A quarter of an hour later, under Xiao Lin's guidance and infusion of soul power, the two of them finally succeeded in condensing their own soul rings.
As two white soul rings appeared around their martial spirits, the corners of Xiao Lin's mouth were harder to suppress than even AK's.
Although they were merely white soul rings, the soul power fluctuations within them were definitely on the level of hundred-year soul rings.
Moreover, because Xiao Lin had infused them with ultimate ice-and-fire attributes, the two soul rings were not to be underestimated.
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin, I did it!"
With Kurin's excited shout, Chen San beside him also opened her eyes, her face full of astonishment.
The color was clearly that of a white soul ring, yet the strength it conveyed felt like a hundred-year soul ring.
Chen San herself couldn't quite understand why, but her Blue Silver Grass martial spirit really gave her that kind of feeling.
"Thank you, Master Turtle Immortal Lin."
Suddenly, Chen San felt a little embarrassed.
A faint blush flashed across her fair little face. Lowering her head, she thanked Xiao Lin in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Xiao Lin's hearing was excellent. He chuckled and gently rubbed Chen San's head.
"What soul rings did you two get?"
Xiao Lin asked with curiosity.
Kurin's soul ring was easy to guess. He'd likely gained a vibration-based soul skill, perhaps with some freezing ability.
But Chen San…
Xiao Lin had no idea. Maybe just some kind of illumination soul skill?
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin, I got a soul tool-type soul skill! It can vibrate, freeze, and even scatter the enemy's soul power!"
Upon hearing Xiao Lin's question, Kurin immediately responded with excitement.
His soul skill wasn't much different from a typical first soul skill for a staff-type martial spirit.
First, it increased attack power by 100%. Then came the vibration from the soul tool, which could pierce defenses, and finally a freezing effect.
The freezing wasn't particularly strong — hitting an enemy would make them feel cold and slow their blood circulation.
In short, it was a control-type soul skill with powerful offensive capabilities.
"And you, Little San?"
Xiao Lin nodded — that skill was within his expectations. He turned his head to Chen San.
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin, I got an illumination soul skill. It can release a flame light orb into the air, increasing the power of surrounding fire-attribute attacks by 50% and reducing water- and ice-attribute attacks by 50%."
After a moment, Chen San explained her soul skill to Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin instantly understood — wasn't this essentially "clearing the weather"?
And Chen San hadn't yet thought things through — she was only thinking about casting it into the sky.
In reality, she could use this directly against enemies.
After hearing the two of their soul skills, Xiao Lin taught them some details about how to use them and ways to fight.
He also gave them advice on which soul beasts and rings to aim for in the future, helping plan their development paths.
For Kurin, Xiao Lin suggested focusing fully on strength and ice attributes, making his iron staff even stronger.
For Chen San, due to the quality of her Blue Silver Grass martial spirit, Xiao Lin gave her much more detailed guidance — including self-created skills like Blue Silver Entanglement.
Chen San's future direction was to pursue light-attribute soul rings beneficial to Blue Silver Grass.
Xiao Lin roughly outlined a "sunlight burst-speed" style, with techniques like "Blazing Sunlight Flame" (since her first soul skill was already a light orb, future skills of similar type would be easier to obtain).
Additionally, while ensuring strong vitality, she should choose control-type skills like Blue Silver Bind, Paralysis, Sleep Powder, or Poison Powder (because Chen San's potential wasn't as high as Tang San's, choosing some control skills would be better for her future. Of course, Xiao Lin also advised avoiding poison-attribute soul rings as much as possible).
Lastly, to pursue fire attributes, she'd need to absorb soul rings like a Fire Phoenix with powerful regenerative abilities — that way her Blue Silver Grass wouldn't be burned out by fire-attribute soul power backlash.
Finally, Xiao Lin taught Kurin basic staff techniques, taught Chen San how to cultivate with Blue Silver Grass camouflage in the environment, taught both of them split-mind control and a basic version of internal cultivation methods (the same meditation technique Tang San had once described to Yu Xiaogang in the original timeline).
Suddenly, Kurin thought of the physical training method Xiao Lin had taught them.
Even as dull as he was, he now realized something.
Kurin's eyes were full of reluctance. He asked loudly:
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin… you're leaving, aren't you?"
Though only a few days had passed, Kurin had already come to regard Xiao Lin as a once-in-a-lifetime master.
Thinking back on the progress he had made in just these few days, tears welled up in Kurin's eyes.
"Idiot, of course Master Turtle Immortal Lin is leaving."
At that moment, Chen San also spoke, her voice choked with emotion.
She was much sharper than Kurin and had known all along that Xiao Lin would eventually leave.
Thinking about how she had once misunderstood him, her heart filled with guilt.
"Fate brings meetings and partings — we'll meet again someday."
Xiao Lin laughed heartily, rubbing the backs of their heads.
"From now on, you two must become outstanding soul masters."
As soon as Xiao Lin finished speaking, a blinding flash of light appeared behind Kurin and Chen San.
When the two of them forced themselves to look past the glare, Xiao Lin was already gone.
Only a lingering shadow remained, the memory of his hand on the backs of their heads.
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin!"
"Master Turtle Immortal Lin!"
…
Outside Dragon City.
Xiao Lin ran at full speed, darting instantly into an unknown side path.
Of course he heard their cries.
But Xiao Lin had no time for sadness, nor did he have any intention of exposing his disguise.
He needed to get all these papers published.
On the way, Xiao Lin encountered a carriage headed for Heaven Dou City. After paying some gold soul coins, he hitched a ride.
Later, while on the carriage, relying on his precise control abilities, Xiao Lin finished writing the papers on self-condensed soul rings despite the jolting ride.
Titles included:
"Shocking! The Unexpected Advantages of Self-Condensing Soul Rings!"
"On How to Self-Condense Soul Rings!"
"How the Future of Self-Condensed Soul Rings Will Develop!"
In just a few days aboard the carriage, Xiao Lin completed all the papers, signing them as Xiao Yan, with "Advisor: Lin Dong."
After five years, Xiao Lin believed that once these papers were published, they would once again set off an explosion in the entire soul master world.
Moreover, these ten days of investigation had confirmed for Xiao Lin who the masterminds behind the Laibing gang were.
He deduced this through elimination.
First, based on soul power: the mastermind had to be someone with a very high soul power level.
Next, he looked at where in the Xueling Province Laibing bars were most numerous — Dragon City had none.
Xiao Lin didn't believe the mastermind would fail to set up plenty of subordinates and spies in their own territory.
Finally, after some of the gang's cadres were killed, he observed which areas reacted most strongly, even to the point of civil unrest.
By perfectly applying elimination, Xiao Lin pinpointed where the Laibing gang's mastermind was located —
Xueling City of Xueling Province!
The only city in the province with a Martial Spirit Hall!
…
(Easter egg! No filler here )
Meanwhile.
The Dragon City "Dragon Catching Tournament" had ended.
The runner-up team was Kurin and Chen San, who had captured alive a 500-year-soul-power "Crackling Carp."
Their reward: a one-time low-tier medicinal bath from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
(End of Chapter)