Chapter 439: Rebirth and Transformation, Part 1
At this stage, the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone couldn't simply be consumed like in the Douluo Continent of millennia past. Now a ten thousand year old herb spirit, even a tenth of its essence would be enough to transform an ordinary soul master completely.
How did Ye Wen know this? It was simple he'd long treated the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as a kind of personal resource mine, extracting its precious plants regularly in the early days of his world.
With the essence of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone now infusing them, both girls trembled as their bodies responded, soft groans escaping as the transformation began. Given that the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone was known for its gentler effects, Ye Wen wasn't concerned and simply stood watch nearby. As for the drained and weakened herb spirit itself, he stored it safely away, half limp from the process.
After several hours, Jiang Nannan was the first to awaken, sitting up and looking around in awe. Her expression grew serious as she rose and bowed deeply to Ye Wen.
"Thank you, Master, for this treasure."
Ye Wen nodded approvingly. "No rush. I still have another gift for you. Since you're at level forty now, it's time for you to acquire your fourth soul ring."
Jiang Nannan froze in surprise. A soul ring? But where would one come from? They weren't near any soul beast forests…
In response, Ye Wen merely extended a finger, where a small, crystalline orb formed, shining with a radiant, glassy glow. With a gentle flick, he sent the orb floating towards Jiang Nannan.
"Activate your martial soul and channel your soul power into it," he instructed calmly. "This soul ring will grant you the most compatible ability with the highest possible years of cultivation. But remember to endure; the longer you withstand it, the stronger the ring will become."
A wave of understanding washed over Jiang Nannan's face, and her mind filled with awe as she realized what he was offering this was a god bestowed soul ring, an unimaginable treasure that soul masters of legend only spoke about in whispers.
The intense desire for this ring swelled within her, but after a pause, Jiang Nannan took a steadying breath, closed her eyes, and shook her head, resisting her initial impulse.
"Master, this god bestowed soul ring is too precious," she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "I haven't achieved anything to earn such a gift. I cannot accept this."
Ye Wen's respect for her restraint deepened. Most soul masters would have instantly grabbed the ring without hesitation.
Ye Wen stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her head, his touch comforting rather than imposing. Jiang Nannan, who typically shunned any contact with men, found herself unexpectedly at ease. There was no discomfort or revulsion, only an overwhelming sense of calm.
"Since you're my disciple, there's no need for such reservations," Ye Wen said softly. "Just like family, a father does not question how much his children have earned; he gives because they're his. Nannan, you and I are not only master and disciple but family, so accept this soul ring with ease."
A quiet tear glistened in Jiang Nannan's eye. Coming from a poor, single parent family, she'd always dreamed of having a father's support, one who could protect her and her mother. The warmth and security she felt now mirrored that dream. She nodded, her eyes glistening, and sat down once more, composed.
Activating her martial soul, Jiang Nannan summoned her Soft Bone Rabbit. Although Ye Wen had seen countless beauties over the years, Jiang Nannan's rabbit ears brought to mind nostalgic memories of his former disciple, Hu Rou, who also had a pair of soft, fluffy ears he used to ruffle fondly.
The artificial soul ring began to shine, initially transparent, then slowly brightening from white to yellow before settling into a deep violet. Meanwhile, Huo Yu´er awoke, stretching languidly, her bones cracking as she marveled at her newly enhanced body.
"Well, not bad," Ye Wen said, pleased. "A seven level increase, though it's still not quite enough. At Shrek, they'll look at not only combat strength but also soul power levels."
Huo Yu´er froze, her excitement deflating. She'd hoped for more praise, but Ye Wen simply reached into his storage space and pulled out the ten thousand year old Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, extracting a dose of its potent essence and handing it to her.
Pouting in silence, she accepted it without argument, knowing this was a rare chance and that her master's words were well meant. As Huo Yu´er sank into the chrysanthemum's power, Jiang Nannan's soul ring solidified into a dark violet ring, the ideal choice for her fourth soul ring.
Sweat beaded on Jiang Nannan's forehead as the intensity of the soul ring's power pushed her close to her limit.
"She's about to reach her threshold," Ye Wen noted.
Curious about the outcome, he channeled a touch of divine power to observe the new soul skill forming in Jiang Nannan's soul ring, only to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Invincible Golden Body? How unusual…" In his original timeline, Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit possessed this same skill, but Xiao Wu had been a ten thousand year spirit beast. Jiang Nannan was, by contrast, only a regular Soft Bone Rabbit, making the appearance of this skill all the more peculiar.
If this were his original timeline, Ye Wen might've felt Invincible Golden Body was a suitable skill, allowing for close combat defense. But in the age of high tech soul devices, where protective shields were now commonplace, this soul skill felt redundant.
Ye Wen's lips curled into a sly smile, his mind forming a new idea.
Having created this artificial soul ring, Ye Wen naturally retained full access to its functions. The skill derived from the Soft Bone Rabbit's bloodline was versatile enough to draw different techniques from its latent abilities.
With a simple motion, he summoned Jiang Nannan's martial soul skill tree, a spectral map appearing before him. A grayish tree diagram appeared, two branches already illuminated, with a new branch glowing brightly as it formed.
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