In the room, Xiao Chen said excitedly, "I knew it! You're the best, System. Come on, give me my newbie rewards!"
System: "Ding! Newbie rewards are being issued. Granting the Host a Second Martial Soul..."
As the System's voice rang out, brilliant divine light suddenly shone around Xiao Chen. Countless sacred halos swirled around him, wrapping him layer by layer.
Golden light flowed, auspicious energy rose, and every inch of Xiao Chen's skin seemed to be bathed in holy power. His presence was so solemn, he looked like a god descending into the mortal world.
Seeing the scene in the room, Xiao Chen was thrilled. But when the light gradually faded and he looked at the Second Martial Soul in his left palm, he froze on the spot.
Xiao Chen's Second Martial Soul wasn't a divine weapon, nor was it an exotic beast or spirit plant. It was just a shabby Wooden Arrow.
Its shaft was cracked and its feathers were broken. It looked cheap and ordinary, completely at odds with the awe-inspiring sight from moments ago.
Still, it did go rather well with Xiao Chen's original Martial Soul, the "tattered Wooden Bow."
Xiao Chen stood dumbfounded for a long while before finally speaking. "System, are you sure you didn't give me the wrong thing?"
System: "Of course I didn't!"
Xiao Chen: "..."
"Damn System, you're messing with me on purpose, aren't you? This is the one-of-a-kind Martial Soul you were talking about?" Xiao Chen was utterly speechless.
System: "A Wooden Bow paired with a Wooden Arrow. How is that not one of a kind?"
Xiao Chen: "I swear... System, can you take physical form? I'd like to sit down and have a drink with you!"
System: "Host, please keep your emotions in check. You should know that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters!"
Xiao Chen: "Damn System, there you go again. And you still say you're not Gangzi?"
Xiao Chen was completely at a loss. He really couldn't understand why he'd ended up with such a useless System.
"Host, Twin Martial Souls are extremely rare in this world. Besides, you can use both of your Tool Martial Souls in battle at the same time. Do you understand how valuable that is?" Seeing Xiao Chen's spirits sink, the System immediately explained.
A glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, but he was still downcast. Using both Martial Souls at the same time was indeed special.
But the quality of his Martial Souls was simply too low. And since he could only absorb Ten-Year Spirit Rings in the future, forget completing the ultimate mission—Xiao Chen figured he might not even break through Level 30.
"Gangzi, drop the act and show yourself!" Xiao Chen was now more convinced than ever that the System was Gangzi in disguise.
System: "..."
"Host, this System really isn't Gangzi."
The System emphasized this, then continued, "Host, do you know how well a bow and an arrow go together as Tool Martial Souls? When you release both Martial Souls at once, it's practically like performing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Understand?"
Xiao Chen finally perked up. "Go on!"
Seeing that Xiao Chen was interested, the System immediately pressed its advantage. "Besides a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, you can also share Spirit Rings and Soul Skills, and fuse Soul Skills. Isn't that even better than a hundred-thousand- or Million-Year Spirit Ring?"
"It can do that too?" Xiao Chen asked with a hint of delight. "Explain."
The System immediately explained, "For example, the First Soul Skill on the Host's Wooden Bow is Brute Force. After using Brute Force to draw the bow, the Host can share the Brute Force Soul Skill with the arrow at the moment he releases it. That way, the arrow will effectively have Brute Force applied twice, doubling its attack power!"
"Not bad, not bad!" Xiao Chen said with a smile. That explanation was pretty much what he'd expected.
The System continued, "Once the Host has more Soul Skills, he can also combine various Soul Skills into a single arrow, achieving an effect similar to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
"Also, although the Host's two Martial Souls look battered now, their inner essence has already undergone a transformation. As you add Spirit Rings to your Martial Souls and develop Soul Skills, their forms will change, and their ranks will improve as well!"
The more Xiao Chen listened, the happier he became. This damn System has finally handed over the Burning Art.
The System went on, "Host, your ultimate mission is to help this world ascend to a higher level. You need to think bigger!"
"In this world, the higher the Spirit Ring Limit, the stronger the Soul Skill. That's the rule of this world!"
"But what you need to do is break through the limits of this world's rules. Naturally, you can't just follow the usual path!"
"You must try to break the rules, control the rules, and make the rules. That's the path you're meant to take!"
The System was an unbeatable orator. Its words had Xiao Chen fired up.
"So what are we doing next?" Xiao Chen asked.
"Obviously, we're adding a Spirit Ring to the Host's Second Martial Soul, and raising the Host's Soul Power to Level 20 while we're at it. We'll take care of the Second Soul Ring for both Martial Souls too!"
"This System will pick the most suitable Spirit Rings for the Host. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Xiao Chen smiled knowingly, then asked, "First, tell me: what Spirit Rings suit me best right now?"
System: "The skill attached to the First Spirit Ring on the Host's Wooden Bow increases strength, so it's already a very good fit."
"So the First Spirit Ring on the Second Martial Soul should ideally increase the arrow's penetration and boost its attack power, or increase its flexibility and provide a control effect!"
Xiao Chen nodded slightly in agreement.
The System continued, "As for the Second Spirit Ring for each of the two Martial Souls, one Soul Skill must have a Speed Boost effect. Archers are most afraid of being attacked at close range, so they need to be fast!"
Xiao Chen agreed with that too. Speed was definitely one of the best skills for a ranged Soul Master.
"For the other Spirit Ring, this System has two suggestions. The first is Flight. Having the ability to fly at Level 20 could prove extremely useful at critical moments. The drawback is that it consumes a lot of Soul Power and can't be maintained for long," the System continued.
"What's the second suggestion?" Xiao Chen asked. He felt that while flight was useful, it would be like wasting a Soul Skill later on.
Besides, low-level Soul Masters who flew into the air could easily become sitting ducks.
"The second is Visual Perception. Archers need good eyesight, or a wide-ranging spiritual sense, to lock onto their targets and hit them accurately!" the System said.
Xiao Chen immediately asked, "Can a Ten-Year Spirit Beast produce this kind of Spirit Ring?"
The System smiled. "Rest assured, the potential of any Soul Beast is limitless. It's just like how the Blue Silver Emperor can emerge from Blue Silver Grass!"
"That makes sense." Xiao Chen nodded slightly. The more he looked at the System, the more he liked it.
System: "Host, you're changing your tune pretty quickly!"
Xiao Chen's expression darkened. "Enough nonsense. Let's go hunt Soul Beasts right now!"
System: "No problem. This System will train you along the way and do its best to raise your Soul Power to Level 20 before we reach the Star Dou Forest!"
"System, I think I'm starting to like you!" Xiao Chen said.
"Host, please behave yourself. This System doesn't like men!" The System immediately took the form of an adorable little sprite.
Xiao Chen: "..."
"System, I only need Ten-Year Spirit Rings. There's no need to go to the Star Dou Forest, right?" Xiao Chen knew very well how dangerous the Star Dou Forest was, even around its outskirts.
The System smiled. "There are many kinds of Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Forest, so it'll be easier to find suitable Spirit Rings. Besides, we won't go deep inside, so we won't run into any danger!"
"Fine, I'll listen to you." Xiao Chen nodded, thinking to himself, I'll treat it as an early check-in at the Star Dou Forest!
Before you continue