Twelve Years Old

"Other support-type soul masters can lift such heavy things at level thirty, but you're already level forty," Tang Hao still complained disdainfully.

"But I'm only eleven!" Tang Liu said, taking advantage of the situation as if it were natural.

Tang Hao: "..." It's true, though. Other support-type soul masters, at his age, the most talented ones probably just got their second ring not long ago, right? At most, they'd be around Xiao San's level.

So... it's actually normal that Tang Liu can't lift it?

Nonsense, this kid is already level forty. Even the most useless soul master, at level forty, should be able to lift fifty kilograms with just their physical strength, easily!

He really didn't know what was going on with him. He was already close to absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring, yet he couldn't even lift a hammer.

Tang Hao's expression was complicated, and his mood was equally complex.

"Every morning, you're going out for a run."

"La la la, not listening!" Tang Liu covered his ears and ran off.

Tang Hao: "..."

One year later, Star Dou Great Forest.

In the past few years, Tang Hao had brought Tang Liu here a few times intermittently, but they never ventured too deep, always coming and going in a hurry.

However, this time, Tang Hao was here to help Tang Liu obtain a soul ring.

The third soul ring for the Ethereal Blue Silver Emperor.

Before coming, Tang Liu had already completed the second refinement of his soul power and had also cultivated the Haolan Spell to its fourth soul ring.

After the long-term suppression was broken, Tang Liu's soul power actually broke through to level 43 in one go.

If he hadn't already completed the second round of soul power compression and purification, his soul power level would have been even higher.

According to the plan, after completing the second round of soul power refinement and condensing the fourth soul ring for the Haolan Spell, Tang Liu was ready to obtain his first ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Just as he had calculated, his current physical strength could already withstand a fifteen-thousand-year soul ring.

Returning to the Star Dou Great Forest, the life force of nature here was still as rich and invigorating as ever, refreshing the mind and spirit.

According to the principle of simulated cultivation, Tang Liu felt that if he cultivated in the Star Dou Great Forest, his cultivation speed might increase by about half a percent from its current level.

For him, whose soul power was now incredibly solid and whose cultivation had reached the Soul Ancestor level, such a speed bonus was a significant increase.

"For your third soul ring, what kind of soul skill do you want to add?" Tang Hao asked, holding Tang Liu's hand as they ventured deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

This time, they planned to go directly into the mixed zone and start searching from there.

"My original plan was to find a soul skill that purifies negative status effects. But if I'm going to study at an intermediate Soul Master Academy later, I'll inevitably have to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. Therefore, I've decided to add soul skills for my teammates for my third and fourth soul rings." Tang Liu said after thinking for a while.

A year had passed, and Tang Liu had grown a bit taller again, breaking through one meter four, which was cause for celebration...

Hearing his words, Tang Hao said with interest, "So, you're a hundred percent confident that you'll be selected to compete? How do you know other academies won't happen to have a few people more talented than you?"

Tang Liu glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of pride, "A Soul Ancestor at twelve years old, how many have you seen on the entire continent?"

Tang Hao couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, a Soul Ancestor at twelve years old, how many could there be on the entire continent?

Moreover, if Tang Liu hadn't deliberately suppressed his soul power growth rate, given his terrifying cultivation speed in the past, he would probably already be a Soul King by now.

"Then, what kind of useful soul skill for your teammates do you want to add?" Tang Hao asked.

"I've already decided," Tang Liu said with a mysterious smile. "For my third soul ring, I want the ten-thousand-year Jade Spirit Fox."

"Oh? You finally want to add an amplification skill?" Tang Hao was a little surprised upon hearing the name of the soul beast Tang Liu mentioned.

The Jade Spirit Fox held a special position among soul beasts. Just as the Emerald Swan only had healing abilities, the Jade Spirit Fox only had auxiliary abilities.

Their auxiliary abilities didn't augment a single attribute like the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda; instead, they augmented the damage dealt by soul beasts.

For example, if a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Dark Gold Terrorclaw attack had a power of five, after being amplified by a Jade Spirit Fox, its power would become ten.

In this process, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear itself would undergo no changes, so it could be considered a rather obscure auxiliary ability.

Tang Liu, however, smiled mysteriously and didn't directly answer Tang Hao's question, instead saying, "You'll know when we find the Jade Spirit Fox."

Tang Hao glanced at him and didn't dwell on the topic any further.

In recent years, he had increasingly found Tang Liu to be a child with his own ideas. Everything he did had a strong purpose.

Therefore, Tang Hao didn't intend to interfere with his decisions, as long as he didn't put himself in danger, he would let him be.

"Because the Jade Spirit Fox has no combat ability, they usually live in groups and are often accompanied by some powerful soul beasts. Have you thought about how to lure out a Jade Spirit Fox of a suitable age?" Tang Hao said.

"Huh? I have to go by myself?" Tang Liu asked with a question mark on his face.

"You'll be leaving me to find your brother soon, and after that? You won't be able to rely on me for everything. So, from now on, you need to learn to rely on yourself," Tang Hao said calmly.

Hearing this, Tang Liu fell silent.

After a long while, neither father nor son spoke again, they just walked silently towards the depths of the forest.

Finally, it was Tang Liu who spoke first, "Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me, don't stray too far from us." Tang Liu looked up at him and said.

Tang Hao remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

As if he had just received a monumental promise, a brilliant smile instantly bloomed on Tang Liu's face.

He let go of the left hand Tang Hao had been holding, ran forward a few steps, and then turned back to look at Tang Hao.

"Watch closely, old man, this time you just need to follow along from the sidelines!"

Tang Liu tilted his chin at Tang Hao, then ran off toward the southeast of the forest with a laugh.

In the midst of his sprint, he released his first martial soul, the Ethereal Blue Silver Emperor.

As the transparent, gold-veined, blue-crystal-like vines sprouted from the palm of his left hand, one yellow and one purple spirit ring rose from beneath his feet, pulsing in rhythm around his body.

By the way, why did my book title suddenly lose two characters? If I remember correctly, the title I used was supposed to be So I Went to Douluo Continent, right? Where did the "Continent" go? Could it be that, just like the "Mana-Consuming" in "Mana-Consuming Spell Compendium," it got censored? [Confused face]