Douluo Continent, a world-sharing system, but only one.

Chapter 3 "Selective Expression of Soul Rings"

Two days later.

Outside Shrek City.

An unassuming carriage traveled along the official road. Its body was plain, without any extra decorations, and the two horses pulling it were of an ordinary breed. It looked no different from the ordinary carriages that traveled in the city.

Jiang Ci'an sat in the carriage, reached out and lifted the curtain of the carriage window to look outside.

Outside the carriage, three figures were following it, with Old Master Xiao naturally leading the way.

Today he changed into a neat dark outfit, his gray hair was tied back, his back was straight, and he looked much more energetic than usual.

The kind old man's demeanor had largely faded, replaced by the composure of a high-level Soul Master.

The other two were his trusted confidants from the Xiao family, a man and a woman, both around forty years old, both Soul Kings, who had been loyal to Xiao Shan for over twenty years.

The purpose of this trip is the Starry Sky Forest.

To be precise, it is the outer area of ​​the Starry Sky Forest.

Ultimately, it's just for him and Xiao Xiao to hunt their first soul ring, which is no more than five hundred years old. There's no need to go too deep; the outer areas are enough to meet their needs.

Even so, Old Master Xiao remained sufficiently cautious for the sake of these two talented young people.

With the cultivation level of a Soul Douluo, Grandpa Xiao personally took charge of protecting them, staying by their side every step of the way. In addition, two Soul Kings were responsible for finding Soul Beasts, clearing the way, and covering their retreat.

In the outer areas, such a configuration, while not foolproof, is at least extremely safe.

Jiang Ci'an withdrew his gaze and lowered the curtain.

Inside the carriage, the light softened slightly.

Xiao Xiao sat next to him, wearing a light blue short shirt, dark trousers, and small leather boots. Her dark green hair was tied in a ponytail, and she looked more dashing than usual.

Seeing Jiang Ci'an lower the curtain, Xiao Xiao tilted her head slightly, her eyes flickered, and then she asked in a low voice:

"Ci An, what do you think I should choose for my first spirit ring?"

Jiang Ci'an paused upon hearing this, then asked in return, "Grandpa Xiao must have given you quite a few options, right?"

Xiao Xiao nodded obediently, subtly shifting her body closer to Jiang Ci'an, softly pressing against his side, before whispering:

"Grandpa suggested that I cultivate the 'Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron' first, since the Xiao family's inherited martial soul is the 'Soul-Suppressing Cauldron,' and the soul ring configuration route is clear. Although my martial soul has mutated, it can still be used as a reference."

"However, I will have to decide the specific effects of the soul skill myself."

Jiang Ci'an understood.

The Xiao family's inherited martial spirit, the "Soul Suppressing Cauldron," was initially designed for support, with abilities such as suppression, sealing, and control that were quite powerful.

But later, a genius emerged from the Xiao family's ancestors who had a sudden inspiration to add weight to the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, and then used the cauldron to smash people...

And then it just spiraled out of control.

From then on, the cultivation of the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron in the Xiao family expanded beyond the purely auxiliary branch to include another sub-branch.

Xiao Xiao's "Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron" is a variant of the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. It is divided into three parts, and the cauldrons interact with each other. Whether you choose to attack or assist, the effect will only be better.

The reason why it is said that the effect of the soul skill is determined by Xiao Xiao herself is because the soul skills obtained by a soul master when acquiring a soul ring are not completely random.

While this isn't exactly common knowledge in the world of Soul Masters, it's something that most families or sects with a bit of influence are aware of.

Jiang Ci'an calls it "the selective expression of soul rings".

Simply put, the specific effects of the soul skills that a soul master gains from absorbing a soul ring depend on three factors.

Firstly, the skill set of the spirit beast itself.

Secondly, the Soul Master's Martial Soul.

Thirdly, the Soul Master's personal desires and ideas regarding Soul Skills.

First, when absorbing a spirit ring, the spirit master's personal will will interfere in the first stage.

In other words, one selects a direction that roughly meets the requirements from the many soul beast skills contained in the soul ring.

For example, if a Soul Master wants a defensive Soul Skill, then this layer of intervention will select those Soul Skills that are biased towards defense from the Soul Skill Library of the Soul Ring as candidates.

Then, the Soul Master's Martial Soul will intervene in a second layer.

The Martial Soul will modify and reshape the selected Soul Skills, making them more in line with the characteristics and style of the Martial Soul itself without affecting their general effects.

The combination of the two results in the soul skills that a soul master acquires.

For example, the indescribable and strange soul skills of that master from ten thousand years ago, and the unchanging first three rings configuration of the Xingluo Dai family for ten thousand years.

These are among the most classic examples of "selective expression of spirit rings".

If Xiao Xiao's "Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron" follows its predetermined trajectory, it will lean towards a path of attack and defense.

According to the Xiao family tradition, the first three rings will most likely move in the direction of increasing the cauldron's suppressive power or its shock-inducing power.

It's not bad, but it's not great either. Its advantage is that the path is clear, and if we just follow it step by step, there shouldn't be any problems.

but...

Jiang Ci'an thought about it and came up with a potentially feasible idea.

"Perhaps we could try stacking weights?"

Xiao Xiao blinked, somewhat puzzled: "Stacking...weight?"

"Yes, stack the weight."

Jiang Ci'an nodded and looked at Xiao Xiao seriously: "This will make it easier to improve physical fitness."

He wasn't just making things up.

Having two martial souls will inevitably lead to conflicts later on.

The power of two martial souls clashes within the body, causing either chaotic soul power or, in severe cases, death from body explosion. This is an insurmountable hurdle for all twin martial soul masters.

Of all the solutions he knew of, the most direct and convenient one, the one that he could start laying the foundation for right now, was to improve his physical fitness.

As long as one possesses a sufficiently strong physique, one can suppress the conflict of martial souls and prevent one day in the future from having one's meridians shattered due to the collision of the two forces within the body.

Furthermore, as long as one's physique is strong enough, one can gradually try to reconcile the balance between the two martial souls, thereby completely resolving the issue of twin martial souls.

Physical strength, of course, cannot be built overnight.

The earlier you start building a foundation, the better the results.

According to records, the genius of the Xiao family's ancestors did it this way, carrying a cauldron to forge every day, resulting in an exceptionally strong physique. He could also absorb soul rings beyond his limits to a certain extent, making him quite powerful among his peers.

This also confirms that this road has great potential.

Xiao Xiao listened but did not ask any further questions.

They've known each other since childhood, and have lived together since they were two years old. The trust between them is stronger than anything else.

She believed that Jiang Ci'an was saying this for her own good, and there was no need to question it.

Xiao Xiao nodded naturally, and then she made a mental note of it.

After a pause, Xiao Xiao asked again, "Then... Ci An, what are you planning to choose for your first spirit ring?"

Jiang Ci settled down for a moment, his gaze slightly lowered, as if he were seriously considering the question.

"Well..." he murmured softly, "I haven't quite figured it out yet."

After all, his martial spirit is really hard to assess.

Based on the "selective expression of spirit rings," who knows how this martial spirit will reshape and modify the spirit skills...

After all, if you have "X-ray vision," how far away can other strange and wonderful abilities be?