Xiao Wu's Wish

Tang San hurried from the Blacksmith Shop to the Spirit Hall. As soon as he entered the basement, he heard Xiao Wu's furious cursing.

Tang San pushed open the door to the storage room. The first thing he saw was Xiao Wu pointing at Gu You and yelling at him. Papers and documents covered the floor, while Gu You sat behind his desk with his head lowered, taking the scolding. The BlackBoard behind him had been covered with cloth again.

Hearing the door open, Gu You lifted his head and saw that Tang San had arrived. He walked over with a broad smile.

"Isn't this my best brother? Welcome, welcome. Hey, you there, go pour my good brother a cup of tea."

"I'll pour you one over your head!" Xiao Wu grabbed a book, rolled it up, and smacked it against Gu You's head. "Explain to me right now why all the things I worked so hard to organize have become a complete mess again!"

Gu You felt somewhat embarrassed and could only change the subject. "Although our first paper has only just been sent to the Martial Soul Daily, it's about time we moved on to the second."

"If the first paper focused on the profession of Soul Master, then I plan for the second to focus on the essence of Soul Masters—in other words, Martial Souls and Soul Power."

"Xiao San, Xiao Wu, you should know that we can become Soul Masters because we can awaken Innate Soul Power—except for the two of you. If we fail to awaken Innate Soul Power, then we're no different from ordinary commoners."

"There's a theory that the quality of a Martial Soul affects the level of Innate Soul Power and limits one's future achievements." Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded. This was indeed something their teacher had said during class.

"But why is there a difference in Soul Power between people with the same Martial Soul?"

Tang San and Xiao Wu shook their heads at the same time, looking at Gu You with anticipation and waiting for him to offer a different explanation.

"I don't know either." Seeing the anticipation in their eyes, Gu You declared righteously, "I may be a genius, but I'm not a god. How could I possibly know everything?"

Tang San shook his head with a bitter smile, while Xiao Wu simply said, "Then why did you bring it up?"

"Just because I can't answer it now doesn't mean I won't be able to answer it in the future. Besides, it's related to what I'm about to say." Gu You kept them in suspense before continuing, "There are two requirements for becoming a Soul Master. One is possessing a Martial Soul, and the other is awakening Innate Soul Power. Although I can't explain the connection between the two yet, I do have some ideas about the connection between Martial Souls and Soul Power."

As he spoke, Gu You yanked the cloth off the BlackBoard. Compared with the beginning, the writing on it had become much more detailed.

Gu You pulled his beloved stick from beneath the desk and began explaining as he pointed at the BlackBoard. "First, Soul Masters. We can become Soul Masters because we possess Soul Power, can produce Soul Power, and our Martial Souls can absorb Soul Power, using it to achieve enhancement."

As he spoke, Gu You pointed at Tang San's right hand. Tang San nodded, understanding his meaning, and explained to Xiao Wu, "My Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, is extremely fragile. It's no different from the ordinary Blue Silver Grass growing in the fields outside."

"But as a Martial Soul, I can pour Soul Power into the Blue Silver Grass to make it grow longer and become tougher. That makes it different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass."

After Tang San finished explaining, Gu You continued, "The first conclusion: all the wonders displayed by a Martial Soul are inseparable from Soul Power. Without the enhancement of Soul Power, a Martial Soul is merely an ordinary thing."

"The second issue is that we Soul Masters need Soul Rings. Without Soul Rings, our Soul Power can't increase, and we can't obtain the various wondrous effects of Soul Skills. Xiao San, do you remember what I told you?"

Tang San nodded. Seeing Xiao Wu's bright, puzzled eyes, then looking at Gu You, who clearly had no intention of speaking, Tang San sighed inwardly. He told Xiao Wu about the hypothesis regarding the formation of Soul Skills that Gu You had explained to him in the forest, and also told her that his own Soul Skill was the first finished product Gu You had verified.

"In other words, the effect of your Soul Skill is exactly the same as the effect Gu You predicted?!" In Xiao Wu's long life, this was the first time she had heard such a theory. She had never imagined that human Soul Skills could actually be decided by the person themselves. It was exactly the same as how she, a transformed Soul Beast, had produced her own Soul Ring.

"So as long as I want it, a Soul Skill that brings the dead back to life might also be possible?" Xiao Wu suddenly realized something and asked excitedly.

Xiao Wu wanted to avenge her mother, but reason told her that it would be extremely difficult. In the long history of the Douluo Continent, she and her mother were far from the only Soul Beasts to transform, yet there had never been any record of a transformed Soul Beast successfully becoming a god.

That Woman had killed her mother in the Star Dou Great Forest. At the time, her mother had already become a Soul Douluo and possessed almost none of a Soul Beast's aura, yet she had still been discovered and died at That Woman's hands without being able to fight back. Xiao Wu, who had gone to save her mother, had even been severely wounded. If her mother had not used her body to block That Woman's attack, Xiao Wu would never have escaped.

That Woman had nine Soul Rings, and even the final Soul Ring was red. Xiao Wu had no confidence that, after becoming a Title Douluo, she could surpass her former self as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

But if she could bring her mother back to life directly, then there would be no need to avenge her mother. Returning to the Star Dou Great Forest with her mother and living together with Da Ming and Er Ming was Xiao Wu's deepest wish.

Hearing Xiao Wu's question, Gu You immediately understood why she was asking whether there was a Soul Skill capable of bringing the dead back to life. He really wanted to say that there was one, to stimulate Xiao Wu's desire to cultivate and make her obey his every word.

But Gu You knew all too well that giving someone an enormous yet impossible hope was far more terrifying than insulting them. Once it failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Gu You shook his head and explained, "From the way you put it, you have a loved one you want to revive. Give up. It's impossible."

"Why?" Xiao Wu lost control of her emotions. She had finally seen hope of meeting her mother again, and even if that hope was no more than a straw, she had to seize it. "Didn't you say that a Soul Skill with the same effect could appear as long as I wanted it to? Tell me! Tell me why it's impossible!"

"Because the person you want to revive is already dead." Gu You spoke indifferently, his voice so soft that it seemed to mourn Xiao Wu's misfortune. "In theory, a Soul Skill that resurrects the dead is possible, but it requires a Soul Ring with a sufficiently high age, and the resurrection must be performed immediately after death—the sooner, the better. But the person you want to revive died a long time ago, didn't they? Her body has already decayed, and her soul has dissipated. No matter what, resurrection is impossible."

After hearing Gu You's explanation, Xiao Wu stared blankly at him. Slowly, she covered her face with both hands, crouched down, lowered her head, and began to sob.

P.S. Xiao Wu's mother in this story is my own setting. Considering that Xiao Wu witnessed Bibi Dong kill her mother and successfully escaped, if she had already transformed into a human at the time, there was no way she could have gotten away. (This only references Douluo I.)

Bibi Dong had two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings. The first was the ninth Soul Ring of her first Martial Soul, and its skill had nothing to do with the Soft Bone Rabbit. However, the seventh Soul Ring of her second Martial Soul was also a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, so I judge that Bibi Dong killed Xiao Wu's mother for the second Soul Ring. At that time, the Soul Rings of her first Martial Soul should already have been filled.

I made it in time. The record of two updates a day is still going strong. Looking through everyone's comments, I found that quite a few people actually share ideas similar to mine. Being able to entertain everyone with my free time means it wasn't wasted. Please keep voting, collecting, and sending monthly tickets! Ahhh!