Changes

"Level 11?"

"Go to the living room. Release your Martial Souls and let me take a look." Mang Tian, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke as he looked at the unharmed pair.

Only then did Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin notice him. They hurriedly called out in unison, "Teacher."

Mang Tian nodded. "Let's go." With that, he headed out first.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance, then looked at their parents and the open bedroom door.

The two jumped straight off the bed and followed behind their parents, heading to the living room together with Na'er.

Seeing the two emerge, Mang Tian did not waste words and went straight to the point. "Come on."

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin moved a little farther apart and released their respective Martial Souls.

A white ring rose from beneath each of their feet. These were Soul Rings unique to Soul Masters.

White represented a Ten-Year Soul Ring, the lowest grade of all Soul Rings.

This was Tang Wuyang's first time using Qilin Possession. A pair of translucent pale-golden horns appeared atop his head, while a dragon tail covered in rainbow-colored scales emerged behind him. His formerly black gemstone-like eyes had turned azure blue.

The rest of him remained unchanged, save for a few scattered scales that had appeared along both sides of his cheeks.

The instant Tang Wuyang used Martial Soul Possession, all kinds of elemental particles surged around his body. No matter the element, they gathered affectionately around him, with blue ones being the most numerous.

On his shoulder, a snow-white little beast was flapping its tiny wings with all its might, trying to fly.

Less than two seconds after all four of its limbs left Tang Wuyang's right shoulder, it flopped weakly back down. Clearly, it had failed.

Tang Wulin opened his palm, and thick vines, each as wide as a finger and marked with faint golden patterns, rapidly sprouted from it.

A Little Grass Snake suddenly coiled around his shoulder. Its entire body was indigo, though the edges of its scales carried a faint silver-gray sheen, and it was noticeably longer than before.

This was also Tang Wulin's first time releasing his Martial Soul after becoming a Soul Master.

It was completely different from when he had possessed no Soul Ring. Tang Wulin felt as though every Blue Silver Grass strand that spread outward was an extension of his own awareness.

Anything they touched immediately fed information back into his mind.

Although both possessed Ten-Year Soul Rings, the white halos pulsed up and down, making the two boys look radiant.

That was the charm of Soul Masters. Even with only one Soul Ring, they were entirely different from ordinary people.

Lang Yue stared blankly at her two children. At last, some light appeared in Tang Ziran's eyes, while Na'er, who had remained silent at the side, seemed to have fallen into confusion again.

Mang Tian reached out and pulled over a Blue Silver Grass Vine. The slender vine looked extremely fragile, as if it could be torn apart with only a little force.

He then examined Tang Wuyang, who was still under Martial Soul Possession.

Mang Tian could not help sighing inwardly. Sigh, it really is a Useless Martial Soul. It truly hasn't produced any significant evolutionary effect on the Martial Soul!

With that thought, he sighed inwardly again before saying to the two of them, "Don't be discouraged. Although the Soul Spirits aren't good enough, you have still become Soul Masters, and your Soul Power has room to continue improving."

"The existence of Soul Power will help you in any profession you pursue."

"Ten thousand years ago, when Soul Tools had just become popular, the reason they were accepted by so many Soul Masters was that they could make up for the weakness of most Soul Masters' Martial Souls or Soul Rings, increasing their combat power through Soul Tool equipment."

"The same is true of modern mechas. As long as you possess Soul Power, even without powerful Soul Spirit support, you may still become a Mecha Master in the future."

"Mecha Masters with weak Martial Souls but great strength do exist. At the same time, Soul Power can play an important role in Forging. It can sharpen your senses and strengthen your physical power."

As he spoke, Mang Tian withdrew his gaze from Tang Wuyang and loosened his grip on the Blue Silver Grass Vine.

But to his surprise, the instant the Blue Silver Grass hit the floor, a crisp snap echoed through the living room.

"Hm?"

Mang Tian froze slightly. He pulled over another Blue Silver Grass strand and weighed it in his hand, then turned his gaze to Tang Wuyang. "Throw a punch for me."

Though he did not understand what was going on with his teacher, Tang Wuyang obediently did as he was told.

His fist sliced through the air with a muffled boom, like a heavy hammer smashing into a thick wooden board. The impact even sent ripples through the surrounding air.

Surprise flashed through Mang Tian's eyes at the sight, and his brows immediately furrowed.

Earlier, when Tang Wuyang had said that his strength had increased, Mang Tian had not thought much of it. Now, however, the boost was far beyond his imagination!

After finishing the punch, Tang Wuyang looked at Tang Wulin beside him with shining eyes.

Tang Wulin naturally understood what his younger brother meant. He returned Tang Wuyang's gaze with a firm look.

Mang Tian's words had undoubtedly brought the brothers a sliver of hope. Even if they could not become powerful Soul Masters, it seemed that they might still have the path of becoming Mecha Masters.

"Brother Mang, what is it?" Tang Ziran noticed Mang Tian's unusual reaction and asked instinctively.

Mang Tian did not answer. Instead, he grabbed the vine with both hands and pulled hard in opposite directions.

As a Forging Master, his strength went without saying.

Yet when he pulled on the Blue Silver Grass, the vine instantly stretched taut but did not break as easily as he had expected.

"Tang Wulin, there seems to be something wrong with your Blue Silver Grass—and with Tang Wuyang's Martial Soul as well." Mang Tian looked at Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang, who had yet to cancel Martial Soul Possession.

Tang Wulin asked in confusion, "Teacher, what's wrong with them?"

Mang Tian said, "First, your Blue Silver Grass. It is its weight. I didn't notice it at first, but the sound it made when it hit the ground clearly showed that it isn't light."

"I felt it again. Though it looks thin, it is quite heavy—heavier than ordinary vines."

"This shouldn't be something Blue Silver Grass could possess with only one Soul Ring. Let me try again."

As he spoke, Mang Tian's aura suddenly intensified.

Then, one white, two yellow, and one purple Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet—a total of four Soul Rings.

For a moment, the entire living room blazed with light. The aura emanating from Mang Tian made Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin, both Soul Masters themselves, instinctively take a step back.

The two were too shocked to speak.

According to the classification of Soul Master ranks, Soul Power from Level One to Level Ten made one a Soul Master, while Level Eleven to Level Twenty made one a Soul Master.

Every ten levels brought a new title. After Soul Master came Soul Grandmaster, Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, and finally, the highest rank, Title Douluo.

Their teacher, a Forging Master, was actually a powerful Four Ring Soul Ancestor.

With the appearance of his Soul Rings, three Soul Spirits materialized beside Mang Tian's shoulders.

The first Soul Spirit looked the weakest. It was a tiny rabbit that emitted a faint white glow.

The second Soul Spirit was rather unusual. It was directly manifested as two iron hammers, their hammerheads flickering with a dim yellow light.

Clearly, those hammers were not naturally formed Soul Spirits. Only Artificial Soul Spirits could possess Tool Soul Spirits.

The last one was the most eye-catching Purple Soul Spirit.

It was a small bear about three feet tall, covered in brown fur. Its arms were extraordinarily thick, and it looked extremely fierce.

Each of the three Soul Spirits had its own characteristics, while Mang Tian's Martial Soul itself was, astonishingly, a hammer.

It was a hammer emitting a white glow, looking no different from a Forging Hammer. Dark brown patterns ran across its hammerhead.

This was Mang Tian's Martial Soul, the Earth Hammer.

With his Martial Soul released, Mang Tian's aura surged sharply. His first Soul Ring lit up, and the Little White Rabbit released a layer of gentle white light that covered him.

Empowered by his Soul Skill, Mang Tian activated his Soul Power and pulled hard on the Blue Silver Grass in his hands once more.

A scene that stunned everyone appeared. Just as everyone—including Tang Wulin—thought his Blue Silver Grass would be torn apart, the Blue Silver Grass, which already held a faint golden glow, suddenly became strikingly brilliant under the external force.

The vine, which had already emitted a blend of pale gold and blue light, now revealed a faint silver-gray web-like pattern within it. Even with Mang Tian's powerful pull, he could not tear it apart.

However, Tang Wulin felt something clearly this time.

He felt the Soul Power within his body suddenly fluctuate before dropping by a noticeable amount.

"Ah!" Tang Wulin cried out involuntarily.

Mang Tian looked at him in surprise. "What did you feel?"

Tang Wulin answered truthfully, "My Soul Power seems to have decreased."

Suppressing his emotions, Mang Tian withdrew his Martial Soul and Soul Rings. At the same time, he released the Blue Silver Grass in his hand and turned his attention to Tang Wuyang.

"Tell me about the changes you experienced after Martial Soul Possession."

Mang Tian's gaze toward Tang Wuyang carried a hint of scrutiny. Although he was not an elemental-type Soul Master, he could still sense the unusually active elemental particles around Tang Wuyang after he used Martial Soul Possession.

Faced with his teacher's question, Tang Wuyang naturally did not dare neglect it. "I can feel that all kinds of elemental particles in the air are very close to me, like old friends I've known for a long time. And my strength has increased a great deal too."

As he looked at his two disciples, Mang Tian's expression grew more complicated.

Tang Ziran, who had remained silent, asked anxiously, "Brother Mang, what exactly is going on?"

Mang Tian smiled faintly. "It seems Heaven has not truly abandoned these two children. I can say with near certainty that both of their Martial Souls have undergone different mutations—and mutations in a positive direction."

Mutation?

Hearing those words, Tang Wulin instinctively looked toward Tang Wuyang beside him.

After all, the phrase "malignant mutation" had constantly been mentioned around them ever since Tang Wuyang started school.

Mang Tian said, "Under certain special circumstances, our Martial Souls can undergo unusual changes. For instance, if one fuses with a particularly compatible or particularly incompatible Soul Spirit or Soul Ring, or if one is stimulated by certain outside factors, such changes may occur."

"Some people's Martial Souls also mutate at birth or during Martial Soul Awakening."

"Mutations can be good or bad. A powerful Martial Soul may become extremely weak, but a weak Martial Soul may also become powerful."

"For example, Tang Wuyang's Qilin Martial Soul. Judging from his state under Martial Soul Possession, it clearly mutated during awakening."

Hearing this, Tang Wuyang lowered his head somewhat dejectedly. The words "malignant mutation" had followed him ever since his Martial Soul Awakening.

To say that he was not upset would obviously have been a lie.

"But his Qilin may not be a malignant mutation!"

The moment those words fell, Tang Wuyang abruptly raised his head. A new brightness appeared in his previously dim eyes.

Mang Tian continued, "The instant I saw him use Martial Soul Possession, I also thought his Qilin Martial Soul had undergone a malignant mutation. But based on what he described earlier, I can almost certainly conclude that his Martial Soul has merely changed toward an elemental direction."

"As everyone knows, when ordinary Beast Martial Soul Masters use Martial Soul Possession, their physical qualities improve to varying degrees."

"When they acquire Soul Rings, they will most likely gain Soul Skills that enhance strength or other status-related abilities, or else methods that increase attack or defense."

"Ordinary Beast Martial Soul Masters will experience Beastification to varying degrees in different parts of their bodies."

"A more special case is the publicly recognized number-one Beast Martial Soul on the continent, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."

"As Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Masters gain more Soul Rings, the parts of their bodies that undergo dragonification increase as well. At the same time, their Martial Souls naturally possess lightning attributes."

At this point, Mang Tian gave Tang Wuyang a meaningful look. "As for Tang Wuyang's Qilin Martial Soul, judging from the parts of his body that underwent Beastification after Martial Soul Possession, only his tail seems to possess any offensive capability."

"In contrast, the elemental particles around him have become exceptionally active, especially the blue particles representing the Water Element."

"At the same time, after adding a Soul Ring, his strength has also improved considerably."

"Although I do not know what your Soul Skill is, judging from the elemental particles constantly circling around you, it should not be the enhancement-type, simple energy attack, or defense-type Soul Skill that ordinary Beast Martial Souls are most likely to acquire."

"This reminds me of the Fox Martial Soul, which specializes in Spirit Power. Though it belongs to the Beast Martial Soul category, it differs from ordinary Beast Martial Souls. Its specialty is using powerful Spirit Power to control the field or provide support."

"But Tang Wuyang's Qilin can not only trigger fluctuations in all kinds of elements, it can also increase his strength after acquiring a Soul Ring."

"Therefore, I have reason to speculate that his Martial Soul may be like certain relatively rare Beast Martial Souls—it has mutated toward an elemental direction."

Tang Wuyang said nothing. He merely lowered his head and looked at his hands.

He knew that Teacher Mang Tian's guess was mostly correct.

After all, Tang Wuyang could feel that his First Soul Skill truly had something to do with the elements.

After explaining Tang Wuyang's situation, Mang Tian turned his gaze to Tang Wulin.

"Now, let's talk about Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass. We all know that Blue Silver Grass is a universally recognized Useless Martial Soul, but it is highly compatible with snake-type Soul Spirits."

"Generally speaking, after a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul receives the enhancement of a Soul Ring, it evolves toward vines."

"I once saw a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master with Soul Power. After he reached Level Ten, he also fused with a snake-type Soul Spirit."

"The vines he produced were much thicker than yours, but they were still extremely fragile. I would not have needed to use the power of my Martial Soul to tear them apart easily."

"But your Blue Silver Grass is completely different. Although I only used my First Soul Skill, my own strength is very great, yet I still could not tear it apart. That should be impossible according to common sense."

"This is the first time I have seen a Martial Soul whose innate toughness is linked to Soul Power. In other words, before your Soul Power is completely exhausted, I might not even be able to tear apart your Blue Silver Grass."

"Other than a Martial Soul Mutation caused by fusing with a Soul Spirit, I cannot think of any other possibility."

Tang Wuyang glanced at his older brother, who was still stunned, and asked, "Teacher, is that good or bad?"

Mang Tian said, "Of course it is good, but it is not absolute. The main thing is how Tang Wulin himself controls your Blue Silver Grass."

"Since Blue Silver Grass has turned into vines, logically speaking, you should develop toward the Control System. There is a ninety percent chance that your First Soul Skill is Entwine, the most basic vine-type skill."

"As for Tang Wuyang, we will still need to see what kind of skill your Soul Ring has brought you before deciding the developmental direction of your Martial Soul."

"Also, when you add your Second Soul Ring in the future, perhaps another mutation may occur."

"So, I cannot yet judge what your Martial Souls will become in the future. But at the very least, there is hope."

"Tang Wuyang's Martial Soul is not some so-called malignant mutation, and Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass is no longer a Useless Martial Soul from this day forward. You two have turned misfortune into a blessing."

"Really?" Tang Wulin looked at his teacher in disbelief.

Hearing that conclusion, Tang Wuyang's eyes immediately lit up.

It was no longer a malignant mutation or a Useless Martial Soul?