"Grandpa Chen Gang, I've made my decision. I want this Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix as my fourth soul ring," Ye Wen declared firmly.
"But..." Chen Gang hesitated, his voice laced with worry.
Ye Wen knew what Chen Gang wanted to say—essentially, if a mental-attribute-focused Soul Sage had already struggled against this Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix, then it would seem reckless for a summoning-type soul master like him to attempt it. However, Chen Gang was mindful of Ye Wen's pride and refrained from saying it outright.
Instead, Ye Wen chuckled confidently. "Don't worry, Grandpa Chen Gang. I'm not someone who acts recklessly. I've already figured out a clever way to absorb this phoenix's soul ring."
Chen Gang immediately became intrigued. Although Ye Wen's theories were well-known, absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring as the fourth ring was still an extremely rare feat in the world of soul masters.
Moreover, the Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix Ye Wen had chosen was an extraordinary case even among extraordinary cases. Not only did it possess heightened mental power, but its mental attributes had also undergone a mutation. Under such circumstances, Ye Wen's confidence piqued Chen Gang's curiosity even further.
At this moment, Ye Wen continued:
"Grandpa Chen Gang, the reason ordinary soul masters can't absorb ten-thousand-year soul rings at their fourth ring is that their mental strength isn't sufficient to withstand the soul oscillations caused by the residual soul within the soul ring. Based on this principle, as long as one has enough mental strength and a body capable of bearing the energy of a ten-thousand-year soul ring, the conditions for absorbing it can be met.
After years of accumulation, the soul master community has already established that the energy contained within soul rings is directly tied to the spirit beast itself. Unless there's a massive disparity in bloodline levels, which could lead to absorption failure due to the suppression of bloodline energy, exceptions are almost nonexistent.
Although my Nana martial soul may not look impressive at first glance, I'm confident that its quality ranks among the highest tier of all martial souls. And as you've already tested, my physical body is more than capable of handling the energy of this ten-thousand-year Fire Phoenix's soul ring.
The only remaining issue is my mental strength!"
As he spoke, Ye Wen clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing with seriousness.
"My current mental level, from your perspective, Grandpa Chen Gang, is probably around fifteen thousand years. Yet this beast managed to injure a mental-attribute Soul Sage with at least a forty-to-fifty-thousand-year soul ring. By all rights, I shouldn't be able to absorb it.
But just now, I thought it through carefully.
What is the essence of the soul oscillation caused by ten-thousand-year soul rings?
Many books I've read haven't provided a clear answer to this question, but the truth has been subtly written all along.
The essence of soul oscillation lies in the residual mental power of the spirit beast's soul!
Though this mental power isn't nearly as strong as it was during the spirit beast's prime, its essence remains—it's the spirit beast's final, desperate counterattack."
Chen Gang nodded thoughtfully. Soul oscillation was, after all, nothing more than a suicidal assault by the residual soul.
At this point, Ye Wen continued:
"So here's what I'm thinking.
If the essence of soul oscillation lies in mental power, then before killing this Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix, we should exhaust every possible method to wear down its soul and mental strength. If we do that, wouldn't the residual soul left in its soul ring after death also be weakened?
What do you think, Grandpa Chen Gang?"
Here, Ye Wen smiled confidently. This theory was logically consistent, and though hastily conceived, Ye Wen believed it was flawless.
With Ye Wen, a specialist in theorycrafting, being so confident, Chen Gang—a straightforward man—was thoroughly impressed. Reflecting on his own cultivation journey, he couldn't help but admire Ye Wen even more. This theory cut straight to the core of soul ring absorption principles.
"You make a good point, Xiao Wen. Since that's the case, let's get started right away so you can absorb your fourth soul ring as soon as possible," Chen Gang said with a smile.
And so, the Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix endured a series of torturous ordeals akin to falconry training, with Ye Wen personally overseeing the process.
After all, a spirit beast as rare as the Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix couldn't be carelessly mishandled by subordinates—if something went wrong, it would be nearly impossible to find another soul ring of similar quality.
Considering that the residual soul within a soul ring naturally launches a desperate counterattack during absorption, Ye Wen avoided overly stimulating the phoenix to prevent it from becoming even more frenzied. He didn't resort to extreme measures like waterboarding right away.
However, wearing down its mental strength couldn't be done while letting the phoenix rest comfortably. They starved it, deprived it of sleep, and periodically sent in mental-attribute soul masters to deliver targeted psychic shocks.
Some might ask: Why not have Chen Gang or Dugu Bo, both Title Douluo, handle it directly?
After all, no matter how strong the Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix might be, its mental strength was no match for a Title Douluo's.
Ye Wen had his reasons. In this era, where mental cultivation was still underdeveloped, these two powerhouses, though formidable, might accidentally cause brain death in the phoenix. If that happened, whose soul ring would it count as—theirs or Ye Wen's?
To play it safe, Ye Wen arranged for his subordinates to slowly and methodically wear the phoenix down.
That said, it had to be acknowledged that the Fire Phoenix was truly one of the top-tier spirit beasts. Ye Wen subjected it to nearly ten days of relentless torment before it finally reached the brink of collapse.
By this point, the Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix was barely clinging to life, its breaths shallow and labored, on the verge of death. Ye Wen didn't dare delay any longer, fearing it might die on the spot.
With a swift motion, he struck the fatal blow. The majestic Twin-Headed Fire Phoenix quietly perished in the dark, oppressive dungeon.
As the soul ring rose slowly, radiating the aura of extreme fire, Ye Wen's eyes burned with anticipation. But ever the cautious one, Ye Wen didn't rush to absorb it. Instead, he turned to bow respectfully to Dugu Bo and Chen Gang, who stood guard behind him.
"Thank you, Teacher and Grandpa, for your assistance."
Dugu Bo nodded slowly and softly reassured him, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Xiao Wen. If the absorption fails, it's fine. If I sense anything amiss, I'll interrupt your soul ring absorption immediately."
Indeed, soul ring absorption could be interrupted. For instance, when Tang San absorbed the Man-Faced Spider soul ring, Zhao Wuji noticed the discrepancy in its year count and attempted to forcibly stop him, though he was ultimately prevented by Ning Rongrong.
However, such interruptions weren't without cost. Soul ring absorption involved the soul master's entire meridian system. Forcibly interrupting it could result in severe injuries, internal bleeding, or even damage to the soul master's potential.
But in the face of life and death, this was still considered a reasonable trade-off.
Yet ten-thousand-year soul rings were different. The soul oscillation they caused occurred within the soul master's consciousness. In preparation for this absorption, Ye Wen had practiced establishing a telepathic link with Dugu Bo, ensuring that if Ye Wen couldn't subdue the phoenix's residual soul, Dugu Bo could forcefully intervene with his mental strength.
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