Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul

Actually, when he saw the spider legs, Su Yan had a faint feeling.

Even after the Saintess personally said her name was Bibi Dong, Su Yan still felt like he was dreaming.

He had actually become Bibi Dong's disciple.

Tsk. No matter what, he had to keep his master away from Qian Xunji and Yu Xiaogang—the two people who caused her tragic life.

Bibi Dong sat across from him, a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, a book in her hands.

Su Yan glanced over, his gaze landing squarely on the cover.

Hundred Solutions of Martial Soul, author, Yu Xiaogang.

Published by Martial Soul Hall Press.

Trouble.

Su Yan quickly stood up and walked to Bibi Dong's side. His head barely reached her shoulder, giving him a perfect view of the book.

"Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul... First rule: There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters."

Su Yan reserved his judgment.

"Second rule: Martial souls are divided into beast souls and tool souls, nothing else. If it's on the body, it's a beast; if it's off the body, it's a tool."

So that meant plant-type martial souls counted as tool souls.

"Third rule: The Martial Soul Mimicry Theory. Plant-type martial souls can absorb soul rings from beast-type soul beasts, and beast-type martial souls can absorb soul rings from plant-type soul beasts."

Pure nonsense. A hammer martial soul didn't have a hammer soul beast's soul ring to absorb.

Even if he stretched it and said it only applied to plant-type and beast-type martial souls, it barely held a shred of logic.

"Fourth rule: The Soul Ring Bottleneck does not prevent a soul master's soul power from increasing; it's just that without a soul ring, they cannot enter the next realm."

"... "

The further Su Yan read, the deeper his frown grew.

But his master was absorbed in reading, and Su Yan had a bad feeling.

The name Bibi Dong, paired with Yu Xiaogang, was just an eyesore.

As his master's beloved disciple, he had the duty and responsibility to help her out.

Su Yan cleared his throat twice and spoke slowly: "Master, these Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul... they seem to say something, yet nothing at all."

Bibi Dong turned her head and glanced at Su Yan. "What do you think of this theory?"

Su Yan thought for a moment and decided to be tactful. "Superficial."

"That's it?" Bibi Dong frowned.

"A bunch of nonsense."

"Oh?"

"Not fit for refined company."

"Xiao Yan, you still don't understand this book." Bibi Dong shook her head as she listened, then turned to look at Su Yan. "It's just fucking garbage!"

As the words fell, Hundred Solutions of Martial Soul was torn to shreds by Bibi Dong and thrown to the ground.

Su Yan froze. This development... wasn't right.

"Completely useless!" Bibi Dong cursed loudly. "What kind of crap is this?!"

Master, you've seen the light—it's completely useless!

Su Yan cheered inwardly. In this Douluo world, his master's brain was actually working!

He asked curiously, "Master, why were you reading that book?"

Bibi Dong turned her head, a faint blush on her pretty face. "You're the first disciple I've had to worry about soul rings for. Reading more books can't hurt."

Su Yan didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"Forget the soul rings for now. Let me first teach you some theoretical knowledge of the soul master world." Bibi Dong put away her glasses and rubbed her forehead. "Do you know the Four Souls of Douluo Continent: martial soul, soul power, soul beast, and soul ring?"

"I know a little." Su Yan tried to dig through his memories. "Soul power is the energy stored within the human body. Martial soul is the outlet for soul power, its physical manifestation. Soul beasts are wild animals that possess soul power, and after death, they produce soul rings."

Bibi Dong nodded, her face full of approval. "Very good. Anything else?"

"A soul master needs to absorb a soul ring every ten levels to advance. Also, soul rings have grades. Different grades impose different burdens during absorption and provide different boosts." Su Yan began counting on his fingers. "Ten-year soul rings, hundred-year soul rings, thousand-year soul rings, ten-thousand-year soul rings, and the highest, hundred-thousand-year soul rings."

Su Yan paused, then continued: "Soul master ranks are also divided: Soul Scholar, Soul Master, Soul Grand Master, Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, and Titled Douluo."

"Not bad. I didn't expect you to know so much." Bibi Dong nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, I'll first teach you the most basic method of cultivating soul power."

She pushed her stool aside, sat cross-legged on the ground, and placed her hands overlapping over her dantian.

Su Yan followed her example, sitting cross-legged facing Bibi Dong, his hands properly positioned.

"Embrace unity, clear your mind of distractions." Bibi Dong raised her right hand, fingers curled in a delicate gesture, her entire palm glowing with a faint blue light.

She reached forward, her index and ring fingers pressing against Su Yan's forehead.

"Close your eyes. Sense my soul power and follow its circulation to move your own."

Su Yan took a deep breath, carefully sensing the warm soul power Bibi Dong had infused into his body. As it completed one full cycle, he felt an endless stream of soul energy pouring in from the heavenly acupoint at the crown of his head and impurities being expelled through the earthly acupoint at his seat.

No wonder cultivators needed to sit cross-legged.

Bibi Dong had already withdrawn her soul power, but the circulation route was now familiar, so Su Yan began controlling his own soul power to cultivate on his own.

"What a genius." Bibi Dong marveled.

She could sense Su Yan was like a vortex, greedily devouring all the surrounding soul energy.

It seemed he would soon reach level 10 and obtain his first soul ring.

Time was running out for her.

After using the Death Spider Emperor's silk to set up a temporary barrier around Su Yan, Bibi Dong left the training room.

Outside the door, Yue Guan was crouched with his ear pressed tightly against the training room door.

"Tsk, why is there no sound? Is Su Yan still alive or not?"

"What no sound?"

A voice suddenly came from behind him. Yue Guan jumped on the spot, every hair on his body standing on end, and the chrysanthemum in his hand tightened considerably.

"Saintess, why are you here?"

"I should be asking you that. Why haven't you returned to the Main Martial Soul Hall yet?" Bibi Dong crossed her arms, watching him leisurely.

Yue Guan straightened his back, his gaze wandering. "There's an auction in Notting City tomorrow. I thought I'd join the fun before heading back."

"Isn't the concert at the Main Martial Soul Hall happening?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.

"Postponed, postponed."

"Old Ghost isn't calling you back?"

"Following the Saintess, even if he had ten times the guts, he wouldn't dare, right?" Yue Guan chuckled, pulling two tickets from his belt. "Saintess, the auction tickets are all ready."

"Fine. Give the order—no one is to disturb Xiao Yan's cultivation. All three meals are to be provided at my standard."

"Yes."

The two left the Martial Soul Hall one after the other.

Among the children playing in the playground, Pan tilted her head up, watching Bibi Dong's retreating figure with a face full of admiration.

But the object of her worship was the one meditating in the training ground.

Truly worthy of Boss Su—what a masterful act of playing the fool.

"Ha-choo!" Su Yan sneezed hard. "Who's thinking of me?"

He looked around. All was pitch black, except for four red five-pointed stars, each as tall as a person, standing in the four corners, surrounding a faint flickering firelight.

He should have been sitting cross-legged cultivating in the training ground.

How had he ended up here?

Su Yan walked toward the light.

The place where the firelight was seemed to be an altar, painted with a five-pointed star. At each point stood a wooden rack, holding an antique wooden glazed lamp.

Of the five glazed lamps, only one had a small flame burning; the other four were all empty.

Outside the burning glazed lamp was set a blue gemstone.

And at the very center of the five-pointed star, an egg half the size of a person stood quietly.

Above the egg floated three gray orbs of light.