The next day, on the outer fringes of the Star Dou Forest.
The Spirit Hall group moved through the woods with none of the usual caution displayed by other soul-hunting teams. They strolled as if on a leisurely outing.
Two Title Douluos and one Soul Douluo—accompanied by three juniors—had absolutely no reason to fear anything in the forest's outer regions.
Qian Ningshuang walked behind Tian E, her hand clasped tightly in Qian Renxue's. Before her stretched a breathtaking vista of ancient trees in every shape and form. Towering giants pierced the sky, their trunks and branches sprouting aerial roots that plunged into the earth, thickening over time into pillar-like supports—creating the rare spectacle of a single tree forming an entire grove. Elsewhere, strangler figs coiled around host trees, growing ever thicker and wider until they fused together, slowly suffocating their hosts in a haunting display of natural predation.
Birds flitted through the canopy, monkeys chattered in the branches. Of course, the Star Dou Forest also teemed with ordinary beasts—after all, even low-tier carnivorous soul beasts needed something to eat.
This was a true primeval forest. In her past life, Qian Ningshuang had never seen anything like it.
"What kind of soul beasts do the Second Young Miss and Miss Tian Yue require?"
Pulman had learned the girls' identities before entering the forest. Now, he had none of Qian Ningshuang's wonder at the scenery. Stationed at the forest's edge for years, he'd long grown tired of these views.
What mattered to him was whether he could assist the granddaughters of the First and Second Elders.
"Shuang'er needs a thousand-year-old strength-type soul beast. The species doesn't matter," Tian E replied.
Though Qian Ningshuang's martial soul—Black Abyss White Bloom—was undocumented in Spirit Hall records, it was clearly an assault-type martial soul. A strength- or defense-oriented soul ring would suit it perfectly.
The only issue was age. The hunting forest within Spirit Hall City simply didn't house thousand-year soul beasts of suitable quality.
As for whether Qian Ningshuang should seek life- or death-attribute soul rings to complement the innate life and death energies of her White Bloom, Tian E hadn't even considered it.
For one, soul beasts with those attributes were exceedingly rare—perhaps appearing once every hundred years. More importantly, the life energy radiating from the White Bloom itself far surpassed anything the core region's apex beasts could produce, both in purity and potency. And unlike soul rings, that life energy was directly usable.
Thus, a life-attribute soul ring would offer negligible benefit compared to a strength-type one.
Death-attribute soul beasts were even rarer—and most were ten-thousand-year or older. Qian Ningshuang couldn't yet handle a ten-thousand-year ring. Perhaps later, once her soul power matured.
"Your Eminence Tian E," Pulman hesitated, glancing at Qian Ningshuang, "if I'm not mistaken, the Second Young Miss is only at ten levels. Is a thousand-year first soul ring… perhaps too ambitious?"
"No need to worry," Tian E said calmly. "Shuang'er's physique exceeds that of an ordinary Spirit Master. She can easily absorb a thousand-year ring."
Pulman sucked in a sharp breath.
A six-year-old with a physique surpassing that of a Spirit Master? Monstrous.
Tian E watched Pulman's stunned expression with quiet satisfaction. He'd worn the same look when he first saw Qian Ningshuang's test results.
After savoring the moment, Tian E continued. "As for Yue'er, she needs a nine-hundred-year Golden-Scale Crocodile Tortoise."
Pulman quickly composed himself. Amazement aside, duty came first.
"The Second Young Miss's soul beast will be easy to find. There are plenty of strength-type thousand-year soul beasts in their territory."
"But Miss Tian Yue's Golden-Scale Crocodile Tortoise… in all my years stationed here, I've only seen one—deep in the ten-thousand-year zone."
"No matter. I expected as much," Tian E said evenly.
He understood Pulman's implication: rare meant time-consuming. But any serious Soul Master would gladly spend weeks—or even months—searching for the perfect match. Time was irrelevant.
And if they truly couldn't find one, he had alternatives. The Golden Crocodile King bloodline had endured for millennia. Not every Tian descendant followed the same combat path.
Ideally, Tian Yue would inherit his style—he knew it best and could teach it most effectively. If not, he'd simply consult ancestral records for other viable options.
Three days passed as the group meandered through the forest.
Then, Qian Renxue tossed a near-lifeless white tiger at Qian Ningshuang's feet.
"Xiao Shuang, go ahead."
Without hesitation, Qian Ningshuang summoned Black Abyss White Bloom and drove the spear straight into the tiger's skull.
Mercy? She had none. Perhaps in the early days of her transmigration she might have hesitated—but over six years, Qian Daoliu and the others had ensured she understood the realities of this world. Blood had long since ceased to unsettle her.
A violet soul ring coalesced above the tiger's corpse. Qian Ningshuang knelt, crossed her legs, and began drawing the ring toward herself.
She'd rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind. Here it was—her first soul ring!
The five others stood silently, offering no interruption. They knew better.
Qian Ningshuang wasn't some ignorant commoner. In Spirit Hall City, she'd had unrestricted access to the rarest texts and teachings—often from Title Douluos themselves. She knew exactly how to absorb a soul ring and what to watch for. No reminders were needed.
And none of them doubted she'd fail—not even with a thousand-year ring.
As the violet ring settled onto the massive shaft of Black Abyss White Bloom, Qian Ningshuang closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking inward.
She expected the violent energy surge described in books.
Instead, she felt… warmth. Comfort. Like lying on sun-dappled grass beneath a gentle morning sky. It was so soothing, she almost wanted to drift off to sleep.
No—focus! Qian Ningshuang, you're absorbing a soul ring! Get serious!
She jolted herself back to awareness.
Within her mind's eye, she now saw a miniature version of herself.
Or rather—Saint Sword Youlan Dair!
"You look exactly like Bianca," Youlan Dair said, eyes wide with surprise.
"Well, duh," Qian Ningshuang tilted her head—somehow managing the gesture even as pure consciousness. "I inherited Bianca's character template. Of course we look identical."
"That makes sense," Youlan Dair nodded.
"But why are you awake? I assumed you'd remain dormant due to insufficient energy. And if Black Abyss White Bloom became a martial soul, why didn't you? Now that you're conscious, do you have any powerful cheat abilities for me? Also—why did I even transmigrate in the first place?…"
Qian Ningshuang fired off questions in rapid succession. To Youlan Dair—the supercomputer embedded within her since her arrival—she had no reason to hide or fear. After all, what use was secrecy when the entity resided inside her very being?