"So, which kind of silkworm soul beast should I choose?" Sisi was not an unrealistic woman. Although she admired wealth and nobility, she could accept reality. If she couldn't get the best, she'd settle for the next best option. "Silkworm soul beasts, aside from the ice silkworm you mentioned, generally like to eat mulberry leaves. But there don't seem to be many mulberry trees in this Nuoding Forest."
"Sisi sister, you don't have to worry about that, because we're just on the way," Tang San smiled.
Why did Tang San say this?
It all started with the plant-type soul beast he needed—Thousand Root Banyan.
The Thousand Root Banyan was a plant soul beast with an extraordinarily lush crown and green leaves. Almost all insect-type soul beasts were drawn to it, as its juice could even help them grow. Of course, this benefit only applied to plant-eating insects.
If the juice of the Thousand Root Banyan could also enhance the cultivation of soul masters, then despite its resilience, it would have already been cut to extinction. When it matured into a ten-thousand-year soul beast, it formed an entire forest—a beautiful haven for insect-type soul beasts.
However, the Thousand Root Banyan needed protection before reaching maturity. Its leaves were delicious to insect soul beasts, and its juice enhanced their growth. These beasts, lacking wisdom prior to ten-thousand-year cultivation, consumed anything beneficial on sight, regardless of age or consequence.
Yet, the Thousand Root Banyan had not gone extinct. Tang San admired the magic and harmony of nature.
Why? Because young Thousand Root Banyans always hosted a carnivorous silkworm soul beast known as the "Banyan Silkworm." It guarded the banyan tree during its early growth stages.
The Soul Encyclopedia didn't explain how the Banyan Silkworm appeared there. But all documented under-thousand-year Thousand Root Banyans were found with a Banyan Silkworm nearby.
Tang San theorized that when the Thousand Root Banyan was still a seed, a Banyan Moth—the adult form of the Banyan Silkworm—searched for such seeds and laid its eggs upon them, forming a symbiotic relationship from the very beginning.
The Banyan Silkworm, being carnivorous, didn't harm the Thousand Root Banyan. Instead, it protected the tree from other leaf-devouring insects.
As Tang San explained this interdependence, Su Yuntao, Ma Xiunuo, and Sisi were amazed by the ecological peculiarities of soul beasts.
Ma Xiunuo asked, "Why only below a thousand years?"
"The Soul Encyclopedia doesn't explain," Tang San replied, "but I have two guesses. First, as the Thousand Root Banyan grows, its roots stretch underground for nearly a thousand meters and its crown spans nearly a hundred. The Banyan Silkworm can't protect something that massive."
He gestured broadly. "Besides, the Thousand Root Banyan at that stage won't die from some lost juice. It becomes a mini soul beast forest, drawing in other carnivorous insects and animal soul beasts, completing an ecosystem."
Ma Xiunuo nodded in agreement. "In the north of the Tian Dou Empire, there's a forest entirely composed of Thousand Root Banyans. No one can tell whether it's one massive tree or many intertwined. Hunting a mature Banyan would mean destroying an entire habitat. Even the Spirit Hall forbids it."
"The second guess," Tang San continued, "is that the Banyan Silkworm matures, begins to molt into a Banyan Moth, and can no longer guard the tree. But the first guess is more likely."
While they discussed, the group reached their destination according to the map.
The towering tree before them was the Thousand Root Banyan. Its terrain was unique. Within thirty meters around it, no grass grew. Instead, a spiderweb-like lattice of surface roots spread out. These roots extended deep into the earth.
It was said that even a Titled Douluo couldn't uproot a hundred-year-old Banyan—to do so would require the strength to lift the continent itself. While exaggerated, the point stood: destructive power and raw strength are different things.
"Is this the Thousand Root Banyan? Spectacular!" Su Yuntao exclaimed.
Even at a little over five hundred years old, the tree's trunk diameter exceeded ten meters. But unlike normal trees, the Banyan's trunk was hollow, irregular, and crisscrossed like a twisted net, forming a ring-like structure.
Its surface was clean—no excess branches. Only the crown at the top spread wide, matching the root coverage below. Branches above bore dense aerial roots, some already rooted in the ground, others still dangling, swaying in the breeze. It combined hardness and softness beautifully.
Unlike traditional trees, which had distinct trunks, crowns, and roots, the Thousand Root Banyan was all roots and crown. In fact, one could call it a grass pretending to be a tree.
Rustle!
The leaves above trembled. A green worm nearly the size of a human head emerged. It had a black head and two trembling pincers, clearly issuing a warning.
"The Banyan Silkworm," Tang San pointed, delighted. "It came out on its own. I thought we'd have to fell the tree first. Looks like it sees us as invaders."
"Its attack method is to spit silk. It can branch the silk—I bet if it had human intelligence, it could even weave webs like a spider."
"Is it poisonous?" Su Yuntao asked, wolf-clawed and wary. Sisi's soul ring couldn't have toxins.
"No worries," Tang San assured. "I wouldn't suggest a poisonous soul ring for Sisi. This one's safe. After absorbing it, I believe Sisi's strength will improve greatly. Banyan Silkworm silk and Sisi's ribbon complement each other perfectly."
"But over four hundred years... is that too much?" Su Yuntao frowned. "Should we pick another?"
"No, I want this one," Sisi said firmly. "The second soul ring's limit is about seven hundred years. This is manageable. What, you think I can't handle it? Weren't you the one to tire first last night?"
Su Yuntao: "..."
Ma Xiunuo coughed. "Mind your words. There are children present."
Su Yuntao flushed, but returned to the main issue. "That master's theory about ring limits isn't reliable anyway. He's a joke."
Ma Xiunuo nodded in agreement.
"Your second ring is over four hundred too," Sisi argued. "Why can't I? Plus, Tang San said my compatibility with this soul beast is high."
"Alright then."
Resigned, Su Yuntao activated his first soul skill: Hungry Wolf Pounce!
His white soul ring shone as he charged. The name was of his own choosing.
That he only had a white ring wasn't surprising. Xiao Chenyu, the city lord's son, had one too. How much more could Su Yuntao have?
The soul skill's effect was minimal. It let him run on all fours like a real wolf and pounce.
Tang San could hardly take it seriously. If he hadn't known better, he might have mistaken it for a bizarre form of roleplay.
To him, devoting a precious soul ring slot to something replicable by regular movement was wasteful.
But this was the helpless reality of commoner soul masters. Their first rings were often selected by academy teachers, who chose convenient soul beasts matching general traits rather than tailored options.
Teachers had limited patience and many students weren't even their personal disciples, so they naturally wouldn't put in too much effort.
As for Yu Xiaogang's so-called soul ring age theory, it probably came from statistical records of the highest tolerated ages per rank—not from actual physiological tests.
And people's bodies? They couldn't be generalized.