Soul Beast Compendium

"Because my Martial Soul underwent a malignant mutation, I was born with only a crippled half-level of Soul Power. I knew I could no longer make progress in cultivation, so I devoted myself to theoretical research."

As he spoke of this, a proud glint flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "Because of that, I possess theoretical knowledge that even Titled Douluo do not have. Long ago, I was called a Theory Master after publishing the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. Now that you know of my achievements, are you still unwilling to take me as your master?"

Xia Liang shook his head again. "I'm unwilling."

"You!" Yu Xiaogang clearly had not expected to be rejected again. His face darkened with displeasure. "Xia Liang, do you know how important theoretical knowledge is? For your Skeleton Martial Soul, I have long devised a cultivation plan aimed at developing you into a Defense System Soul Master. With my theoretical guidance, even if your Skeleton Martial Soul is defective, you can still become the continent's number one defense!"

Xia Liang frowned. "May I ask, Master, if your theoretical guidance is so formidable, is your malignant mutation Martial Soul number one on the continent in some regard?"

"No." Yu Xiaogang hesitated for several seconds before replying, "But I am the continent's number one Theory Master."

"The number one Theory Master who does not even have experience with absorbing a Third Soul Ring?" Xia Liang continued.

Yu Xiaogang froze, unable to refute him for the moment.

"How about this?" Xia Liang abruptly changed the subject. "Master, I previously found a Book of Theory Knowledge Compilation. Although I have since lost that book, I clearly remember the important theories it mentioned. You do not need to take me as your disciple, and I do not need to acknowledge you as my master. We can simply exchange knowledge. What do you think?"

"A Book of Theory Knowledge Compilation?" Yu Xiaogang asked instinctively. "What theories did it contain?"

"One of those theories concerned malignant Martial Soul mutations. The book mentioned that malignant Martial Soul mutations were likely related to the accumulation of Martial Soul Bloodline Impurities."

Meeting Yu Xiaogang's curious gaze, Xia Liang made up nonsense. "Suppose that, beginning with your great-grandparents, Martial Souls were passed down generation after generation until your parents eventually gave birth to you. Then the Martial Soul inheritance within you would actually contain the Martial Soul Bloodlines of countless ancestors."

"Among countless Martial Soul Bloodlines, there might be a return-to-ancestors phenomenon, causing a Grass Chicken Martial Soul to mutate into a phoenix. There could also be two Martial Soul Bloodlines with extremely incompatible properties, such as a Water Attribute Martial Soul Bloodline and a Fire Attribute Martial Soul Bloodline."

"Such irreconcilable water-and-fire Martial Soul Bloodlines are equivalent to impurities. Once too many impurities with conflicting attributes accumulate, they will affect the purity of your Dominant Martial Soul Bloodline, causing it to undergo a malignant mutation."

After hearing this explanation, Yu Xiaogang could not help but draw in a sharp breath. "Dominant Martial Soul Bloodline? What is that?"

Xia Liang smiled. "If you awakened your father's Martial Soul, then the Martial Soul Bloodline you inherited from your father is called the Dominant Martial Soul Bloodline. Your mother's Martial Soul Bloodline, meanwhile, is called recessive. In the future, your grandchildren may awaken the Recessive Martial Soul Bloodline—that is, your mother's Martial Soul."

"Martial Soul Bloodlines can be dominant and recessive?" Yu Xiaogang stared at Xia Liang in astonishment. "Was all this knowledge recorded in that book?"

Xia Liang nodded. "Of course. How could an eight-year-old child like me possibly know these things? Besides the theory of malignant Martial Soul mutations, that book recorded other theories as well. Master, if you want to know more—"

"Fine. You want to exchange knowledge? I agree."

Before Xia Liang could finish, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly asked, "What knowledge do you want to exchange with me?"

"Soul Beast Knowledge." Xia Liang raised three fingers. "I'll trade four theories mentioned in that book for one Soul Beast Book. What do you think?"

"Soul Beast Books are precious resources no matter where you are. Even I cannot produce a complete Soul Beast Book to trade with you. However, if you want a copy of a Soul Beast Book, I do have one."

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang took out a book several centimeters thick from his Belt Soul Tool.

There were only a few simple words on the cover: Soul Beast Compendium.

Yu Xiaogang shook the book in his hand and said, "Compared to the original, this copy lacks illustrations of every Soul Beast. However, the Soul Beast Knowledge recorded within is identical to the original. If you can accept that, I'll use it to exchange for the theories you obtained from that book."

Seeing the Soul Beast Compendium offered before him, Xia Liang was secretly overjoyed.

Yu Xiaogang might have been unreliable in theory, but most of his Soul Beast Knowledge came from the Spirit Hall Library and was the real deal.

Attaching the nine most suitable Soul Rings to the Skeleton Martial Soul required extensive Soul Beast Knowledge, which was why Xia Liang had proposed exchanging theories with Yu Xiaogang.

In truth, there had never been any Book of Theory Knowledge Compilation. The dominant and recessive Martial Soul Bloodlines he had just described were nothing more than nonsense he had made up through the power of his own musings.

Trading made-up theories for a copied Soul Beast Book from Yu Xiaogang was definitely not a loss.

Besides, Yu Xiaogang would use those made-up theories to ruin Tang San.

If Tang San were ruined by Yu Xiaogang, then perhaps there would be one fewer competitor for the opportunity to become a god in the future.

"Master, may I look through this Soul Beast Compendium first?" Xia Liang asked tentatively.

Yu Xiaogang nodded.

Taking the Soul Beast Compendium handed to him, Xia Liang carefully leafed through every page.

It recorded information on all kinds of high-grade Soul Beasts, including the high-grade fire-type Soul Beast King of Earth mentioned in the original work, as well as Death Demon Spiders and even the top-tier Death Spider Emperor.

Dark Demon Evil God Tiger? Xia Liang was inwardly startled. This Soul Beast Compendium actually contained information on the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, as well as top-tier Soul Beasts with Ancient Bloodlines like the Titan Giant Ape and the Flame Lord.

Perhaps only Spirit Hall's millennia of accumulated heritage could contain records on Soul Beasts with Ancient Bloodlines.

This Soul Beast Compendium had most likely been copied by Yu Xiaogang from the Spirit Hall Library.

With it, he would no longer have to worry about lacking Soul Beast Knowledge in the future.

"Besides common Soul Beasts, it records many precious and rare types of Soul Beasts, encompassing knowledge related to the vast majority of known Soul Beasts."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Xia Liang with blazing eyes. "Well? I'll use this Soul Beast Compendium to exchange for the theories mentioned in that book. You can accept that, right?"

"I can." Xia Liang closed the Soul Beast Compendium and smiled mysteriously. "Of the theories mentioned in that book, there are four that left the deepest impression on me, along with some concepts that Soul Masters across the continent have never heard of. Master, listen carefully."

"The first theory is that Soul Masters can grow stronger through theory, but if they blindly pursue theory without strengthening themselves, then such Soul Masters are destined to remain useless until old age."

"The second theory is that under certain special circumstances, a Soul Master's Martial Soul may mutate into Tool Beast Integration. Tool Beast Integration means that a single Martial Soul can possess the two forms of a Tool Martial Soul and a Beast Martial Soul."

"The third theory is that every Martial Soul has the potential to be cultivated into a top-tier Martial Soul. Even the most useless Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul can become a top existence in some aspect if it finds the right direction for cultivation. Everyone is born with a purpose; that is the principle."

"The fourth theory is that the Poison Attribute can turn any Martial Soul into a highly offensive combat-type Martial Soul."

"For example, although the weakest Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul breaks easily and possesses no offensive power of its own, if Poison Attribute Soul Rings are added to turn it into Poison Grass, it becomes dangerous and gains offensive capability."