Setting Off for Sunset Forest

On Douluo Continent, whether in prosperous major cities or remote, impoverished mountain villages, Spirit Hall Branches could be found everywhere.

Ye Feng and Xiao Wu quickly found Notting City's landmark building—the Notting City Spirit Hall Branch.

"Stop right there, little ones. You can't just barge in here. This is Spirit Hall."

As Ye Feng and Xiao Wu stepped onto the stairs of Spirit Hall, they were stopped by the guard at the entrance.

"Hello, we're here to have our Martial Souls evaluated," Ye Feng said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" the guard asked skeptically.

"We're sure," Ye Feng replied.

"Fine, go in. Find Master Ma Xiunuo in the reception area on the first floor. He specializes in evaluating Martial Souls for Soul Masters. Remember, you may only go to the first-floor reception area. Once inside, don't wander around." The guard still looked at Ye Feng and Xiao Wu skeptically.

"Alright, Uncle Guard," Ye Feng said with a smile.

Notting City's Spirit Hall was an enormous domed structure over twenty meters tall, with three floors inside. The entire building was brown, and the Spirit Hall emblem above its main entrance consisted of only a single longsword, indicating that this was the lowest-level Spirit Hall Branch.

"Wow, it's so big!"

The moment Xiao Wu entered Spirit Hall, she could not help crying out in surprise. The hall before her was fully three times the size of Notting Academy's cafeteria.

"Xiao Wu, do you like big things?" Ye Feng asked.

"Of course. Who doesn't like big things?" Xiao Wu replied.

"Any kind of thing?" Ye Feng asked teasingly.

"Of course," Xiao Wu answered without a second thought.

As the incarnation of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, Xiao Wu's eyes shifted, and she realized that Ye Feng seemed to be implying something.

"Hahaha."

Hearing Xiao Wu's answer, Ye Feng laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Wu asked.

"Nothing. I just thought that Xiao Wu liked big things too." Ye Feng smiled.

"What are you talking about?" Xiao Wu's eyes shifted again, making her even more certain of her suspicion. Ye Feng's words definitely carried another meaning. Thinking of that possibility, her face could not help flushing. Her gaze drifted downward over Ye Feng's body as she muttered softly, "What would you know, you little brat!"

"Who are you calling little?!" Ye Feng shot back.

"Eh, you're... Ye Feng!"

Just as Ye Feng and Xiao Wu were teasing each other, a familiar voice reached Ye Feng from ahead.

Ye Feng looked toward the voice and saw Su Yuntao walking over. Out of respect, Ye Feng called out, "Uncle Su Yuntao."

"Ye Feng, don't tell me you're here to have your Martial Soul evaluated too?" Su Yuntao asked thoughtfully.

"Yes. Has someone else come to have their Martial Soul evaluated today as well?" Ye Feng asked.

"Yes. What a coincidence. Tang San from your village just came in too. Come, I'll take you to see Ma Xiunuo." After speaking, Su Yuntao led Ye Feng and Xiao Wu into the Great Hall at the end of the corridor.

The Great Hall was huge, covering a full two hundred square meters. Countless fist-sized black stones were embedded in the surrounding walls. At the very center stood a massive blue crystal ball.

Beside the crystal ball stood an old man and a young boy. The young one was Tang San, while the old man was presumably Ma Xiunuo.

"Xiao Wu, Ye Feng."

Tang San froze for a moment and looked at the two of them in surprise. "Are you here to have your Martial Souls evaluated too?"

"Yes." Ye Feng nodded.

"Xiao Wu, why are you still talking to him?" Xiao Wu looked at Tang San unhappily. She was still angry at Tang San.

"Xiao Wu, Tang San is still young. His teacher's abilities are limited as well. We can't blame him for what happened today." In order to better obtain the system's reward, Ye Feng still pleaded with Xiao Wu on Tang San's behalf.

"Hmph." Xiao Wu snorted, clearly still disliking Tang San.

"Ma Xiunuo, this is the child I told you about—the one with Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty, whose Martial Soul is Pear Blossom," Su Yuntao interjected.

"Yuntao, are you sure this child is here for advancement evaluation, not Martial Soul Awakening?" Ma Xiunuo looked at Ye Feng suspiciously.

"I'm sure. I awakened his Martial Soul myself. Please help evaluate him. Si Si and I have a date, so I'll be leaving first." With that, Su Yuntao turned and left the Great Hall.

"Which of you will go first?" Ma Xiunuo's gaze fell on Ye Feng and Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu, you go first." Ye Feng smiled.

"Alright." Xiao Wu nodded, then looked at Ma Xiunuo and asked, "What should I do?"

"Release your Martial Soul and your Soul Ring. Pour your Soul Power into this large crystal ball, and let me see what level you've reached. According to theory, you should be level eleven—"

Before Ma Xiunuo could finish saying "level eleven," his eyes went blank as he stared at Xiao Wu in astonishment.

"Level twelve. Your Soul Power is actually level twelve," Ma Xiunuo exclaimed.

"So it really is level twelve," Xiao Wu murmured to herself. Based on her experience as a soul beast, she had felt that her Soul Power Level should be twelve. The test result was indeed level twelve.

"Child, can you tell me what soul beast you hunted to obtain this Soul Ring?" Ma Xiunuo asked curiously.

"It... it was a Soft Bone Rabbit." Xiao Wu's gaze flickered.

"A Soft Bone Rabbit? No wonder your Soul Power increased by two levels. It was actually a Soft Bone Rabbit, the craftiest of all rabbits. Hmm, it really suits your Martial Soul—they're both rabbits." Ma Xiunuo was greatly surprised, then turned his gaze to Ye Feng. "Your turn, child."

Xiao Wu stood to one side, and Tang San had not left either. Ye Feng did as instructed and released his Martial Soul. His transparent, jade-like Martial Soul now possessed three colors. Its petals bore three patterns: yellow, pale blue, and blue. The three stamens at its center had likewise become yellow, pale blue, and blue.

"Three Soul Rings... over level thirty... a Soul Elder...?"

Ma Xiunuo stood frozen in place, shocked by Ye Feng's three Soul Rings. "Child, you actually obtained three Soul Rings—and they're even standard-configuration Soul Rings?"

"Yes." Ye Feng nodded.

"Didn't Su Yuntao say your Innate Soul Power was level twenty? You're only six this year, aren't you? How could you have three Soul Rings?" Ma Xiunuo asked in confusion.

"My teacher said that I don't have Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty, but Innate Full Soul Power at level thirty. Uncle Su Yuntao simply misjudged it back then," Ye Feng explained.

"That wasn't a misjudgment. He was blind." Ma Xiunuo showed no mercy in his assessment of Su Yuntao, who had awakened Ye Feng's Martial Soul. After collecting himself, Ma Xiunuo asked, "What soul beasts did your first three Soul Rings come from? They actually raised your Soul Power to level thirty-four."

"My first Soul Ring came from a Rampage Ape, my second came from a Snow Eagle, and my third came from a seventeen-hundred-year-old Luo River Spirit Bamboo," Ye Feng answered truthfully.

"No wonder, no wonder. They were all troublesome and rare soul beasts. No, that's not right. Your Martial Soul is plant-type—how can you use animal-type Soul Rings? Child, are you sure you didn't say that wrong?" Ma Xiunuo asked skeptically.

"I didn't say it wrong, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo. My teacher once said that he had read related records in an ancient book. There have already been plant-type, animal-type, and tool-type Martial Soul Masters who obtained Soul Rings from soul beasts of types different from their Martial Souls," Ye Feng replied.

At the side, Tang San listened to Ye Feng's answer with a blank expression. Unable to help himself, he interrupted Ye Feng and Ma Xiunuo. "Ye Feng, did your teacher really say that?"

"Of course." Ye Feng nodded firmly.

Tang San was stunned.

Tang San clearly remembered that this was his teacher Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul Mimicry Theory. Yet Ye Feng said that his teacher had seen related records in an ancient book. In other words, Tang San's teacher was a... thief?!

He had stolen the insights and experience of those who came before him, then passed them off as his own theory.

Such conduct truly could be called that of a thief!