The Girl in the Pool

Lin Yongming, who was familiar with the world of Douluo Continent, knew that after reaching a bottleneck in his cultivation—such as his current level of 20th-rank soul power—he could still continue to cultivate, even without absorbing a soul ring to break through. However, the progress would be much slower than before.

But now, the problem was that after reaching the 20th rank, Lin Yongming had continued cultivating for three months, and his soul power had become so refined that he could no longer absorb even a trace of additional soul energy.

It was like a bottle filled to the brim with ice. Once the ice melted into water, you could still add a bit more water. But now, the bottle was completely full, and Lin Yongming's body felt like it was about to burst.

Originally, Lin Yongming had planned to venture out last month to find a soul ring, but he knew his parents would never agree. So, he kept delaying, and now he could delay no longer.

At the same time, the range of his "Mind's Eye" perception had expanded to over fifty meters.

That evening, at the dinner table, Lin Yongming sat across from his parents. After much hesitation, he finally spoke up.

"Dad, Mom."

"Ming'er, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?" Ying Lan asked with concern.

"No, Mom. It's just that my soul power has reached the 20th rank, and I need a soul ring to continue cultivating," Lin Yongming said, taking a bite of food.

"Already at the 20th rank? That fast?" Lin Chong frowned, unsure of where to find a suitable soul beast.

Lin Chong had read many books about soul beasts with Lin Yongming and knew that soul beasts were mainly found in three places: the Star Dou Great Forest, the Sunset Forest, and the Spirit Hunting Forest. Among these, the Star Dou Great Forest was the largest and most dangerous, while the Spirit Hunting Forest was the safest but had the fewest and weakest soul beasts.

However, the Thunder Rain Village was located closer to the Star Dou Great Forest than to the Sunset Forest or the Spirit Hunting Forest.

"Ming'er, I'll go with you," Lin Chong said firmly.

"Dad, there's no need. My plan is to go to Wurto Town first and ask the Spirit Hall to guide me. The deacon who awakened my spirit should still be there," Lin Yongming explained.

"Dear, you're not a Soul Master. Don't get involved. Ming'er said he'll have the Spirit Hall's Soul Masters guide him. If you go, you'll only hold him back," Ying Lan said bluntly to Lin Chong.

"Besides, over the past year, even though Ming'er can't see, he's been able to move around the village and outside without any problems. He knows how to avoid obstacles like rocks on the road," Ying Lan added, showing her confidence in Lin Yongming.

"As a father, it's shameful that I can't help my own child. Alright, Ming'er, go ahead. Just come back soon," Lin Chong said reluctantly.

The next day, after lunch, Ying Lan packed Lin Yongming's luggage and saw him off at the village entrance.

"Dear, Ming'er is a Soul Master. Sooner or later, he'll have to go out into the world, and we're only getting older," Ying Lan said with a sigh.

"I know, but Ming'er is only seven years old. Isn't he too young to go out alone? What if he gets tricked or meets bad people?" Lin Chong was equally worried.

"There's no other choice. We can't let Ming'er stay by our side and miss the chance to get a soul ring. If he waits too long, it'll be harder for him to improve his soul power in the future," Ying Lan said, though she was also reluctant to let Lin Yongming go alone.

The couple could only watch as Lin Yongming's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

The Thunder Rain Village was surrounded by mountains on three sides—two large mountains and one small hill—making it a picturesque and serene place.

The village entrance faced east, while Wurto Town was to the southeast. The Star Dou Great Forest was also in the southeast, so Wurto Town served as a temporary stop on the way to the forest.

Lin Yongming had heard from his father that the distance from Thunder Rain Village to Wurto Town was about twenty li, or ten kilometers.

At Lin Yongming's pace, it would take three to four hours to reach Wurto Town, arriving just before sunset.

There was only one road from Thunder Rain Village to Wurto Town, so Lin Yongming didn't have to worry about getting lost.

Since he had left at noon and the weather was clear and sunny, Lin Yongming decided to take a break after walking halfway.

When he heard the sound of flowing water from a mountain stream, he headed toward the creek to drink some water, wash his face, and refill his water bottle.

Despite being in the wild, apart from the sound of water flowing into a small pool, there was no other noise, as the birds were quiet in the heat.

"There aren't many animals around."

Using his "Mind's Eye," Lin Yongming didn't sense any wild beasts nearby. He placed his bag on a rock and walked a few steps to the edge of the pool.

He washed his hands and face, then cupped some water to drink.

"Ah, this water is so refreshing," Lin Yongming said contentedly after drinking a few mouthfuls.

However, the next moment, his expression froze as he sensed movement in the pool above him.

"Ah! You pervert! How dare you peek!" A woman—no, a girl—emerged from the pool and immediately shouted when she saw Lin Yongming nearby.

"Die! Entangle!" The girl launched an attack using what seemed like vines.

Lin Yongming felt the grass around his feet grow wildly. Without hesitation, he summoned his Thunder Blade spirit and swiftly cut through the vines trying to entangle him, then jumped back two steps.

In that brief moment, Lin Yongming sensed the girl leaping out of the pool and heard the rustling of clothes as she quickly dressed in a blue dress.

"Wait, it's a misunderstanding!" Lin Yongming quickly called out.

"Misunderstanding? I'll decide that after I capture you. Take this!" The girl's clear voice was filled with anger.

Lin Yongming tilted his head slightly, sensing four vines coming at him from both sides.

He swung his blade rapidly, each strike releasing a blue light blade that shattered the vines.

This was a skill Lin Yongming had developed over the past year from the "Wave Secret Manual"—Wave Blade, also known as blade energy.

"I said it's a misunderstanding. If you keep this up, I'll have to fight back. I'm just a blind passerby," Lin Yongming said, holding his blade and facing the girl.

He could sense the girl's general outline. She was a head taller than him, indicating she was a few years older.

"You're pretty fast for someone pretending to be blind with a black cloth over your eyes. Do you think I'd believe that? If you like pretending to be blind, I'll make you truly blind!"

The girl didn't believe Lin Yongming's words, thinking he was using the black cloth as a cover to hide his guilt.

"Third Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Bind!" Dozens of vines instantly appeared.

"Three rings! She's a Soul Elder!" Lin Yongming was shocked to sense three spirit rings on the girl. He hadn't expected a girl in her early teens to be a Soul Elder with 39th-level soul power.

What surprised him even more was that her spirit was Blue Silver Grass.

But now wasn't the time to be surprised. Lin Yongming also released his only spirit ring.

"Thunder Slash!" Several lightning-infused slashes destroyed the vines.

However, the vines Lin Yongming had cut quickly regrew, and their numbers multiplied as the broken pieces sprouted anew.

"This is cheating…" Lin Yongming muttered helplessly as he stood surrounded by the vines.