I Transmigrated into Douluo and Split into Five People

"What about poisoning him? Once he enters Holy Soul Village, we can lie in wait there. I remember Tang San did all the cooking later on. When Tang San buys rice, we poison the rice!"

"Did you forget that Tang San himself is an expert at poisoning?"

Oh right, that did seem to be the case.

Then, report him to Spirit Hall?

That did not seem feasible either. If it made Tang Hao take Tang San and flee, the hidden danger would be even greater. It would be more appropriate to keep the overall direction of events unchanged and maintain control over Tang San's movements.

Have An Lan persuade Qian Xunji to bring a couple more Titled Douluo, or even offerings, and kill Tang Hao outright?

That would probably be difficult too. In just two years, there would not be enough time to climb high enough in status to weigh in on such a matter, nor could he explain the source of his intelligence. Besides, no one had much goodwill toward the Secret Chamber Douluo.

That man was simply incomprehensible. There was no way to understand why he would do something like the secret chamber incident. Normally, as Bibi Dong's elder and teacher, the proper course would have been to agree on the surface, stall for time, and secretly kill Yu Xiaogang.

He could not understand the idea of keeping the body to keep the person, no matter how he thought about it. The only plausible explanation was that a god had interfered. Otherwise, either Qian Xunji had something wrong with his head from the start, or he had had some different purpose toward Bibi Dong all along.

After thinking it over, Zhou Xuefeng said nothing. They were several years ahead of him. As long as they blocked off the Immortal Herb route, there would be plenty of chances to kill him. They could discuss it slowly in the future.

"Oh, right."

Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Xuefeng suddenly remembered something he had forgotten to mention.

"When a Spirit Soul shatters, your Soul Power is low. You will not die, but the pain is even worse than I expected. I was fortunate to have a whole patch of Blue Silver Grass around me helping me, so I woke up within an hour. Otherwise, I might have slept for over two hours. If you plan to act, it would be best to arrange for a healing-type Soul Master. And make sure to control the treatment properly—don't let the shattered Spirit Soul get healed along with you."

Otherwise, his body would go "pala pala da" once for nothing.

After saying that, Zhou Xuefeng's figure dispersed. The wilderness survival shelter he had built was fairly safe, but it was difficult to guard against tiny venomous insects, snakes, and ants. Without his main consciousness connected to the surrounding Blue Silver Grass, they could not actively help defend him. If he got bitten to death by some tiny deadly bug, dying so pathetically, how would he ever hold his head up before the other four?

With one person gone, the remaining four also brought their discussion to an end. Ning Yulin stood up, and like Zhou Xuefeng, his figure gradually faded away.

"Since that is the case, I will secure my Spirit Ring as soon as possible and share the results of the verification afterward. Everyone, please be patient."

An Lan nodded to the remaining two and vanished while maintaining his seated posture.

Tang Yin and Yu Tianrui looked at each other, sighed, and dispersed their spiritual power as well. The other three all had clear goals at the moment, while the two of them did not. Tang Yin had no clue about the Clear Sky Hammer secret technique, the Haotian Nine Absolutes, and although Yu Tianrui had memorized the Dragon Transformation secret art, he had no time to cultivate it.

He had tried practicing it. Although he could achieve a tiny degree of Dragon Transformation, compared with Blue Lightning disciples of the same level who had chosen to absorb Sub-Dragon Species Spirit Rings, the area it covered was somewhat smaller.

"The Clear Sky Sect is also within the Star Luo Empire. When I obtain my first Spirit Ring, perhaps I can find an opportunity to meet Zhou Xuefeng and assess the situation."

"Once I get my Spirit Ring, I'll find some time to practice Dragon Transformation."

Yu Tianrui shrugged. Perhaps only he and Ning Yulin were in the most stable situations. Tang Yin was in the Clear Sky Sect, surrounded by hammers, and Innate Level Two Spirit Power received no attention at all. Tang Yuehua was at least the current sect master's daughter and the younger sister of the Clear Sky Twin Stars. An Lan still had to worry about suppression from different factions if he wanted to distinguish himself. Zhou Xuefeng had it the worst—he had actually started out as a slave. If he had not accidentally died once and left the Duke's Mansion, he might still be chewing cold coarse buns or soaking in cold water to wash clothes.

After considering it for most of the night, An Lan made his decision.

The next day, he went directly to find his teacher and applied to join a Spirit Hunting Squad.

"You want to hunt for a Spirit Ring?"

Naturally, his teacher was extremely surprised.

"Aren't you Innate Level Two Spirit Power? You cultivated that quickly?"

"This student does not know either. I kept cultivating and then felt that I could not improve any further. I thought something had gone wrong. Only after looking into it did I learn that I had already reached Level Ten."

He waved An Lan over for an examination. He felt An Lan all over, injected Soul Power to investigate him, spent more than ten minutes busying himself, and then took out a Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball.

The result was beyond doubt. He was Level Ten, and judging by the result, his Soul Power seemed far more substantial than that of an ordinary Level Ten Soul Master.

"Summon your Martial Soul and let me have a look."

After pondering for a moment, the teacher asked him to summon his Martial Soul. Obediently, An Lan summoned it. It remained as an energy phantom for several seconds before slowly possessing his body.

"How strange. How could Level Two Spirit Power cultivate this quickly?"

He could not figure it out. He paced in circles, walked back and forth, and occasionally turned to inspect An Lan from head to toe. Then he suddenly slapped his hand.

"I remember now!"

The teacher had always felt that something was off whenever he saw An Lan undergo Martial Soul Possession. Now that he thought back on it...

"An ordinary Martial Soul with Innate Level Two Spirit Power simply would not have your kind of presence! Your appearance is more like that of a powerful Beast Spirit with Innate Level Seven Spirit Power or above. But why did the awakening result show Level Two?"

He muttered to himself for a while, almost obsessively.

"This is most likely a Martial Soul mutation. But the innate bloodline was insufficient to sustain the mutation, so the Martial Soul chose to absorb Soul Power to complete its subsequent development? Why does this situation feel somewhat familiar?"

The conjecture that surfaced in his mind made him think of someone: a certain master surnamed Yu who had once studied at Spirit Hall. Back then, many people had their own speculations about his condition. Some had guessed close to the truth, while others simply believed that the boy had terrible luck, awakening a pig instead of a dragon-type Martial Soul.

The situation of the boy before him was very similar to that person's, but An Lan's luck was undoubtedly better. The mutation had not drained all his Soul Power, leaving him with two levels that allowed him to cultivate normally.

Judging from the presence of this boy's Martial Soul, his original innate level might well have been around Level Eight.

The teacher felt that anything higher was unlikely. Level Nine or Innate Full Soul Power were peerless talents rarely seen in the world.

"Little An, are you willing to join Spirit Hall?"

"Join?"

Confused, An Lan displayed the bewilderment appropriate for his age. In terms of knowledge, he could show a slight difference from children his age—he was studious. But understanding human relationships and worldly connections was clearly not something a child of his age could see through.

"Am I not already a student of Spirit Academy, Teacher?"

Chapter 15: Different ### "Silly child, it is different. There are actually two types of students in Spirit Academy. One type is like you, local residents of Spirit City. After graduation, you are free to stay or leave. The other type will be directly assigned to branch halls throughout the lands and given important posts after graduation. Among them, those with the best talent will remain in Spirit City, personally overseen by His Holiness the Pope."

There was such a distinction?

It was not surprising.

Spirit Hall called itself the sacred land of Soul Masters, admired by all Soul Masters. Naturally, it was not some charitable institution.

If it were like those Academies in other fantasy worlds, it might truly become a sacred land in name and reality.

An Lan suddenly had an idea, and he deeply felt that a status like that of an Academy would be more conducive to spreading the faith of the Angel God.

They already had overwhelming strength: one Level Ninety-Nine Peak Demigod, six offerings above Level Ninety-Five, nine Titled Douluo elders, and branch halls throughout the Two Great Empires.

They also had the hearts of the common people.

They had favorable geography and popular support. As for the right time, all they needed was to make a slight change to Spirit Hall's foundation. It would be effortless.

However, changing the mindset of Spirit Hall's upper echelon would be very difficult.

The Two Great Empires and Spirit Hall stood in a three-way balance, united on the surface but secretly locked in fierce opposition. At such a time, if Spirit Hall suddenly stood up and said, "Let's sit down and talk. Stop fighting. From now on, we will become an Academy that teaches Soul Masters across the world. Regardless of your background, you can all send people here to study."

Only an idiot would believe it.

Moreover, there were families and sects of every size, each harboring their own schemes. Everyone wanted to dominate the continent, promote their own Martial Soul, and leave their name in history.

Compared to that, rather than painstakingly becoming a sacred Academy, it would be easier to genuinely fight with blood and steel, unify the land, and forge an Angel Empire.

Naturally, An Lan chose to join. He himself had no backing; three of them were in sects or families, one was outside as an independent cultivator. It would be useful for him to stay in Spirit Hall, keep track of Spirit Hall's movements, and plan for the future.

"Teacher, of course I am willing to join Spirit Hall."

"Good child. Prepare well. In one week, you will set out with everyone else. Use this time to think carefully about what kind of soul beast you want."

"Yes, Teacher. I will prepare properly."

An Lan had long since narrowed down the general range for his first Spirit Ring. The best choice would naturally be an avian soul beast with both Fire Attribute and Sun Attribute. The second choice would be a land beast with the same attributes. His third choice would be one with only a Fire Attribute, while the final backup would be an ordinary attack-type soul beast.

He turned to take his leave.

After An Lan departed, the teacher carefully organized An Lan's information and his own deductions before going to find the dean of studies.

"Director Miao, I found an exceptionally promising seedling."

After reading the materials, Director Miao's expression turned solemn. He confirmed it once more.

"Chen Zhuowen! Are you certain this information is true?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then come with me to see the Vice Dean."

The dean of Spirit Academy was naturally the Pope, but just as the emperors of the Two Great Empires served as honorary deans of their respective Royal Academies, they usually did not handle affairs. The one who truly managed everything at Spirit Academy was naturally the Vice Dean.

The Vice Dean was an eighty-ninth-level Spirit Douluo. He had once been injured while protecting Qian Xunji, leaving him unable to break through to Level Ninety for the rest of his life. He had been assigned to become the dean of Spirit Academy and retire there.

The Vice Dean was a staunch member of Spirit Hall's faction. Strictly speaking, he could be considered a retainer of the Qian Family. As long as he could provide Spirit Hall with fresh blood and talented individuals, it was naturally his duty.

He immediately asked the two to take him to see An Lan.

After another meticulous and troublesome examination, An Lan did his best to appear patient and obedient.

"Not bad. This child is indeed exceptionally gifted. We shall see the effects after he obtains his first Spirit Ring."

Only if he could continue to surpass Soul Masters of the same age and level would he be worth cultivating. Spirit Hall had countless affiliated Soul Masters, and it was not as though there were no others with attributes similar to An Lan's.

I thought I'd get to meet Qian Xunji directly.

Watching the three leave, An Lan curled his lips. It seemed they had been mistaken. Only shocking, peerless geniuses, one in ten thousand, could directly alarm the Pope. This was also because Spirit Hall had too many basic talents.

Innate Level Two Spirit Power simply did not carry enough weight. What was so remarkable about a mere mutation? Spirit Hall's historical records probably contained countless cases of mutated Martial Souls.

"I hope I get lucky and find a soul beast perfectly suited to my attributes for my first Spirit Ring."

Back in the dormitory, An Lan calculated carefully. Based on his current physique, he might be able to endure a six-hundred-year Spirit Ring. However, the teacher leading the Spirit Hunting Squad probably would not allow it. It was too extreme. Better to lower it a little, to around five hundred years.

The names of many soul beasts flashed through his mind.

Elsewhere, Ning Yulin was also troubled. Arranging a healing-type Soul Master was easy, but how could he shatter his Martial Soul while under the protection of a team? The sect's guard squad was not like Shrek Academy's teachers; they would not allow the person under their protection to be placed in danger.

After agonizing over it for a long time, he could think of only two options.

With so many people around, he could carry a signal flare, find an opportunity to leave the team, seek out a soul beast to shatter his Martial Soul, and then release the flare. If he failed, he would merely die once.

The other option was to lay everything out and ask a few of his brothers to arrange a separate team for the attempt.

After considering it back and forth, only his eldest brother, the one closest to him, might support him.

"What? No! I absolutely refuse."

Upon hearing about shattering the Martial Soul, Ning Yuxuan did not even hesitate before firmly refusing.

"Big Brother won't support me?" Ning Yulin's face was cold. "Then I will have no choice but to act alone and hunt for a Spirit Ring by myself."

No one else could force a Soul Master to absorb a Spirit Ring; it could only depend on the Soul Master's own wishes. Even if Ning Yuxuan wanted Ning Yulin to cultivate step by step according to the path most sect elders had taken, if Ning Yulin refused to absorb a Spirit Ring, there was nothing he could do.

This was a threat.

"Little Lin, do you resent Father?"

Suddenly, Ning Yuxuan asked a completely unrelated question. Ning Yulin was baffled.

"Of course not."

To him, the current Ning Fengzhi was merely a biological paternal figure and a vault. There was no resentment to speak of. Naturally, Ning Yuxuan did not believe him. If he held no resentment, why would he cultivate in such a hysterical way, one practically equivalent to cutting off his own path, just to prove himself? He was a perfectly fine Sixth Young Master of Seven Treasures, yet he insisted on tormenting himself.

Innate Level Two Spirit Power was not very high, but compared to those unable to cultivate, he was still superior to most. With the Seven Treasures Sect of the Upper Three Sects behind him, living in wealth for his entire life would not be a problem.

"Wait! Aren't you Innate Level Two? How—"

Ning Yuxuan suddenly noticed the crucial point, but his words were interrupted.

"Big Brother, give me a definite answer one last time. Will you support me or not?"

"You!"

Ning Yuxuan choked on his anger. Why was this brat so impossible to reason with?!

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Ning Yulin made as if to leave.

"In that case, Big Brother, farewell! I'll just hire a Spirit Hunting Squad to help me."

"Stop right there! Fine, fine, fine! I'll agree, all right?"

Those who were favored had nothing to fear.

Ning Yulin gave him a bright smile and reassured him.

"Don't worry, Big Brother. Even if I fail, with you around, I will not die. At most, I will become useless and unable to cultivate. There is nothing to worry about."

Ning Yuxuan clenched his fist, lowered it, then raised it again. After repeating this several times, he dearly wanted to give the little head before him a few lessons in brotherly affection. But he knew perfectly well that hitting him would not help. This little sixth brother was stubborn to the bone.

Yet if he did not hit him, he could not vent the anger in his heart. It was stuck in his chest, neither rising nor falling, making him feel utterly miserable.