Second Profession Selection, the First to Exploit Soul Spirits (Part 1)

Chapter 7: Second Profession Selection, the First to Exploit Soul Spirits (Part 1)

Light drove away the darkness. Zhao Xuanzhen sat up from the metal cabinet. The light reflected by the metal room was rather glaring, and he instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, three scorching gazes met his eyes, as if they wanted to pierce through his body and uncover the secrets hidden within.

"You look like you're about to eat me." Zhao Xuanzhen pulled his clothes tighter, his scalp tingling.

"A thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider!"

"You killed it all by yourself!"

Two pairs of beautiful blue and emerald-green eyes sparkled. Bai Haoze and Bai Zhicen both believed that, at the same Soul Power level, they could never have done what Zhao Xuanzhen did. Even surviving the first wave of attacks from the Wind Baboon pack would have been difficult enough!

"Just luck."

Zhao Xuanzhen did not think much of it. Basic stuff, no need to praise me.

"That wasn't luck. That was absolute strength." Leng Yaozhu walked over and ruffled Zhao Xuanzhen's black hair. "Classes officially begin tomorrow."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Entering the Spirit Ascension Platform to hunt spirit beasts is extremely taxing on the mind. Go back and meditate early to rest..."

Halfway through speaking, Leng Yaozhu remembered something. She reached into her Storage Soul Tool, took out a white jade porcelain bottle, and handed it to Zhao Xuanzhen as she said gently:

"A Mystic Water Pill. It is refined by the Mystic Nether Sect from the essence blood of dozens of water-element spirit beasts and medicinal herbs. Its medicinal effect is rich and lasting, cleansing the marrow and purifying the body while increasing a Soul Master's Innate Soul Power by one level."

As spirit beasts gradually declined, the price of Mystic Water Pills had risen accordingly. Even at one million Federation Coins per pill at an Auction House, demand still exceeded supply. Leng Yaozhu had originally worried that Zhao Xuanzhen's talent might be lacking and had personally gone to the Mystic Nether Sect for it. In the end, her disciple had awakened as an outright monster.

"The Mystic Water Pill won't do much for me, will it?"

Zhao Xuanzhen naturally remembered the pill that had changed Huo Yuhao's talent ten thousand years ago. However, he possessed Innate Full Soul Power, and his True Self had also granted him a pure and powerful body.

Increase Innate Soul Power by one level?

Hmph, useless stuff!

Leng Yaozhu remained calm. "I already bought it, so just eat it like candy."

What a filthy rich move!

Zhao Xuanzhen lamented that he had somehow become extravagantly wealthy in this life. At the same time, he honestly pulled out the jade bottle's stopper and tossed a Mystic Water Pill into his mouth.

Ooh, it tastes sweet!

As expected, the effect was negligible. After sampling the taste of the Mystic Water Pill, Zhao Xuanzhen bade farewell to Leng Yaozhu and the other two women. He took the elevator back to the Ninety-ninth Floor and summoned the Spirit Water Porpoise as soon as he entered.

The Spirit Water Porpoise's cultivation had leaped from six hundred years to a thousand years. Its aura had become increasingly deep and heavy, though its body had not changed much. The Yin-Yang mark between its brows had deepened in color, while Bagua Runes flickered in and out of sight.

"Tun Tun, are you comprehending my Qimen Dao Technique?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked.

Soul Spirits with exceptional talent could learn all sorts of abilities from Soul Masters. The Rouge Soft Muscle Python of Soft Rabbit Douluo Jiang Nannan was the most famous example. It had learned a full set of soft-body techniques, as well as supreme soul skills such as Invincible Golden Body and Instant Transmission. The Spirit Water Porpoise, meanwhile, seemed to be progressing toward Qimen Dao Technique.

"It's too complicated. I can't understand it." The Spirit Water Porpoise shook its head. "I can only slowly communicate with heaven and earth through my Yin-Yang Attribute and comprehend elemental power. I cannot command nature at will like you."

"That's fine too."

Hearing that the Spirit Water Porpoise could not use Bagua Qimen, Zhao Xuanzhen was instead relieved. Qimen formations were exceedingly dangerous, and it was all too easy to lose oneself within them. He feared that the Spirit Water Porpoise would follow in the footsteps of the losers.

"Human, have you noticed that your fortune has changed?" The Spirit Water Porpoise raised its head to look at Zhao Xuanzhen.

"Fortune?" Zhao Xuanzhen froze slightly.

"After we fused, the fortune contained within me became shared with you. From what I can sense, your fortune is fluctuating sharply. The last time this happened to me, humans raided the Star Dou Great Forest the next day, and then I became a Soul Spirit..."

"Fortune is not to be trusted!" Zhao Xuanzhen declared firmly.

"Your fortune is the exact opposite of mine. Within a day, auspicious fortune will surely descend upon you."

"Then I have no choice but to believe it."

Zhao Xuanzhen immediately changed his tune. "Could it be that a million-year spirit beast will come knocking tonight to offer itself as a sacrifice?"

"That's rather greedy."

The Spirit Water Porpoise stared blankly for a long while before speaking in a muffled voice. Treating auspicious fortune like a divine dragon that granted wishes—what an audacious human. He was truly audacious!

Night fell. Carrying expectations of auspicious fortune descending from the heavens, Zhao Xuanzhen ate, went to bed, and meditated to cultivate.

His heart was as still as water, all thoughts empty. His meridians flowed with the breath, cycling through the heavenly circuit before returning to his dantian.

Early morning, Hundredth Floor of the Spirit Transmission Tower Headquarters, residence of Sky Phoenix Douluo.

Warm sunlight filtered through velvet curtains, turning the marble floor into golden amber. In the center of the hall hung a crystal chandelier with countless prisms dangling from it, each refraction carving a trail of gold-red light through the air.

"Teacher."

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a young man's clear voice from outside.

A faint smile appeared on Leng Yaozhu's stunning face. With a wave of her hand, the door creaked open. Sunlight spilled across the floor as a handsome youth approached through the backlight, dressed in azure robes embroidered with crane patterns, his black hair simply tied up, with a porpoise at his side.

Zhao Xuanzhen's gaze fell on Leng Yaozhu. She wore a pure white dress today, without the slightest trace of another color. Her aura was tranquil and distant.

Master and disciple sat facing each other, while Tun Tun lay beside Zhao Xuanzhen. Leng Yaozhu spoke first. "During your first meditation session, did your Soul Power circulate smoothly? Was there any obstruction?"

"Everything went smoothly."

Zhao Xuanzhen's cultivation differed greatly from that of mainstream Soul Masters. He had incorporated tricks from the Dao techniques of his previous life, creating a meditation method best suited to his own growth.

"That's good." Leng Yaozhu nodded. "I thought about it all night. Where exactly should I begin teaching you?"

His physical fitness was formidable, and his close-combat techniques already showed the bearing of a grandmaster. His ability to wield heaven and earth for his own use was even more unheard of, and his abilities had already formed a complete system.

With such outstanding talent awakened, Xiao Ling and Liu Yun must surely be happy for you in heaven."

At the mention of his parents in this life, ripples stirred in Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes. Although Leng Yaozhu had remained silent about the cause of their deaths, Zhao Xuanzhen, reborn through reincarnation with memories far beyond those of an ordinary infant, had known the truth from beginning to end.

It had been a snow mountain. His parents had been soldiers of the Blood God Legion, guarding the Abyss Passage for more than a decade before ultimately dying in an Abyss Tide.

They had spent less than a day together, and claiming deep affection would have been far too hypocritical. Still, Zhao Xuanzhen was grateful to and respected them. They were heroes who had died protecting all living beings of Douluo Continent.

The Blood God Legion had guarded the Abyss for a thousand years, with countless soldiers dying one after another.

Yet in the end, one final blow settled everything with ease, lending those heroes an extra touch of tragedy.

The gods saved Douluo from fire and water.

As for why Douluo had fallen into fire and water...

Don't ask!

For now, Zhao Xuanzhen had no means of fighting the gods, so certain thoughts could only be buried deep in his heart...

Hide one's strength and bide one's time, then seize Heaven's Timing!

Seeing the change in her disciple's emotions, Leng Yaozhu felt that she perhaps should not have mentioned the deceased. She promptly changed the subject. "Xuanzhen, your martial soul path only needs to develop step by step. Today, Teacher wants to talk to you about the pinnacle of Soul Guidance Technology...

Battle Armor."