The First Soul Skill, Bow Body Charging Beast Arrow

"Sit cross-legged and circulate your Soul Power," Cao Wei said from behind him. "Use your Soul Power to draw in the Soul Ring. Don't resist it."

Jiang Wu did as she said, sitting down and placing the dagger on his knees. He closed his eyes and mobilized his Soul Power to draw in the Soul Ring.

Drawn by his Soul Power, the Yellow Soul Ring entered Jiang Wu's body.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Wu successfully absorbed the Four-Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

[Successful absorption of the First Soul Ring detected. Beginning enhancement of the First Soul Ring.]

[First Soul Ring · Waist Bow has been enhanced into Bow Body Charging Beast Arrow.]

"Bow Body Charging Beast Arrow?"

Looking at the enhanced Soul Skill, Jiang Wu grew curious about what his First Soul Skill did.

He hadn't read the Douluo Continent comic since starting middle school, so he didn't know what Mu Fengchun's remade version did.

With that thought, Jiang Wu got up from the ground and used his First Soul Skill, Bow Body Charging Beast Arrow.

Jiang Wu bent his legs slightly, Soul Power circulating through his body. The warm power traveled down his meridians and gathered in his right leg.

He kicked out suddenly.

A solid arrow of Soul Power shot through the air. The instant it left his leg, it swelled and transformed into the phantom of a rhinoceros clad head to hoof in purple armor, with white jade on its forehead. Its four hooves pounded the ground as it charged forward with the low rumble of rolling thunder.

Bang-

The purple-armored, white-jade rhinoceros slammed into an old tree as thick as a bucket. The trunk burst apart on impact, wood chips flew, and the entire tree slowly toppled with an ear-splitting crack.

Jiang Wu froze.

Cao Wei froze too.

Jiang Nannan opened her mouth but couldn't get a word out for a long while.

Wait, wasn't the First Soul Skill provided by a Soft Bone Rabbit supposed to be Waist Bow?

Why was her little brother's First Soul Skill different from hers?

The break in the tree was jagged, as though some enormous creature had smashed straight into it. Splintered wood lay scattered across the ground.

"This..." Cao Wei hurried over to the broken stump and crouched to examine it closely. Her fingers brushed over the residual Soul Power fluctuations on the broken surface, her expression growing increasingly grave. "A First Soul Skill shouldn't be this powerful."

Cao Wei stood and turned to Jiang Wu, her gaze sharp. "What is this First Soul Skill of yours called?"

Jiang Wu answered truthfully, "Bow Body Charging Beast Arrow."

His First Soul Skill retained the enhancement effect of Waist Bow.

In other words, his First Soul Skill was equivalent to two Soul Skills.

Cao Wei frowned slightly.

In all her years, she had met quite a few Soul Masters with Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Souls. Most of their First Soul Skills were Waist Bow.

This was the first time she had seen such a powerful Soul Skill. It was stronger than many people's Third Soul Skills.

Cao Wei looked at Jiang Wu and asked, "Did anything unusual happen when you awakened your Martial Soul?"

"No." Jiang Wu shook his head. "It awakened normally. The deacon said my Martial Soul was a Soft Bone Rabbit, with Innate Full Soul Power."

Cao Wei stared at him for a few seconds but didn't press further. She was a clever woman and knew some secrets shouldn't be probed too deeply.

"Either way, this is a good thing." Cao Wei looked away, her tone returning to its usual coolness. "Your First Soul Ring is already this powerful, so the road ahead of you will be much wider than an ordinary person's. But remember, no matter how strong a Soul Skill is, your foundation is still your Soul Power Level. Don't neglect your cultivation just because your Soul Skill is powerful."

Jiang Wu nodded earnestly. "I'll remember."

Cao Wei said no more and turned toward the edge of the woods. "Let's go. We should leave the forest before dark. Nights in the Soul Hunting Forest aren't peaceful."

Jiang Nannan followed behind, holding Jiang Wu's hand. She leaned close to his ear and lowered her voice. "Xiao Wu, tell me honestly. Are you hiding something from me?"

Jiang Wu's heart tightened. "No."

"Your eyes drift to the left every time you lie." Jiang Nannan narrowed her eyes.

Jiang Wu immediately fixed his gaze straight ahead.

Jiang Nannan snorted but didn't press him further. She merely tightened her grip on his wrist, as though afraid he would run away.

The three of them left the Soul Hunting Forest. The carriage was still waiting outside the waystation.

Cao Wei exchanged a few words with the coachman and paid the fare, then turned to Jiang Nannan. "I have something else to do, so you two head back on your own. Be careful on the road."

Jiang Nannan nodded. "Thank you, Teacher Cao."

Cao Wei waved a hand, then vanished in a flash into the woods beside the main road, moving with incredible speed.

The carriage swayed along on the way back.

Jiang Nannan looked at Jiang Wu and said, "Xiao Wu, once we're back, register at the academy. You'll be able to get a subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin every month."

Jiang Wu nodded. "Yeah, got it."

He was a little surprised. He had thought there was no subsidy, but it turned out to be the same as in the Douluo I era: one Gold Soul Coin a month.

After thinking it over carefully, he recalled that Tang Ya had mentioned it. By the Peerless Tang Sect era, the subsidies were distributed by the individual academies, but she hadn't specified how much they paid.

Early the next morning, when the sky was barely beginning to lighten, Jiang Nannan pulled Jiang Wu out of bed.

"Get up. We still have to collect your subsidy after registering at the academy. If we go late, there'll be a crowd."

Jiang Wu sat up, rubbing his eyes. Outside the window, the sky had only just turned fish-belly white, but he could already hear Su Yuehua lighting the fire and cooking in the courtyard.

He got dressed and went out. Jiang Nannan was in the courtyard, stretching her arms and legs, the morning light falling on her. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail.

"Mom, we're leaving."

Su Yuehua poked her head out of the kitchen, a spatula still in her hand. "Be careful on the road. Go early and come back early."

Dongxing City Academy stood in the eastern part of the city and occupied a vast area. Its walls, built of bluestone, stood a full two zhang high.

Jiang Nannan led Jiang Wu into the academy and went straight to the academic affairs building.

The academic affairs building was a small, three-story building. Several long tables stood in the ground-floor hall, where a few teachers were handling their work.

Jiang Nannan walked to the table on the far left and bowed slightly to the middle-aged woman sitting behind it. "Teacher Zhang, I've brought my little brother to register his Martial Soul information."

Teacher Zhang looked up and glanced Jiang Wu over, then looked at Jiang Nannan. A faint smile appeared on her face. "You're Jiang Nannan, aren't you? Cao Wei mentioned you. This is your little brother?"

"Yes. His name is Jiang Wu. He awakened his Martial Soul a few days ago, with Innate Full Soul Power, and obtained his Soul Ring just yesterday."

Teacher Zhang's pen paused. She took another look at Jiang Wu, her tone growing more serious. "Innate Full Soul Power? What's his Martial Soul?"

"Soft Bone Rabbit."

Teacher Zhang nodded, opened the register on the table, and began writing. "Name: Jiang Wu. Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit. Innate Soul Power: rank ten. First Soul Ring: obtained."

"All done." Deacon Zhang put down her pen, took a Gold Soul Coin from a drawer, and held it out to Jiang Wu. "This is this month's subsidy. Come collect it at the beginning of each month from now on. Keep the Gold Soul Coin safe. Don't lose it."

Jiang Wu accepted the gold coin and thanked her earnestly.

After leaving the academic affairs building, Jiang Nannan took Jiang Wu on a tour of the academy, pointing out the training grounds, the cafeteria, and the library.

"When you have free time, you can come read in the library. Most of the books are on basic theory, but they'll help you understand Martial Souls and Soul Beasts." Jiang Nannan pushed open the library's wooden door.

Bookshelves filled the interior,

and a handful of students sat reading by the windows.