An hour later, Lin Bai opened his eyes. A cyan light flickered within them, sharp and piercing.
[Soul Skill: Qingfeng Acupoint Stabbing]
The information flowed into his mind naturally. He had been lucky—there was only a 2% chance of a soul skill mutating, and his had.
"The base effect enhances the sharpness of the Ghost Gate Golden Needle by 50%, improving its penetration. A solid ability, but nothing special on its own," he mused.
However, the mutation had changed everything.
"Striking specific acupoints now converts soul power into vitality, granting a minor healing effect to myself or allies. Not bad…"
Lin Bai couldn't help but smile. If that was all, he wouldn't be grinning like this.
"The healing effects stack. The second strike amplifies the first, the third builds upon the previous two, and so on. Each acupuncture point compounds the healing of the last."
His lips curled further. He never intended to become a healing soul master, yet he couldn't deny how powerful this was.
For most, the lack of acupuncture knowledge in soul skills would make this ability difficult to use. But with his mastery of the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate, Lin Bai could pinpoint both obvious and hidden acupoints, maximizing his soul skill's potential.
The only drawback was the increasing soul power consumption. But considering the ability's absurd healing potential, it was a small price to pay.
He summoned his martial spirit, channeling his soul power as his first soul ring lit up. The golden needle glowed with a faint cyan hue.
Lin Bai examined it closely, then sighed. "Even if the consumption isn't excessive, with my current soul power, I'd be exhausted after using it four times at most."
Still, the future was promising.
After putting away his martial spirit, Lin Bai cleared the branches and leaves covering the cave entrance, then leapt out. The fusion with his first soul ring had enhanced his physical abilities, and his soul power had already reached level 13—a rate of growth far beyond what simple cultivation could achieve.
Before leaving, he stored the Bronze Mantis's corpse in his storage ring. A hundred-year soul beast still had value, and he could sell it for a decent sum.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky blazed with streaks of red and gold. The scorching heat of the day faded into the cool embrace of evening.
Lin Bai had spent only half a day in the Soul Hunting Forest and had no plans to linger. While selling soul beast corpses could be profitable, it wasn't worth the risk of attracting the law enforcement patrols. Better to find a real source of income elsewhere.
The exit required no inspection, allowing him to leave without issue.
The city streets grew livelier as night fell, and Lin Bai could feel eyes on him. He ignored them and entered a soul beast materials shop, where a middle-aged man worked alone.
The shopkeeper barely glanced at him before returning to his task.
Lin Bai didn't mind. "Boss, how much for a Bronze Mantis?"
The man looked up again, this time inspecting the dusty wooden ring on Lin Bai's finger. He dismissed it as ordinary and replied,
"Depends on the age. We don't take ten-year ones. A hundred-year Bronze Mantis goes for ten gold soul coins. Every additional hundred years adds another ten coins."
Lin Bai nodded. He didn't know the market price, but he wasn't interested in haggling. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the mantis's intact corpse onto the ground. Dust billowed up from the impact.
"Four hundred years. Forty gold soul coins."
The shopkeeper's eyes flickered with surprise, but he kept his face neutral. He examined the mantis briefly before nodding. "Yeah, that's about right. Here."
He retrieved a small pouch, set it on the table, and gestured for Lin Bai to take it himself.
Lin Bai casually tossed the bag into his storage ring.
"Still, soul masters make money too easily," he mused, turning to leave. "The only downside is keeping your head attached."
He was headed toward the rental car station, where soul masters could also find accommodations for the night.
Halfway there, hurried footsteps echoed behind him. Lin Bai didn't look back. Instead, he activated his telekinesis, forming a semicircular shield around himself.
Bang!
A muffled impact, followed by a startled yell.
Lin Bai chuckled. Walking into his barrier was no different from slamming into a wall.
Turning around, he saw two young men helping a third to his feet—the one who had collided with his shield. Blood dripped from the man's mouth, his front teeth missing.
"It's him, brothers! Kill him!" the injured man spat, voice slurred from his missing teeth.
A hatchet appeared in his hand—a martial spirit—and a single white soul ring glowed beneath him.
"Kid, hand over your money, or you won't be leaving here in one piece," one of them sneered.
"Yeah, make it easy for yourself."
Lin Bai glanced around. The area was dimly lit and mostly deserted—no wonder they had chosen this spot to rob him.
But that only made things more convenient for him.
He could break their necks with his telekinesis. Should he? Probably not—there might be stronger soul masters nearby. Better to disguise his power.
Summoning his Ghost Gate Golden Needle, he manipulated it with his telekinesis, making it appear as if the ability came from his martial soul.
As his yellow soul ring flared, the three thugs froze.
"A hundred-year soul ring?!"
Their faces twisted with panic. Unlike them, who only had the weakest white soul rings, Lin Bai's century-old soul ring marked him as far superior.
"Piss off!" one of them shouted. "Forget it, let's go!"
They turned to flee.
Lin Bai merely thought, and thirteen golden needles shot forward, piercing the backs of all three. Their bodies seized up, limbs locking as they collapsed onto the ground, paralyzed.
"W-what the hell?!" One of them struggled to speak, eyes wide with fear.
Lin Bai approached, stepping on one of their backs to add to their suffering. "I have a question."
They shuddered.
"Where can I find the nearest slave trader?"
They stiffened further.
Slave traders disguised their shops to blend into normal businesses, making them difficult to recognize. Lin Bai didn't feel like searching, so he decided to ask the scum who would know best.
One of them forced a sneer. "If I tell you, will you let us go?"
Lin Bai smiled. "No."
The moment they had decided to rob him, their fate had already been sealed.