allows shared vision. A thousand-year one can be fused with a soul tool, granting an intelligent, defensive artifact. A ten-thousand-year soul beast can be summoned directly into battle as an ally."
"Fourth, unlike hunted rings that produce only one, soul spirits give multiple rings. A ten-year beast gives one, a hundred-year beast gives two, a thousand-year gives three, and a ten-thousand-year gives four. With this, you can gain soul rings for all stages—even those you skipped—without entering dangerous forests like the Great Star Dou."
"Fifth, if a ten-thousand-year soul beast doesn't provide four soul rings, its extra energy can be funneled into your existing rings, boosting them to up to one-tenth of the soul beast's cultivation. As long as you fuse with a ten-thousand-year spirit, you'll never again have a hundred-year soul ring."
All three girls were visibly shaken by the explanation. Having a minimum soul ring quality of a thousand years was a dream even the young heirs of major clans could hardly achieve. Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, whose strength lay in their fusion skills rather than individual talent, had originally not dared to dream beyond Soul Douluo. But with soul rings structured like this—three purple, six black, a fourth ring of 10,000 years, a sixth of 70,000—their future could reach even Titled Douluo, maybe even Super Douluo.
Ling Luochen's voice cut in, tinged with tension and anticipation. "And me? What level of soul beast spirit can I obtain?"
Xiao Qiang took a sip of tea, then smiled faintly.
"In the Far North, there's an injured Ice Scorpion. It's willing to become a soul spirit. Its age is… 76,000 years."