Unheard-of Martial Soul

"Master, is the soul beast you mentioned in here?"

Su Yan looked at the bottomless lake and asked.

"Exactly." Bibi Dong wore black-rimmed glasses, holding a copy of the Soul Beast Encyclopedia as she double-checked. "Lightning Eel, a soul beast that lives in freshwater lakes."

"Then how do we get the Lightning Eel ashore, and make sure we check its age?" Su Yan's brow furrowed slightly. "Master, could a ten-thousand-year soul beast come out of there?"

"Logically, no. This is one of the main Soul Hunting Forests managed by Martial Soul Hall, with a low danger level." Bibi Dong took off her glasses, tied her hair up high, and rolled up her pant legs to reveal her pale ankles. "Have you ever fished before?"

Tang Chi shook his head.

But Su Yan nodded.

Though he wasn't an expert, before his transmigration, he occasionally enjoyed a leisurely fishing session.

Bibi Dong pulled a metal fishing rod from her belt, handed it to Su Yan, and held a landing net herself. "Alright, you take the rod. I'll handle the scooping."

Storage Soul Tools were truly the most practical kind—pack your whole life away in one go.

Su Yan suddenly grew curious about what else was stashed inside his master's belt.

Soon enough, he found out: there was also a box of bait.

The lid of the bait box bore the character "Tang."

Bibi Dong opened it, grabbed a handful, and scattered it into the water—commonly known as chumming.

Gurgle, gurgle! Gurgle, gurgle!

Bubbles immediately rose on the calm surface.

"Xiao Yan, do your best." Bibi Dong said, estimating the mouth size of a three-hundred-year-old Lightning Eel as she pinched some bait onto the hook.

Su Yan stood on a rock that looked tailor-made for fishing, focused and composed. "Time to show my true skill!"

He swung his arm and cast the rod outward with force, the baited hook landing precisely at the center of the chummed spot.

A perfect drop.

The float bobbed on the water's surface.

Then it suddenly sank completely.

"Now! Fire Wolf, attach!" Flames erupted from Su Yan's body, veins bulging on his arms as he jerked the rod abruptly, bending it into a massive "C" shape.

It was a battle of strength and endurance, a wild clash and a struggle against fate.

But humans had the brains.

Su Yan loosened the line slightly, swaying the rod left and right to tire out the Lightning Eel, then suddenly tightened it, slowly reeling it toward the shore.

Bibi Dong was already standing at the water's edge, the lake only reaching her calves, the landing net in her hand gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

"Xiao Yan, reel in a bit more!" Bibi Dong called out, her eyes sharpening as she swung the net, scooping up a Lightning Eel about half a meter long.

"Not bad, not bad—three hundred fifty years." Bibi Dong tossed the net with the eel onto the ground. "Tang Chi, use your Thunderclap Hammer to give it the final blow."

That was the rule of soul ring ownership: only the soul master who delivered the killing blow could claim the soul ring for personal use.

Tang Chi didn't hesitate. One hammer strike, and a yellow soul ring floated up.

"Use your soul power to draw the soul ring onto your martial soul. Focus your mind and hold steady."

Tang Chi sat cross-legged, sweat beading on his forehead. The Lightning Eel's soul ring surged into the Thunderclap Hammer, and the absorption process began.

The absorption wasn't smooth sailing. To take a soul beast's soul ring, one had to bear the resentment of the dead beast and stay clear-headed through wave after wave of mental impact.

Bibi Dong packed up her gear, spat a few spider webs around the area to ensure no soul beasts would charge in and disturb Tang Chi, then turned to Su Yan.

"Xiao Yan, I didn't expect you to be such a good fisherman. I'll introduce you to an old man who loves fishing someday." Bibi Dong said, pulling out two stools and gesturing for Su Yan to sit. "Now, tell me—what's wrong with your martial soul?"

"Master, hold on."

Su Yan sat down beside her, focused his mind, and entered the Inner World of Martial Souls.

Egglet pounced on him directly, rubbing against him frantically.

"Egglet, okay, next time, next time!" Su Yan pushed Egglet away and noticed that the gray orb in the center had gained another one.

He took it down and found Tang Chi's martial soul, the Thunderclap Hammer, lying inside.

It seemed that merely making contact allowed him to obtain a gray orb of someone else's martial soul, and awakening it into a gem required a certain expenditure of soul power.

Su Yan took down the White Gem of Blue Silver Grass, embedded it beneath the Fire Glazed Lamp, returned to the outside world, and extended his right hand. A burning Blue Silver Grass martial soul appeared in his palm.

"Blue Silver Grass? How can it be Blue Silver Grass? Are you also a Twin Martial Soul?" Bibi Dong exclaimed.

Su Yan shook his head and laid out the situation of the Inner World of Martial Souls in full, including the five elements, the special gems, and Egglet.

Unfortunately, he couldn't bring living people into that world yet.

The more Bibi Dong listened, the deeper her frown grew, and the more her head throbbed.

"So, you mean you can use all fire-attribute martial souls, and in the future, wind, thunder, earth, and water ones too?" Bibi Dong blurted out in shock. "That's impossible—a martial soul unheard of."

"The first time I use another martial soul, I get downgraded myself, so I've only unlocked Fire Wolf and Blue Silver Grass so far." Su Yan said. "Master, what do you think I should choose for my first soul ring?"

"Your master doesn't know." Bibi Dong asked again, "Xiao Yan, have you told anyone else about this?"

"Not yet." Su Yan shook his head.

"Best not mention this to anyone. As for your spirit ring, give your teacher a few days." Bibi Dong took out parchment and carefully recorded everything she had just heard. "Swap the training schedule. Once Tang Chi has absorbed his spirit ring, return to Notting City first."

Time flew. A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning—Tang Chi's hammer erupted in fierce white light, a piercing screech like thousands of birds crying out across the heavens.

He stood up excitedly. The Thunderclap Hammer in his hand now bore an extra yellow spirit ring. "I did it!"

"What's your first spirit skill?" Su Yan asked curiously.

Tang Chi sensed his martial soul's current state, focused his energy, and lit up the first yellow spirit ring. A layer of lightning gathered on the surface of the Thunderclap Hammer.

He leaped up and slammed the hammer into the ground. The lightning radiated outward, striking everything it touched.

"This move is called Thunderquake Wave. Pretty good power, and it has an added paralysis effect!"

"The Thunderclap Hammer may not have the sheer weight and force of the Clear Sky Hammer, but its lightning attribute and paralysis effect make it unpredictable." Bibi Dong smiled. "Let's head back."

Tang Chi froze, then turned to look at Su Yan. "Did you find your spirit ring too?"

Su Yan shook his head. "Not yet."

"Aren't we looking here?" Tang Chi asked.

"Not for now. Couldn't find a suitable spirit beast." Su Yan explained.

Tang Chi nodded. Once a spirit ring was fused, there was no refund—caution was necessary.

The three set off on the return journey.

Su Yan spotted the team with the burly bearded man from earlier hunting nearby. What a small world, and an unlucky encounter at that.

But even with ten times their courage, they wouldn't dare provoke his teacher. A Soul Saint's strength wasn't just for show.

They came and went in a hurry.

Bibi Dong didn't pause for a moment. Carrying the two youngsters on her back, she raced straight toward Notting City, faster than a carriage by more than double.

Before dark, they arrived at the Notting City Martial Soul Hall.

"Holy Maiden, why are you back so soon?" Hall Master Ma Xiunuo rushed forward, his face full of regret. "If I'd known, I should have waited there."

"It's nothing. Some other business came up, just a temporary return." Bibi Dong set the two down and continued, "Hall Master Ma Xiunuo, arrange two spots at a junior soul master academy for them. Let them start with theoretical studies first."

"Yes, I'll take them tomorrow."