The Beginning

At the Academy gate, Chen Feng stepped forward and extended his hand to Yang Wudi.

"Welcome, Clan Leader Yang, it's been a long time."

"Long time no see, Mr. Chen." Yang Wudi shook hands with the young man in front of him, and then greeted the three people behind him.

"You three must be the famous Golden Iron Triangle, right? I've heard so much about you."

Although he was older than Chen Feng, he did not act like an elder, but treated him as an equal, just as he treated Flender and others.

Because in his eyes, Chen Feng was no longer a child, but a Scholar with the ability to change the times.

Whether it was the Foundation Building Method and Soul Master Classification in the past, or the current Ten-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring Technique, all of these are enough to make this young man a pivotal figure.

If the upcoming experiment is successful, we will also need to add a Tool Spirit Enhancement Method. Then everyone on the Douluo Continent will owe Chen Feng a debt of gratitude, because he paved the way for many people.

"We have long heard of Clan Leader Yang's great name. Are you here to protect the children?" Flender asked with a smile.

"Yes, after all, he's my own child, so I'm a little worried. Besides, Chenxiang specifically emphasized that there might be even greater danger than what happened to Bai Yang, so I had to come and see for myself," Yang Wudi said.

Although Bai Yang was informed of the risks beforehand, the experiment involved Soul Ring, something that people in the Soul Master World were very familiar with and knew where the risks came from—either the Soul Ring were too weak or too strong.

With Bai Chenxiang, the Clan Chief's granddaughter, speaking up, and with Chen Feng's Ten-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring pearl and jade preceding them, Bai Yang's family wasn't too worried.

But this time, the attack is aimed at the Martial Soul itself, which carries a much greater risk. Bai Chenxiang herself was unsure of the outcome, so Yang Wudi, who noticed this, and the parents of the two children came over.

The group chatted as they entered the Academy. During their walk, Yang Wudi introduced the young man and woman he had brought with him. The young man was named Yang Le, and the young woman was named Yang Shu. Their Martial Soul were Candle and Red Spear, respectively. (Previously, they were called "young adults," but that didn't feel quite right, so they were changed to "young adults.")

Instead of taking them to begin the experiment first, Chen Feng went to a secluded place.

He looked at Yang Wudi and the people behind him and suggested, "You've come from afar, why don't you rest for a bit and recharge your energy?"

"I don't want to rest, can we start as soon as possible?" Yang Le said from behind Yang Wudi.

Yang Shu nodded, "I... I don't want to rest either. I want to try the experiment that Sister Chenxiang mentioned as soon as possible."

Chen Feng glanced at the two expectant faces, then looked at their somewhat conflicted parents with a questioning gaze, "What do you parents think?"

"Is this... really safe?" Yang Shu's mother couldn't help but ask.

"We can only say that we will try our best to ensure safety, but after all, this is our first time conducting such an experiment, and we cannot completely guarantee that there will be no danger. If you have any doubts, you can choose to withdraw," Chen Feng said honestly.

"I won't back down!" Yang Le said anxiously, then looked at his parents. "Dad, Mom, I don't want things to stay like this anymore. I'll seize any opportunity, no matter how small! Mr. Chen is in charge of the experiment. There's no better opportunity than this. If he says it might succeed, then it definitely might."

"But there's also the possibility of failure, isn't there?" the man behind Yang Le said in a deep voice.

"I'm willing to take that risk," Yang Le said, her eyes red. "I don't want to be an ordinary person without Soul Power anymore. I want to become a Soul Master like you!"

"Ah Le, whether you're Soul Master or an ordinary person, you're still our child. We gave you this name because we just want you to live happily. Why are you so fixated on being Soul Master?" Yang Le's mother said, stroking Yang Le's head.

Yang Le lowered his head and said, "You don't understand. You have decent Innate Soul Power and can become powerful Soul Master, but my Innate Soul Power is zero, and my Martial Soul is just Candle. Do you know what others say about me? They say I'm not a member of the Yang family and they even gave me the nickname 'The Lamp Lighter'."

Yang Wudi's face darkened. "Who's spreading these rumors behind my back? Your Bloodline was tested when you Martial Soul Awakening, and it was indeed..."

It is undoubtedly your parents' Bloodline.

Chen Feng sighed softly, "It takes only a mouth to spread rumors, and there are definitely a bunch of kids who can't distinguish right from wrong involved."

This can be seen as a manifestation of the Tyrant's Will: finding the one who is different from the crowd, ostracizing and isolating him, and deriving a kind of perverse psychological satisfaction from it. This kind of thing is common.

Yang Le didn't answer Yang Wudi's question, but looked at his parents and said, "Dad, Mom, let me try. The sooner we try, the sooner we'll know the result. I'll accept whatever the result is."

Yang Le's mother's eyes reddened, she hugged him but didn't say anything, while Yang Le's father looked at his son for a while, nodded and said, "Okay, you decide for yourself."

Yang Shu looked at her parents with a questioning gaze. Her parents exchanged a glance and then helplessly expressed their agreement.

Seeing this, Chen Feng said, "Since you've requested it, let's begin now. Please follow me."

He led a few people to their usual spot in the Academy, where the others were already prepared and chatting in the woods.

"Dean Flanders, Grandmaster, Dean Liu, you've arrived." Dai Mubai toyed with a Carving Knife in his hand as he saw the group.

He then stood up.

"Boss Dai, these two are the people who will be participating in the experiment this time. They are Yang Le and Yang Shu." Chen Feng first introduced the two people he brought, and then introduced Dai Mubai and the others to Yang Wudi and the others.

After both sides got to know each other, Chen Feng said, "Let me first explain the general procedure of the experiment. First, regarding safety, we have a healing-type Martial Soul Fusion Skill that can save even the most seriously injured people. However, if someone suffers sudden limb destruction, we don't yet have a method for limb regeneration."

Hearing this, Yang Le and Yang Shu's tension eased considerably, and their parents also relaxed a bit.

At least there are safety measures in place, and it sounds quite effective. Martial Soul Fusion Skill are extremely rare in the current era, let alone healing-type Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Using such measures as a guarantee is clearly a sign of thorough preparation.

"Then comes the first phase of the experiment. We need to carve some kind of circuit on both of them. For safety reasons, we will choose their right arms so that if something goes wrong, there is still a chance to save their lives. This task will be done by Big Brother Dai," Chen Feng continued.

Dai Mubai nodded to Yang Wudi and the others. The reason he was chosen to do the drawing was because Tang San needed to prepare the Soul Guidance Device for this experiment.

Of the remaining people, only Dai Mubai possessed both knowledge of Rune and the skill to meticulously inscribe them.

During his special training at the Academy, the Grandmaster's training program for him was to carve patterns on Tofu using only his Soul Power. He never gave up this training afterward, so in terms of Soul Power control, apart from Xiao Wu Gu Yue Ling, he can be considered one of the best in the team.

To ensure there are no problems, Dai Mubai has been practicing drawing several Rune these days, and he has also mastered the Rune Group composed of Quenching Rune.

Yang Wudi and the others nodded in understanding. Yang Le couldn't help but say, "If that's all, it doesn't seem dangerous at all. At most, it'll just hurt a little."

Chen Feng nodded. "Yes, what I just said wasn't dangerous. The potential danger lies in the next project. After the circuit is mapped out, we'll put a device on you."

Tang San took out something that looked like an armband and explained, "This is Soul Guidance Device I made. It can absorb the surrounding Fire Element Energy. Once you wear it, it should link with the circuits engraved on your bodies. The potential danger will arise at this moment."

Chen Feng continued, "As long as there are no problems at this stage, the experiment can be considered a success. Next, we'll see how the experiment turns out. Do you all understand?"

"Understood, I'll go first," Yang Le said, stepping forward.

Chen Feng glanced at him and said, "Alright, Boss Dai, help him inscribe the Rune."

Dai Mubai pointed to the wooden bed that had been set up next to them, "Lie down. This bed was made by Xiao San; it will help your injuries heal."

Yang Le licked his lips, gritted his teeth, and lay down. Dai Mubai came to his right, took out the Carving Knife he had been playing with and a box of paint, and began his Rune carving work.

This Carving Knife is different from the one Tang San uses. Tang San's carving Carving Knife on metal, and its characteristics are that it is short and hard.

The blade Dai Mubai is currently using is not that hard; it is long and narrow and as thin as a cicada's wing. It was specially made by Tang San to facilitate the quick creation of wounds on people.

That box of pigments was equally extraordinary. It was made of some kind of Soul Guidance Material powder, used to ensure that the Rune would take effect after being inscribed, and to connect the Rune on the human body with the Rune on the Soul Guidance Device. It was similar to the role of Crystal Powder in the Fire Mark Ritual, except that it had no inherent properties.

Of course, it is harmless to the human body.

Dai Mubai first stirred the Carving Knife in the paint box a couple of times, and then began to carve according to his practice over the past few days. Blood flowed out, but Yang Le gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.

Yang Le's mother turned her head away, unwilling to look any longer. As a Soul Master, she had witnessed bloodshed before, but seeing her child suffering in front of her caused her great pain.

Yang Le's father pulled her into his arms and silently watched the scene unfold before him.

Yang Shu, who was not far away, swallowed hard. She was a little worried that she might not be able to hold on for long. It looked very painful, and Yang Le was really tough to endure it without crying out.

Dai Mubai's movements were a bit clumsy at first, after all, this was his first time making a cut on a human body, but he quickly became proficient, having practiced for so many days.

He quickly finished carving. Thanks to the wooden bed woven by Tang San, the wound on Yang Le's right arm healed quickly, but it now looked like Flesh and Blood.

"Have some Tofu to calm your nerves." Oscar handed Yang Le a few pieces of Recovery Tofu, which Yang Le accepted without hesitation and ate, feeling much better afterward.

"Is this your Martial Soul?" he asked.

"Yes, a food-based Martial Soul; Tofu can heal injuries," Oscar replied.

"That's pretty good. Does that mean I've succeeded?" Yang Le asked, looking at his arm.

"The Rune are finished. Next, we need to put on the Soul Guidance Device and see if there are any problems. Wipe the blood off," Dai Mubai said, handing him a handkerchief.

Yang Le wiped the blood from his arm with a handkerchief, revealing the set of Quenching Rune. "It's drawn quite well; the pattern looks pretty pleasing to the eye."

"Of course, I've practiced for quite a while. You're pretty resilient; you actually managed to hold back from crying out," Dai Mubai praised.

"With so many people watching, it would be too embarrassing to shout out loud." Yang Le smiled at his parents to reassure them.

"Do you need to rest for a while?" Dai Mubai asked.

"No need, let's finish it all at once. Whether it succeeds or fails, at least we'll have a result," Yang Le said to Tang San.

Tang San stepped forward and put the armlet he was holding on Yang Le's arm, covering the newly carved Rune Group.

At the same time, Xiao Wu walked behind Tang San, ready to perform Martial Soul Fusion at any time.

Everyone else tensed up, watching closely for any possible changes in Yang Le.

At first, Yang Le only felt that the armband he wore was a little hot, which was normal because the armband had a set of Fire Elemental Rune that could absorb the surrounding Fire Element Energy on its own.

Soon, Yang Le felt the heat from the armband gathering towards his wound, and then, as if finding a breakthrough, it flowed directly into his body from the wound and spread to his limbs and bones.

This feeling was quite novel, and it caused his expression to change slightly.

Seeing this, Tang San asked, "Are you feeling alright? Is there anything unusual?"

"I felt a warm current enter my body, and that was it," Yang Le answered truthfully.

"Is this... safe?" Yang Le's mother asked.

Chen Feng stepped forward to take a look and said, "There's basically no danger now. The next step is to see how effective this experiment will be."

"That's great." Yang Le's mother finally felt relieved, and Yang Le's father's expression also relaxed a lot.

After observing Yang Le's condition for a while, Chen Feng said, "Release your Martial Soul and see if there are any changes."

Yang Le obediently did as instructed, extending his right hand to release his Martial Soul, and then let out a soft exclamation.

"What's wrong?" Chen Feng asked.

"The Candle flame seems a bit bigger than before," Yang Le said somewhat uncertainly.

Chen Feng glanced at the Candle in his hand, but couldn't discern anything, so he took out a Soul Power Test Crystal from the Blood Sky Vault and asked, "Want to try this? It's the most direct way to test it. If your Martial Soul has really changed, it should be reflected in this."

"Okay." Yang Le fixed his gaze on the crystal and reached out his hand towards it.

Others couldn't resist gathering around, eager to see the initial results of the experiment.

The results came back quickly. Yang Le looked at the light in the crystal and said in a trembling voice, "I... I have Soul Power."