Third Soul Skill

The Frigid Mane Lion suddenly jerked to a halt, then threw its entire body backward, barely managing to regain its balance. It no longer dared to attack recklessly and instead looked at the Ice Mist with lingering fear.

That staff strike had reminded it of its days in the Star Dou Great Forest, when giant pythons would occasionally leap out from the grass and launch similar surprise attacks.

As the Ice Mist gradually dispersed, Wang Nan's figure appeared once more, meeting the Frigid Mane Lion's gaze.

Taking a deep breath, his newly acquired Third Soul Ring finally lit up for the first time.

Wang Nan gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff tightly with both hands, held it upright before him, and then drove it forcefully into the ground.

As the Purple Soul Ring flashed, cracks spread from where the Coiling Dragon Staff struck the earth. The entire Beast Fighting Arena seemed to boil like the surface of water as chunks of rock surged up from underground, rapidly spreading outward with Wang Nan at the center.

Third Soul Skill—Mountain Surge.

With the ground constantly rising and falling beneath its feet, the Frigid Mane Lion could no longer remain where it was. It could only leap about in disarray, struggling to keep from falling while dodging the stones hurtling toward it one after another.

And because of that, it had no time to deal with Wang Nan charging straight at it.

Wang Nan first brought his staff down from above onto the Frigid Mane Lion's head, then spun around and thrust the staff one-handed toward its chest and abdomen. Finally, the Coiling Dragon Staff swept horizontally into its waist.

Three staff strikes came in the span of a few breaths. With a howl, it landed at the edge of the Beast Fighting Arena, then quickly scrambled up and ran toward the iron gate. It knew that as long as it reached that place, it would not have to take any more blows.

The assessment referee appeared in time and stopped Wang Nan.

"The assessment is over. You may put away your martial soul."

Two teachers appeared on the other side as well and locked the Frigid Mane Lion back up. It had already lost any will to resist, so it did not take much time.

After the teachers on the raised platform discussed things for a few moments, Du Weilun's voice carried over from afar.

"Wang Nan, for choosing a thousand-year Soul Beast, your base score is one hundred points. The Frigid Mane Lion lost its will to fight, and Wang Nan achieved a complete victory, earning full marks for combat technique. However, you initially misjudged the Soul Beast's intelligence and were briefly placed in danger, so ten points are deducted. Final score: one hundred and forty points. Assessment passed."

Although it was not a perfect score, one hundred and forty points still reset the highest record for the second-year assessments, causing an uproar among the surrounding students.

Wang Nan gave the raised platform a slight nod before leaving the Beast Fighting Arena.

"Not bad."

When Wang Nan returned to his class's group, Sun He praised him from the side. But then his tone shifted. "However, have you forgotten the first lesson I taught you?"

Wang Nan thought carefully and quickly remembered that Sun He's first lesson had been during the entrance assessment.

"Looks like you remember. If you don't pay attention in class, then your punishment will be to find time to come here more often in the future." Sun He chuckled before adding, "Although the academy will not arrange practical Soul Beast combat classes until you reach fourth year, lower-year students can apply voluntarily as well. You are a Core Disciple, so the academy will not refuse."

"I understand." Wang Nan nodded in agreement. More practical combat here would make it easier for him to deal with Soul Beasts when absorbing Soul Rings in the future.

"You can head back first. The Promotion Assessment will last another two days, so consider it a holiday."

There were more than four hundred second-year students in Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, with Assault Type and Control Type students accounting for nearly half of them.

Even if the assessments continued day and night without pause, so many students would still require an entire day and night. And that did not account for time to eat, sleep, and rest, so holding the Promotion Assessment over three days was already a fairly tight arrangement.

"Then I'll be leaving first. Goodbye, Teacher Sun."

After bidding Sun He farewell, Wang Nan planned to return to his dormitory. However, just as he left the Beast Fighting Zone, he saw someone waiting for him.

"We meet again, Junior Brother Wang. Congratulations on passing the assessment."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Lin. You came here to...?"

"I originally wanted to observe your assessment and familiarize myself with your fighting style so I could design a Soul Tool for you. But now that I've seen your strength, I feel even less confident."

Before Wang Nan could say anything, Lin Xiao had already begun consoling herself. "Forget it. I was supposed to be eliminated anyway. It is already good enough that I have this opportunity. I'll just do my best."

"Junior Brother Wang, may I ask roughly what effects your first and second Soul Skills have?"

Wang Nan's first and second Soul Skills both enhanced himself, so they did not have any especially obvious manifestations. Teachers specializing in Soul Skill research might be able to infer their effects by calculating Wang Nan's strength and speed, but as a Soul Engineer, Lin Xiao could not guess them.

Wang Nan did not hide anything and told her truthfully.

Yet after listening, Lin Xiao's brows furrowed even more deeply.

"As expected of a Core Disciple from the Martial Soul Department, I have no way of helping you increase your combat power by twenty percent in terms of offense. And your fighting style requires both hands to wield your martial soul, so Soul Tools like shields that occupy both hands would not suit you either. It seems I can only think of something to wear on your body."

"Actually, I have a shortcut in mind." Wang Nan recalled his fight with Ma Xiaotao in the Star Dou Great Forest that day. In a direct confrontation, he had not actually been inferior to Ma Xiaotao, but she had been able to use her aerial advantage to injure him.

"If there were a Soul Tool that could carry me into the air, the increase would already exceed twenty percent."

"A Flying Soul Tool?" Lin Xiao shook her head. "Leaving aside the fact that Flying Soul Tools can only sustain flight once one's Soul Power reaches Soul Ancestor, their size would also affect your close-range combat. They would only become a burden."

"No, Senior Sister, that's not what I mean." Wang Nan explained, "I actually have a Flying Soul Tool. I secretly studied it when I had time. Its principle is to send Soul Power into the core formation to generate thrust, then adjust its wings to achieve flight."

"What I need is not a complete Flying Soul Tool, but a Soul Tool that can generate thrust and let me remain suspended in the air briefly. It would be even better if it could adjust direction in the air and allow me to move."

"You mean a Soul Tool Thruster?"

Lin Xiao's words stunned Wang Nan. "That kind of thing already exists?"

"Of course it does. The lowest-level Soul Tool Thruster is a Level Two Soul Tool. I could make one two years ago."

Wang Nan was shocked when he heard that.

Why hasn't something so useful become widespread?

On Douluo Continent, aside from certain flying-type martial souls, Soul Masters could not fly before reaching the Soul Saint rank. Even after becoming Soul Saints, they could only remain in the air briefly. Only eight-ring Soul Douluo could hover, and only Titled Douluo could fly for extended periods.

Yet a Soul Tool Thruster could allow a Soul Master to briefly remain in the air, granting them the ability of a Soul Saint. Such a useful Soul Tool had never been seen in use.