After undergoing numerous trials and training, Chen Ming was finally about to face a pivotal moment on his path as a Soul Master: absorbing the first soul ring of his life.
Through intense physical training, various medicinal concoctions, and the added aid of a small portion of whale gelatin, Chen Ming's body had become outstanding among his peers. He didn't look like a boy who had just turned nine years old; instead, he resembled a teenager of fourteen or fifteen.
Inside a massive, dark cave, clusters of bright green vines sprawled and grew across the walls and ground, unconsciously releasing a faint, poisonous mist.
This mist was extremely corrosive. A typical person wouldn't last more than a few minutes in this environment before their body began to melt away. Even low-level Soul Masters would die in agony. Yet, Chen Ming and his two companions stood calmly in the center of the cave, expressionlessly watching the vines.
The Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower was a plant personally cultivated and nurtured by the Chen family. Even before it matured, the family had prepared the necessary antidotes. Moreover, due to the mutation of the Chen family's Emerald Scorpion under the influence of the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower, this deadly poison, which would be fatal to outsiders, had only limited impact on members of the Chen family.
Of course, "limited impact" was relative—it didn't mean it was completely harmless. Staying in the cave for less than a day was fine; within three days, any bodily damage could be repaired. But if something unexpected happened or if someone lost their soul power, even the Chen family wouldn't last much longer—they might buy themselves an extra couple of hours at best.
Over the centuries, more than a dozen Chen family members had died in this cave for various reasons. If more people in the family had the potential to become Soul Masters, that number would have easily been in the hundreds.
Typically, plants are much harder to turn into Soul Beasts. Their evolution relies more on sheer numbers. The same species might take hundreds of years without becoming a Soul Beast, while another might achieve it within a few decades. This unpredictable pattern has baffled researchers to this day.
For example, some snow lotuses might evolve into Soul Beasts after several hundred or even thousands of years in a typical snowy mountain, while a top-tier snow lotus might spend a hundred thousand years in the Extreme North and still be classified as a rare natural treasure rather than a Soul Beast—only to end up being eaten by another Soul Beast.
Usually, a single plant-type Soul Beast represents countless others of the same species that never achieve that transformation. Even the more common plant-type Soul Beasts only have a slightly higher probability of evolving.
The Silver Dragon King fell to the Douluo Continent hundreds of thousands of years ago, and her scattered power formed the Lake of Life, which in turn gave rise to the Star Dou Great Forest. But even after all those years, the trees by the Lake of Life, though nourished and kept alive, still didn't become Soul Beasts.
Normally, the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower only had a chance of becoming a Soul Beast after ten thousand years. However, the ones in this cave were not typical. Growing in the ultimate habitat for poison-type plants and benefiting from human intervention by the Chen family, the situation here was unique.
There were nearly a hundred Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flowers of various sizes in the cave, but fewer than five of them were considered actual Soul Beasts. The rest were merely plants with some soul power, and it was uncertain when—or if—they would ever truly evolve.
The Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower was deep green, with a massive bud and several vines coiled around it. These vines were used to absorb nutrients and for attack.
Because of their age, most of the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flowers cultivated by the Chen family hadn't fully bloomed yet. Most of the time, they kept their buds tightly shut, camouflaging themselves as deep green rocks, with only their vines left exposed as a distinguishing feature.
Although the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower was of high quality, it usually chose to stay hidden unless its age or numbers grew so overwhelming that it felt no threats existed. Seeing one bloom openly all the time was rare.
After all, releasing poison consumed energy—quite a bit of it. Doing it excessively would stunt its growth, and poor condition could even lead to unexpected dangers.
Chen Ming stared intently at the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower in front of him, determination burning in his eyes. His soul power surged slightly, and with each breath, he seemed to be resonating with the flower. Every breath he took and every heartbeat he made caused the huge bud before him to tremble faintly.
"Xiao Ming, have you really thought this through?" Chen Shijie asked with deep concern. "We've already asked you many times, but I have to ask again here: are you sure you want to absorb the soul ring of the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower?"
"With your current body and meridians, you're basically at the level of a typical Grand Soul Master, maybe even stronger. In theory, you could even absorb an 800-year-old soul ring."
"Most Soul Masters don't even get a third soul ring of that age!"
"If you're sure, I can immediately find you a top-tier century-old Soul Beast. After absorbing your first soul ring, your strength would far exceed an average Soul Master. For your second ring, even a thousand-year-level soul ring wouldn't be out of reach."
"Are you really sure you want to absorb this 500-year-old Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower as your first soul ring?"
Chen Shijie gently stroked Chen Ming's head, speaking earnestly. His eyes were full of concern. Beside him, Chen Tianyun looked like he wanted to say something but held back.
Absorbing a soul ring equivalent to what others only get as their second soul ring was unheard of. No one knew who had set this standard, but for hundreds, even thousands of years, the Soul Master world had always followed it. Chen Shijie and Chen Tianyun didn't really believe Chen Ming could break the rules and absorb a 700- or 800-year-old soul ring for his first.
If Chen Ming had proposed it himself, they wouldn't have allowed it.
But… everything depended on perspective.
Forcibly absorbing an over-age soul ring—if it was under 1,000 years—was still something Chen Shijie could intervene in. Even though it would come at a steep price, possibly stalling his cultivation for years, at least he could keep Chen Ming alive, ensuring he'd still be a Soul Master.
But the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower was different. It was ruthless. If you placed a typical thousand-year-old Soul Beast next to a non-Soul Beast Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower, that Soul Beast would dissolve into goo within moments. Its poison and soul power far surpassed most century-old soul rings, and even some 1,000-year soul rings couldn't match the ferocity of this 500-year-old Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower.
Once the absorption started, there was no turning back. Success or instant death—those were the only outcomes. Even a Title Douluo would need the help of a Soul Sage-level healer to have any chance of saving Chen Ming's life, and even then, the best-case scenario was that Chen Ming would never be able to cultivate again. At worst, he'd be bedridden, barely clinging to life for a few more years.
If something went wrong here, there wouldn't even be a body left—just a puddle of liquid.
To Chen Shijie and Chen Tianyun, this was basically suicide.
They had witnessed Chen Ming's talent over the past few years. He truly had the potential to become a Soul Sage, even a Soul Douluo. If he continued training diligently and built a strong foundation, there was every chance he could solve the family's problems someday. There was absolutely no need to gamble everything on this.
"I've made up my mind," Chen Ming said firmly, shaking his head as he felt the genuine concern from the two men.
He reached out and touched the poisonous vine in front of him. The moment he made contact, the previously lifeless Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower shuddered as if it had been jolted awake. Its tightly closed petals opened slightly, and the surrounding poison mist thickened noticeably.
"The first time I came here to train, I noticed this Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower right away. Back then, it wasn't even a Soul Beast yet. For the past two and a half years, I've fed it my soul power and blood. I can feel it—we seem to have formed some kind of connection."
"When I touch it, it feels like I've grown an extra limb, like there's a special organ attached to my body…"
Chen Ming shook his head.
"It's hard to explain, and I know it sounds strange, but it's true. If it were any other Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower, I wouldn't be confident about absorbing its soul ring. But with this one, I believe I can do it."
"It won't reject me."
As Chen Ming spoke, the vine in front of him gently twisted, as if echoing his words—or perhaps expressing dissatisfaction. But to the two men beside him, the movement seemed meaningless.
"Plant-type Soul Beasts only start to show some awareness after ten thousand years," Chen Tianyun finally couldn't hold back. "It's said they only develop true intelligence after a hundred thousand years. This is just a 500-year-old Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Flower. It only became a Soul Beast thanks to the perfect conditions—it can't possibly have intelligence. Xiao Ming, you need to think carefully…"
Chen Tianyun's voice trembled as he grabbed Chen Ming's sleeve, his eyes full of pleading.
Chen Ming's father, Chen Tianfeng, had been blessed with a son late in life. He loved Chen Ming dearly but tragically died in an accident while hunting for a soul ring with his wife. Chen Shijie had to take responsibility for the entire family, while Chen Tianyun raised Chen Ming like his own child—from his first words to his martial spirit awakening.
To Chen Tianyun, Chen Ming was as dear as a son, even more important than his own unborn children.
Even if Chen Ming had extraordinary talent and a small chance of success, to Chen Tianyun, the risk of likely death was unacceptable.
(End of Chapter)