Speeding along the way, what took Han Li nearly a day of cautious travel was reduced to less than half an hour under Guang Ling's formidable strength. They quickly returned to the outskirts.
Moreover, Guang Ling thoughtfully adjusted their position, choosing an area where almost no one would come close, and took the opportunity to drive away the low-level soul beasts nearby.
During the time Guang Ling was leading them to the outskirts, Han Li didn't stay idle. He closed his eyes to adjust his state, wanting to face the imminent moment in his best condition.
When Guang Ling set him down, Han Li opened his eyes.
Guang Ling glanced at him, then at the Golden-Scaled Eagle showing signs of waking, and said, "Let's begin. I'll guard you."
"Yes, Master."
As Han Li responded, his bow was already drawn. A solid arrow of fire instantly pierced through the eye of the Golden-Scaled Eagle and destroyed its brain from within with a burst of flame.
The Golden-Scaled Eagle, still in a state of slumber, lost its life in a muddled state, not even having the chance to let out a final cry.
Watching the purple soul ring rise from the Golden-Scaled Eagle's corpse and seeing his master's somewhat worried gaze, Han Li took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he moved a bit closer, sat down cross-legged, and used his martial soul aura to draw the soul ring.
In an instant, Han Li felt the same sensation as when he absorbed his first soul ring, but with energy far more violent, flooding into his body and actively pushing his soul power to circulate. Fortunately, his mental strength and control had also significantly improved since his first soul ring absorption, allowing him to guide the energy actively.
Given his mental strength and physical condition, Han Li did not find absorption particularly difficult.
He began to observe his condition actively. With his soul power circulating at high speed, he noticed corresponding changes in his body's meridians. As the soul power cycled, the meridians were continually being widened, giving him the feeling of clearing silt from a river channel.
No wonder everyone seeks the best soul ring combinations. Some talented individuals are stuck at certain levels because their early soul rings were suboptimal.
Previously, he had simply thought that this situation was due to the low age of the soul rings and the lack of enhancement for the martial soul. It turned out that the widening of the body's meridians also played a part. It's just that the Douluo Continent did not have this concept.
Guang Ling, observing his disciple without any unusual signs and sensing his continually rising aura, relaxed a bit. Although he agreed with Han Li's choice, he couldn't help but worry.
The sun had shifted from directly overhead to the treetops of the forest. Over two hours had passed since Han Li began absorbing the soul ring. Seeing his soul power stabilize and no longer overflow, Guang Ling finally let go of his concerns.
Suddenly, Han Li's eyes snapped open. His right eye lit up, accompanied by what seemed to be an eagle's cry. Guang Ling halted in his approach, and stood still, his expression a mix of joy and disbelief.
This scene was all too familiar to him. The last time Han Li absorbed his first soul ring, he exhibited the same phenomenon and gained an external soul bone comparable to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone.
And now, it seemed to be happening again. Judging by the right eye's location, could it be another external soul bone?
Guang Ling unconsciously reached for his left eye. Luckily, this time he could accept it, could accept it.
Accept it? My foot! Guang Ling wanted to curse, even though it was his disciple who had benefited.
This was truly absurd. He had never seen anyone who could reliably obtain a soul bone every time they acquired a soul ring, and now it had happened twice in a row, with each being a growth-type external soul bone.
If it weren't for Han Li's clean background and no ties to the Qian family, Guang Ling would have thought Han Li was the reincarnation of the Angel God. Forget about Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue—his disciple was the true successor of the Martial Soul Hall, the inheritor of the Angel God.
He had an external soul bone, but it was a defective one with no potential for growth, just over ten thousand years old. He had almost lost his life absorbing it, and as a result, he couldn't casually open his left eye. Compared to others, he merely had an additional ten-thousand-year soul bone, even though it suited his combat style well.
But even so, it made other elders envious, while Han Li, on the other hand, was like a soul bone wholesaler, getting one each time.
Oh, right, even the little maid beside him had one. Although her heart might not count as a soul bone, she lost its growth potential after activating her bloodline. However, she advanced from being unable to cultivate to having an innate soul power of level eight with her Crystal Bear martial soul, which was terrifying enough.
Guang Ling only broke through after taking on a disciple and even smoothly cultivated to level ninety-eight. Could it be that Xiao Li was truly the reincarnation of a deity who could bless those close to him?
The more Guang Ling thought about it, the more it made sense. He looked at Han Li, who was still fusing the soul bone, with a different expression. This was too strange; he couldn't explain it any other way.
Just as Guang Ling was wildly speculating and self-brainwashing, Han Li finally completed the soul bone absorption and opened his eyes.
He lifted his head, ready to share the good news with his master, only to see Guang Ling staring straight at him with a probing expression.
What was wrong with master? Why did he look so strange?
Han Li quickly got up from the ground and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
He then heard Guang Ling seriously say, "Xiao Li, how do you think I've treated you?"
"You've treated me extremely well, of course," Han Li answered without hesitation.
"Alright then, Xiao Li, be honest with me. Are you the reincarnation of some deity?" Guang Ling's expression was very serious.
So that's it; it seems he's been overwhelmed. Han Li couldn't help but laugh. "Master, you're overthinking it. I'm just lucky."
"Lucky? An external soul bone, two of them, and you say it's just luck!"
Hearing his answer, Guang Ling's handsome face twisted a bit.
"Yeah, ever since my martial soul awakened, I've been pretty lucky. Just from picking up money, I've collected nearly ten gold soul coins in Wuhun City during a few trips down the mountain," Han Li said, shrugging.
"You can not only get soul bone but also find money?"
Guang Ling finally abandoned his deity reincarnation theory, looking dumbfounded. Even a deity wouldn't have such abilities, right?
"Well, I don't know how it happens either. As I walk, the gold soul coins just roll to my feet. That's why I said it's the Angel God's blessing."
Han Li recounted his experiences of finding money several times, tying it back to his previous explanation.
Seeing Han Li's sincere expression, which didn't seem like he was lying, Guang Ling became completely numb and lost the motivation to ask further.
Finding money while walking, obtaining external soul bones with each breakthrough, and the people around him also benefiting one after another—Han Li himself found it strange, so there was no point in asking more.
He was also a beneficiary, so what else could he say? He just needed to remind Han Li not to let others notice anymore.
With this in mind, Guang Ling's expression became much more serious. He looked at Han Li intently and said, "In the future, remember to hide things like this. Unless there's no other choice, don't let anyone else know. That goes for Xiu'er as well. And you don't need to tell me either. Remember, no one, understand?"
Han Li saw how serious his master was and felt a warm surge in his heart. He nodded earnestly, silently adding an apology in his mind.
The secrets he carried, he wouldn't tell anyone. He could only make it up to his master later, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to live up to these heartfelt words.
Guang Ling relaxed significantly upon seeing Han Li's decisive agreement and carefully examined his eyes.
Han Li's right eye had changed significantly. Unlike his left eye, which was a normal dark brown, his right pupil had turned a bright amber color. This bright color seemed to slightly protrude from the eye socket, giving his gaze a sharp look. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed no different other than the color change.
Seeing Guang Ling staring into his eyes, Han Li took the initiative to explain: "The external soul bone—Eagle Eye—grants me vision comparable to that of an eagle. It greatly enhances my dynamic vision and provides some level of insight and tracking abilities. Essentially, whatever an eagle-type soul beast can do, I should be able to do as well."
"The soul skill it comes with, which I've named 'Corrosive Haze,' allows me to release an indelible mark through my gaze when activated. The marked enemy will trigger the mark upon my next attack, causing additional damage roughly 30% more than the attack itself."
"And what about the range and duration of this mark?"
As an archer, Guang Ling was acutely aware of the power of this skill and asked urgently.
"As long as there is no obstruction, the mark's range extends to wherever my gaze reaches. The duration of the mark lasts for half an hour before it disappears, but I can currently only mark up to three times a day," Han Li chuckled.
"Hisss~."
Guang Ling took a sharp breath. This was precisely the skill he had always dreamed of. Even without considering its potential growth, just the three instances of 130% enhanced attacks were already extraordinary.
It's important to note that it only specifies the next attack, not excluding the use of other soul skills. The potential damage output could be immense.
Seeing Han Li's mischievous smile, Guang Ling felt a bit envious. Fortunately, Han Li was his disciple, so he managed to control his emotions.
"What about the soul skill? Did it inherit the armor-piercing attribute of the Golden-Scaled Eagle or its sharpness attribute?" Guang Ling asked patiently.
"Both. The armor-piercing ability of my ice-fire arrows is enhanced by 50%, and the ice-fire blade inherits the sharpness, also enhanced by 50%. However, it's a bit unfortunate that this enhancement is fixed and can't grow like my first soul skill," Han Li said, a bit greedily.
"Don't push your luck. For a passive enhancement skill like this, 50% is already exceptionally strong. It's only because you absorbed a Golden-Scaled Eagle over three thousand years old. Otherwise, 30% would be the limit," Guang Ling said, flicking Han Li's forehead.
Han Li knew this harvest was already quite good. While the enhancement strength didn't reach the 100% increase like Dai Mubai's third soul skill, for a tool martial soul, this kind of permanent enhancement was stronger than the temporary boosts of beast martial souls.
"By the way, Master, the best news is this. Watch closely."
Han Li rubbed his slightly red forehead and extended both hands. Without summoning his martial soul, an ice spike and a fireball simultaneously appeared in his hands and, under his control, were thrown into the open space ahead.
The ice spike and fireball only created a small pit on the ground before disappearing. Of course, this was just a demonstration, and their true power was much greater. Han Li had casually shaped them, so they couldn't be considered real skills.
Guang Ling was initially stunned, then burst into laughter, patting Han Li's shoulder so hard it hurt: "Good, very good! It seems your vision is entirely achievable. You have the potential to become a Limit Douluo."
Guang Ling's excitement was palpable. Although he had previously affirmed Han Li's development path and encouraged him to experiment with his first soul ring, which had surprisingly mutated to align with Han Li's vision, he still harbored some concerns. After all, Han Li's ambitions were vast, and his desires were many.
But now, the truth was laid bare before him. His disciple, upon obtaining his second soul ring, could already preliminarily manipulate elemental powers without summoning his martial soul. There was no longer any reason to worry. As long as Han Li did not fall, his future path of cultivation would undoubtedly be smooth and prosperous.
And Guang Ling himself would ensure that no accidents occurred.
"By the way, what level have you reached after absorbing the soul ring?" Guang Ling asked curiously.
"Level 23, still a bit away from Level 24. Some energy was used to evolve my antennae. Now, the antennae have nearly 1,500 years of age, enhancing elemental affinity and the effect of the first soul ring by 50%. My mental strength and perception range have also increased significantly, and the amplification of my mental power when externalized has risen to 1.8 times."
Han Li couldn't contain his smile. Absorbing this second soul ring had doubled his strength. Even though he had anticipated the benefits, he couldn't control his emotional fluctuations.
"Moreover, I can feel that with just a little practice, I can easily control my elemental energy when shooting arrows. Of course, I still seem unsuitable for sparring. After the antennae were strengthened, the intensity of the first soul ring also increased, and the elemental concentration in my soul power was further enhanced. Creating arrows with pure soul power has become more difficult. Even if I reduce the power, I still can't ensure that they won't explode after hitting the target."
Han Li summoned his Ice-Fire Bow and tried it out, but didn't shoot. He then dispersed the arrow.
"Don't worry about it. That's not something you need to consider now. Just focus on your cultivation. Sparring is only to ensure combat effectiveness, not a necessity."
Guang Ling first comforted Han Li, then solemnly said, "I know that now your abilities have improved, you will continue to experiment with master elemental powers. But you must ensure your daily cultivation time and never let experimentation encroach on that. Understand?"
"Don't worry, teacher. I understand. I won't waste the best cultivation time," Han Li earnestly promised, then smiled: "Besides, you underestimate me. I don't need to spend a lot of time developing skills. I can already do basic shaping and compression, forming immediate combat power. You'll see when we go back for actual combat training. As for deeply mastering elemental properties, there's no rush. After all, I'm just a Spirit Grandmaster."
"Good, as long as you understand."
Guang Ling looked at him with satisfaction. His disciple had this great quality: he listened to advice and was very rational, knowing exactly what to do at different stages, unlike those troublesome kids. This made Guang Ling quite relieved.
Seeing that everything was settled, Guang Ling glanced at the sky and then at Han Li, whose height had shot up to over 1.6 meters due to absorbing the soul ring. His clothes were now tightly clinging to his body, looking quite uncomfortable.
"Alright, let's head out. We'll rest in the town tonight. By the way, did you bring a change of clothes?" Guang Ling smiled, pointing at Han Li's attire.
"Yes, Sister Xiu'er prepared them for me," Han Li replied, retracting the special effect of Eagle Eye and following Guang Ling out.
"That's good. So, do you want to head straight back, or is there somewhere else you'd like to go?" Guang Ling asked casually, in a good mood.
"Let's go back to Nuoding City first. I want to see Uncle Xiao. It's been over a year," Han Li thought for a moment and said.
"Sure, did you prepare a gift for him?"
"Of course, I've been prepared for a while."
Han Li smiled and lifted the wristband on his left hand, indicating that the gift was already inside.
"Hey, you rascal."
The master and disciple chatted and laughed as they headed toward the town.
PS: Corrosive Haze[Slardar Ulti] from Dota 2
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