Analyzing Soul Power

Gu You poured two cups of water and handed them to Tang San and Xiao Wu. Once their emotions had stabilized, he continued with the reason he had called them over today.

"Whether someone is revived or not is a matter for a Title Douluo. What are the three of us little Soul Masters doing thinking about it now?"

"Do you remember how I had you release your Soul Power into the ground with me this morning?" Gu You asked.

Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded at the same time. After all, the whole thing had been far too strange. Aside from the three extra pits in the ground, nothing had happened, and they couldn't figure out what Gu You had discovered.

Gu You asked, "Did you fill those pits back in before you left?"

Xiao Wu answered irritably, "No. Didn't you ask us to help you take the day off? After you left, Xiao San and I went to find the teacher."

Gu You let out a relieved sigh, nodded, and said, "That's great. I'll head back after I finish explaining. We might still get a chance to perform a second verification."

Gu You didn't keep them in suspense and directly explained what he had discovered that morning. "This morning, all three of us released our Soul Power into the ground at full strength at the same time. The hole I made was the deepest and largest, Xiao Wu's was second, and Xiao San's was the smallest."

"That's very abnormal. We all released the maximum amount of Soul Power. Even if our different physiques caused some variation, I still shouldn't have come in first."

"Although all three of us are at Soul Power rank 12, Xiao San, you reached rank 12 first, then Xiao Wu, and I was the last."

"In terms of the thickness of our Soul Power, Xiao San should definitely be the strongest. Yet I made the largest pit. That makes no sense at all."

After hearing Gu You's words, Tang San fell into thought. He was certain that he had released his Soul Power in the strongest way possible, but why had the pit he made been the smallest? He could understand losing to Gu You, but why couldn't he even beat Xiao Wu?

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San, who was thinking, then glanced at Gu You and raised her hand. "Is it because our Martial Souls are different?"

Gu You slapped his hands together, his face full of shock. "You actually figured it out?"

Xiao Wu had originally intended to treat Gu You a little better because her mother's revival seemed promising, and because Gu You had provided a feasible method. But now she was so angry that she laughed.

Be nicer to him? To this bastard? Xiao Wu thought.

Gu You turned and pointed at the Blackboard. "It's hard to believe Xiao Wu was the one who said it, but that's right. I believe our different Martial Souls are the reason for these differences."

Soul Master → Soul Power → Martial Soul → Soul Ring → Martial Soul → Soul Skill

"This is the process of releasing a Soul Skill that I discovered."

"First is the Soul Master—in other words, us. Through cultivation, Soul Masters produce Soul Power. This Soul Power flows into the Martial Soul. That's Martial Soul Possession."

As he spoke, Gu You transformed into his Martial Soul Possession state. A yellow ring of light quietly settled around him.

Tang San and Xiao Wu were surprised to discover that after Gu You entered Martial Soul Possession and his Soul Ring appeared this time, there were no major changes. His eyes had merely turned golden with vertical pupils, while some scales grew beneath them.

"Your..." Tang San pointed at his own face and eyes.

"This?" Gu You touched the scales on his face. "I discovered it while experimenting this morning. If you want to know, I'll tell you later."

Gu You continued, "Martial Soul Possession consumes Soul Power. However, Soul Power also circulates through the Martial Soul. The power of the same amount of Soul Power is different depending on whether Martial Soul Possession is active."

As he spoke, Gu You swept his right hand out. A fierce gust of wind blew through the reference books, making their pages rustle loudly. Without a doubt, this was something Gu You couldn't have done no matter how much Soul Power he used without Martial Soul Possession.

"Next is the Soul Skill. With Martial Soul Possession active, Soul Power flows through the Martial Soul and then into the Soul Ring. The Soul Ring will then look like this."

The yellow light flashed, and a violent aura rolled off Gu You. Tang San felt some pressure in his chest, but Xiao Wu already felt as if her legs had lost their strength.

Fortunately, the aura vanished in an instant. Gu You said, "It's like this. As long as the Soul Skill flowing through the Martial Soul comes into contact with the Soul Ring, the Soul Skill can be released successfully."

"But first, we can't make the Soul Ring appear without releasing the Martial Soul."

After hearing Gu You, Tang San and Xiao Wu each tried it themselves and found that it was indeed true. Without revealing their Martial Souls, they had no way to make their Soul Rings appear.

"Second, when we consume Soul Power to release a Soul Skill, some of the Soul Power in the Martial Soul will flow into the Soul Ring. Xiao San should find this easier to notice, since yours is a Tool Martial Soul that leaves the body."

Tang San nodded and tested it himself. He discovered that, just as Gu You had said, the Soul Power he had thought had vanished into thin air while releasing a Soul Skill had actually flowed into the Soul Ring.

Although it had lasted only a brief moment, Tang San's Mental Power, developed through years of cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, allowed him to sense that this Soul Power had actually flowed out of the Soul Ring and returned to the Martial Soul. The Martial Soul then completed the release of the Soul Skill.

Tang San controlled the Blue Silver Grass and pointed at the "Soul Ring → Martial Soul → Soul Skill" on Gu You's diagram. "I sensed this too."

Xiao Wu looked puzzled. "Huh?"

Tang San had no choice but to explain his sensation from earlier to Xiao Wu in detail.

After listening, Xiao Wu said, "But that isn't important, is it? We still release Soul Skills this way."

Gu You shook his head. In his heart, he showed a hint of disdain for this old rabbit who had lived for a hundred thousand years yet still hadn't learned how to think.

"This is very important. It proves why a Martial Soul can evolve after obtaining a Soul Ring, and why the power of the Soul Power we release is different."

"Based on Xiao San's example and mine, we can basically confirm that every Soul Master's process of releasing a Martial Soul and Soul Skill is like this. So the secret of how a Soul Ring changes a Martial Soul may lie here." As he spoke, Gu You used his stick to point at the arrow from the Soul Ring to the Martial Soul.

"Xiao Wu, you've washed a brush before, right?" Xiao Wu answered that she had, and Gu You continued, "Then you should know that when we rinse a brush with water, any water that flows over the tip will turn black."

"If we regard the brush stained with ink as the Soul Ring and the Soul Power as flowing water, what conclusion can we draw?" Gu You asked rhetorically.

"Then the Soul Power flowing through the Soul Ring will carry part of the Soul Ring back into the Martial Soul." After thinking it over, Tang San raised his head in surprise. "That's why a Martial Soul evolves after obtaining a Soul Ring. Because a Soul Ring formed by a Soul Beast carries the Soul Beast's traits, and after we absorb the Soul Ring, the flowing Soul Power carries those traits into our Martial Souls."

Gu You slapped his hands together. "Exactly. That should be why a Martial Soul can evolve by absorbing Soul Rings. Then why does Soul Power have different power without Martial Soul Possession?"

Tang San stared blankly at Gu You. "Because the Soul Power flowing through the Martial Soul returns to our bodies, bringing the Martial Soul's traits back with it."

"My Soul Power, with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, also takes on the characteristics of Blue Silver Grass. Compared with your Soul Power, which carries the characteristics of the Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, there's no doubt that your Soul Power is more powerful."

P.S. I wonder whether everyone can accept this explanation.

I have to work overtime tomorrow, so the update should come in the afternoon or evening. Please keep voting, collecting, and sending monthly tickets—aaaaah!