Chapter 16: Acquiring the Soul Ring (Part Two)

The Inferno Jade is a plant-type soul beast, true to its name—a jade-colored herb wreathed in flames. Its entire body is emerald green, with supple stems and leaves that shimmer in translucent shades of green. The leaf surfaces are dotted with tiny pores formed by outward radiating fissures, resembling small gemstones embedded throughout—its most distinctive feature.

Atop its stem blooms a bud emitting orange-yellow flames. Surrounding this fiery bud are clusters of small purple and white flowers, each displaying a gradient of pale pink, light yellow, and soft red from the center outward.

The origins of the Inferno Jade remain a mystery. It is known, however, to be a living creature capable of self-movement, possessing strong defensive and control abilities. When it senses danger nearby, it can autonomously enlarge its size and release an intoxicating scent from its flowers, mesmerizing any would-be attackers before swallowing them whole.

Because of its certain level of autonomy, it was not initially classified as a spiritual or immortal herb. Only after someone managed to kill an unopened Inferno Jade and acquire its soul ring was it definitively categorized as a soul beast.

Both Guang Ling and Tang Niannian knew about the Inferno Jade from books, but Tang Niannian, aided by her system, had a deeper understanding of it. In some ways, this soul beast seemed tailor-made for her, as her martial soul was suited for versatility rather than a single aggressive style.

The soul skill derived from the Inferno Jade is notably versatile. For example, the mist it produces, recorded in the texts, is fundamentally a control skill, but it can also be adapted into mist attacks or mist shields, depending on the soul master’s ingenuity.

Of course, Guang Ling was unaware of these subtleties, as the books contained scant information about the Inferno Jade, and he had never encountered one himself.

“Even so, Master, can we keep it as an option? If we can’t find anything suitable, settling for it wouldn’t be so bad!” Tang Niannian knew Guang Ling would likely reject the idea, but the system had certified it as excellent. She brought it up first, leaving the rest to her own skill to secure.

Guang Ling nodded after hearing her out. “Alright. It can be our fallback choice.”

Thus, the master and apprentice paced the outer circle again and again, yet failed to find any soul beast worth considering. The same was true for Xiong Shi and Qing Luan.

As the day grew late and their search proved fruitless, the four had no choice but to return to the Martial Soul Hall and postpone the hunt until tomorrow.

This routine lasted for a whole month, wearing Tang Niannian out. Every day she woke and went searching for soul beasts, and every night she dreamed of the same. Exhausted, she finally sought help from her system.

“This will deduct from your startup funds, host,” the system said softly.

Tang Niannian was unfazed. “How much?”

“One hundred thousand gold soul coins.”

“???” Tang Niannian’s eyes widened.

“Is that too much?!” she exclaimed.

“One hundred thousand gold soul coins,” the system patiently repeated.

“...”

Ten thousand! Tang Niannian winced. Although spending a hundred thousand could bring back a hundred thousand, this was not a flow of funds—it was a deduction from her startup capital!

“Currently, there is only one Inferno Jade on Douluo Continent, exactly one thousand five hundred years old, making it ideal for obtaining your first and second soul rings.”

“...”

Only one specimen.

Imagining a bright future, Niannian gritted her teeth and agreed.

“Okay, deducting one hundred thousand from startup funds. Remaining startup capital is now one million nine hundred thousand.”

“Currently detecting the location of the Inferno Jade.”

“Detection successful. It is in the Soul Beast Forest. The exact coordinates have been sent to your mind. Please act promptly to slay it, or its position will shift again.”

“...”

Shifting again, huh? So every move costs her another hundred thousand startup funds?

Tang Niannian sprang from bed without hesitation. She refused to waste any more money.

From waking, washing, to breakfast, she took less than twenty minutes.

Guang Ling had never seen Niannian move so swiftly before. She was ready to leave, though Qing Luan and Xiong Shi were still absent.

Unwilling to wait, Niannian grabbed Guang Ling’s hand and pulled him outside. “Master, hurry! Let’s head to the Soul Beast Forest!”

“Wait? Third and fourth brothers haven’t arrived yet. Weren’t we supposed to take another lap in the Star Dou Great Forest first? Why rush to the Soul Beast Forest now?” Guang Ling was puzzled as Niannian tugged him along.

Niannian urged anxiously, “Ah, Master, it’s complicated. Just trust me—we need to go now!”

“...”

Under her relentless urging, Guang Ling could only follow, bewildered.

Along the way, he asked why she was in such a hurry.

“Because I found the Inferno Jade’s location,” Niannian replied.

Guang Ling frowned. So his young apprentice had sneaked out at midnight to hunt a soul beast?

He glanced at her, still holding her hand, seeing nothing unusual. Then, as if recalling something, he asked, “How did you find it?”

Niannian fibbed, “I paid someone to find it.”

“Money? Where did you get money?”

“Grandpa the Chief Patron gave it to me.”

“...”

[“Lying without blushing or hesitation, and not afraid others will verify.”]

“Scared? It’s only a few gold soul coins; who’d bother verifying? Ridiculous!”

[“...”]

Guang Ling fell silent, carrying Niannian as they flew swiftly to the Soul Beast Forest.

Following the system’s coordinates in her mind, Niannian wasted no time heading straight to the Inferno Jade.

Guang Ling found it odd that Niannian knew the route so well.

Upon seeing the Inferno Jade, his surprise deepened.

She had really found it?

Guang Ling was tasked with restraining the beast with soul force. The Inferno Jade had no escape. Tang Niannian approached with a dagger, hesitating not at all before delivering a strike that caused a purple soul ring to materialize.

Just as Niannian was about to sit cross-legged and absorb the ring, Guang Ling stopped her.

“Are you sure you want to absorb this soul ring?”

“Of course,” she nodded. “Master, we’ve wasted too much time. If I don’t absorb this soul ring now, my soul power level won’t increase. That’s a waste of life!”

“...”

So earnest.

“Fine, I’ll guard you. Absorb it.”

Guang Ling sighed. Though he was not pleased with this soul beast, it seemed their only choice. Their best option was a mystery—they hadn’t found a single suitable soul beast. Truly baffling.