The girls, understandably overjoyed at having Song Qing back among the living, were eager to catch up on everything that had happened in the past three years. They wanted to tell him about their training, their adventures, and all the little things that had filled their days while he was lost in his coma.
"Qing, you won't believe the new soul skills I've learned!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her cyan eyes sparkling with excitement.
"And Sister Yan and I went on a mission to the Star Luo Empire!" Ye Lingling added, her voice filled with a hint of adventure.
Zhu Zhuqing just sat by his side, her hand never leaving his, her silent presence speaking volumes of her relief. Hu Liena, too, was keen to share her experiences and the progress she had made.
Song Qing listened attentively for a while, smiling and nodding, genuinely happy to hear about their growth. However, he knew he needed to focus on his own recovery and prepare for his next step.
"I'm so happy to hear all of this," Song Qing said gently, squeezing Zhu Zhuqing's hand. "You've all become so much stronger. But I still need to focus on getting back to my peak condition. And you all should continue to work hard on your training. The stronger we all become, the better, right?"
His words, though a little disappointing to the girls who wanted to linger longer, were met with understanding nods. They knew he was right.
"You're right, Qing," Dugu Yan conceded with a smile. "We'll let you rest and recover properly. But we'll be back to visit you tomorrow!"
After his friends finally left, Song Qing found himself ravenously hungry. He devoured a truly sumptuous meal, a feast fit for a king, his appetite having returned with full force.
Once his stomach was happily full, Song Qing decided to visit the herbal garden that Bibi Dong had lovingly created for him within the Spirit Hall grounds. It was a secluded area, filled with various herbs and plants, many of which he had personally cultivated three years ago.
As he entered the garden, the familiar scent of various herbs filled the air. The plants he had created using the Second Soul Ring ability of his Primordial Life Tree Spirit, Venomous Entanglement, were indeed thriving, though they had only aged naturally over the past three years. They were still quite young, really, only about three years old in terms of their growth.
For the next four days, Song Qing fell into a comfortable routine. Other than the daily visits from his friends, which he thoroughly enjoyed, he spent a significant amount of time in the herbal garden. He would activate his Verdant Embrace, bathing the young immortal herbs in its potent life energy, rapidly accelerating their growth and increasing their potency.
'If I can just get my fifth soul ring,' he thought during one of his sessions, the green aura surrounding the plants intensifying, 'my power will increase exponentially. Within a few months, I should be able to create a garden filled with immortal herbs on par with those in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. That will be invaluable for all of us.'
Then, on the fourth day, as Song Qing was tending to his rapidly maturing herbs, a familiar and beloved figure approached him. It was his teacher, Bibi Dong, a slight smile gracing her lips.
"Qing'er," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of excitement. "I have news for you. We found one."
Song Qing looked up, his eyes filled with anticipation. "You found a spirit beast with transformation abilities?"
Bibi Dong nodded. "Indeed. And it's quite powerful. A 92,000-year-old monkey with a very impressive bloodline. It's called the Titan Transformation Ape."
Song Qing's eyes widened, a thrill coursing through him at the mention of such a powerful spirit beast. "A 92,000-year-old Titan Transformation Ape? Teacher, that's… incredible!" He paused for a moment, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Teacher," he said, his voice filled with a hint of eagerness, "would it be possible for you to secretly take me there? I need to obtain its soul ring."
Bibi Dong looked at her eager disciple, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Alright, Qing'er. Your enthusiasm is infectious. We can go tonight, under the cover of darkness. We'll make sure no one notices our absence."
"Thank you, Teacher! You're the best!" Song Qing exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face.
True to her word, as night descended upon Martial Soul City, Bibi Dong, with Song Qing concealed by her immense spiritual power, slipped out of the Spirit Hall. Their journey took them eastward, towards a dense and ancient forest that Bibi Dong identified as the Moon Shadow Forest. It was said to be home to many powerful spirit beasts, and it was where her intelligence network had located the Titan Transformation Ape.
The journey was swift, with Bibi Dong's immense speed carrying them through the night. It wasn't until the first rays of dawn began to paint the eastern sky that they reached the edge of the Moon Shadow Forest.
"This is it, Qing'er," Bibi Dong whispered, her eyes scanning the dense foliage. "The Titan Transformation Ape is deep within this forest. Be prepared; a spirit beast of this age will be incredibly powerful."
"I understand, Teacher," Song Qing replied, his gaze also fixed on the forest, a thrill of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness running through him.
They ventured into the forest, Bibi Dong's senses leading them unerringly towards their prey. It wasn't long before they sensed a powerful aura emanating from a clearing ahead. As they approached cautiously, they saw a massive ape, easily ten meters tall, with thick, brown fur and powerful limbs, its eyes glowing with an intelligent light. This was undoubtedly the Titan Transformation Ape.
"Stay behind me, Qing'er," Bibi Dong instructed, her twin Martial Spirits, the Death Spider Emperor and the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, materializing behind her, their terrifying presence filling the clearing. "I'll weaken it for you."
Bibi Dong launched her attack, her soul rings flashing in the dim morning light. Even for her, a 92,000-year-old spirit beast with such a strong bloodline proved to be a challenging opponent.
The Titan Transformation Ape roared, its massive fists slamming against the ground, causing tremors that shook the forest. Bibi Dong had to use several of her powerful soul ring abilities, weaving between the ape's attacks, her movements like a deadly dance. She focused on incapacitating it, ensuring she didn't deliver a fatal blow.
Finally, after a fierce struggle, the Titan Transformation Ape roared in pain as Bibi Dong's Soul Devouring Spider Emperor managed to bind its limbs with its powerful webs. It was weakened, but still very much alive.
"Now, Qing'er!" Bibi Dong called out, panting slightly from the exertion.
Song Qing didn't hesitate. His Primordial Life Tree Spirit emerged, its gentle green light contrasting sharply with the dark aura of Bibi Dong's spirits. Focusing all his will, he unleashed a powerful attack with his second soul ring, Venomous Entanglement.
Thorny vines, imbued with a potent poison, shot forth from the Primordial Life Tree Spirit, piercing the ape's thick hide and draining its remaining life force. With a final, shuddering breath, the Titan Transformation Ape collapsed to the ground, its massive body still.
As the spirit rings began to appear, a dark black one with a faint reddish hue floated above the ape's corpse. But that wasn't all. A spirit bone, a left arm bone, also materialized, radiating a powerful energy.
Song Qing looked at the spirit bone, then back at Bibi Dong. "Teacher," he said, "please keep this. Give it as a reward to one of the deserving Spirit Masters in the Spirit Hall. They earned it."
Bibi Dong nodded, a hint of pride in her eyes at her disciple's generosity. She stored the spirit bone away.
Then, Song Qing focused his attention on this Fifth Soul Ring. With a deep breath, he guided the black-red ring towards his Primordial Life Tree Spirit. As it was absorbed, a surge of energy coursed through him, and he felt new understanding blossoming within his mind.
"I did it!" Song Qing exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "I got the transformation ability!"
"What else did you gain, Qing'er?" Bibi Dong asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I gained the Transformation Skill but it seems better than the one that this ape had," Song Qing replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "And I think I also unlocked a passive ability."
"Tell me about them," Bibi Dong urged.
"Well," Song Qing began, a thoughtful look on his face, "with the first ability Illusionary True Transformation, I can transform my physique and even the color of my Soul Rings at will. I can change my hair color, eye color, even my face, and manipulate my muscles and even the color of my Soul Rings to make them look older or younger than they actually are. It's incredible!"
"And the second?" Bibi Dong prompted.
"The second is a passive ability known as Primal Resilience," Song Qing explained. "It can makes me much tougher and heal faster. That will be incredibly useful."
"Indeed. With it, you won't get hurt easily and even if you do, it won't be for much time," Bibi Dong commented, impressed.
'And there's one more thing,' Song Qing added in his mind, a hint of mischief in his eyes. 'It seems I also gained an ability that allows me to keep two active abilities of my plant spirit running forever without using any soul power.'
He decided to keep this incredibly useful ability a secret from his teacher for now. No use really telling her about it.
Just as he finished speaking, Song Qing felt a familiar surge of energy within him. He knew what it was.
His Fourth Soul Ring's passive ability, Soul Ring Resonance, had activated. He focused his senses and was inwardly thrilled at the changes.
His Fourth Soul Ring's age had increased by what felt like tens of thousands of years.
Even more excitingly, his Third Soul Ring, Phantom Bind, had turned from a deep purple to a solid black, signifying its ascension to a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
And even his Second Soul Ring, Venomous Entanglement, was now a deep violet, almost black, indicating it was on the verge of becoming a ten-thousand-year ring as well.
He just needed to absorb his sixth soul ring. He kept these developments to himself, not wanting to overwhelm his teacher with too much information at once.
"I'm very satisfied with this, Teacher," Song Qing said, a confident smile on his face. "This will help me greatly with my plans."
They returned to the Spirit Hall, the first rays of the rising sun illuminating their path. Once back in his room, Song Qing turned to Bibi Dong, his expression becoming serious once more. "Teacher," he said, his voice low, "the next step of my plan… it requires a big sacrifice from you."
Bibi Dong looked at her disciple, her eyes filled with concern but also unwavering trust. "A sacrifice, Qing'er? What is it? If it's for your revenge, and if it's within my power, I am ready to do it."
Song Qing hesitated for a moment, a slightly uncomfortable look crossing his face. He sighed softly before meeting his teacher's gaze. "Teacher… I need the seventh soul ring of your second spirit, the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor."
Bibi Dong's eyes widened in shock. "My seventh soul ring? Qing'er, why would you need that?"
"I need that particular soul ring, Teacher," Song Qing explained, his voice firm but gentle. "And I can take it by using the Soul Seizure ability of my External Spirit Bone, the Crimson Soul Emperor's Crown. Please believe me, Teacher, it's not because I want to harm you. I need the soul contained within that ring… the soul of the Soft Bone Rabbit. It's crucial for the second part of my plan to take revenge against Tang Hao."
Bibi Dong stared at him, her mind reeling. The loss of her seventh soul ring would be a significant setback, even for someone as powerful as her.
However, she did possess a spare God-bestowed soul ring from her Rakshasa God's Trials, which she could use to fill the void. But her disciple's words… they were perplexing.
"The soul of that Soft Bone Rabbit? Qing'er… why do you need that?"
Did he… did he like that rabbit? No, that couldn't be it. There had to be another reason.
Song Qing simply offered her a mysterious smile. "You will understand in the future, Teacher. Please trust me."