The Great Stage of Douluo, My Name is Qian Xunji

Chapter 42: Choices and Inquiries

After listening to what Kai had to say.

Xiao Wu tried hard for a while, but within a few days, she returned to her previous way of cultivating.

You could get her to fight or go shopping, but making her cultivate from morning till night was something she just couldn't do.

Xiao Wu's cultivation time was squeezed into her cultivation classes and whatever free time she had in the evenings.

Adding it all up, her daily cultivation time barely reached five or six hours at most.

Tang San spent even less time; he had to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye in the early morning, attend cultural theory classes in the morning, skip his afternoon combat cultivation class to forge iron at the blacksmith shop, and cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill at night.

Just when no one could react in time, Kai applied for early graduation.

Blacksmith Shop

By the time Tang San received the news, Kai had already left the academy with the dean.

Looking at the iron block that had turned red from being tempered in the blazing fire, Tang San felt inexplicably restless.

In his past life, he had cultivated Tang Sect hidden weapons and had long since mastered the craft of blacksmithing, creating countless exquisite hidden weapons.

Yet, he still obediently followed his father's requirements to forge iron because he sensed that his father wanted to teach him a certain "technique" or "skill."

This was just like the stance training practiced by certain sects in his past life before learning martial arts; one had to master the stance and build a solid foundation.

Blacksmithing must also be the foundation of some kind of "technique," and Tang San was willing to endure some hardship to learn it.

Even his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, had not raised any objections, so he figured his current approach shouldn't hinder his cultivation much.

Therefore, during this period, Tang San had been contentedly forging iron while studying and cultivating.

However, it wasn't until he learned that Kai had graduated early that Nuoding Academy announced the level of this outstanding graduate.

Seeing that this peer who had come from Holy Soul Village with him was already level sixteen, while he was only level fourteen, Tang San fell into self-doubt.

Clearly, they had started with the same Soul Power Level!

Tang San felt a bit anxious; he understood the principle that if you fall behind by one step, you fall behind in every step.

From the beginning, Kai had obtained his Soul Ring before him, and now, he was two levels higher in soul power. This feeling of being gradually left behind made Tang San's once tranquil heart grow restless.

Should he reduce his time spent forging and spend more time on cultivation?

Tang San was unsure of the caliber of the "technique" his father had passed down to him, or if it was worth wasting his cultivation time on it during these early stages.

He wanted to confide in someone and seek advice from those with rich experience and profound knowledge.

In Tang San's heart, the most suitable person for this was naturally his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.

Teacher's Dormitory

Yu Xiaogang was also aware of Kai's early graduation.

Unlike Tang San, he had long known that someone with Innate Full Soul Power would inevitably graduate early.

Likewise, Tang San should also graduate early; according to a normal soul master's development path, if one wanted to obtain more resources and better growth, graduating early to head to an intermediate soul master academy was a necessity.

Tang San should also be graduating early.

However, Yu Xiaogang had his own plans.

At the junior soul master academy, the teachers had ordinary backgrounds, and most were only Soul Grand Masters; he could successfully take Tang San as his disciple without anyone daring to snatch him away or speak out.

In such a small city and small academy, Tang San had no other ways to acquire knowledge, and it was easier for him to hoodwink Tang San.

Once they went to an intermediate or even advanced soul master academy, he, a mere Soul Grand Master, could not act as a nominal teacher and throw his weight around like he did at Nuoding Academy.

The other side might not even accept him as a teacher, and when that time came, Tang San would be enrolled, and he could only watch from the sidelines.

By then, Tang San would have learned more knowledge at those schools, and the questions he asked would become more difficult; his own knowledge as a master specializing in martial spirits might not be enough.

Yu Xiaogang naturally did not want such a thing to happen; the best way was to keep Tang San with him at Nuoding Academy.

Hearing the knock on the door, Yu Xiaogang knew who it was. He was a loner at the school, and the only person who would come back to seek him out voluntarily was his disciple, Tang San.

"Come in!" Yu Xiaogang opened the door and looked at Tang San, who had come to visit, with some confusion.

Today was not a day for Yu Xiaogang to teach Tang San, and he knew that Tang San usually went to the blacksmith shop in the afternoon.

"Is something the matter?" Letting Tang San in and closing the door, Yu Xiaogang poured him a glass of water and asked.

After spending this time together, Tang San had come to trust the Master's wisdom and asked, "Teacher, I have some doubts..."

And so, Tang San laid out his problems and inner conflict in full detail.

Of course, he concealed a bit about the "technique," saying only that it was taught by a passing soul master.

"So, Teacher, what should I do? Should I continue forging to practice the skills that soul master taught me, or should I focus my main energy on cultivating soul power?" Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang, hoping the other could provide an answer.

Having gone through the incident with Tang Hao, Yu Xiaogang naturally linked the blacksmithing techniques to the self-created soul skills associated with the Clear Sky Hammer of the Clear Sky Sect.

These self-created soul skills are no secret to the major powers on the Douluo Continent.

Yu Xiaogang took a sip of water, his expression remaining calm, though he had no idea how to answer internally.

Chapter 43 Intermediate Soul Master Academy

If it were merely a matter of personal interest and stance, he would not want Tang San to spend too much time learning self-created soul skills for the Clear Sky Hammer.

No matter how powerful the Clear Sky Hammer is, its reputation is ruined; it is impossible to bring it out for use.

Before Tang San grows strong enough, he can only use his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. If Yu Xiaogang wants to use Tang San to verify his own theories, he naturally needs him to display his talent and build a reputation.

However, thinking is one thing, and doing is another.

Tang Hao might be listening to their conversation right now. After considering his own life, Yu Xiaogang decided it was better to follow his heart.

Tang Hao naturally has his reasons for making such arrangements.

"Cough, cough, Little San! Some things cannot be judged solely by immediate gains and losses. Although Kai seems to be ahead of you now, in reality, you are the one who will surpass him."

Yu Xiaogang continued, "Even if his soul power exceeds yours, his upper limit is already set. On the contrary, Little San, you have twin martial souls; you can attach soul rings to both."

"And the techniques you mentioned earlier should be the practice of self-created soul skills. This may be related to your Clear Sky Hammer martial soul and could greatly enhance your combat power in the future."

"Teacher, what are self-created soul skills?" Tang San asked, puzzled.

"Self-created soul skills refer to exclusive skills independently created by a soul master through their profound understanding of their martial soul and their own talent. Unlike fixed soul skills granted by soul rings, they are highly personalized and often exceed the power of conventional soul skills," Yu Xiaogang explained briefly.

After hearing this, Tang San's eyes lit up with excitement. "Is that so? In that case, I will continue to practice in the way I am now, Teacher."

Yu Xiaogang replied, "That is correct. Although it seems like he has surpassed you for now, once your self-created soul skills are mastered and you begin cultivating your second martial soul, that will be the moment your true strength is revealed."

Looking at Tang San's admiring and excited gaze, Yu Xiaogang felt a jolt in his heart. "Of course, as I said before, your second martial soul must never be exposed. Do you understand, Little San?"

"Teacher, this disciple understands." Having his doubts resolved, the impatience in Tang San's heart dissipated, and he agreed to his teacher's instructions.

Outside the house.

Tang Hao had also finished eavesdropping on the conversation between the master and his disciple.

At first, he didn't know how Tang San should choose, because he had never encountered such a problem when he was in the Clear Sky Sect.

Before awakening their martial souls at the age of six, children of the Clear Sky Sect would receive enlightenment and learn cultural knowledge; some parents would even give their children extra guidance on the techniques of self-created soul skills.

Once they awakened their martial souls and soul power at six, they would focus primarily on soul power, secondarily on self-created soul skills, and lastly on culture.

Tang San's situation was clearly different.

Having grown up in Holy Soul Village, Tang Hao taught him nothing and even required Tang San to take care of him. Now that he had awakened his martial soul, he knew nothing and had to learn everything from scratch.

Others take it one step at a time, progressing gradually, while Tang San has to do everything at once, learning it all together.

Naturally, there wasn't enough time.

However, Tang Hao chose to trust the judgment of the Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang and this monster of a child, Tang San.

That's right, in Tang Hao's eyes, his own child was like a monster.

Despite filling his schedule every day with high-intensity blacksmithing at the forge, he didn't require large amounts of medicinal herbs or meat to supplement his body.

Every day he woke up full of energy, healthy, and without any signs of physical depletion.

It was truly bizarre.

Kai, who had already left the school, naturally knew nothing of their conversation.

Otherwise, he would definitely have laughed.

Why would anyone need so many skills? It's all just flashy nonsense!

Kai's combat style was to draw his blade and strike; one hit, one kill—absolute damage.

He and Li Bai were two extremes.

Li Bai's mechanics were nearly perfect, but his stats were lackluster.

Kai, on the other hand, had mechanics full of flaws, but his stats were maxed out.

Li Bai was currently trying to increase his stats and patch his weaknesses, while Kai chose to stick to his path to the end, ignoring mechanics and continuing to stack damage.

As for whether he would be kited in the future, he trusted his armor's block; it would just be a light scratch, not worth mentioning.

"I thought you would take the hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone from that rabbit?" Qian Xunji communicated with Kai via the system.

"I can't snatch it from that guy, Tang Hao."

"I can help you!" Qian Xunji suggested.

"If you help, it becomes yours. Everyone knows the rules."

Qian Xunji and these heroes were like brothers who settled accounts clearly; Qian Xunji naturally didn't mind helping the heroes within the Martial Soul Hall.

But for those who chose to go out and work alone, once they sought help, they had to return to the Martial Soul Hall, and all gains made during the process would belong entirely to Qian Xunji.