Soul Skill

Three hours later.

Shi Yi could now clearly sense that the influx of external energy had disappeared. He slowly opened his eyes.

Noticing Shi Yi stirring, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San curiously walked over. Shi Yi slowly rose to his feet. Having absorbed the Soul Ring, he felt as though he had been reborn. He had grown a little taller, and the world before his eyes seemed clearer. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be a genius?

Brimming with vitality, full of inner reserves, sharp ears and clear eyes, his spirit whole and his energy abundant.

"How do you feel?" Yu Xiaogang's voice sounded beside Shi Yi's ear.

Shi Yi looked at his hands in disbelief. "I feel great. Incredibly great. My body seems to have undergone changes unlike anything before, and the whole world feels different."

Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly and said with emotion, "Xiao Yi, congratulations. You succeeded."

Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang in confusion, while Shi Yi smiled and nodded. Indeed, he had succeeded. He had successfully broken the shackles restricting Soul Masters through Innate Soul Power.

How could Yu Xiaogang fail to understand Shi Yi's feelings? Shi Yi was different from Tang San. For a naturally gifted person like Tang San, absorbing a Soul Ring merely gave his Martial Soul certain traits, a Soul Skill, and an infusion of Soul Power.

For Shi Yi, however, it was an entirely different matter. Soul Masters with low Innate Soul Power were inherently limited by their talent, so every Soul Ring held immense value. Soul Rings transformed a Soul Master's body greatly. For highly gifted Soul Masters, this was only a minute improvement, but for Shi Yi, whose Innate Soul Power had only been level one, it could rightly be called a transformation.

The Twelve Meridians merely sorted and cleared the meridians, but a Soul Ring's enhancement of a Soul Master was comprehensive in every aspect.

Yu Xiaogang had personally experienced this feeling himself.

"What Soul Skill did you gain?" Yu Xiaogang asked with a smile.

Shi Yi wore a helpless expression. "What Soul Skill could a Thousand Jun Ant possibly give me? Strength Increase 150%."

Tang San was startled inwardly at Shi Yi's words. His strength would surge by more than double in an instant, while his own First Soul Skill merely imbued his Martial Soul with an intense aura of sharpness. Why does Senior Disciple Brother seem so unhappy about it?

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Not bad. Although a status skill is not ideal for a Living Martial Soul, at least the Thousand Jun Ant was compatible enough with your Martial Soul to provide such a high value."

Tang San asked Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, isn't this skill powerful?"

Seeing Tang San's confusion, Yu Xiaogang explained, "If Xiao Yi's Martial Soul were a normal Beast Martial Soul with a possession state, this would undoubtedly be a powerful skill. The value is high, and as a low-level Soul Skill, it consumes little Soul Power. But for a Living Mutation Martial Soul, it is rather ordinary. For example, if Xiao Yi fought a normal Beast Soul Master, his opponent would be in a Beast Soul Possession state. Even if Xiao Yi's strength doubled under the Martial Soul's enhancement, he still could not defeat a Soul Master in Beast Soul Possession. And if his opponent also possessed a similar enhancement skill, there would be even less to say."

Tang San looked enlightened. If Shi Yi possessed martial arts like his own, the effects of that 150% increase in strength would naturally be self-evident. But his Senior Disciple Brother was merely an ordinary child. It truly was less practical than a normal offensive Soul Skill.

"However, Xiao Yi has his own period of explosive growth. If he can cultivate to the Soul Saint level, then as his Martial Soul continues to grow, he will be able to unleash tremendous power. Xiao San, do you know the principle behind Soul Masters hunting Soul Beasts?" Yu Xiaogang asked Tang San.

Tang San shook his head. Yu Xiaogang pointed to the Dean beside them. "To hunt Soul Beasts at the hundred-year level for you, I asked the Dean to assist us. Hundred-year Soul Beasts correspond to the ranks of Soul Masters and Soul Grand Masters. To take down a hundred-year Soul Beast without fail, one must at least surpass it by an entire rank. If Xiao Yi can cultivate to the Soul Saint level, then with the cooperative combat traits of a Living Martial Soul, it will be difficult for anyone of the same rank to defeat your Senior Disciple Brother."

Tang San nodded slightly. Indeed, in terms of external conditions such as size and strength, humans find it difficult to defeat Soul Beasts of the same rank. Even the Dean's Martial Soul does not have the most optimal Soul Ring configuration. Senior Disciple Brother's Martial Soul advantages will become incredibly prominent at higher levels, because higher levels mean greater intelligence, larger bodies, greater strength, and faster speed.

If fighting someone with Twin Martial Souls was like facing an opponent wielding two immensely powerful weapons, then Shi Yi's situation was more like fighting two opponents.

Yu Xiaogang looked at Shi Yi, a trace of anticipation flashing through his eyes. He had studied his own Martial Soul for so many years, yet this was the first time he had seen its strength reflected in Shi Yi. He wanted to know whether Shi Yi could use his wisdom and knowledge to strengthen himself while turning Little Ant from a Martial Soul into one that truly possessed thoughts.

Shi Yi fell into deep thought. Yu Xiaogang's example had just inspired him. Since ordinary Beast Souls could possess their masters, could a Living Martial Soul obtain the skill—or perhaps the ability—of Beast Soul Possession through other means?

"What is it? What are you thinking about?" Yu Xiaogang's voice sounded by Shi Yi's ear, pulling him back to reality.

"I was thinking, since normal Beast Souls can possess their masters, there is no reason a Living Beast Soul with greater intelligence should be unable to do so. If possession truly is impossible, could we use other methods or means to achieve possession by a Living Beast Soul? For example, through study, Soul Ring skills, Soul Bone skills..." Shi Yi slowly voiced his thoughts.

Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up at his words. This truly was a good direction for research.

"All right, let's head back first. You can study this question properly when we return," Yu Xiaogang said to Shi Yi.

A glint flashed through Tang San's eyes as he looked at Shi Yi. Senior Disciple Brother's ideas are always so unexpected, yet they never feel impossible. He truly possesses an acuity in theoretical research that ordinary people can hardly match.

Shi Yi nodded slightly.

They soon cleaned up the area and headed out of the forest. Before long, they arrived at the bustling market, rented a carriage, and set off toward Nuoding City.

By the following morning, they had returned to Nuoding City.

"Xiao Yi, Xiao San, you can now go to Nuoding City and undergo a Soul Master assessment. First, it will test your current Soul Power. Second, it will officially register you with Spirit Hall. Afterward, you can collect a monthly subsidy. That way, you will have your own income and no longer need to be Work-Study Students," Yu Xiaogang said to Shi Yi and Tang San.

Tang San nodded slightly, while Shi Yi teased with a meaningful smile, "Teacher, surely I haven't eaten you into poverty? Does it really look right for the disciples of the great Master to collect Soul Master subsidies?"

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. "Go or don't go, as you please. One Gold Soul Coin per month. Soul Grand Masters receive ten, and Soul Elders receive one hundred."

Tang San's eyes lit up. He was precisely in need of money to forge hidden weapons. Shi Yi smiled ingratiatingly. "We'll go. I was only joking. Why refuse free money? Suddenly, staying a Soul Elder forever doesn't sound so bad—one hundred Gold Soul Coins every month."

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened even further. He suddenly felt that he should not have told Shi Yi about the Soul Master subsidies.

"You know Nuoding City well enough. Take Xiao San with you," Yu Xiaogang said irritably to Shi Yi.

With that, Tang San got off the carriage with Shi Yi.

Rather than taking Tang San straight to Spirit Hall, Shi Yi wandered through the city. Realizing this, Tang San could not help growing anxious.

"Senior Disciple Brother, we should hurry to Spirit Hall," Tang San said.

Shi Yi smiled, slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders, and teased, "What? Missing your little girlfriend?"

Tang San froze slightly. The image of Xiao Wu making up their beds appeared in his mind, and his gaze instinctively shifted away. "...What little girlfriend?"

Tang San's question came out slightly stammered, his voice carrying a faint tremor as a blush gradually climbed across his youthful face.

Shi Yi could not help bursting into laughter at Tang San's appearance, though he did not say anything more.

After wandering around Nuoding City for a while, Shi Yi quickly grew bored. Compared with modern society, this world was still far behind in terms of civilization.

So Shi Yi simply took Tang San directly to Spirit Hall's branch in Nuoding City.

On Douluo Continent, whether in the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire, the Spirit Hall in any city would be one of that city's landmark buildings.

Having received a modern education, Shi Yi naturally understood the purpose of these Spirit Halls. Their most direct purpose was to plunder local resources through their enormous power.

In truth, Spirit Hall had developed to the point where it had, in a sense, already unified the continent. Nearly every city had a Spirit Hall, and even conflicts between the two great empires were mediated by Spirit Hall. The fact that it could freely interfere in the internal affairs of both empires through its own power showed just how formidable it was.

Many people said that Bibi Dong unifying the continent would be a good thing, but Shi Yi held a different view. Whether unifying the continent was good or bad depended on Bibi Dong's purpose.

Soul Masters were fundamentally a group of people who did not engage in production yet possessed extraordinary power. If the continent were compared to a cake, Spirit Hall would be the one eating the largest slice without doing any work.

In Shi Yi's understanding, Soul Masters were all busy cultivating. No one spoke of developing productive forces. How could the subsidies distributed to Soul Masters possibly be sustained by Spirit Hall's own small territory alone?

If Bibi Dong wished to unify the continent and reasonably use the power of Soul Masters to develop productive forces, then such unification would be a good thing. But if it was merely so she could keep everything for herself, then it would not represent much progress. Instead, war would only cause more people to die.

In Shi Yi's view, Spirit Hall's current method of taking dividends from across the continent was already quite good. It did not need to govern nations or develop local regions. It only needed to sit back and collect money and recruits. If not for making society more progressive, Shi Yi believed that, purely from the perspective of factional development, Spirit Hall would remain the strongest force even ten thousand years later if it continued under its current model.

Thinking of this, Shi Yi glanced at Tang San. Of course, the only variable was this Junior Disciple Brother of his. Even if Bibi Dong had no intention of unifying the continent, once Tang San rose to power, he would choose to destroy Spirit Hall. After all, the conflict between Tang San and Spirit Hall was fundamentally irreconcilable. Naturally, there would be no right or wrong in it.

I wonder which side I will ultimately stand on, Shi Yi thought.

Shi Yi had considered this question long ago, but he understood that he was insignificant and his words carried little weight. He could not change anyone. Was coming to Yu Xiaogang and Tang San not also being swept along by fate? He knew there were benefits here, so he had come. All of this had been arranged by fate. As for how fate would arrange his future, he did not know. Even though he knew Tang San's growth and the course of everything related to Tang San, he could not foresee what choice his future self would make.

"Stop. You two little ones, this is Spirit Hall. You cannot barge in." Shi Yi and Tang San had just arrived at Spirit Hall when the guard at the entrance stopped them.

Spirit Hall in Nuoding City was a massive domed building. Its front alone was more than a hundred meters wide and twenty meters tall, divided into three floors. The entire building was brown, and the Spirit Hall emblem above the main entrance bore only a single longsword.

"Hello, Uncle. He and I are both students of Nuoding Academy. Our teacher told us to come here for an assessment of our Martial Soul ranks." As Shi Yi spoke, he pointed to his school uniform.

Seeing the Nuoding Academy emblem on Shi Yi and Tang San's uniforms, the guard who had spoken earlier nodded. "I see. Then go on in. Find Soul Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo in the reception hall on the first floor. He will help you."

"Thank you." Shi Yi answered and led Tang San slowly into Spirit Hall.

There were not many people inside Spirit Hall. After asking around, Shi Yi quickly found Master Ma Xiunuo, whom the guard had mentioned, together with Tang San.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two began their Soul Power assessment.

They quickly received their results. Tang San had level thirteen Soul Power, while Shi Yi had only level twelve.

Seeing how young they were, Ma Xiunuo naturally extended an invitation. Shi Yi and Tang San declined as students of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. After collecting their respective subsidies, they left.

After leaving, Shi Yi led Tang San straight back to the academy. Just as they were about to arrive, Tang San suddenly stopped.

Clang, clang, clang...

Not far away stood a tall yet somewhat rough building with a hammer sign. Rhythmic pounding constantly sounded from within. It was a blacksmith shop.

Blacksmith shop... Tang San could not help recalling his father's words. Tang Hao had once told him that he should find work in a blacksmith shop in the future to help support himself.

"What? Xiao San, do you want to become a blacksmith?" Shi Yi asked with a soft laugh.

Tang San nodded slightly. "Blacksmithing is a craft I learned from Father. I do not want to abandon it."

Shi Yi nodded. "Mm, I'm quite interested in it too."

Tang San looked surprised. "Isn't theoretical research what Senior Disciple Brother likes most?"

Shi Yi patted Tang San's shoulder. "Junior Disciple Brother, everything in this world has its own value. Blacksmithing is no exception. Senior Disciple Brother would even like you to teach me how to forge."

With that, Shi Yi smiled and headed toward Nuoding Academy. Tang San immediately jogged after him.