The library.
Quiet! Even quieter than the classroom.
Mu Rong sat at the desk, wearing a familiar expression as he ran his fingers over a book.
"An Illustrated Guide to Martial Souls (Illustrated Edition)."
"History of the Continent."
"An Analysis of Basic Soul Power."
He took out an ancient book from a corner of the library, then found a seat and sat down.
He flipped through it.
Read carefully.
Reflected.
His eyes were like precise scanners, carefully taking in every word on the page.
The dead of night.
Seven Stars.
Suo Ling had long since grown tired of worldly affairs. The corners of her mouth curled into a smile as she savored the delicacy in her hand.
Mu Rong lay on the bed.
His five senses were immersed in the world around him.
This was his first time formally meditating.
He regulated his breathing.
Let his thoughts go.
The world around him gradually quieted. In the darkness, specks of light began to emerge, like stars shining in the night.
Pale blue.
Scattered across the air, they gave off a chill.
Ice element.
Mu Rong focused his mind and tried to draw it in.
Very slowly.
The specks of light were like mischievous souls, ignoring his repeated attempts to communicate with them.
He spent nine oxen and two tigers' worth of strength—every ounce of effort—to draw a trace of blue light into his body.
The cold current seeped into his pores, flowing along his veins.
Mu Rong gritted his teeth. The frigid current slid through his body, cold and smooth.
He guided the cold current toward his dantian.
The dantian, which had been empty and desolate, now held a faint feeling of energy.
Four hours passed in the blink of an eye.
His body began to feel sore and tired.
He was hungry.
If he kept going, his body would collapse.
Mu Rong slowly opened his eyes and let out a breath of turbid air.
A white mist condensed in the air and lingered for a long time.
He was too tired.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling his soul power grow ever so slightly stronger.
He combined the previous day's experience with his own observations and analysis.
He had realized that a Martial Soul's quality, soul power, and cultivation realm were all closely linked to one's innate soul power. Based on how much he had absorbed, he figured that he might be able to advance one rank a year.
One rank a year.
That was the talent of someone born with innate soul power at rank six.
If Suo Ling's innate soul power was rank three, she might not advance a single rank in six years.
The Martial Soul Hall was the main source of soul masters among the common folk.
Without resources piled high, cultivation was like a donkey grinding away at a millstone.
If one's innate aptitude wasn't high enough, one couldn't endure prolonged cultivation.
Without an abundance of nourishment, one's recovery would be as slow as an old ox pulling a plow.
Without high-grade soul beasts to consume, progress would be slower, and one's body would have to bear an ever heavier burden.
That was the way of cultivation for ordinary people.
The only way to break through the bottleneck was to spend money.
A great deal of money.
Mu Rong looked out the window.
The moonlight was cool and clear.
Three months later.
Late autumn.
Fallen leaves covered the small path in the academy.
A corner of the library.
Mu Rong closed the thick book in his hands, "The Complete Encyclopedia of Martial Souls."
Over the past three months, he had more or less read every book in the academy related to Martial Souls.
Since he intended to follow the cultivation path, choosing his first Soul Ring was extremely important.
The best choice would be a soul beast with an ice attribute and a body suited to absorbing spirit energy.
That would both strengthen the Martial Soul's ice attribute and make it easier for the Martial Soul to absorb the soul beast's spirit energy a second time. Even if it could only absorb a fraction of the energy, he couldn't pass up the chance.
Unfortunately.
After searching through the entire library, the only soul beast that came close was one called the "Water-and-Ice Dragon Python."
The academy's knowledge was limited, after all.
Mu Rong shut the ancient book, its pages yellowed with age. At least the entry on the "Water-and-Ice Dragon Python" was especially detailed.
It had a water attribute, not an ice attribute, and its spirit energy only carried a trace of dragon bloodline. It couldn't really be considered a true dragon.
Still, its bloodline was pure enough to provide a slight boost to an Ice Phoenix Martial Soul's bloodline.
The academy's library in Ju Yuan City was no more than a scattered collection of general knowledge from across the continent.
Truly precious and rare information about soul beasts could only be found in the hands of powerful forces with long histories.
The Martial Soul Hall, for example.
His own Ice Phoenix Martial Soul was already ice-attributed. If it gained an ice-attribute Soul Ring, he'd have a major advantage when choosing one.
Or perhaps the Martial Soul Hall's hidden library might have the answer he was looking for.
Having made up his mind, Mu Rong put the ancient book back where it belonged, then left the library and headed toward the Martial Soul Hall in the city center.
Just as he was about to step through the school gate, several sneaky figures emerged from beneath a nearby tree.
One of the youths, who looked like a little monkey, nudged his companion beside him.
"Hurry up, boss. That kid's leaving the academy!"
"Should we teach him a lesson right now? That little punk's too arrogant. Last time, he even dared threaten us!"
Another, with doglike legs, rubbed his hands together, eager to have a go.
"Damn it! Shut up!"
In the shadows, a monkey-faced youth kicked the person who'd spoken in the backside, then slapped him hard across the face.
Watching Mu Rong's retreating figure, a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help recalling the cold, pale-blue little snake and the words, "This kid is poisonous," along with the terrifying threat they implied.
The snake-type Martial Soul itself was already poisonous, not to mention that it was a rare ice-attribute snake Martial Soul.
If they fought for real, and he couldn't beat that man, he might not even be able to escape unscathed.
To bite down on a toy like that was to invite trouble. He was the young lord of Ju Yuan City—wasn't that just asking to get himself killed?
If he couldn't win by force, then he'd have to use his brain!
As the son of the city lord, he'd already cultivated his soul power to rank eight. Surely he could come up with a scheme to deal with a young man who hadn't even reached rank four?
The monkey-faced youth curled his lips, a smug, self-satisfied sneer appearing on his face.
He looked at his companion with doglike legs and muttered,
"You two, follow him from a distance. Watch where the kid goes. If he comes back, you can report to me. Don't let him catch you."
"Huh? Just follow him?"
"Boss, you're so smart. When he comes back, we'll ambush him on the road. We'll beat him until he can't fight back!"
"Great idea, boss!"
The two youths with doglike legs laughed in approval, convinced the plan was brilliant.
The monkey-faced youth gave them a disdainful glance. Were his companions' legs really all muscle and no brains?
He said no more, simply keeping a safe distance as he followed along.
Ju Yuan City's Martial Soul Hall.
In front of the magnificent building, two guards in full armor stood solemnly, holding long spears.
Mu Rong walked down the stairs, looked up at the imposing Martial Soul Hall's emblem, took a deep breath, then went inside.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
A guard stepped forward, blocking his path.
Mu Rong wore the uniform of the Ju Yuan Academy. Though his clothes were rather plain, it was obvious at a glance that he wasn't a local beggar.
"Uncle, hello. I'm a student at Ju Yuan Academy. I'd like to look up some information in the Martial Soul Hall's library and broaden my knowledge."
Mu Rong's manner was humble and courteous.
The guard looked him over, then coldly refused.
"The Martial Soul Hall's library isn't open to outsiders. If you want to go in, you'll need to make an appointment."
Ah.
Mu Rong complained inwardly, feeling that his plan was going to fall through. With his humble background, it really was difficult to get anywhere.
Just as he was turning to leave, a familiar voice came from inside the hall.
"Wait. Let him come in."
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