Chapter 31: Group Soul Hunt, Part Two
The Thousand Jin Ant King, blissfully wandering, didn't even have time to react before it lost all sensation in its body. A glint of confusion flickered in its six eyes before they dimmed, and a dark soul ring slowly began to coalesce above the remains.
Nearby, ten iron forged swords lay bent and twisted from the tremendous impact. Ye Wen stepped forward, surveying the gruesome scene: the ant king lay in dozens of pieces, and green blood stained the ground with a rank stench. Insects like this one held little value as soul beasts, so he didn't bother salvaging the remains. He simply grabbed the ant's head and left.
Moving to a secluded, sheltered area on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, Ye Wen took a deep breath, trying to contain his excitement as he watched the black soul ring hovering above the ant's head. The leap from a thousand year to a ten thousand year soul ring was no small feat.
A soul master who owned a ten thousand year soul ring could attain nobility in either of the empires if they were willing to serve the royal family, of course.
To avoid unnecessary danger, Ye Wen scattered some soul beast repellant around his temporary camp. Once again, he checked the black soul ring. Unlike lesser soul rings, which dissipate within minutes, this one lingered, as if awaiting him.
"Here we go," he muttered, summoning Nab and drawing the black soul ring closer.
The pressure from the ten thousand year ring was in a league of its own, far surpassing the sensation of thousand year rings, yet Ye Wen's physique had long surpassed ordinary limits. Familiar energy flowed into him, and before long, his body had adapted to the influx. But suddenly, his mind snapped to sharp awareness.
For the first time, Ye Wen felt the existence of the spiritual realm six cold, soulless eyes glinted before him. The ant king's soul, though fragmented, appeared before him, and he knew that to survive, he would need to repel its attack here in the mindscape. If he failed, he would lose his life.
"Come on, then. I defeated you once in the flesh, and I'll defeat you again in my domain," Ye Wen declared, steeling himself.
Ye Wen's solid foundation and strength gave him an edge. Despite being limited to his raw spirit in this realm, the ant king's fragmentary soul was far weaker by comparison. Both were stripped of their abilities, relying solely on strength of will.
The ant king lunged at him first, fangs bared. But Ye Wen met its attack with a powerful leg sweep, instantly scattering the soul fragment. As its remnants faded, they dispersed into Ye Wen's spirit, further nourishing and reinforcing his spiritual world.
Now he understood the process of soul ring absorption. Even without techniques to cultivate spiritual power, this added strength allowed soul masters to ascend through realms. Each soul ring absorbed also became a stepping stone, gradually reinforcing their own spiritual resilience.
Ye Wen's eyes slowly opened, a sharp awareness flickering within. That was close without his solid foundation, this would have been dangerous. No wonder ordinary soul masters without powerful spiritual reserves hesitated to take a ten thousand year ring as a fifth soul ring; without mental fortitude, it would be suicidal.
Turning his focus inward, Ye Wen examined the new soul skill he'd gained.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Barrier of Space. It creates a defensive barrier that blocks enemy attacks, with strength determined by my soul power. At full strength, it can withstand an attack from an average Soul Emperor."
Ye Wen's mind raced with possibilities. The barrier could even be suspended mid air, acting as a foothold in combat, an invaluable addition to his skillset. Combined with his self created skill Gravitational Forge, it was practically a "youth edition" of the "Divine Punishment of Heaven's Judgment."
"And the Nab storage space has expanded to one hundred cubic meters. Perfect!"
A sudden realization struck him, and he activated his second soul skill, Inner Space.
"What… is this?" Ye Wen's eyes widened, shocked at his heightened perception. The Inner Space skill, once limited to surface imitation, now allowed him to understand the very essence of things. Focusing closely, he could even observe molecular movement a human scale molecular scanner.
"Incredible… This transformation must be due to the ten thousand year ring."
Stunned, Ye Wen remained silent for a moment, overwhelmed with thoughts of the skill's future uses. With an idea forming, he pulled a ginseng root from Nab's storage, placing it within the skill's field, observing intently.
Every structure within the ginseng root was perfectly revealed to him. He then replicated the root's parameters, creating a simulated human form in Inner Space and directing it to consume the simulated ginseng. As he watched, the simulated body's skin flushed a rosy red before a trickle of nosebleed appeared.
"A god level skill… this mutation transformed Inner Space into a true god level skill." Ye Wen could barely contain his excitement.
This ability could now uncover the true properties of any medicinal herb. In his past life, medical research was hampered by the need for clinical trials. The skill's new capabilities allowed him to simulate the body's reactions without endangering himself, making it akin to the mythical ability of Emperor Shennong, who supposedly could consume herbs safely to distinguish their effects. Beyond medicine, this function offered limitless potential, essentially transforming Nab into a soul power quantum computer.
However thrilled he was, Ye Wen didn't forget his purpose here in Star Dou Forest. After tidying the area, he made his way back to Beit City.
When he returned, the seven disciples beame