Chapter 63: Absorbing the Soul Ring, One Soul and Two Bodies?
Qi Tian crouched quietly not far from the ancient tree, patiently waiting for the soul beast—the ghost claw lynx—to fall asleep.
His soul perception was exceptionally sharp, allowing him to sense every faint movement within the hollow trunk. Once the lynx drifted into slumber, he would make his move.
As dawn approached, the forest grew damp with morning dew. Every leaf and blade of grass glistened, making the air heavy with moisture. Creatures of the lynx family despised such clammy conditions.
Soon enough, after grooming its fur and cleaning away the bloodstains left from its hunt, the ghost claw lynx finally crawled deep into the tree hollow.
"Time to strike."
Qi Tian waited a moment longer before taking out a sealed bucket of filthy water and a sharp dagger.
"Ugh, that stinks."
Even though the bucket had been tightly sealed, the foul odor still leaked out.
Hearing his disgusted tone, Zhu Zhuqing felt slightly embarrassed.
She hadn't wanted to rely on such underhanded tricks, but ever since her family had arranged her engagement to Dai Mubai, her situation had worsened. The Zhu Clan had thrown her into the so-called "Gu Raising" contest between heirs, leaving her to fend for herself without support.
With only a single offensive soul skill, hunting a soul beast on her own was already difficult enough. To ensure success, she'd prepared a bucket of this putrid water to exploit the lynx's weakness.
Who would have thought that, just as she was about to hunt, Qi Tian would suddenly possess her body?
It was mortifying beyond words—if she still had control of her body, she'd never have been able to maintain that cold and aloof demeanor she was known for.
"I just hope what he said is true…" Zhu Zhuqing murmured inwardly.
As long as Qi Tian left her body tomorrow, no one would ever know what happened tonight.
'Damn that coward,' she thought bitterly. 'If it weren't for him, would I really have to hunt soul beasts all by myself?'
Dai Mubai's desertion had caused several factions to abandon their support for the Dai–Zhu pairing, and no one dared to offend the future heir, Dai Weisi. Even the academy instructors found excuses to avoid helping her.
Qi Tian silently approached the soul beast, careful not to release any fluctuation of soul power. The faintest ripple could alert the lynx.
Relying on his precise muscle control, he moved like a shadow between the trees—swift and noiseless.
Then, with a powerful throw, he hurled the bucket straight at the tree hollow.
Bang!
The bucket shattered, and an overwhelming stench burst forth. A sharp, eerie catlike scream echoed through the forest.
"Guess that was a critical hit."
Holding his breath to avoid the stench, Qi Tian activated Martial Soul Possession.
Instantly, his body became light and flexible, his movements smooth and instinctive like that of a real feline. The cat ears and tail granted him heightened senses and lightning-fast reflexes.
"Not bad at all," Qi Tian praised inwardly. "A truly excellent martial soul."
Just then, the soul beast burst from the hollow—a sleek, jet-black lynx with claws faintly gleaming with a ghostly light.
It let out a low hiss but didn't immediately attack. Instead, it darted toward a cleaner patch of ground, desperately trying to shake off the filth.
Qi Tian's eyes flashed.
Leaving your back exposed before a speed-type battle soul master? That's a fatal mistake.
The first soul ring beneath his feet lit up—[Hell Stab]!
With a surge of agility, he thrust the short blade forward, gathering soul power along its edge.
Pssh!
The dagger pierced the lynx's flank.
The beast shrieked in agony—a mix of pain and disgust as its pristine fur became matted with blood.
Qi Tian didn't relax for a second. After that single strike, his senses sharpened even further, ready for the lynx's desperate counterattack.
As expected, the soul beast retaliated fiercely. It spun around, unleashing a flurry of claws—more than a dozen spectral slashes, each carrying true killing power.
Qi Tian raised his dagger, channeling soul power to parry the assault.
Fortunately, the lynx was already injured. Despite the fierce barrage, Qi Tian managed to block every strike, though the sharp penetrative force left a few shallow wounds across his arms.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. The moment the soul beast paused to recover, Qi Tian struck back with his second [Hell Stab]. His figure blurred into a dark shadow, and the dagger flashed forward like a bolt of lightning— piercing straight through the lynx's throat.
With a final strangled cry, the soul beast collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Phew…"
Both Qi Tian and Zhu Zhuqing exhaled in relief. The hunt was finally over.
Just as Qi Tian relaxed, a sudden fluctuation brushed against his soul perception—a faint trace of soul power, stealthy and familiar.
The aura was very similar to Zhu Zhuqing's—concealed, restrained, and at roughly the thirty-plus rank.
Qi Tian frowned slightly.
'Someone's following us? Could it be Zhu Zhuyun… or another member of the Zhu family?'
A dim yellow soul ring rose slowly from the soul beast's corpse, shimmering in the pale dawn light.
Forget it, he thought. If they intended to attack, they would've done it long ago. They're probably here to protect Zhu Zhuqing from the shadows.
Pushing the thought aside, Qi Tian steadied his mind and began absorbing the soul ring.
The first few soul rings of major clans like the Zhu family had been tested and perfected countless times over generations—they already knew the most suitable combinations for their martial souls.
Unlike Yu Xiaogang's mutated martial soul, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat was pure and stable. Following the clan's cultivation plan was the safest route.
The only variable that mattered was the age of the soul ring—how far they could push it before reaching her physical limit.
But no matter how much they tried, Zhu Zhuqing's body couldn't yet handle the thousand-year threshold. The transformation that came with such rings was still far beyond her.
Qi Tian didn't overthink it. For now, helping her absorb this five-hundred-year soul ring and breaking through to Soul Grandmaster rank would already be a solid step forward.
Later on, he mused, perhaps she can absorb a soul ring from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger… If she survives that, her martial soul might even evolve.
Martial soul evolution wasn't just a dream—it was a proven possibility.
Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor and Ma Hongjun's Ten-Headed Phoenix were perfect examples, both born from the absorption of powerful, high-quality soul rings.
The energy of the ring surged into Qi Tian's body, and with his experience, he guided it smoothly, refining and merging it into Zhu Zhuqing's body.
As for the pain of having the body torn and reforged by the flood of energy, he was long accustomed to it.
Half an hour later, a gentle fluctuation of soul power rippled through Zhu Zhuqing's body.
She had successfully advanced to Rank 21, stepping into the realm of a Soul Grandmaster.
Seven ranks of innate soul power—reaching rank 20 in just four years.
That was an average of three ranks per year, matching Tang San's growth rate.
"Phew…" Qi Tian stood up, wounds healed, and the dried blood flaking away.
Through his powerful soul perception, he noticed a hidden presence in the distance, retreating quietly.
So, they really were just here to protect her.
The eastern sky brightened; dawn was upon them.
But just then, Qi Tian's vision blurred—and another scene appeared before his eyes.
He was lying on a wooden bed, sunlight streaming into his simple cabin.
"What's going on? One soul… two bodies?"
Qi Tian's expression changed as he realized—he was simultaneously controlling two bodies: his own, and Zhu Zhuqing's.
"System? You there?" he called out mentally, but the damn thing remained silent.
Though his soul was far stronger than that of most soul masters at his level, even he found it difficult to control two bodies at once.
Still, it wasn't without benefit—he could clearly feel that this experience was tempering his soul, strengthening it through the dual strain of control.
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End of Chapter