"Master, is the Soul Beast you mentioned in here?"
Su Yan asked as he gazed at the bottomless lake.
"Indeed." Wearing black-rimmed glasses and holding a copy of Soul Beast Encyclopedia, Bibi Dong confirmed, "The Lightning Eel is a Soul Beast that lives in freshwater lakes."
"Then how do we get a Lightning Eel onto the shore? And make sure we get one of the right age, too." Su Yan furrowed his brow slightly. "Master, could a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast come out of there?"
"In theory, no. This is one of the Soul Hunting Forests primarily managed by Spirit Hall, and it isn't very dangerous." Bibi Dong took off her glasses, tied her hair up high, and rolled up her pants to reveal her fair ankles. "Have you ever been fishing?"
Tang Chi shook his head.
But Su Yan nodded.
He wasn't an expert, but before he'd transmigrated, he'd occasionally enjoyed the leisurely pastime of fishing.
Bibi Dong took a metal fishing rod from her belt and handed it to Su Yan. She kept a landing net for herself. "All right, you take the rod. I'll handle the net."
Storage Soul Tools really were the most practical Soul Tools. You could carry all your belongings with you in one go.
Su Yan suddenly grew curious about what else his master kept in her belt.
He soon found out: there was also a box of bait inside.
The lid of the bait box bore the character "Tang."
Bibi Dong opened the box, grabbed a handful of bait, and scattered it into the water. In fishing terms, she was chumming the water.
Gurgle, gurgle! Gurgle, gurgle!
Bubbles immediately rose to the surface of the still water.
"Xiaoyan, do your best." As she spoke, Bibi Dong estimated the size of the mouth of a Lightning Eel over three hundred years old and molded a piece of bait onto the hook.
Su Yan stood on a rock that looked as if it had been placed there for fishing, gathering his focus and strength. "It's time to show off my real skills!"
He swung his arm and cast the rod with a sharp flick. The baited hook landed precisely in the center of the spot they'd just chummed.
A perfect cast.
The float bobbed up and down on the water.
Suddenly, it plunged beneath the surface.
"Now! Fire Wolf, possess me!" Flames surged over Su Yan's body. The veins in his arms bulged as he yanked the rod, which bent into a huge C.
This was a battle of strength and endurance, a savage contest and a struggle against fate.
The human, however, had the advantage of brains.
Su Yan let out a little line and swung the rod from side to side, tiring the Lightning Eel out. Then he abruptly tightened the line and slowly drew it toward the shore.
Bibi Dong was already standing there, with the water barely reaching her calves. Sunlight glinted off the landing net in her hand, making it shine brightly.
"Xiaoyan, reel in a little more!" Bibi Dong called. Her gaze sharpened, and she swung the net. A Lightning Eel about half a meter long curled up inside it.
"Not bad, not bad. It's over three hundred and fifty years old." Bibi Dong tossed the eel and net onto the ground. "Tang Chi, use your Thunderclap Hammer to give it the final blow."
That was the rule for claiming a Soul Ring: only the Soul Master who dealt the killing blow could claim and use it.
Tang Chi didn't hesitate. He brought his hammer down, and a yellow Soul Ring floated up.
"Use your Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring to your Martial Soul. Center your mind and stay focused."
Tang Chi sat down cross-legged, sweat already beading across his forehead. The Lightning Eel's Soul Ring had entered the Thunderclap Hammer; now all that remained was to absorb it.
The process wasn't always smooth. To claim a Soul Beast's Soul Ring, one had to bear the resentment of the slain beast and remain clear-minded through repeated assaults on the spirit.
Bibi Dong put away their things and spun a few webs around them to make sure no Soul Beasts could rush in and disturb Tang Chi. Then she turned to Su Yan.
"Xiaoyan, I didn't expect you to be such a good fisherman. I'll introduce you to a grandpa who loves fishing sometime." Bibi Dong took out two stools and gestured for Su Yan to sit. "Tell me, what's wrong with your Martial Soul?"
"Master, just a moment."
Su Yan sat to one side. With a thought, he entered the Inner World of Martial Souls.
Egglet pounced on him at once, rubbing against him excitedly.
"Egglet, all right, all right. Next time, next time!" Su Yan pushed the little creature away and saw that there was another gray orb in the middle.
When he took it down, he discovered Tang Chi's Martial Soul, the Thunderclap Hammer, inside.
It seemed that merely coming into contact with someone's Martial Soul was enough to obtain a gray orb, while awakening it into a gem required an investment of Soul Power.
Su Yan removed the White Gem of Blue Silver Grass, embedded it beneath the Fire Glazed Lamp, and returned to the outside world. He held out his right hand, and the Burning Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared in his palm.
"Blue Silver Grass? How can it be Blue Silver Grass? Could you have Twin Martial Souls too?" Bibi Dong exclaimed.
Su Yan shook his head and laid out everything about the Inner World of Martial Souls, including the five elements, the special gems, and Egglet.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't bring living people into that world.
The more Bibi Dong listened, the more deeply she furrowed her brows, and the more her head throbbed.
"So you can use any Martial Soul with a fire attribute, and in the future you'll be able to use those with wind, thunder, earth, and water attributes too?" Bibi Dong exclaimed in shock. "That's impossible. I've never heard of a Martial Soul like this."
"The first time I use another Martial Soul, my rank drops, so for now I've only unlocked Fire Wolf and Blue Silver Grass," Su Yan said. "Master, what do you think I should choose for my first Soul Ring?"
"I don't know," Bibi Dong admitted. Then she asked, "Xiaoyan, have you told anyone else about this?"
"Not yet." Su Yan shook his head.
"It's best not to tell anyone. As for your Soul Ring, give me a few days." Bibi Dong took out some parchment and wrote down everything she'd just heard. "We'll switch up the training plan. Once Tang Chi finishes absorbing his Soul Ring, we'll head back to Notting City first."
Time flew by. A flash of lightning burst out, and brilliant white light erupted from Tang Chi's hammer. A piercing chorus, like thousands of birds calling, rang through the air.
He jumped to his feet excitedly. A yellow Soul Ring now circled the Thunderclap Hammer in his hand. "I did it!"
"What's your first Soul Skill?" Su Yan asked curiously.
Tang Chi sensed the state of his Martial Soul, gathered his focus, and activated his first yellow Soul Ring. A layer of lightning gathered over the head of the Thunderclap Hammer.
He leaped into the air and slammed the hammer into the ground. Lightning instantly spread in every direction, striking everything it touched.
"This move is called Thunderquake Wave. It's pretty powerful, and it also has a paralyzing effect!"
"The Thunderclap Hammer doesn't have the same crushing force as the Clear Sky Hammer, but its thunder attribute and paralyzing effect make it effective when used unexpectedly." Bibi Dong smiled. "All right, let's head back."
Tang Chi paused and turned to Su Yan. "Have you found a Soul Ring too?"
Su Yan shook his head. "Not yet."
"Then aren't we looking for one here?" Tang Chi asked.
"Not for now. I haven't found a suitable Soul Beast," Su Yan explained.
Tang Chi nodded. Once a Soul Ring was fused, there were no returns or exchanges, so it was best to be cautious.
The three of them set off on the way back.
Su Yan spotted the group led by the bearded man from the entrance nearby, hunting Soul Beasts as well. What a small world.
Still, even if they had ten times the nerve, they wouldn't dare provoke his master. The strength of a Soul Saint wasn't for show.
They had come in a hurry and left just as quickly.
Bibi Dong didn't stop for a moment. Carrying both boys, she sped straight toward Notting City, traveling more than twice as fast as a carriage.
Before nightfall, they reached the Notting City Martial Soul Hall.
"Holy Maiden, why have you come back already?" Hall Director Ma Xiunuo hurried over, looking full of regret. "If I'd known, I should have waited there."
"It's all right. Something else came up, so we've come back for now." Bibi Dong set the two boys down and continued, "Hall Director Ma Xiunuo, please arrange places for them at a junior Soul Master Academy so they can start with their theoretical studies."
"Yes. I'll take them there tomorrow."
Before you continue