The energy contained within the soul ring was guided into the liver, where it began to reform.
From a ring shape, it was molded into a soul meridian—a pathway for soul power.
Under the shimmering white light, the Innate Treasure Pearl flickered continuously.
Within his body, flesh and blood continuously broke down and then repaired themselves. Meridians shattered and then reformed.
"Pfft—"
Blood seeped from the corner of Lin Feng's mouth. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire body trembled. Yet, his eyes shone with a fierce light.
The gaseous form of the soul ring within his body expanded and then contracted, trying to return to its ring shape.
But Lin Feng didn't give it the chance. Guided by the Innate Treasure Pearl, he gradually dispersed the energy, wrapping it around his liver and forming a key node there!
Ye Zixin was completely dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was happening inside the young boy's body.
To her, Lin Feng's stomach looked like it had been stuffed with a balloon, inflating and deflating in a bizarre manner. Blood occasionally seeped out, making the scene even more unsettling.
Ling Yuan was also growing anxious, pacing back and forth.
"Xiao Feng, do you need healing?"
"No... not now. Healing at this stage would disrupt the balance within my body."
Lin Feng spoke word by word, slowly closing his eyes and focusing entirely on constructing the first soul meridian within his body.
---
Time passed, and the night faded away. A purple hue appeared on the horizon as the morning light gradually rose from the edge of the earth.
Dong!
A bell-like sound resonated within Lin Feng's body. He opened his eyes, exhausted but with an unusually clear gaze.
Qian Daoliu let out a long breath, a smile of satisfaction appearing on his face as he nodded and returned to the Douluo Hall.
Finally, Lin Feng's body slowly collapsed.
Whoosh—
Ling Yuan caught him in her arms, holding the young boy. A deep sense of admiration rose in her heart.
From the moment Lin Feng began shaping his soul meridian, six hours had passed.
The pain of his flesh and meridians continuously breaking and reforming had been endured without pause for six hours.
Ling Yuan asked herself: if she were the same age as Lin Feng, could she have done this? She knew the answer was no.
If she had lived in the same era as him, she would undoubtedly have been drawn to him.
"Did you succeed?"
Ling Yuan's voice trembled as she wiped the blood and sweat from Lin Feng's body.
Lin Feng nodded weakly.
Receiving his confirmation and ensuring that healing wouldn't interfere now, Ling Yuan let out a long sigh of relief and signaled to Ye Zixin.
Ye Zixin, as if waking from a dream, quickly began the healing process.
Once he regained some strength, Lin Feng tried to stand up, but Ling Yuan firmly pressed him back down.
He ended up lying on her lap.
"Don't move! Stay still!"
Faced with the "waves" before him, Lin Feng felt a bit unsettled. He squirmed slightly but eventually stopped resisting, turning his face to a different angle.
"Don't push yourself too hard. You're already exceptional. Theoretical research like this can take time."
Ling Yuan leaned down, speaking softly as her delicate hand gently stroked Lin Feng's face, her affection evident.
Warm breath brushed against his face, and Lin Feng inwardly groaned at the difficulty of the situation.
"Mmm..."
Lin Feng let out a comfortable hum.
Surrounded by softness, with the back of his head pressed against something large and yielding, a mix of shame and comfort spread through his heart.
Ye Zixin looked at the two with a strange expression. From her perspective, their posture seemed... unusual.
Especially from her angle, with Ling Yuan leaning down, it almost looked like she was...
Ye Zixin's face flushed, chiding herself for reading too many romance novels lately.
Once Lin Feng's complexion looked healthier, Ling Yuan gave some instructions to Ye Zixin and took Lin Feng back to his room.
There was no need to worry about Ye Zixin leaking information—she was also a healing soul master arranged by Qian Daoliu.
The two leaned back on the sofa.
"How's your body now?"
Lin Feng took a moment to assess himself.
"The first key node has been opened. The soul ring has transformed into a soul meridian, and I can now construct a basic pathway within my body.
With the support of the Innate Treasure Pearl, I can feel that this single soul meridian has increased my cultivation speed by at least 20%."
Ling Yuan's beautiful eyes widened:
"The soul ring is gone?"
Lin Feng nodded and summoned the Innate Treasure Pearl.
The pearl still glowed with its usual light, but the yellow hundred-year soul ring that had once surrounded it was now gone.
"This..."
Lin Feng chuckled.
"Don't worry. It's transformed into a soul meridian. I can still use my soul skill, Breath of Life."
A familiar white light shimmered in Lin Feng's hand. Almost instinctively, Ling Yuan took his hand.
"It's really true? This is incredible!"
Lin Feng looked at their joined hands, feeling a bit puzzled. Why was Ling Yuan being so affectionate today? She wasn't usually like this.
"Ahem, um, can you let go, sis?"
Ling Yuan shook her head, a sly glint in her eyes as she noticed Lin Feng's reddening ears.
"No, your body hasn't fully recovered yet. I need to monitor you closely to make sure there are no issues."
Lin Feng's mouth twitched.
After a moment of thought, he spoke.
"The first phase of my research can be reported to the Grand Worship. This initial pathway I've explored can be used with normal soul power circulation, even without the soul meridian."
"Really?!"
Ling Yuan was ecstatic. She knew how groundbreaking this was. If Lin Feng's method was no longer unique to him and could be universally applied, it would cause a seismic shift in the soul master world.
"Yes, though the effects aren't as strong. The increase in cultivation speed would likely be around 5% at most."
"That's still an incredible achievement!"
Ling Yuan's heart raced. As a newly promoted Soul Douluo, she understood the significance of such an enhancement.
Over time, 100 years of cultivation could equate to 105 years. What if those extra five years led to a major breakthrough?
Moreover, Lin Feng's theoretical practice was just beginning. The future held even greater possibilities.
Ling Yuan looked at him with anticipation:
"Xiao Feng~ Teach me~"
Her voice, usually clear and distant, now carried a charming, almost seductive tone that tugged at the heartstrings.
Lin Feng shivered, his mouth already responding:
"Alright..."
Ling Yuan felt a secret joy, looking at Lin Feng with a sense of pride, as if she were nurturing a future emperor.
Ling Yuan closed her eyes and began channeling her soul power, exploring the first pathway. Lin Feng, meanwhile, furrowed his brows in deep thought.
There were actually three things he hadn't told Ling Yuan.
First, the soul ring, now transformed into a soul meridian, could be nurtured by the Innate Treasure Pearl. As his soul power level increased, the soul meridian would also grow.
This meant that the soul meridian, originally a soul ring, could break through its year limit. In the future, the strength of the soul meridian would far surpass its current level.
Second, the construction of the liver node wasn't entirely balanced.
After all, creating a new pathway within the body was no simple task. The energy from the soul ring couldn't fully stabilize within the node.
To address this, Lin Feng thought of the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. These herbs could solidify his foundation and enhance his physical constitution, which would help stabilize the soul meridian.
Another method was to let time naturally align the soul meridian, but this approach was time-consuming, and Lin Feng wasn't keen on it.
Third, during the process of shattering and reforming the soul ring, Lin Feng had gained insights into the structure of soul rings. Perhaps soul rings didn't need to come from soul beasts.
After all, deities could bestow divine soul rings, which weren't obtained by killing soul beasts. The method of self-condensing soul rings might be something he could explore in the future.