Unexpected Discovery

Bibi Dong was very surprised. She truly had not expected Su Mo to surpass Tang San in some respect.

Although she hated Tang San deeply, Bibi Dong had to admit that his talent was formidable.

Before undergoing the God Test, his Fourth Soul Ring had absorbed a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring. It was unprecedented!

Now, Su Mo had actually surpassed Tang San in the age limit of his First Soul Ring. To her, this was truly unexpected.

He had even exceeded 423 years—the limit that she and Yu Xiaogang had once believed in.

"What a pity. He's still limited by his Martial Soul talent. Otherwise, this kid's future would be boundless!"

"I never heard of this person in the future. It must have been because his Martial Soul talent held him back, causing him to fade into obscurity!"

Bibi Dong felt sorry for Su Mo inwardly!

"Six hundred years..."

"That's good news! Thank you, Goddess Sister!"

After hearing Bibi Dong's assessment, Su Mo's expression brightened.

Once he had confirmed that the limit his First Soul Ring could withstand was six hundred years, Su Mo set his sights on a six-hundred-year Soul Beast for his First Soul Ring.

Of course, whether he could encounter a Soul Beast that was exactly six hundred years old and happened to be suitable for his absorption would depend on luck.

Fortunately, Su Mo's luck was good. Half a month later, just as he had searched fruitlessly and was preparing to give up, he finally encountered a six-hundred-year Soul Beast suitable for him.

A six-hundred-year Thorny Hedgehog.

He set traps, enraged it with long-range shots, lured the Soul Beast into the traps, and only then did Su Mo kill the six-hundred-year Thorny Hedgehog.

"..."

Watching Su Mo use every method at his disposal before easily hunting a six-hundred-year Soul Beast, Bibi Dong was still extremely shocked, even though she had anticipated it.

Thinking of how countless Soul Masters and even Soul Grand Masters outside had difficulty hunting Soul Beasts of this level even in teams, Bibi Dong found it somewhat absurd.

Su Mo paid no attention to whether Bibi Dong was surprised.

After successfully hunting the six-hundred-year Soul Beast, Su Mo began absorbing it once its yellow Hundred Year Soul Ring emerged.

In less than ten minutes, Su Mo successfully absorbed and refined it, making it his First Soul Ring.

As a result, Su Mo's Soul Power Level directly rose by two levels, reaching level 12 Soul Master.

First Soul Skill: Pierce!

Su Mo had also obtained his First Soul Skill. Once activated, it increased the Soul Hunting Spear's penetrating power by 200%.

This 200% increase did not mean it could definitely penetrate an enemy. Rather, it added twice its original penetrating power to the Soul Hunting Spear.

After successfully acquiring his Soul Ring, Su Mo set off for home.

Along the way, Su Mo cultivated his Soul Power once using the Meditation Method and discovered that after becoming a Soul Master, the amount of Soul Power required to level up had indeed increased.

It was far greater than when he had been a Soul Scholar.

After silently calculating it, Su Mo discovered that if he relied solely on the Meditation Method to cultivate Soul Power, it would take him a year to reach level 13.

A whole year for just one level—slower than when he had cultivated as a Soul Scholar.

"Sure enough, the gap in talent only keeps widening the distance between geniuses and mediocrities!"

"Someone as talented as Tang San gains around three levels every year. There's no sign of him slowing down at all!"

"Luckily, I created the New Cultivation Technique myself. After absorbing the Soul Ring, my physical condition has improved further. Using the New Cultivation Technique, I can barely keep up with those geniuses' cultivation speed..."

Su Mo could only be glad that he had created the New Cultivation Technique.

After returning to Notting City, Su Mo went to the Spirit Hall Branch to register as a Soul Master.

Only after registering as a Soul Master could Su Mo receive the rookie Soul Master subsidy issued by the two great empires: one Gold Soul Coin every month!

Since Su Mo was within the Heaven Dou Empire, he naturally received the subsidy issued by the Heaven Dou Empire.

After returning to Notting Academy, none of the teachers or students knew that Su Mo had already absorbed his First Soul Ring—and that it was a six-hundred-year Soul Ring.

Su Mo did not take the initiative to reveal it and show off. He continued doing things his own way.

It was just that when practicing Spear Art, Su Mo no longer merely summoned the Soul Hunting Spear to train. Instead, he fused the Soul Hunting Spear with the forged Iron Spear for use.

That was because it felt better in his hands and produced better training results.

A few months later, at the Back Mountain of Notting Academy, where Su Mo cultivated.

Su Mo played with the Iron Spear in his hand, his expression unreadable.

After finishing his training just now, Su Mo had withdrawn his Martial Soul, the Soul Hunting Spear, back into his body. The spear in his hand was now merely the forged Iron Spear.

"This isn't just my imagination, is it?"

Su Mo rubbed the spear in his hands, unsure.

It was as though he were caressing a girl.

That was because after withdrawing the Soul Hunting Spear into his body, Su Mo discovered that when he touched the spear in his hand, he could still feel the faintest sense of blood connection.

That was a sensation he only felt when holding his own Martial Soul, the Soul Hunting Spear!

Su Mo planted the spear in the ground, its tip sinking into the earth as it stood firmly in place.

Then Su Mo took two small steps back, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and crooked them at the spear planted in the ground.

Buzz—

At Su Mo's summons, the spear embedded in the ground gave a slight tremble.

Su Mo's eyes immediately widened.

"Damn, it actually reacted!"

Su Mo was utterly astonished by the sight.

Although the spear had only trembled lightly and had not flown back into his hand as easily as his own Martial Soul, Su Mo was still extremely surprised.

Because the spear before him was not his Martial Soul!

Moreover, Su Mo had summoned it purely with his thoughts. He was not controlling it with that technique Tang San had learned, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon.

Buzz—

Su Mo tried again, and found that it still worked.

Furthermore, he could indeed feel the faintest sense of blood connection between himself and the spear.

"Did I refine this spear that was forged in reality?"

"Like refining a magical treasure in a xianxia novel?"

Su Mo immediately began speculating about his unexpected discovery.

As for why this had happened, it was undoubtedly because Su Mo often fused his Martial Soul, the Soul Hunting Spear, with this spear while practicing Spear Art.

Going by the logic of xianxia novels, Su Mo had been using his own spiritual power to refine a treasure!

"Then if this continues, can I refine this spear into my magical treasure?"

"By this world's rules, would that mean refining it into my Martial Soul?"

Su Mo continued making bold guesses.

Whether it was true or not, Su Mo had already decided that from now on, he would fuse his Martial Soul, the Soul Hunting Spear, with this spear as much as possible.

He wanted to see what changes would occur in the end.