"You said you told him to come find you half a month later. Exactly when was that?"
Su Yuntao thought it over, then replied, "I reckon it'll be in the next few days. I've already told the guards to keep an eye out!"
"Good! This Soul Hunting trip needs to show off the strength of Spirit Hall. You going alone wouldn't be much of a sure thing. So, who do you want to take with you? I'll approve your leave. Remember, make sure everything goes smoothly and leave them with the impression that we're reliable."
"Also, make sure they like us. I don't need to teach you how to do that, do I?"
Su Yuntao thumped his chest and assured him, "Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo, you can count on me. The Soul Hunting Forest isn't some primeval Soul Beast Forest. I'll make all the arrangements. And as for winning people over, that's right up my alley!"
Ma Xiunuo watched him make his bold promise, his eyes brushing over Su Yuntao from head to toe like a paintbrush.
"Not good, not good! I'm still a little worried."
"You're too flighty, kid. You're not level-headed enough. When the time comes, do this and this... Got it?"
"I understand! I understand!" Su Yuntao put on a look that said he was completely reliable.
Ma Xiunuo nodded. With his reminders, things should go smoothly. "Have you decided? Who are you taking with you?"
"I'll take Sisi with me!"
As soon as Su Yuntao finished speaking, the worry Ma Xiunuo had just managed to set aside rose again, but he didn't object.
"All right, you can go!"
After Su Yuntao left the office, Ma Xiunuo sighed. "That girl Sisi has a mind of her own. How could you possibly keep her in check, kid? Another young man whose head's been turned by love!"
"I hope you come to your senses soon."
Ma Xiunuo lowered his head to the documents in his hands again. Before long, he came across Ling Yun's. He stared at the sheet of paper, his eyes seeming to look through it and see Ling Yun himself.
At that moment, on the main road from Stone Mirror Village to Nuoding City, Ling Yun's small figure darted along beneath the sun.
He carried a small bundle as a decoy, and a silver necklace hung around his neck. At its center was a crystal about the size of a little fingernail.
The necklace was an heirloom his mother had left him. It was a Storage Soul Tool with three cubic meters of space.
Inside were 856 Gold Soul Coins, 1,300 Silver Soul Coins, and all the Copper Soul Coins he had saved over the years from selling vegetables.
Besides that, he had brought oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, pots, bowls, and basins—nearly everything he could carry.
A Gold Soul Coin had tremendous purchasing power, enough to feed an ordinary family of three for three months.
1 Gold Soul Coin = 10 Silver Soul Coins = 100 Copper Soul Coins.
In other words, Ling Yun wouldn't have to worry about money for quite some time.
He practiced as he walked, cultivating the Wave-Treading Chart. From a distance, his body seemed exceptionally light. His steps weren't wide, yet he moved as if he were flashing forward. With a single step, he appeared three meters away.
Every time he moved, the distance was so precise it could have been measured with a ruler.
Whenever he sensed passersby, Ling Yun stopped practicing the Wave-Treading Chart and walked normally, just like any other child.
The Wave-Treading Chart's subtleties went far beyond that. The more he practiced, the deeper he realized it was. Even with only an initial grasp of it, his light-footed leaping skills were already on par with those of an expert.
The lightness skills from wuxia novels were no challenge for him now. He could tread the waves as if walking on level ground.
Using Wave Treading to travel took almost no effort, and his Soul Power even increased as he went.
Two hours later.
The outline of Nuoding City came into view. Ling Yun slowed down and straightened his slightly rumpled clothes.
Only then did he head toward the city gate.
Inside the city, people bustled to and fro, and vendors' cries rose one after another. It was lively indeed.
It was the middle of the day, and he wasn't in a hurry to find Su Yuntao. He'd fill his stomach first.
After several turns, he reached the food street and went into a busy restaurant.
Before long, a steaming bowl of noodles was set on the table. He slurped up a mouthful, his eyes lighting up. They tasted great.
As expected, there was a reason the place was so popular.
Once he'd eaten his fill, he began preparing for the Soul Hunting trip. First, he went to a blacksmith's shop and bought a Mountain-Splitting Blade and a dagger. Then he stopped at other shops to pick up some medicine to ward off snakes, bugs, rats, and other pests.
Only after he'd finished did he stroll toward Spirit Hall.
Spirit Hall was a landmark in every city. There wasn't a local who didn't know where it was, so he asked someone for directions and quickly learned the way.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Ling Yun arrived at the entrance to Spirit Hall. One look left him deeply impressed! And this was only the lowest-ranked Spirit Hall. The wooden hut in his village used for awakenings had only been built for convenience. It wasn't a proper Spirit Hall and was used just once a year.
This was the real Spirit Hall. The lowest-ranked branch was called a Martial Soul Branch Hall, while big cities had the next level up, a Martial Soul Sub-Hall.
The next level above the Martial Soul Sub-Hall was the Martial Soul Sacred Hall, found only in the capitals of the two great empires.
Beyond that stood the Pope Hall, the headquarters of Spirit Hall.
Behind the Pope Hall lay Spirit Hall's deepest reserves of power: the Douluo Worship Hall.
Nuoding City's Spirit Hall was only the lowest-ranking Martial Soul Branch Hall, yet it was still enormous. Its front alone spanned more than a hundred meters.
It stood twenty meters tall, about as high as a six- or seven-story building in his previous life. Yet this domed structure had only three floors, and its brown walls made it look solid and solemn.
It was a different kind of awe.
A sword-shaped emblem adorned the entrance to Spirit Hall, adding to its solemnity.
Ling Yun guessed that the emblem was modeled after the Angel Holy Sword.
"Little friend, stop right there. This is Spirit Hall. If you want to play, go somewhere else!"
One of the guards at the front waved him away and spoke to Ling Yun.
"Uh! I'm not here to play! I'm Ling Yun from Stone Mirror Village. Grandmaster Su Yuntao told me to come see him. Could you please pass along the message for me, big brother?"
The guard's attitude changed at once. Surprised, he asked, "You're Ling Yun?"
"That's right!"
"I'll take you to find Deacon Su Yuntao!" The guard didn't have a single Soul Ring, but he had connections and was well-informed. He knew Ling Yun's circumstances. If he didn't win him over now, when would he?
After Ling Yun followed him into Spirit Hall, the others outside began whispering among themselves.
"What's going on?"
"Could he be Deacon Su Yuntao's relative?"
"No, no... I heard they found a promising youngster when they awakened Martial Souls this year."
"What kind of promising youngster would make Deacon Su Yuntao pay him so much attention? Could his Innate Soul Power be over level five?"
"Very likely!"
"..."
The guards outside let their imaginations run wild, each offering a guess. Standing watch was dull, so there was no harm in chatting now and then.
Inside Spirit Hall, everything was resplendent. The floors were made of fine marble, and the place was brightly lit.
Ling Yun looked around appreciatively. One moment of awe was enough; he couldn't let people think he was some bumpkin.
As he led the way, the guard watched Ling Yun's reactions, his estimation of him rising with each step. "This boy is no ordinary person!"
"When Deacon Su Yuntao talks about you, his eyes light up. Now that I've met you, little brother, I can see you really are extraordinary."
"It's wonderful that a genius like you has come from our Nuoding City!"
"I, Zhang Yuan, would like to wish you a smooth path as a Soul Master, and that you'll forge ahead with songs of triumph..."
"Thank you for the kind words, Brother Zhang! I wish you steady promotions, a happy family, and everything you could ever want."
"You're too kind!"
They chatted as they walked, taking their time. Before they knew it, they had reached their destination.
Before you continue