Upon hearing this, Dai Chengfeng's expression turned serious, and all distracting thoughts vanished from his mind.
So it was about the soul rings—this was indeed the most important matter at hand.
He nodded. "I see. The selection of soul rings is crucial, and we must deliberate carefully."
Seeing this, High Priest Zhu Hongye continued: "The Great Star Dou Forest is fraught with danger. Although I will be accompanying you to provide protection, I cannot cover every possible scenario."
"Having a clear goal will reduce unnecessary time spent in the outer regions and mixed zones, thereby lowering risks."
"Moreover, both Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena have special circumstances."
"I've heard that they've consumed some pills you provided…"
"Not only have their physical attributes, meridian resilience, and even spiritual power been greatly enhanced, but they far surpass ordinary soul masters of the same level."
"The maximum years of soul rings they can absorb must also be reevaluated according to your standards—they cannot be measured by the usual criteria for soul masters?"
Dai Chengfeng nodded. "That's correct. Their soul ring years can absolutely be increased by several thousand without any issue."
"Using ordinary year standards to measure their current potential would be a waste and might even limit their future growth ceiling."
Zhu Hongye gave a slight nod and asked: "It seems you already have some ideas?"
"What suggestions do you have regarding the soul ring choices for Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena, especially in terms of years?"
Though she was powerful and knowledgeable, Zhu Hongye valued Dai Chengfeng's unexpected yet highly effective insights and was willing to hear his opinions.
Dai Chengfeng didn't answer immediately. Instead, he first turned to Zhu Zhuqing, thought for a moment, and then began:
"Zhu Zhuqing, your martial soul is the Nether Spirit Cat, and you are an agility-based attack-type soul master."
"Your first two soul skills, 'Nether Rush Stab' and 'Nether Hundred Claws,' are extremely powerful close-range single-target attacks."
"I believe your third soul ring should continue to strengthen this direction, but we could also add some functional enhancements, such as…"
"A sudden increase in speed?"
In his previous life, Zhu Zhuqing's third soul skill had been "Nether Decapitation," which was strong but…
Dai Chengfeng felt that it would be better to let Zhu Zhuqing learn some augmentative-type soul skills earlier.
After all, she already had "Nether Rush Stab" and "Nether Hundred Claws" as attack-type skills, so she wasn't lacking in offensive capabilities.
The utility of "Nether Decapitation" was quite limited.
Across from him, Zhu Zhuqing listened attentively, her cold eyes shimmering with thoughtful light. She nodded slightly:
"I understand."
Seeing this, Dai Chengfeng continued: "As for the years…"
"According to traditional theory, the limit for the third soul ring is around 1,700 years."
"But considering your body has been tempered by the medicinal effects of the pills I gave you, I believe you are fully capable of attempting to absorb a soul ring between 3,500 to 4,000 years!"
"This is nearly double the usual limit. Though there will be risks, the rewards will also be immense, significantly strengthening your foundation."
"Over 3,000 years?"
Before Zhu Zhuqing could respond, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but gasp, covering her mouth with her hands.
She knew that a third soul ring lasting over 1,000 years was already considered the mark of a genius. Yet here was Dai Chengfeng suggesting nearly the upper limit for a fourth soul ring—it was shocking, to say the least.
For a moment, her eyes sparkled with an unusual light as she gazed at Dai Chengfeng.
"What kind of pill did Dai Chengfeng give Zhu Zhuqing? Its effects are incredible!"
"If my third soul ring could also exceed 3,000 years, my father, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone would surely drop their jaws in shock. Hehe~"
Ning Rongrong seemed lost in her fantasy, unable to suppress a silly grin.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng, seeing Ning Rongrong's "dumbfounded happiness," roughly understood what she was thinking.
To be honest, he had considered giving her whale glue and immortal herbs.
After all, the smooth maturation of his Four Symbols Five Elements Lotus owed much to Ning Rongrong and Ning Fengzhi's assistance.
Dai Chengfeng was not ungrateful; he simply hadn't mentioned the immortal herbs before because if he had given them to her abruptly, she might have suspected ulterior motives…
"Now, it seems the timing is right…"
For a moment, Dai Chengfeng appeared deep in thought.
On the other side, Zhu Hongye remained unaware of what Dai Chengfeng was contemplating. After hearing his analysis of Zhu Zhuqing, she nodded slightly without objection.
"A 4,000-year soul ring poses a significant challenge, but considering Zhu Zhuqing's willpower and physical foundation, the success rate should be above 70%. It can be prioritized as our target."
"As for the type of spirit beast, we should lean toward agile types like Nether Tigers or Shadow Leopards, known for their speed and attack prowess, or special spirit beasts with Shadow or Nether attributes. These may produce more compatible soul skills."
Dai Chengfeng nodded: "High Priest, your considerations are thorough."
After discussing Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Chengfeng turned his gaze to Hu Liena:
"Nana, your martial soul is the Charming Fox, and you are a control-type soul master with exceptional spiritual talent."
"Your first four soul skills focus more on charm and illusion-based mental control."
"For your fifth soul ring, I believe there are two directions for enhancement."
"One, deepen your mental control abilities—for example, acquiring a more powerful, wide-ranging group charm skill that can affect multiple targets simultaneously."
"Two, consider supplementing your survivability or supporting attack capabilities, such as a short-distance teleportation skill or a powerful single-target mental attack skill for critical moments when you need to incapacitate an enemy instantly."
Hu Liena's alluring eyes gleamed with interest. She clearly found Dai Chengfeng's analysis intriguing and smiled as she asked:
"Which direction do you prefer more?"
Dai Chengfeng pondered for a moment before replying: "From a long-term perspective and considering team synergy, I slightly favor the first direction—a powerful group control skill."
"A top-tier control-type soul master plays a decisive role in a team."
"Of course, the second direction would also greatly enhance your individual capabilities."
"It depends on which aspect you value more and what kind of spirit beasts we encounter in practice."
Hu Liena nodded, accepting the analysis.
Dai Chengfeng continued: "As for the years, the theoretical limit for the fifth soul ring is around 12,000 years."
"But for your fifth soul ring, I believe you can confidently aim for spirit beasts between 15,000 to 18,000 years!"
"Even more, if the spirit beast is particularly compatible, a 20,000-year soul ring might not be out of the question!"
This number once again made Ning Rongrong gasp in shock.
After all, apart from Dai Chengfeng, who else could absorb a fifth soul ring nearing 20,000 years? This was unheard of!
By now, the approximate soul ring types and years for the two women had been decided, and they both turned their gazes toward Dai Chengfeng.
"Chengfeng, do you have any plans for your sixth soul ring?"
Dai Chengfeng smiled faintly, and a flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes: "High Priest, I have a very clear target in mind for my sixth soul ring!"
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