A Clever Child

Prayer did nothing. Fang Ling's Martial Soul was terrible—just an ordinary Agricultural Scythe—and his Soul Power was a big fat zero.

Add in his scrawny body and the missing lower half of his left calf, and without the Stats Panel, it would have been the worst possible start.

Yet he had no choice but to walk the path of a Soul Master.

Otherwise, he would have had to find a way to travel a thousand miles to Heaven Dou City and gamble his life on finding Dugu Bo.

Fortunately, the Stats Panel had appeared in time.

The Gray Progress Bar had bloomed with a captivating glow during his Martial Soul awakening.

The deep gray was inconspicuous, but to Fang Ling, struggling as he was, it was like heavenly music suddenly playing beside his ears.

It instantly lifted his spirits.

If there had not been so many people around just now, he might have burst into song.

After waiting a moment, Fang Ling calmed himself and began studying his cheat.

The Stats Panel was simple and offered no further details.

He had no Soul Rings or Soul Bones, so he set those aside for now.

What mattered were the plus signs, talents, and points.

He had originally had one point. It should have been the little dot that appeared after the Gray Progress Bar filled up.

The Gray Progress Bar was now empty again, increasing at an extremely slow pace.

After Fang Ling had spent that point on Soul Power, raising it by one, the points section had become 0.

The plus signs beside both Soul Power and Martial Soul had changed from bright gray to dim and lifeless.

Remembering this, he kept turning it over in his mind. One point for one level?

Wouldn't that mean he could become a god outright with a hundred points?

It was a wonderful thought, but anyone could tell with their ass that it was absolutely impossible.

Every time a Soul Master advanced by one ring, the Soul Power required increased. The further one went, the harder it became.

More likely—

Before obtaining a Soul Ring and becoming a Soul Master, one point raised one level.

Once he became a Soul Master later on, he would naturally be able to verify that guess.

Based on the information he currently had, the Progress Bar took a year to fill and granted one point.

That meant he could raise one level per year.

If he relied solely on automatically accumulating points, it would take ten years just to reach the first ring!

He had no idea what would happen afterward. With the world changing so drastically, he might die to some unexplained AOE at any moment.

In the end, he had to seize his own fate.

Besides cultivating on his own, he had to find other ways to gain points.

Fang Ling shifted his attention and stared at the talents section.

The most eye-catching words were naturally "Martial Soul Innate Specialty."

Talents needed no explanation. They were passive attributes of some kind.

Both Sharpness and Endurance were level 1, and his Martial Soul was also level 1. It was hard not to connect identical levels.

As expected, both were closely related to upgrading his Martial Soul and would rise alongside it.

Soul Rings would also affect the Martial Soul. Choosing suitable Soul Rings might likewise improve them.

Any additional Spirit Talents would probably also depend on Soul Rings.

Since there were Martial Soul talents, could there also be physical and Spiritual Expertise?

Fang Ling guessed there should be.

Besides strengthening the Martial Soul, Soul Rings also enhanced a Soul Master's body. Perhaps they could grant physical or spiritual talents.

Other than that, perhaps persistent training would work as well?

Eating Immortal Herbs should likewise add corresponding talents.

The Fire Immunity and Ice Immunity gained from consuming the Ice and Fire Herbs—what else could they be but obvious talents?

Unfortunately, even though Fang Ling knew the plot, he did not dare go looking for them rashly.

Leaving aside his current lack of strength and the long journey,

Dugu Bo's strange temperament and notorious reputation for being mercurial meant he had to proceed slowly. There was no room for impatience.

As Fang Ling made plans for the future, the crowd outside gradually thinned until no one remained.

He could vaguely hear conversation drifting over.

Having heard them earlier, he recognized the voices at once. They belonged to Su Yuntao and Si Si.

Su Yuntao said, "Today was no good. There weren't any particularly decent Martial Souls. The best was a bat, but its Soul Power was only half a level."

"Although it can become a flying Martial Soul later on, that Soul Power Level is too low. Breaking through level ten will be difficult."

Si Si refuted him. "But doesn't Notting Academy have that so-called 'Master' who was born with half a level of Soul Power yet cultivated to level twenty-nine?"

Because he was famous for his theories and was constantly mocked for freeloading, Gangzi had a certain degree of fame in Notting City, at least.

"Master... His name is Yu Xiaogang. The Yu family name is no simple matter. His background may be quite extraordinary."

"Don't mention him. It's just basic Soul Master knowledge, yet he calls it theory. It brings bad luck just hearing about it."

Su Yuntao and his female companion Si Si ended their conversation and quickly walked inside.

They saw Fang Ling sitting properly indoors, his posture rigid and straight, as though someone were threatening him.

He looked a little foolish, which inexplicably made people feel sorry for him.

"Master Su."

Upon seeing them, Fang Ling hurriedly sprang to his feet.

"Mm, it's fine. Sit."

Su Yuntao gestured with his hand. He had a good impression of this polite child.

Though he was a beggar and crippled in one leg, he carried an inexplicable vitality.

There was light in his eyes, his clothes were clean, and unlike other beggars, he did not stink. His temperament was quite unique.

That was what he said, but Fang Ling certainly would not sit down.

Su Yuntao did not mind. He took out a notebook and began writing. "Your name is Fang Ling, right?"

"Yes. I didn't have a name, so I chose one for myself."

"Where are you from?"

"Of course..."

"Think it through before you answer, kid." Su Yuntao interrupted him.

Fang Ling paused. There was no need for Su Yuntao to interrupt him. There had to be a reason.

What was it?

A work-study student slot!

He vaguely remembered that one could not simply attend a Soul Master Academy whenever they wished.

Even the guard at this Spirit Hall Branch had envied Tang San for being able to attend Notting Academy.

Perhaps it was merely a matter of money, but he happened to be a poor beggar with no money for school.

"Master Su, did you encounter any children with suitable Martial Souls and Soul Power in the villages outside the city this year?"

Martial Soul awakenings in the city happened slightly later than those in the surrounding villages, so the question did not seem abrupt.

"This year was even worse than last year. I didn't encounter a single one." Su Yuntao smiled. This was a clever child.

"I came from Barren Stone Village." Fang Ling recalled the nearby villages, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

"Good. Fang Ling, resident of Barren Stone Village, six years old, Martial Soul: sickle, Innate Soul Power Level One..."

Su Yuntao quickly wrote out a certificate. "With this certificate, you can enroll at Notting Academy and become a work-study student there."

"Thank you, Master Su. I will surely repay today's kindness someday."

Fang Ling deeply engraved it in his heart.

"Heh." Su Yuntao grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "You don't need to repay me. Cultivate well and cast off your status as a beggar."

Fang Ling nodded fiercely, carefully clutching the certificate in his hand as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Go on. There's only one copy, and it won't be replaced if you lose it."

Watching the Little Cripple run off, Si Si was somewhat curious. "Why help him?"

"Perhaps I just don't want to see another beggar added to this world. He's still full of life and vigor. He can still be saved."

Leading respectable women astray, persuading prostitutes to reform.

It was a thought many people shared.

Fang Ling's situation was somewhat similar.

Su Yuntao had a favorable impression of him. He did not want to see him again someday, stripped of that vitality and still looking like a beggar.