The First Step to Becoming a Mage

"Alright, we'll find you a hundred-year fire-attribute soul beast," Beibei said. Seemingly afraid that Huo Yuhao would feel discouraged, he comforted him again. "Yuhao, don't worry too much. Although your first soul ring is only ten years old, there have been Titled Douluo in history whose first soul ring was ten years old, and even whose second soul ring was only ten years old."

Tang Ya also comforted him from the side. "Yes, yes, you don't need to worry too much."

Huo Yuhao merely nodded when he heard that and said nothing more.

Seeing that he remained silent, Beibei and Tang Ya assumed that he was somewhat disappointed.

Xu Jie stood nearby, watching the two continuously comfort Huo Yuhao, and felt rather speechless.

What expressions would they make if they knew Huo Yuhao's first soul ring was a million years old?

With two more people, Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao actually moved faster. Beibei and Tang Ya knew the general distribution of soul beasts around the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Knowing that the soul beast Tang Ya needed would not be easy to find, they decided to help Xu Jie hunt a soul ring first.

Before long, the group found a four-hundred-year Fireball Rat. They had judged its age from the red rings on its back.

For every additional hundred years of cultivation, a Fireball Rat grew another red ring on its back. The one they found had exactly four red rings, though one of them was slightly smaller than the others.

This showed that the Fireball Rat had only recently reached four hundred years.

Beibei immediately summoned his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul. Three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—rose around him. He stepped forward and grabbed the Fireball Rat, which had been eating, then released lightning from his arm and instantly shocked it unconscious.

He tossed it before Xu Jie. Without wasting words, Xu Jie took the White Tiger Dagger from Huo Yuhao and thrust it directly into the Fireball Rat's vital spot.

A yellow soul ring rose up. Xu Jie mobilized the Soul Power within his body to draw in the soul ring, then sat cross-legged on the ground to absorb it.

Huo Yuhao grew interested and carefully observed Xu Jie's absorption of the soul ring.

The soul ring pulsed rhythmically. Nothing unusual happened throughout the process, and Xu Jie absorbed it very smoothly.

This soul ring granted Xu Jie a soul skill—Fireball Spell.

After Xu Jie absorbed the soul ring, the group of four continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

From their conversation, the two learned that Beibei and Tang Ya had come to the Star Dou Great Forest this time for Tang Ya's third soul ring.

Only then did Huo Yuhao learn that, although the two before him were merely two or three years older than him, they were already level-thirty Soul Elders. Beibei's Soul Power Level in particular was at least level thirty-one.

At the thought, Huo Yuhao could not help showing his envy for them.

Seeing the look on Huo Yuhao's face, Tang Ya asked, "Little brothers Yuhao and Xu Jie, what are you planning to do next?"

Huo Yuhao did not speak, instead looking at Xu Jie. Nearly every decision along the way had been made by Xu Jie. Though Xu Jie had told him that their next step was to register at Shrek Academy, he still chose to let Xu Jie explain their plans.

"We're preparing to register at Shrek Academy," Xu Jie said.

Beibei was somewhat surprised. "You're already twelve, right? Don't you know Shrek Academy has requirements for registration? You must be no older than twelve, and your Soul Power Level must not be below level fifteen."

Xu Jie smiled. "I know."

With that, he released his martial soul and displayed his Soul Power Level.

"You reached level sixteen after absorbing just one soul ring?" Tang Ya sensed Xu Jie's Soul Power Level and could not help opening her mouth wide in disbelief.

Beibei was not as surprised as Tang Ya. He reminded her, "Teacher Xiaoya, don't forget that soul masters can continue cultivating even without absorbing soul rings."

"Right. Little brother Yuhao, what about you?" Only then did Tang Ya react, turning to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao felt somewhat embarrassed. "I'm only level eleven."

"Ah, that's wonderful!" Tang Ya clapped her hands and said happily. She immediately realized that her reaction was inappropriate and hurriedly explained.

"Little brother Yuhao, that's not what I meant..."

Beibei smacked his forehead and said helplessly, "She means that you can join our sect. Our sect has a special Shrek admission slot."

Huo Yuhao looked confused. "A sect?"

Tang Ya immediately took over. "Have you heard of the Tang Sect? The Tang Sect is the number one sect on the continent!"

"The Tang Sect?" Huo Yuhao thought back. He remembered Xu Jie seeming to have mentioned this sect before, with considerable disdain in his words. He had not expected it to be the number one sect on the continent.

"Yuhao, you've heard of the Tang Sect?" Seeing Huo Yuhao pondering, Beibei asked.

"I heard Brother Jie talk about it," Huo Yuhao answered honestly.

Tang Ya immediately turned her attention elsewhere. "Little brother Jie, you actually know about the Tang Sect. What do you think of it?"

Xu Jie looked at the eager Tang Ya and felt somewhat helpless. "I know a little."

"The Tang Sect was founded ten thousand years ago and is one of the oldest sects in history. Its first sect master, Tang San, once defeated the evil Spirit Hall. By his own strength, he changed the continent's landscape and laid the foundation for the future development of soul masters.

"Although it has declined now, with your joining, the Tang Sect will surely rise to glory again," Tang Ya explained in one breath.

After listening to Tang Ya's introduction, Huo Yuhao could not help feeling somewhat astonished.

This was completely different from what Brother Jie had said. Xu Jie had said that Tang San fought the Spirit Hall, which had wanted to unify the continent, purely because Tang San needed the nations on the continent to keep fighting one another so that his hidden weapons could fetch a good price. It had nothing whatsoever to do with whether Spirit Hall was evil or not.

And that claim about laying the foundation for the future of soul masters—Xu Jie had said that was complete bullshit. Winning one war meant he had laid the foundation for soul masters' future? What the hell did the future of soul masters have to do with Tang San, a hidden-weapons peddler?

Of course, Xu Jie had still left Tang San some dignity and had not voiced certain thoughts.

For example, Xu Jie believed that Tang San truly had laid the foundation for the future of some soul masters—namely, Evil Soul Masters. And he had laid it very well.

But the Tang Sect had already declined? He had been wondering why the number one sect on the continent would take an interest in two impoverished nobodies like them.

At that thought, Huo Yuhao completely lost all interest in the Tang Sect.

Seeing that neither Xu Jie nor Huo Yuhao's expressions changed much, Tang Ya was somewhat surprised. "You're not interested?"

Xu Jie nodded, indicating that he truly had no interest.

He had never wanted Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect. His original intention had always been to keep Huo Yuhao far away from that pervert who had split his own daughter in two.

When they entered Shrek Academy in the future, if Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were assigned together again, he would definitely make Huo Yuhao change dormitories.

Was Martial Soul Fusion, which merely increased cultivation speed, really that important? Besides, Xu Jie truly could not imagine how two completely incompatible people could develop Martial Soul Fusion.

And perfect Martial Soul Fusion at that. It was utterly baffling.

Xu Jie suspected that Suspect Tang had split his daughter in half specifically to mold Tang Wutong into Huo Yuhao's shape.

At that thought, Xu Jie shuddered in disgust. If that was not sick, what was?

What normal person would split his own daughter in two, then mold her into someone else's shape?

Seeing this, Beibei also found it somewhat strange, but he still said to Xu Jie, "Are you really not going to consider it? After all, one of the Tang Sect's ultimate techniques truly suits little brother Yuhao."

Beibei had already seen that Xu Jie was the backbone of the two. If Xu Jie did not join the Tang Sect, then Huo Yuhao most likely would not join either.

Xu Jie shook his head, refusing.