Beads of sweat trickled down Su Yu's forehead, sliding along his cheeks.
His lips were pressed tightly together, clearly enduring the pressure from the Soul Ring's energy impact.
Despite this, the fusion between his Soul Power and the purple Soul Ring remained stable, showing no signs of disturbance.
Hu Liena watched his tense profile, her heart tightening with worry. She quickly grabbed Bi Bidong's hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, and whispered anxiously:
"Teacher, will Brother Su Yu... be alright?"
Bi Bidong gently patted the back of her hand to reassure her, her gaze fixed on Su Yu:
"He'll be fine. Xiao Yu's Soul Power fluctuations are steady, and the glow of his Martial Soul hasn't dissipated."
"This means he's steadily digesting the Soul Ring's energy. It shouldn't be long before he fully absorbs this Soul Ring."
Her voice was soft but carried a calming effect, allowing Hu Liena to relax slightly.
Still, Hu Liena kept her eyes glued to Su Yu, not daring to blink, afraid she might miss something.
After about another quarter of an hour, the purple glow of the Soul Ring in front of Su Yu gradually receded.
Su Yu suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of cyan-purple light passing through his pupils, before he slowly exhaled a turbid breath.
"Brother Su Yu!"
Hu Liena immediately cheered, wanting to rush over, but Bi Bidong gently held her back. It was necessary to let him stabilize for a moment after absorbing the Soul Ring.
Su Yu stood up, stretching his limbs, and could clearly feel the surging power within his body.
"Teacher, Nana, I succeeded!"
"Brother Su Yu!"
Bi Bidong released Hu Liena's hand, and Hu Liena immediately threw herself toward Su Yu.
Su Yu reached out and caught Hu Liena, gently patting her back.
"Brother Su Yu! You're amazing! Your first Soul Ring is a thousand-year Soul Ring!"
Bi Bidong also walked over to Su Yu and lightly patted his shoulder.
"Xiao Yu, absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring as your first is unprecedented in the history of Soul Masters. What is your first Spirit Ability?"
Su Yu set Hu Liena down and looked at Bi Bidong.
"Teacher, my first Soul Ring didn't grant me a Spirit Ability!"
"No Spirit Ability? How is that possible?"
Bi Bidong grabbed Su Yu's wrist and carefully examined him.
His physical condition was fine, and his Soul Power had broken through, so how could there be no Spirit Ability?
Bi Bidong released Su Yu's hand, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Xiao Yu, try to sense it more carefully. How could there be no Spirit Ability?"
Su Yu summoned his Martial Soul in front of Bi Bidong, and a purple Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet.
He channeled his Soul Power into the single Soul Ring, causing it to tremble briefly before settling down.
"How is this possible!"
Bi Bidong felt her understanding being challenged.
He absorbed the Soul Ring but gained no Spirit Ability!
Could it be that what Xiao Yu said before was true?
He doesn't need to consider the type of Soul Beast when absorbing a Soul Ring—only the age matters!
"Xiao Yu, show me the Wood Release techniques you used before!"
"Alright, Teacher!" Su Yu responded, quickly forming hand seals and shouting, "Wood Release: Splintering Wood Technique!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a half-meter-long wooden spike materialized in his palm.
The cyan-purple wooden spike gleamed with a lustrous sheen, its surface faintly covered with fine barbs.
The wooden spikes were noticeably thicker and sharper compared to those used against the Gale Wind Boar earlier.
In the next moment, Su Yu flicked his wrist, sending the wooden spike flying like an arrow released from its bow.
Clink!
A crisp sound echoed as the spike precisely embedded itself into the trunk of a nearby tree.
What followed was astonishing—the wooden spike began to grow wildly at a visible rate.
Dark purple thorns dug deep into the wood, displaying a level of toughness and destructive power far surpassing before.
Hu Liena stared in amazement: "Wow! Brother Su Yu, your Wood Release has become so powerful!"
Bi Bidong stepped forward and carefully examined the marks left by Su Yu's Wood Release.
After absorbing the Soul Ring, the destructive force of this Wood Release had indeed increased by more than just one level.
"Xiao Yu, your Martial Soul is quite unique, but this uniqueness seems to be beneficial!"
"Xiao Yu, although your Soul Ring didn't grant you a new Spirit Ability directly, the power and destructive force of your Wood Release have clearly improved."
"Previously, the destructive power of your Wood Release was roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary Soul Master's Spirit Ability. Now, it's approaching the level of a Great Soul Master."
"It seems your Wood Release Spirit might continuously amplify its foundational abilities as you cultivate your Soul Power."
"This is entirely different from the usual pattern where Soul Beasts' Soul Rings grant specific Spirit Abilities—it's quite special."
"But this way, your offensive methods will likely rely solely on those self-created Wood Release techniques you developed earlier."
"Without Spirit Abilities granted by Soul Rings, you might lack versatility when dealing with complex battle situations."
"However," Bi Bidong's tone softened, a flicker of understanding in her eyes.
"Perhaps this is the unique trait of an Elemental Martial Soul. Your Wood Release is more like a 'fundamental power' that can continuously grow, rather than being confined to a few fixed Spirit Abilities."
"As for whether it has other characteristics, such as the potential to derive supportive or healing abilities, that will be up to you to explore gradually."
Su Yu listened attentively and nodded firmly: "I understand, Teacher."
"Even without new Spirit Abilities, I will train my existing Wood Release to become even stronger!"
Hu Liena chimed in from the side: "Brother Su Yu's Wood Release was already amazing, and now it's even more powerful after absorbing the Soul Ring. It doesn't matter if there are no new Spirit Abilities!"
Bi Bidong glanced at the two, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"Alright, since you've both finished absorbing your Soul Rings, it's time for us to return."
"The path of cultivation is long—there will be plenty of time for you to gradually uncover your potential."
Bi Bidong led the two back to the Papal Hall.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, a month had gone by.
Su Yu and Hu Liena maintained their regular routines.
In the mornings, they attended the Martial Soul Academy to study theoretical knowledge, and in the afternoons, they returned to the Papal Hall to focus on cultivating their Soul Power or engage in practical combat training.
After a month of refinement, both had steadily increased their Soul Power and grown more proficient in using their Spirit Abilities.
One day, as Su Yu and Hu Liena finished a practical combat session and were resting on the stone steps, a figure appeared before them.
It was a girl who looked about eight or nine years old, dressed in a white and gold palace gown with intricate cloud patterns embroidered on the skirt.
Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, and under the sunlight, a few stray strands fell across her smooth forehead, accentuating her delicate features.
Her eyes were a very light purple, like amethysts immersed in clear spring water.
"Hey, little brat, are you that woman's disciples?"
The girl crossed her arms, her light purple eyes carrying a hint of arrogance, her tone not exactly friendly.