Chapter 92 – The True Nature of Soul Rings!

"Don't be discouraged, my good disciple." Electrolux noticed Zhu Ziyang's disappointment and smiled. "With your talent, I believe it won't take you many years to reach that level. By then, even if I don't tell you, you'll come to understand it yourself."

"I understand, teacher," Zhu Ziyang nodded respectfully.

"I achieved the rank of Sixth-Tier Grand Magister at the age of fifteen," Electrolux said proudly. "But your talent far exceeds mine. And with the joint guidance from both me and Elder Mu, I'm confident you'll surpass me one day."

"Sixth-Tier Grand Magister?" Zhu Ziyang looked confused.

"Ah! I slipped," Electrolux chuckled. "According to the cultivation system of Douluo Continent, that would be equivalent to a six-ring Soul Emperor."

"Ohhh!" Zhu Ziyang nodded quickly. "Becoming a Soul Emperor at fifteen... that's no small feat!"

"Don't underestimate yourself." Electrolux spoke earnestly. "Though the cultivation systems differ, all paths of power ultimately aim for the same thing—evolution of life itself. Over the past few months, I've come to understand the core of the martial soul system. Let me share my thoughts."

"Please, teacher." Zhu Ziyang was eager. To receive insights from someone stronger than even an Ultimate Douluo was a rare privilege.

"As someone from another world, I won't speak much about martial souls. Soul power, however, is much like the spiritual energy in my world—both are forces that promote life's evolution. What I want to focus on... is the soul ring."

He paused and glanced at Zhu Ziyang, who stared at him intently.

"I have two views on soul rings. First, they are a manifestation of the world's natural order. The existence of soul masters and soul beasts is fundamental to Douluo Continent. This rule is neither good nor bad—it simply is. Soul masters absorb soul rings; soul beasts produce them. Advancement depends on this. So compared to cultivators from my world, your system is actually more straightforward.

Second, soul rings are a shackle. Each ring is tied to a single soul skill. This limits the combat abilities of soul masters based on the number of rings they possess. In contrast, mages and warriors in my world, though constrained by realm, have far more freedom in choosing their techniques."

"Actually, teacher," Zhu Ziyang interjected, "not all soul rings give just one skill. Ten-thousand-year soul rings can grant two."

"Oh?" Electrolux raised his eyebrows. "Ten-thousand-year soul beasts? What sort of beings are those? Do they cultivate differently from soul masters?"

"Kind of," Zhu Ziyang replied. "Soul beasts are categorized by their age. The lowest level is the ten-year beast, which matches a Soul Scholar or Soul Master. Then come the hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year, and hundred-thousand-year beasts. The strongest—hundred-thousand-year beasts—rival Title Douluos in strength. Their soul ring colors also vary by age: white, yellow, purple, black, and red."

"I see now," Electrolux mused. "No wonder your martial soul has one yellow and two purple rings. That yellow one felt noticeably less condensed—makes sense now. I must admit, I had some misconceptions about soul rings."

"It's alright, teacher. You'll get used to it in time," Zhu Ziyang smiled.

"So, ten-thousand-year rings grant two skills, and hundred-thousand-year beasts match Title Douluos... interesting." Electrolux seemed to reach a conclusion. "It seems that as a soul master's strength increases, the shackles of the soul ring system begin to loosen. No wonder your world allows for the possibility of becoming gods in the flesh!"

His expression turned curious. Then he continued:

"Beyond providing soul skills, soul rings also serve as a medium—a guaranteed way to break through cultivation bottlenecks. When a soul master reaches the limit of their current level, absorbing a soul ring allows them to ascend."

Zhu Ziyang nodded firmly.

"As I said earlier, I have two views on this," Electrolux said. "Now I'll tell you something I doubt you've ever heard. Listen carefully.

From what I've observed, a soul ring isn't simply a condensation of soul power. Its structure includes another energy…

Life Force.

A soul ring is the condensation of a soul beast's soul power and life force. When a soul master absorbs a ring, what they're really absorbing is the soul power. The life force, on the other hand, manifests externally as the age of the ring—hence the colors you see. The soul skill itself originates from the soul beast's spirit. After death, a soul beast's spirit disperses into the world, but a fragment fuses into the life force to form a ring, which then bonds to the martial soul."

"This…" Zhu Ziyang was struck with sudden clarity. His understanding of soul rings deepened dramatically.

"In the soul beast cultivation system, the higher the age, the stronger the life force and the more resilient the soul. Thus, older beasts produce stronger rings, which grant better soul skills.

But here's the key point, Ziyang:

You soul masters don't fully absorb your soul rings."

"Huh?" Zhu Ziyang's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Let me ask you—when you absorb a soul ring, doesn't your physical body also strengthen?" Electrolux asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes! That's right." Zhu Ziyang nodded emphatically.

"Exactly! That physical strengthening comes from two sources: the refinement of soul power and the return of life force from the ring!" Electrolux's words opened a new world to him. "From what I've seen, most soul masters only absorb the first layer—the soul power. Very few touch the second layer: life force. That's why your bond with your rings is always external. You haven't truly fused with them.

Because of that, you always have to 'release' your rings to use your skills. The rings are like clothes, and the skills are just features of the outfit. Only by completely refining the ring and fusing it into your being—like a limb—can you turn soul skills into instinct!"

"Teacher, do you know how to completely absorb a soul ring?" Zhu Ziyang asked directly. He didn't doubt Electrolux's words, especially after the teacher had once helped increase the age of his first ring.

"Of course." Electrolux was brimming with confidence. "Don't forget my title!"

"I haven't—Necromancer Saint Magus!" Zhu Ziyang responded immediately.

"Exactly," Electrolux beamed. "We command the power of death—what better tool to refine life force?"

Zhu Ziyang's eyes lit up. Of course! Death, at its core, is the stripping away of life!

"Hahaha! That's right, my child. No need to rush just yet." Electrolux grinned. "You're not strong enough to refine three soul rings by yourself. For now, focus on mastering your control over the power of death. Once you obtain your fourth ring, I'll help you refine the life force within it. Eventually, with mastery, you'll even be able to increase the age of your rings. After all, the ring's age is merely a representation of its life force."

"Yes, Teacher! I understand now!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes sparkled with excitement. He could hardly imagine how powerful he'd become once he fully refined his soul rings.

"Excellent," Electrolux said, pleased. "Then from now on, I'll begin teaching you Light Magic and Necromancy. Once you're proficient in the latter, your command of death energy will be complete. At that point, I'll teach you how to fuse the two."

"Yes, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang replied, full of joy.