"Teacher, the longer a Soul Beast has been cultivating, the stronger it becomes, and the better the effect of the Soul Ring it produces. In what specific ways is this superiority expressed?" Tang San asked.
A trace of his signature, unpleasant smile surfaced on the Great Master's stiff face. "That's an excellent question. The differences between Soul Rings produced by Soul Beasts of different levels mainly manifest in the attribute bonuses granted to the Soul Master and the capabilities of the skills. For example, if we look at it in quantitative terms — your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul will follow the path of a Control Type Tool Soul Master. If you obtain a Ten-Year Soul Ring with a compatible attribute, then the controllability of your Blue Silver Grass increases by ten. But if it's a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, your controllability increases by one hundred. And so on. That is why, whenever possible, every Soul Master strives to pursue the most powerful Soul Rings they can obtain."
Tang San asked with puzzlement, "Doesn't that mean the people with the most powerful backing would be able to get the best Soul Rings? Those nobles could simply rely on their family's strength to hunt down more powerful Soul Rings for themselves."
A glint of approval appeared in the Great Master's eyes. "Thinking that far shows you've considered the matter carefully. But in reality, it isn't that simple. Or rather, the requirements for soul ring absorption are extremely demanding."
"First, the Soul Beast must be killed by the individual themselves in order for them to receive that beast's Soul Ring. A Soul Ring only exists for a very short period — if it isn't absorbed within one hour, it loses its effect."
"Second, Soul Beasts are creatures of tremendous pride. No Soul Beast will allow itself to be captured. If they are gravely wounded by an enemy and the enemy attempts to capture them, the Soul Beast will choose to self-detonate its Soul Power, dying in the process. This eliminates the scenario you described. Even if you hire someone to hunt a Soul Beast, as long as the killing blow isn't delivered by you personally, it's extremely difficult to obtain the Soul Ring."
"Of course, none of this is absolute. How could Soul Beasts possibly match human cunning? The best method for hunting Soul Beasts is to form a group and travel to the beast's territory, then deliver the final blow yourself. That way, you can obtain the Soul Ring. So the nobles and those with power you mentioned do indeed have a certain advantage when it comes to hunting Soul Beasts."
"However, just because such people can more easily obtain Soul Rings doesn't mean they'll become stronger than ordinary Soul Masters. No one can guarantee that the Soul Beast they encounter will have attributes that are ideally suited to them. The level of a Soul Beast is certainly important, but whether the attributes are compatible is equally critical. Even the best Soul Ring, if it clashes with your Martial Soul, won't produce good results — it could even harm you. Most importantly, each Soul Master has restrictions on what level of Soul Ring they can absorb at each stage."
"For instance, right now you're only a Level Ten Soul Apprentice. With your current Soul Power, the strongest Soul Ring you could possibly absorb is from a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. If you attempted to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, there would be only one outcome — your body would be unable to withstand it, and you'd be destroyed by the ring's power. When absorbing a Soul Ring, no external force can assist you. You must rely solely on yourself. Think about it — those who need someone else's help to hunt the Soul Beasts they need, how could their own strength possibly be resilient enough? They might be devastated even by absorbing a Soul Ring that suits them and falls within their manageable range. Tang San, you must remember — this world is fair. If you want to gain something, you must put in the corresponding effort. Cutting corners is the mark of a mediocre person. The Martial Soul theories I've developed are simply meant to make that process of effort a little easier for Soul Masters — to become more powerful while possessing equal strength. Do you understand?"
Tang San nodded earnestly.
He had never been the type to cut corners anyway. Relying on his own effort, advancing step by step toward his goal, was the most solid path.
The Great Master led Tang San not toward the city gates, but deeper into the city.
"Teacher, weren't we heading out of the city?"
The Great Master replied, "Hunting Soul Beasts requires preparation, and we certainly can't walk there. Four hundred li isn't too far, but it's better to save time where we can."
As the sun gradually rose in the east, the streets of Nuoding City grew more crowded with pedestrians. Today was also one of the rare occasions when Tang San did not cultivate his Purple Extreme Demon Eye using the incoming purple qi from the east.
The preparations the Great Master spoke of weren't complicated. He bought two leather water pouches designed for carrying drinking water, each capable of holding a full five liters of fresh water. He also purchased some cured meat, flatbread, and fruit — filling two large bundles altogether.
If those items were something Tang San could understand, the Great Master also bought something else that left him puzzled — and it was by far the largest purchase.
A full twenty jin of white radishes. Tang San's current task was to carry them. Twenty jin wasn't much weight for him. Of course, if he had to walk four hundred li carrying them, that would be a different story.
Fortunately, once the Great Master had finished shopping, he immediately hired a horse-drawn carriage in the city, paying the driver five Silver Soul Coins.
The currency system of Soul Land worked like this: one Gold Soul Coin equaled ten Silver Soul Coins, which equaled one hundred Copper Soul Coins. A single Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover an ordinary family of three's normal living expenses for several months — roughly equivalent to what Tang San had earned working part-time at Nuoding Academy for three years.
The profession of Soul Master was considered the most noble on the continent, and income was an important reason why. Even advancing from a Soul Apprentice to a Soul Master entitled one to a monthly stipend of one Gold Soul Coin, more than enough for an ordinary person's basic living expenses. Luxuries, of course, were out of the question.
And when a Soul Master cultivated to higher levels — particularly beyond Great Soul Master and into the Soul Venerable realm — registering with Spirit Hall would earn them a direct noble title from the state, becoming at minimum a baron. The greater one's strength, the higher the noble title, and naturally, the higher the income that followed.
(End of Chapter)