Douluo: Martial Soul Iron-Eating Beast, Never a Slave

There was nothing wrong with that!

Weren't the Clear Sky Sect's Luanpifeng and Haotian Nine Arts also special skills independent of soul skills?

Awoo, awoo, awoo~

Heibai growled in dissatisfaction.

Hurry up and give me bamboo! I rammed into it seventy-eight times just now, so I get seventy-eight stalks of bamboo!

"Seventy-eight times? Was it really that many? It didn't feel like that many..." Zhao Mu murmured.

?!

At that, Heibai grew anxious.

Awoo, awoo, awoo~

Seeing Heibai back to normal, pawing at his legs, Zhao Mu stopped teasing the little fellow.

"Alright, alright. Let's call it seventy-eight times. I promised you seventy-eight stalks of bamboo!"

Awoo, awoo, awoo~

That was what he deserved!

Heibai emphasized this.

Zhao Mu vigorously rubbed Heibai's head, then casually took a stalk of bamboo from his Soul Tool and handed it to him. "Didn't your head hurt when you slammed into it like that?"

Clutching the bamboo Zhao Mu had given him, Heibai's anxious round face immediately broke into a crescent-eyed smile. He happily gnawed on the bamboo and shook his head.

Awoo, awoo, awoo~

It didn't hurt~

"It's good that it didn't hurt. Then we really can train this skill in the future!"

Heibai, who had been eating bamboo, instantly froze at those words.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He shouldn't have said it didn't hurt. He should have said it hurt—or at least demanded two stalks of bamboo for every ram!

Ah!

Had he rammed into it so much that he'd become stupid?

With everything settled, Zhao Mu and Zhao Father took Heibai back to the Zhao Family residence.

On the way back, Zhao Mu could sense that Zhao Father seemed to have something to say.

"Father, is there something you want to tell me?"

Since Zhao Mu had brought it up, Zhao Father took the opportunity to ask, "Mu'er, have you ever thought about leaving the Zhao Family and seeing the world outside?"

"Hm?"

Zhao Mu was stunned. Did he want to? Of course he did.

He had originally planned to lie low in the mountains and grow stronger for a while before bringing it up with his father. He hadn't expected his father to ask first.

Had he been that obvious?

There was also the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well he had planned for. If he left too late, would Tang San snatch it away first?

In these mountains, Zhao Mu had no idea what year it was.

He could only find out after leaving.

What Zhao Mu feared most was going outside only to discover that Tang San had already become a god. That would be awkward!

Still, Zhao Mu had calculated it, and the calculation was simple: when had the Pope died, and when had Tang Hao hammered the Pope?

The time Tang Hao hammered the Pope was Tang San's birth year. Estimating the timeline based on Tang San's age made things much easier.

According to the information Zhao Mu had gathered, Tang Hao had hammered the Pope, and the Pope had died, nine years ago!

In other words, Tang San was now nine years old, with roughly two years left before he joined Shrek Academy.

So it wasn't too late.

"Mu'er, what are you spacing out for?" Seeing Zhao Mu stand there in a daze without speaking, Zhao Father called to him again.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, huh? I asked whether you've ever thought about leaving the Zhao Family and seeing the world outside."

Coming back to his senses, Zhao Mu answered Zhao Father's repeated question.

"Father, the family is wonderful. The clansmen are all kind, and my uncles take good care of me. Second Grandfather is also quite enthusiastic..."

"But you still want to leave, don't you?" Zhao Father interrupted.

"Hehe!" Zhao Mu merely smiled without answering.

Zhao Father shot Zhao Mu an annoyed look. "If you want to go out, just say so. Was there any need to beat around the bush like that?"

Seeing that Zhao Father did not oppose him leaving the Zhao Family to venture outside, Zhao Mu inwardly relaxed.

Zhao Mu had also feared that his parents would not agree to let him go out. Though he could have slipped away on his own, it was still better to leave openly and honestly.

Zhao Father snorted, then continued, "You can go out and make your way in the world, but I have one condition!"

"What condition, Father?"

"The condition is that you must last for one incense stick's worth of time against me! Only if you manage that will I let you leave!"

"Huh? Father, you're the head of our Zhao Family and immensely strong. How could I possibly be your match? Forget lasting one incense stick's worth of time—even half that would be impossible for me." Zhao Mu grinned cheekily at Zhao Father.

But Zhao Father did not buy it at all. "Don't try to muddle through this with me. There will be no compromise. If you can't last one incense stick's worth of time in my hands, you'd best give up the idea of going out. I don't want a white-haired man sending off a black-haired one."

Seeing Zhao Father's serious expression and utter refusal to yield, with not the slightest hint that he was joking, Zhao Mu knew this was his father's bottom line. His father would only let him leave once he had enough strength to protect himself.

His intentions were naturally good.

Since it could not be changed, Zhao Mu could only face it head-on.

Zhao Mu then asked, "Father, what is your current strength?"

Zhao Father crossed his arms, a trace of pride in his voice. "My martial soul is the Vajra Bear, and I am a Level 57 Battle Soul King! With the might of the Vajra Bear martial soul, I can even contend with a Level 60 Soul Emperor."

"Level 57. That should be manageable. Father, once I've prepared for a while, I'll challenge you!" Zhao Mu said after considering it.

Zhao Father nodded at those words, somewhat impressed by Zhao Mu's composure. If it had been another child, he would probably be clamoring to challenge him right now. Just as his second brother had said, Zhao Mu truly was far more mature and steady than other children.

So long as Zhao Mu possessed enough strength to protect himself, letting him go out was not necessarily impossible.

"Very well. Your chances of success will be greater once your Soul Power Level reaches Soul Elder rank," Zhao Father said.

But as soon as Zhao Father finished speaking, Zhao Mu shook his head. "It won't take that long. Half a year at most!"

"Half a year?" Zhao Father exclaimed. "You'll break through to Soul Elder rank in half a year? Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"

Zhao Mu waved his hand. "Who said I would wait until I broke through to Soul Elder before challenging you? Once Heibai and I practice a little more, I'll challenge you at Soul Grandmaster rank."

"You want to challenge me, a dignified Soul King, with the strength of a Soul Grandmaster? You certainly talk big! Let me make this clear: I'm not some weakling with an ordinary Beast Martial Soul. I am a Power Attack System Battle Soul King with the Vajra Bear martial soul!"

"Forget a Soul Grandmaster—even if a Soul Elder managed to challenge me successfully, that would be something worth boasting about. Don't become overconfident just because your first two soul rings are thousand-year rings."

Naturally, Zhao Mu did not bother arguing with Zhao Father. In the original story, those little brats from Shrek had not even reached Soul Elder rank, yet they could barely succeed in fighting Zhao Wuji. Zhao Mu's pride would not allow him to fail where they had succeeded. If he couldn't surpass the original characters, then what was the point of transmigrating here?

Though the Shrek students had worked together, Zhao Wuji was still two tiers stronger than Zhao Father, so there was no problem!

Over the past six years, Zhao Father had come to understand Zhao Mu somewhat. Seeing the expression on Zhao Mu's face, he knew the little fellow had likely made up his mind to challenge him before reaching Soul Elder rank.

Since he could not persuade him otherwise, he could only teach the little fellow a lesson.

"By the way, after obtaining your second soul ring, what is your current Soul Power Level?" Zhao Father remembered to ask.

Zhao Mu smiled. "What a coincidence. Just like when I obtained my First Soul Ring, I rose another five levels. My Soul Power Level is now Level 25!"

"Gasp—Level 25?!"

Thinking of how his own second soul ring had only raised him by one level, Zhao Father felt rather sour.

After returning, Zhao Mu, having obtained his second soul ring, began practicing tactics with Heibai.

In order to successfully challenge Zhao Father and leave the mountains, Zhao Mu and Heibai increased their training intensity for several consecutive months.

Zhao Mu's parents clearly noticed all of this. The little fellow truly wanted to see the world outside.

Half a year later.

In an open area of the Zhao Family residence.

Zhao Mu had gathered there with his father, Zhao Santai, his mother, Zhao Ru, and Second Grandfather.

"Mu'er, are you sure you want to challenge me now? Won't you improve your strength a little more first?" Zhao Father asked Zhao Mu.

According to the timeline, Tang San still had about a year and a half before entering Shrek Academy. From Tang San's series of developments at Shrek to reaching the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhao Mu estimated it would take roughly another half year. To keep the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well from being snatched away, he had to prepare early.

After leaving the mountains, he would still need time to reach Heaven Dou City and deal with Dugu Bo. All of that required time to be set aside.