Successive Blows

Morning.

Today, the brothers had both gotten up early. Even at breakfast, they ate less than usual.

As their father, Tang Ziran naturally understood how restless his two sons felt.

Seeing how anxious they were, Tang Ziran could not help but laugh. "It's rare to see you two little fellows so worked up. Don't rush. If you get there too early, Spirit Pagoda won't even be open yet."

For Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang, today was an especially important day. They were going to buy Soul Spirits.

"Dad, what kind of Soul Spirits do you think Wuyang and I will get?"

As Tang Wulin spoke, Tang Wuyang also looked at his father with expectant eyes.

No matter how composed they usually were, they were still only two nine-year-old children.

For three years, they had worked tirelessly for this day. Now that the day to reap the rewards had finally come, how could they possibly remain calm?

Tang Ziran smiled faintly. "Dad doesn't know either. But no matter what kind of Soul Spirits you obtain, you'll be able to advance from Soul Masters to One-Ring Soul Masters. Once you become Soul Masters, you'll have opened a gap between yourselves and ordinary people."

"Yeah!" Tang Wulin nodded excitedly, while Tang Wuyang's imagination ran wild with thoughts of Soul Spirits.

The two children were caught up in their excitement and failed to notice the undercurrent in their father's tone.

Watching her two older brothers anxiously drag their father out of the house, Na'er stood at the doorway and watched the three of them disappear into the distance. A confused look once again appeared in her beautiful eyes.

With her brows slightly furrowed, Na'er seemed to be trying hard to think of something.

"Dad, hurry up! Faster!" Tang Wulin happily walked ahead while pulling his younger brother along, occasionally turning back to urge his father onward.

Seeing how excited the two children were, Tang Ziran could only shake his head helplessly. Deep in his eyes flashed a trace of worry.

Obtaining a suitable Soul Spirit was not so easy. Just because one could afford to buy one did not mean one would find one that suited them.

The Spirit Pagoda Organization had existed for Ten Thousand Years Ago and was spread throughout the continent. Not only was it found across Douluo Continent, but it had also spread to the other two continents discovered over the past several thousand years.

Although Aolai City was a Small City in a remote region, it still had a Spirit Pagoda branch located at the center of the town.

When the three arrived, Spirit Pagoda's Main Gate was already open, but there was hardly anyone inside.

After all, only Soul Masters came here, and Aolai City had very few Soul Masters.

Tang Ziran led the two children into Spirit Pagoda. Their eyes kept roaming over their surroundings as they took in this legendary place.

Spirit Pagoda was Octagonal Shape, three stories tall, with four sides and eight directions. Its interior was exceptionally spacious, and the floor was paved with marble bearing the Spirit Pagoda emblem.

A ring of doors of unknown destination surrounded them. Directly ahead was a counter-like structure, behind which sat a Spirit Transmission Master dressed in a Gray Robe.

Seeing one adult and two children approaching, the Spirit Transmission Master Stood Up and looked at Tang Ziran. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

Tang Ziran hurriedly replied respectfully, "Hello, Spirit Transmission Master. I've brought my two sons here to purchase Soul Spirits. Their Soul Power has both reached Rank Ten."

At those words, some of the warmth on the Spirit Transmission Master's face immediately faded.

It was obvious that this Middle-aged man was not a Soul Master.

"Did you bring enough money?" the Spirit Transmission Master asked coldly.

Tang Wulin quickly answered, "We did. We brought enough."

"What level of Soul Spirit do you want to buy?" the Spirit Transmission Master asked.

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Tang Ziran's face as he cautiously asked, "Spirit Transmission Master, we don't know much about this. Could you please explain it to us?"

The Spirit Transmission Master sounded somewhat impatient. "You came without asking around first?"

"In a small place like Aolai City, our Spirit Pagoda only offers three kinds of Soul Spirits for purchase: Ten-Year White Soul Spirits, Century Yellow Soul Spirits, and Random Soul Spirits."

"There are seventy-three choices of Ten-Year White Soul Spirits and eleven choices of Century Yellow Soul Spirits."

"White Soul Spirits cost Seventy Thousand each, while Yellow Soul Spirits cost one million each. Which kind do you want?"

After hearing the explanation, Tang Wulin's Small Face immediately turned pale. He had clearly been frightened by the steep price.

Tang Wuyang's face was also full of shock as he blurted out, "Spirit Transmission Master, aren't Soul Spirits Thirty Thousand? How... how can they..."

The Spirit Transmission Master glanced at the two children. "Thirty Thousand is for Random Soul Spirits. You might draw a Ten-Year one, or you might draw a Century one, but the type cannot be determined. There's a very high chance you'll draw one incompatible with your Martial Soul."

"Some people choose that method because they want to save money and try their luck."

"I wouldn't recommend it. Choosing a Ten-Year White Soul Spirit that suits you directly would help you more."

From the three of them's clothing and manner of speech, he could tell that they definitely were not people who could afford Century Soul Spirits.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin turned to look at their father at the same time. Their previous excitement and anticipation vanished in that instant.

Tang Ziran crouched down and looked at his two sons, momentarily not knowing what to say.

"Linlin, Yangyang, let's choose Random Soul Spirits. Both of your Martial Souls have fairly good adaptability, so you should be able to fuse with most Soul Spirits."

If Tang Wulin's Martial Soul had not been Blue Silver Grass, and if Tang Wuyang's Innate Soul Power had been a little higher, Tang Ziran would never have chosen such a risky option.

From the academy Teacher, he had roughly learned that his younger son's Martial Soul was likely a so-called Malignant Mutation. As for his older son, one of his Martial Souls was a typical useless Martial Soul, and his Innate Soul Power was not high either. His Talent was clearly inferior to those true Twin Martial Souls geniuses.

The fact that the two children had managed to cultivate to Rank Ten before graduation had already given him no small surprise.

"I must remind you of something." The Spirit Transmission Master's voice instantly drew the attention of the father and his two sons.

"When drawing Random Soul Spirits, there is a chance of getting a Century Soul Spirit, but there is also a chance of getting a Defective Product."

Tang Ziran froze. "A Defective Product? What is that?"

The Spirit Transmission Master explained, "When Artificial Soul Spirits are made, they do not succeed every single time. Sometimes, defective products can appear."

"These defective products also take a great deal of effort to create, and they can still be fused, so they are placed among the random draws."

"Otherwise, if random draws only contained White or Yellow Soul Spirits, wouldn't people be guaranteed to profit if someone deliberately arranged things?"

"Judging by your situation, Sixty Thousand Federation Coin is no small sum for you. So you should think this through carefully."

Tang Ziran turned to his two sons. Tang Wulin's gaze had become somewhat vacant, while Tang Wuyang's face was full of confusion.

Neither of them had expected that after working hard for three years and coming to Spirit Pagoda full of joy, they would face such a situation.

"Linlin, Yangyang, how about we go home first? Dad will think of another way."

"If there's no other choice, I'll borrow some money and try to scrape together Seventy Thousand for Ten-Year Soul Spirits..."

Seeing the looks on his sons' faces, waves of pain rose in Tang Ziran's heart.

Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang looked at each other. Seeing the questioning look in his older brother's eyes, the confusion in Tang Wuyang's eyes immediately turned to resolve. He gave Tang Wulin a firm nod.

Then, together with Tang Wulin, he looked at Tang Ziran. "Dad, let's choose this. You and Mom are already exhausted every day because of us. Maybe Ge and I will have good luck and happen to draw decent Soul Spirits."

Tang Wulin also Echoed, "Yeah, Dad. You and Mom work so hard. Besides, my Martial Soul is only Blue Silver Grass anyway."

Ever since their Martial Soul Awakening, Tang Wuyang's appetite had risen sharply. Tang Wulin was not as exaggerated as Tang Wuyang, but he still ate twice as much as before. On top of that, Na'er ate nearly as much as Tang Wuyang.

For a wage-earning family, it was already far from easy for Tang Ziran and Lang Yue to support them. Whenever there was anything good to eat, they always saved it for the three children. The husband and wife were even reluctant to eat meat themselves.

Children from poor families learned to shoulder responsibility early. Although Tang Ziran and Lang Yue had never said anything, the two brothers had seen it all.

The family was already struggling. If their parents had to borrow money for them as well, how would they live in the future?

"What sensible children."

The Spirit Transmission Master, who had originally been somewhat impatient, could not help but soften his expression after hearing Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's words.

"Ah..." Tang Ziran let out a pained sigh. "It's because Dad is useless."

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin each took one of their father's hands and looked at the Spirit Transmission Master before them. With one voice, they said, "Spirit Transmission Master, please help us choose Random Soul Spirits."

As they spoke, they placed the Thirty Thousand Federation Coin each of them had saved over three years onto the counter.

The Spirit Transmission Master Nodded. "You two children are really sensible, much better than that Stinky Boy of mine."

"Normally, the Spirit Power examination before choosing a Soul Spirit also costs money. But today, I'll make the decision. I'll waive the fee for testing your Spirit Power."

The two of them were stunned for a moment, then hurriedly said together, "Thank you, Spirit Transmission Master."

The Spirit Transmission Master smiled and rubbed their heads. "Come with me. This father can wait here. The world of Soul Masters is not something ordinary people can peer into."

He led Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin into a room filled with various instruments, gestured for them to sit in chairs, and casually asked, "Do you know why Spirit Power has to be tested?"

The two shook their heads blankly.

The Spirit Transmission Master explained, "Because the strength of one's Spirit Power determines what level of Soul Spirit one can fuse with. Ten Thousand Years Ago, in the era before Soul Spirits existed, there was no classification for Spirit Power."

"But as Soul Spirits appeared, people realized that fusing Soul Spirits required even greater attention to Spirit Power than fusing Soul Rings."

"Only through continuous research did people establish the classifications for Spirit Power."

The Spirit Transmission Master placed metal helmet-like devices over their heads and continued, "From low to high, Spirit Power is divided into the Spirit Origin Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, Spirit Sea Realm, Spirit Abyss Realm, Spirit Domain Realm, and the legendary God Origin Realm."

"You'll learn all of this at the academy later. For now, let's see what level of the Spirit Origin Realm you've reached."

A faint buzzing sound rang out, and numbers began jumping on the nearby Soul Guidance Screen.

At first, the numbers changed rapidly. After a while, they gradually stabilized.

Seeing the numbers on the two screens, the Spirit Transmission Master revealed a surprised expression.

After a while, the numbers stopped moving. The instrument shut down, and the helmets rose.

"Alright."

Tang Wuyang felt dizzy. During the test, he vaguely saw the Golden World from when his Martial Soul awakened again, but before he could react, the test had already ended.

"Very impressive data. Tang Wulin, your Spirit Power is forty."

"Tang Wuyang, your Spirit Power is forty-five."

"Congratulations. Among the Soul Masters I've tested over the past year, yours are the highest."

"In a moment, I'll prepare a test report for you. When you attend Intermediate Soul Master Academy, you can submit it directly."

The two seemed somewhat confused after hearing this, so the Spirit Transmission Master kindly explained, "Spirit Power in the Spirit Origin Realm ranges from one to one hundred."

"Below thirty is the Spirit Origin Realm Initial Stage. Thirty to sixty is the Intermediate Stage, sixty to ninety is the Advanced Stage, and ninety to one hundred is the Spirit Origin Realm Peak."

"At such a young age, your Spirit Power has already entered the Spirit Origin Realm Intermediate Stage. That's already very impressive."

"I'm currently a Rank Twenty-Eight Soul Grandmaster, yet my Spirit Power is only eighty-seven. With your Spirit Power, you would have no problem fusing with a Century Yellow Soul Spirit. Now, it depends on your luck."

The Spirit Transmission Master led them to another room, where there was a massive machine three meters tall and six meters wide.

They could clearly see many identical spherical objects inside the machine.

The Spirit Transmission Master pointed at it. "The green button starts it, and the Red Button stops it. Whatever rolls out after it stops is the Soul Spirit you drew. Which of you will go first?"

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin exchanged glances. Looking at the unfamiliar yet novel machine before them, both grew nervous.

Their Teacher, Lin Ximeng, had once said in class that the quality of a Soul Spirit would largely determine a Soul Master's strength.

A powerful Soul Spirit could even help a Soul Master raise their Soul Power Level after fusion.

Conversely, if a Soul Spirit was too weak, the Soul Skills it granted a Soul Master would also be weak.

Under normal circumstances, a Soul Master could possess no more than nine Soul Skills in their lifetime. A situation like Tang Wulin's Twin Martial Souls was truly rare.

Soul Masters capable of cultivating to the Nine Ring level were exceedingly scarce. Therefore, for Soul Masters with low Innate Soul Power, every Soul Skill was extremely important.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath. "Then... I'll go first."

He pressed the green button, then placed his hand on the Red Button. After pausing for a moment, he pressed it.

A pristine white Soul Spirit ball rolled out from the exit and fell into the metal box beneath it.

Tang Wulin reached out and accepted the Soul Spirit ball handed to him by the Spirit Transmission Master, then turned to Tang Wuyang. "Wuyang, your turn."

Tang Wuyang's Left Hand, hanging at his side, clenched slightly. He stepped before the machine and repeated Tang Wulin's actions.

Once the Spirit Transmission Master saw that both had received Soul Spirit balls, he said, "Let's go outside and take a look."

The two followed the Spirit Transmission Master back to the main hall and walked over to Tang Ziran.

The Spirit Transmission Master Hand Over an oval-shaped device to each of them. "Press this button, and the Soul Spirit will be released."

Tang Wuyang nervously looked at the device in his hand. Together with Tang Wulin, he pressed the button. The Soul Spirit balls slowly opened, and identical White Light shone from their palms.

Seeing the white light, the Spirit Transmission Master said, "Ten-Year Soul Spirits."

Inside Tang Wuyang's Soul Spirit ball lay a Little Fellow resembling a lion, its entire body snow-white and free of the slightest impurity. A small silvery-white horn protruded from the center of its forehead.

The Spirit Transmission Master looked at the Soul Spirit in Tang Wuyang's hand. Surprise flashed through his eyes before turning to regret. "Th-this is Bai Ze?"

Tang Wuyang's attention was entirely fixed on the little beast in his palm. He did not notice the change in the Spirit Transmission Master's expression at all.

Then the Spirit Transmission Master shifted his gaze to the other child.

Inside Tang Wulin's Soul Spirit ball coiled an Indigo Blue Little snake.

It appeared frail and weak, only about fifteen centimeters long. Two easily overlooked bumps could also be seen on its forehead.

After seeing the true forms of their Soul Spirits, the Spirit Transmission Master could not help but sigh. With regret, he said, "When it rains, it pours. Children, although your Soul Spirits are not defective products, they are not much better than defective products."

He truly knew the origins of the two Soul Spirits before him.

"Children, both of your Soul Spirits have their own flaws."

"Tang Wulin, your Grass Snake is not only just thirty years old, it also has almost no offensive power. I'm sure you can see that it is very weak. After fusion, it absolutely will not grant you a good Soul Skill. It might even waste one of your Soul Skill slots."

"As for Tang Wuyang's Bai Ze, it is a special case accidentally created by our Spirit Pagoda researchers. Not only is it full of unknowns, with no one knowing what kind of Soul Skill it will bring after fusion, but its age is simply too low. Its age is even lower than Tang Wulin's Grass Snake. It has only barely reached ten years."

"Ah." The Spirit Transmission Master sighed. "Once Soul Spirits are drawn, they have already been activated. They must be fused within Twenty-four Hours, or they will dissipate and die."

"You may decide for yourselves whether you truly want to fuse with them. If you choose to give up, you can come back later and choose other Soul Spirits."

Tang Ziran looked at his two pale-faced, vacant-eyed sons. Barely suppressing the pain in his heart, he wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. "Linlin, Yangyang, let's go home."

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin merely followed silently behind their father, taking steps toward the exit.

"Wait." Seeing how dejected the two children looked, the Spirit Transmission Master ultimately could not help calling after them.

"You should still give up these two Soul Spirits. Although they are successful Test Subjects, there is a greater chance that fusing with them will bring harmful effects to your Martial Souls."

Out of sympathy, he still urged the two children to give up these weak Soul Spirits.