The moment his martial soul pulled the purple soul ring toward his brow, Chen Yi felt a gentle energy wrapped in thunderous might surge into his body like a stream—no tearing meridian violence like usual soul ring absorption, but like parched earth meeting sweet rain, seeping silently into every inch along his limbs and bones.
The Thunder Spirit's remaining soul power had long lost its wildness from years of tormented imprisonment; now it was like a traveler finding home, actively wrapping around Chen Yi's meridians, spiraling along his soul power circulation path, finally turning into strands of pale purple thunder silk, quietly merging into his dantian depths, intertwining with his own soul power.
In less than two hours, the purple soul ring encircled by crackling thunder light completely melted into him, becoming a hazy pale purple glow dormant beside his martial soul origin. Chen Yi slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting thunder light flashing in his pupils. When he raised his hand, tiny electric arcs jumped at his fingertips, emitting faint "zzt" sounds upon touching the air, as if disturbing the surrounding airflow.
"What a wonderful feeling. Is this the enhancement from absorbing a soul ring?"
He introspected and clearly sensed the changes: bones more resilient, muscle power surging at least 30% stronger than before absorption, as if every breath mobilized a stronger physique; soul power total unchanged, but circulation speed in meridians much faster, paths that once needed deliberate guidance now flowed like channeled rivers, astonishingly smooth.
What surprised him more was the transformation in perception—within a hundred meters, grass blades trembling, insects crawling, even subtle underground root growth all clearly entered his mind. By his estimation, his current mental power had advanced a good distance in the "formless and intangible" realm, probably even slightly surpassing veteran Soul Ancestors.
"This isn't just from awakening the martial soul and absorbing the soul ring; perhaps due to my reincarnated identity, my soul origin is inherently deeper than ordinary soul masters." Chen Yi pondered silently.
Standing and looking around, he soon spotted the Grand Elder not far away—the old man leaned against an ancient tree, sipping strong liquor and chewing sauced beef, the aromas of wine and meat wafting in the air. "Awake? Come pad your stomach; absorbing a soul ring consumed quite a bit of mental energy." The Grand Elder waved his wine jug casually.
Chen Yi approached, but his gaze was drawn to a small mound behind the Grand Elder—fresh soil with a moist scent, small but clearly a simple grave. Noticing his gaze, the Grand Elder explained casually, "Though that Thunder Spirit was prey, it gave you a soul ring and taught you a lesson. This old man is kind-hearted; couldn't let it be exposed in the wilderness for beasts to gnaw."
Chen Yi nodded calmly, picked up the wine jug beside the Grand Elder, walked to the mound, and tilted it to slowly pour the liquor onto the ground. The liquid seeped into the soil, carrying a faint wine aroma like a silent farewell. He stood for a moment, then turned back—it was he who ended the Thunder Spirit's life; even if the intent was liberation, the fact of killing couldn't be erased. No need for pretense, but respect was due.
Seeing this, a trace of approval flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes as he nodded inwardly: To stand on Douluo Continent, a soul master must first be ruthless—ruthless to enemies, more to oneself; only then can one survive in a cruel world. But more importantly, guard the bottom line and discern right from wrong. Otherwise, one would fall into the demonic path, ending as the world's enemy. Chen Yi's current demeanor perfectly balanced both.
"How's the soul skill? If nothing unexpected, it should be 'Thunder Attraction to the Heart,' right?" The Grand Elder chewed beef, his tone certain—ancient records of Thunder Spirits never erred; their soul skills were always just "Thunder Attraction to the Heart."
"Yes, it's indeed 'Thunder Attraction to the Heart.'" Chen Yi replied, then with a thought, soul power surged through his limbs. Accompanying the flow, his aura sharply rose, a solid purple soul ring slowly rising from his feet, circling his body.
The next second, with Chen Yi at the center, the air within about a five-meter radius suddenly became stagnant and heavy, countless tiny thunder silks shuttling through, emitting dense "zzt" sounds, forming a small thunder domain. He could clearly feel that in this domain, his soul power circulation speed increased nearly 30% out of thin air; what once took three breaths to cycle now took two; perception range expanded, even the wing patterns of a butterfly five meters away on a grass blade were clear; moreover, the explosive power in his limbs subtly strengthened, as if every punch carried thunder force.
This was the wonder of "Thunder Attraction to the Heart"—it didn't directly release thunder attacks but built a thunder-attribute amplification field centered on oneself, drawing surrounding free thunder elements into the body to accelerate soul power, enhance physique and perception, and subtly weaken opponents entering the field through thunder silk entanglement—their invading soul power would be cut and disrupted, slowing circulation by at least 10%, essentially weakening the enemy's combat power at the root, a top-tier thunder-type auxiliary and control soul skill.
The Grand Elder stood and entered the thunder silk-woven field, closing his eyes to sense for a moment, then opened them with praise: "What a 'Thunder Attraction to the Heart'! Worthy of a top thunder soul skill. With just this first soul skill, you could now go toe-to-toe with an ordinary Soul Elder."
Saying this, the Grand Elder stroked his white beard, his gaze on the thunder silks around Chen Yi, adding, "What's rarer is that 'Thunder Attraction to the Heart' is a top domain-type soul skill, amplifying self while weakening foes. Hmm, didn't you awaken an innate domain? If you can combine the two, it might produce unexpected effects."
Chen Yi's eyes flashed with brilliance. He instantly understood: "Thunder Attraction to the Heart" was a "acquired domain" based on the soul ring, focusing on "amplification and weakening"; while "Thunder Prison" was an innate domain born with his martial soul awakening, leaning toward "control."
If he fused the domain of "Thunder Attraction to the Heart" into "Thunder Prison," their thunder-attribute powers would stack; "Thunder Prison's" pressure would strengthen from the thunder elements drawn by "Thunder Attraction to the Heart," and the latter's amplification/weakening would become more precise due to "Thunder Prison's" control. Then, within the ten-meter Thunder Prison, his soul power speed might increase another 30%, while the enemy's weakening could reach 40% or even 50%. This ebb and flow would bring a qualitative leap in combat power.
Seeing the gleam in Chen Yi's eyes, the Grand Elder knew he'd grasped the key, smiling as he patted his shoulder: "Ponder it well; combining these two might become your future trump card."
The Grand Elder also looked up at the sky and yawned: "It's still a while before dark. Should we head to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Chen Yi glanced puzzled at the Grand Elder but still said, "Yes, time waits for no one. With your speed, Fourth Grandpa, we can still make it to the next place before dinner."
The Grand Elder's eye twitched, inwardly cursing the kid for lacking perceptiveness, then stood and walked into the distance.
Chen Yi looked down at the mound, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes again, then turned, stepping firmly forward.
This soul ring, carrying liberation and expectation, was not just a power boost but a heavy entrustment, pushing him another step toward the goal of a "normal society."