"It's easy to see that this Soul Skill originated from the Iron-Armored Ox's racial talent of gathering Soul Power in its horns. After becoming a Soul Skill, it seems to have grown even stronger. Congratulations! You've gained a powerful Soul Skill."
Sisi offered her own words of congratulations, too.
"I have you to thank for that, Sister Sisi. If you hadn't acted decisively and taught that wretched ox a lesson, we'd probably still be wandering around the Soul Hunting Forest right now! You've got such a fiery spirit, Sister Sisi."
Sisi felt a little embarrassed. Thinking back, it had indeed been her impulsiveness that had sparked the battle.
Having completed the task through such a bizarre twist of fate made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
If Ling Yun's Martial Soul hadn't been powerful enough, they might have ended up in a sorry state.
The result had been unexpectedly good, and the process had gone smoothly, too. That was precisely why Sisi felt so awkward.
Amid that strange atmosphere, the three of them worked together to butcher the Iron-Armored Ox. They took the valuable parts and completely destroyed its horns. They couldn't leave behind anything that might reveal its age.
They didn't find a Soul Bone.
Before they left, Ling Yun held up the Yin-Yang Mirror and shone its light on the other five Iron-Armored Oxen, healing their wounds.
The five Iron-Armored Oxen had witnessed the whole thing: their leader being killed, turning into a Soul Ring, and then being butchered. Terrified by the sight of Ling Yun and the others, they bolted.
Seeing this, Su Yuntao said, "When an ox acts rotten, someone's bound to take it down!"
"I bet that herd of Iron-Armored Oxen won't dare act rotten again!"
The three of them watched the Iron-Armored Oxen flee in such a sorry state and couldn't help laughing.
Who would've thought those miserable Iron-Armored Oxen had been so rotten before? Their leader had used its life to teach them four words: ask for trouble, meet your doom.
Nuoding City Spirit Hall, Soul Master Advancement Appraisal Room.
"Good heavens! Fifteen levels of Soul Power? How did it increase so much? Under normal circumstances, it should be eleven!" Ma Xiunuo exclaimed.
Su Yuntao and Sisi were just as astonished, but they soon recovered. They'd already been shocked too many times.
They both thought that from now on, even if Ling Yun did something else that defied the heavens, they wouldn't find it strange!
Once Ma Xiunuo had composed himself, he fixed his gaze on Su Yuntao and asked, "Are you sure the Soul Ring he absorbed came from a four-hundred-year-old Iron-Armored Ox?"
"That's right!" Su Yuntao lied without batting an eye. Ma Xiunuo turned to Sisi. On the way back, she'd rehearsed this kind of questioning countless times, so she didn't let her nerves show, either.
She just hadn't expected Ling Yun's Soul Power to shoot straight up to level fifteen.
Seeing them, Ma Xiunuo began to imagine possible explanations for what had happened. He paced back and forth, his brow furrowed.
"Fifteen levels? How could it be fifteen?"
"How could this happen..."
Watching him, Ling Yun gave Su Yuntao a look. The meaning was obvious: hurry up and say something. The old man's starting to lose it.
Su Yuntao's mind raced as he searched for a plausible explanation. There was no way he could tell the truth.
Ma Xiunuo was a man of principle. If he learned the truth, he wouldn't conceal it for Ling Yun's sake like they had. He'd report it to the higher-ups exactly as it was.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Su Yuntao. He pinched Ling Yun's arm. Ling Yun had no idea what that was about, but he didn't pull away. He decided to wait and see.
After pinching Ling Yun's arm, Su Yuntao withdrew his hand and looked thoughtful, as though he'd found the answer.
Seeing this, Ma Xiunuo asked, "Yuntao, what have you thought of? Tell us, and we'll figure it out together."
"I had no idea at first, but just now I thought of what makes Xiao Yun different: his physical constitution. He's far stronger than an ordinary six-year-old."
"When we absorb a Soul Ring, the improvements are comprehensive."
"Some of the Soul Power in the Soul Ring is absorbed and becomes our own Soul Power; some of it strengthens the body, greatly increasing its resilience; and some of it promotes physical development."
"After this boy absorbed the Soul Ring, his physical constitution didn't seem to improve at all. Could it be that his body was already so strong that the First Soul Ring wasn't enough to strengthen it?"
"Was ninety-nine percent of the Soul Power in the Soul Ring absorbed as his own Soul Power? Is that why he improved so much?"
"Such a thing is possible!" A light of inquiry gleamed in Ma Xiunuo's eyes. He personally pinched Ling Yun to check.
"Incredible. His physical constitution is in no way weaker than that of an old man like me, a level-29 Soul Grandmaster."
"That explains it!"
"A four-hundred-year Soul Ring contains no less Soul Power than a Soul Master's ten levels of Soul Power."
"Besides, his Soul Skill is so powerful, which proves the Iron-Armored Ox had a high compatibility with his Martial Soul. It's entirely possible he rose to level fifteen."
Ma Xiunuo was convinced he'd found the answer. His eyes flashed with the radiance of a man who had uncovered the truth.
Ling Yun's eyes widened. It can work like that?
As expected, truly clever people were masters of filling in the blanks. Give them even a little logic, and they'd flesh it out until they believed it without a doubt. The whole thing was reasoned, coherent, and perfect!
What an eye-opener. A real eye-opener.
Convinced that he'd discovered a new theory, Ma Xiunuo was especially excited. Before long, he had completed Ling Yun's Soul Master appraisal.
Not long afterward, Ling Yun received a round metal badge. Two crossed thorns on the front represented the Soul Master rank, and his name was engraved on the back.
With this badge, he could collect a one-Gold-Soul-Coin monthly allowance from Spirit Hall.
Once he became a Soul Grandmaster, his monthly allowance would be ten Gold Soul Coins; as a Soul Elder, it would be a hundred Gold Soul Coins. There were no allowances beyond the Soul Elder rank.
Watching Ling Yun examine the badge, Ma Xiunuo extended an invitation on behalf of Spirit Hall. "Ling Yun, would you be willing to join Spirit Hall?"
"Thank you for the invitation, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, but I don't want to join for now. Perhaps I'll change my mind in the future, but not right now."
"For the time being, I'll focus on increasing my Soul Power. I don't want to consider a decision that could shape my future."
"Very well! If you ever change your mind, Spirit Hall will always welcome you! May your path as a Soul Master be smooth and open."
"Thank you!"
"I also wish you good health, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, and a life free of illness and misfortune."
"Hahaha... What a polite, well-mannered boy!"
With the Gold Soul Coin and Soul Master Badge he'd just received in hand, Ling Yun left Spirit Hall. Ma Xiunuo, Su Yuntao, and Sisi watched him go, as if they could already see a future legend being born.
"I wonder what kind of changes this little fellow will bring to Douluo Continent!"
"I don't know! But it's sure to be an amazing spectacle!"
Ling Yun glanced back at Spirit Hall and saw the three of them. He waved, then turned and walked away.
There were still two and a half months before the junior Soul Master academy term began.
He decided to head north and enroll in Heaven Dou City. Tang San and Xiao Wu were at Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy, and most importantly, Tang Hao was lurking in the shadows there. Ling Yun was afraid that if he met Tang San, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from attacking.
In his father's memories, the burly man holding a baby had terrifying strength, and his killing intent had taken physical form. The clue pointed far too clearly to one person.
Tang Hao was the culprit behind his parents' deaths.
A gentleman could wait ten years to avenge himself. Exposing himself to such danger was sheer folly.
Tang Hao possessed the Divine Slaughter's Domain and must have been highly sensitive to killing intent. Ling Yun feared that the moment he couldn't restrain his murderous intent toward Tang San, Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer would come crashing down from the heavens.
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