Under the burning flames, the Shadow Leopard soon perished, and a purple Soul Ring rose from its charred corpse.
"Little San, come out," Lin Mu said without turning his head, exiting his armor-fusion state.
Hearing this, Tang San immediately emerged from behind the rock. His expression was grave as he looked at the Shadow Leopard's corpse, which was completely charred black.
If it were him fighting, there would have been no way he could kill this Shadow Leopard. Even using the 'Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track' to escape, he probably wouldn't have been able to shake off its pursuit.
Yet, in his Master's hands, it was utterly vulnerable.
"Master, is this a Soul Ring?"
Looking at the purple halo floating above the Shadow Leopard's corpse, a hint of curiosity flashed in Tang San's eyes.
As long as he absorbed a Soul Ring, he could become a true Soul Master, and the bottleneck in his 'Mysterious Heaven Technique' would be easily overcome.
"That's right. This is a Soul Ring over three thousand years old. It's too old for you; forcibly absorbing it would cause your body to explode and die."
After a pause, Lin Mu continued, "Generally speaking, the limit for the first Soul Ring is around four hundred years. A certain 'Grandmaster' researched this limit and determined it to be exactly 423 years."
"However, this exact data is meaningless. Everyone's physical tolerance is different. This conclusion is easily misleading. Besides, he stole all this information from Spirit Hall archives anyway."
Hearing this, Tang San nodded, suddenly understanding.
"It's just a pity that this three-thousand-year Soul Ring is going to waste," Tang San remarked.
"Soul Masters and Soul Beasts have always been irreconcilable enemies. Since this Soul Beast attacked us, killing it is entirely reasonable. If we let it go, other Soul Masters might lose their lives to it later."
In Lin Mu's view, Soul Beasts were neither inherently good nor bad.
As the saying goes, "Those who are not of our kin are sure to have different hearts." Since a Soul Master's power originates from hunting Soul Beasts, the two groups are natural opposites. Why bother distinguishing between good and evil in a struggle for survival?
Hearing this insight, Tang San seemed thoughtful, his mindset subtly shifting.
Suddenly, a crucial question occurred to him. He looked up at Lin Mu and asked, "Master, was that armor your Martial Soul?"
"That's right. To outsiders, my Martial Soul looks like a piece of scrap metal, but its true nature is a suit of armor. It is an Armor-type Martial Soul."
Lin Mu only stated the general type of his Martial Soul; he did not reveal his full trump card to Tang San.
If it were merely a suit of armor, the Flame of Nava wouldn't be considered a top-tier Martial Soul. Its true strength lay in its ability to control the element of fire and the devastating weapons that complemented the armor.
Although he had already taken Tang San as a disciple, one should always be cautious, especially since Tang San was deeply influenced by the Tang Sect's ruthless philosophy.
Who knows when he might blurt out, "You already have a path to death."
In any case, caution was always wise.
"Alright, let's continue. Our destination is still some distance away."
Following the map, the two continued their journey. They were lucky enough to encounter no further attacks from Soul Beasts along the way.
After a long while, they arrived at a lake. Their target was growing on the lakeshore: a small, translucent plant about half a meter tall, its roots extending deep into the lakebed.
This was a Soul Beast Lin Mu had found in the 'Complete Encyclopedia of Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest'. It was named Ice Crystal Grass, and its vitality far surpassed that of other plants of the same age.
"Over three hundred years old... that's enough."
After confirming the Ice Crystal Grass's age, Lin Mu picked up a pebble from the ground and flicked it at the plant.
Whoosh!
The pebble struck the trunk of the Ice Crystal Grass accurately. However, to Lin Mu's surprise, it produced a crisp *clink* sound, as if the stone had struck something as hard as diamond.
"It actually blocked it."
Tang San's eyes were filled with disbelief. He had witnessed his Master's power firsthand. Although his Master hadn't used his Martial Soul or full strength, a pebble thrown by a Soul Ancestor shouldn't be something a small blade of grass could withstand without damage.
"It seems that besides increasing your Blue Silver Grass's vitality, we might also gain a decent defensive Soul Skill."
After exclaiming in surprise, Lin Mu slowly walked towards the Ice Crystal Grass. He released his Martial Soul as he moved forward, completing the armor fusion in stride.
Approaching the plant, Lin Mu placed his hand on it and released a controlled burst of flames to incinerate its defenses.
Generally, the harder something is, the more brittle it becomes under extreme temperature changes.
Gradually, the layer of icy keratin on the Ice Crystal Grass began to peel away, and sap the size of beans began to flow from its stem.
In no time, the Ice Crystal Grass began to wither. Its vitality drained away rapidly, bringing it to the brink of death.
"Little San, you deliver the final blow."
"Yes, Master."
After respectfully replying, Tang San took out a small knife and severed the roots of the Ice Crystal Grass. The plant completely lost its vitality, and a yellow Soul Ring floated up from its remains.
Immediately afterward, under Lin Mu's guidance, Tang San began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Absorbing a Soul Ring takes a considerable amount of time, especially the first time. The process often lasts three or four hours.
While Tang San absorbed the ring, Lin Mu, having nothing else to do, went to search for wild game nearby.
Three hours later.
Tang San slowly opened his eyes. The rich aroma of meat wafted into his nostrils, tantalizing his taste buds and making his mouth water instantly.
But... why was there such a smell of roasted meat here?
Turning his gaze, he saw Lin Mu setting up a grill not far away. A whole rabbit was roasting over the fire. The heat was just right; the skin was golden and crispy, looking incredibly appetizing.
The ingredient was a hundred-year-old Soft-Boned Rabbit.
During his years traveling the continent, this was one of Lin Mu's favorite foods. It was simple and convenient to prepare, and there were plenty of them, he could easily find several in any forest.
"Master, I've finished absorbing the Soul Ring."
As he spoke, Tang San's eyes were fixed on the roasted rabbit. Just from the aroma, he knew it was a rare delicacy.
At home, the most common food was thin porridge. They might not eat meat more than a few times a year, let alone such a tempting roasted rabbit.
Seeing Tang San staring intently at the food, Lin Mu's lips curled into a barely perceptible, wicked smile.
"Little San, now is the time for you to nourish your body. Here, take this big rabbit leg."
With that, Lin Mu tore off a large rabbit leg and stuffed it into Tang San's hand.
Tang San's expression froze slightly for a moment, but looking at the large rabbit leg in his hand, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
'Master really is the best person to me.'
As a father, Tang Hao was undoubtedly irresponsible. Tang San was thin and looked severely malnourished for his age.
It was no wonder that many people in Lin Mu's previous life theorized that Tang Hao realized his son had been "possessed" by a transmigrator, which was why he completely neglected him until the appearance of the Clear Sky Hammer drew his attention.
Although it sounded like a conspiracy theory, it couldn't be ruled out.
Otherwise, if Tang Hao had completely given up on himself just because of the death of the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin, not even caring about his son or thinking about revenge against Spirit Hall, then Tang Hao was simply too weak. A complete waste of a man.
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TL: Day 1: Done!