About ten seconds later, the white light faded, and the changes came to a stop.
The Torchic floating in midair had become completely different from before.
Before, Torchic's appearance and build had both been more like a little chick. At a glance, it seemed like a pet that could do nothing but act cute and cling to people, not one with any fighting ability. That was why Su Yuntao had called Torchic a Trash Martial Soul.
After the series of changes in the white light, Torchic now looked like a fusion of a human and a chicken.
Its body was shaped like a human's. Its upper body was mostly yellow, while its lower body was deep orange. Its pair of little wings had become long, arm-like limbs, and its chicken legs and feet had grown thicker and stronger.
When the transformed Torchic landed in front of him, Ye Chen could hardly contain his excitement. It had finally evolved successfully.
The humanoid Torchic standing before him was none other than the Combusken that should have evolved at Soul Power Level 16!
As a Shiny Pokemon, after Torchic had come to Douluo Continent and become a Martial Soul, its entire body had glittered with golden light, classifying it as a golden Soul Beast with powerful physical abilities.
As a result, all of Torchic's physical attributes as a Martial Soul had doubled, and its quality and rarity were comparable to those of a golden Beast Martial Soul.
Now that it had evolved into Combusken, not only had its appearance changed, but the quality of its Martial Soul had also risen to the highest level.
Since the Martial Soul's quality had improved, its speed, attack, defense, and all its other attributes had naturally increased by a great deal.
What's more, after Torchic had evolved into Combusken, its Martial Soul Origin had gained the Fighting type in addition to the Fire type, and it had comprehended a Fighting-type move called "Double Kick."
As the name suggested, Double Kick was a kicking move that struck an enemy twice with both feet.
Staring at Combusken before him, Ye Chen finally realized that after absorbing his First Soul Ring, he had grown to at least 1.5 meters tall. Combusken came up to about the bridge of his nose.
Judging by their builds, he and Combusken didn't look like a host and a pet. They looked more like two people of a similar age standing together.
"Chamo—" Combusken cried out, its gaze bright. Before, its cry had sounded rather childish, giving the impression that it was acting cute and seeking attention. Now, there was clearly a touch of maturity in its voice.
Ye Chen patted Combusken on the shoulder, holding down his excitement as he reminded it, "Combusken, congratulations. You've finally evolved. But from now on, we'll have to work even harder at cultivating. Don't get carried away just because of this, understand?"
"Chamo!" Combusken nodded, its eyes brimming with Vital Spirit.
Watching the human and chicken interact, Dean Ding was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and asked in surprise, "Ye Chen, did your Torchic Martial Soul undergo another mutation? How did its appearance change so much?"
"Yes." Ye Chen recalled Combusken into his body and made up an explanation. "The Blazing Bird Soul Ring I just absorbed was very compatible with my Torchic Martial Soul, so it triggered Martial Soul Evolution. I've named Torchic's evolved form Combusken."
"Martial Soul Evolution?" Dean Ding rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I've heard that some Martial Souls can indeed evolve, but that usually happens only after they cross a certain threshold. I didn't expect your Martial Soul to evolve as soon as you became a Soul Master. Looks like this is all thanks to your absorbing a Soul Ring beyond your level!"
"Ye Chen, tell me, exactly how many years old was the Blazing Bird Soul Ring? And what First Soul Skill did it give you?"
At Dean Ding's question, Ye Chen held back some information. "The Blazing Bird Soul Ring was exactly five hundred years old, so I was only just able to absorb it. The First Soul Skill it gave me is called Blaze. It's a boosting Soul Skill that increases the power of Fire-type moves."
"Is that all it does?" Dean Ding asked, somewhat surprised. "By rights, a five-hundred-year First Soul Ring is an extremely high-level Soul Ring. How could it give you only one effect?"
Ye Chen shook his head. "I don't know either, Dean. Could it be because most of the Soul Ring's energy went toward my Martial Soul's evolution?"
Dean Ding nodded. "Mm. That's entirely possible. Martial Soul Evolution usually comes with an improvement in the Martial Soul's quality, and the benefits last a lifetime."
"Besides, a Soul Master's First Soul Skill is their weakest. As you progress, that skill will become less and less useful. In the long run, it's better for most of the Soul Ring's energy to go toward evolving your Martial Soul."
At this, Dean Ding smiled enviously. "Ye Chen, you're lucky. Your Torchic Martial Soul underwent a beneficial mutation, not only giving you Innate Full Soul Power but also letting you absorb Fire-type Soul Rings beyond your level. Now your Martial Soul has evolved, too. You'll definitely have what it takes to become a Titled Douluo someday!"
After hearing this, Ye Chen clasped his hands in thanks. "Dean, it's all thanks to you being willing to help me hunt a Soul Beast. I'll never forget your kindness. I'll take your blessing to heart. If I really do become a Titled Douluo someday, I'll repay you."
"There's no need for that. I'm the dean, and you're my student. Helping you hunt a Soul Beast is part of my job. Come on, since you've successfully obtained your First Soul Ring and advanced, we should head back to the academy."
As he spoke, Dean Ding took the pipe hanging from his waist and lit it with Fire-type Soul Power before taking a puff.
Ye Chen hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "Dean, I'd like to stay in Soul Hunting Forest and get more practical experience fighting Soul Beasts. If possible, could you lend me your permit? I can stay here by myself."
Dean Ding waved his hand. "No. It's too dangerous for you to be alone. We should go back together. Tang San has also obtained his First Soul Ring. You can spar with him and your other classmates at the academy; that'll build your practical experience just as well. There's no need to risk your life in Soul Hunting Forest."
"Sparring between classmates is like children roughhousing. It can't give me any real practical experience." Ye Chen spoke earnestly. "Dean, when I saw Tang San subdue the Datura Snake all by himself, I decided I would stay in Soul Hunting Forest to train."
"I want to fight savage Soul Beasts in Soul Hunting Forest. That's real combat. Since Tang San can do it, I think I can, too. Don't worry. I'll stay in the Outer Zone and never set foot in the Core Zone."
Looking at Ye Chen's resolute gaze, Dean Ding hesitated. Although they weren't very close, after this trip to hunt Soul Beasts, he had grown somewhat attached to this student, who also had a Fire-type Martial Soul.
So how could he let the boy stay in Soul Hunting Forest alone to train?
But he couldn't stay here with him for long, either.
What should he do?
Meeting Dean Ding's thoughtful gaze, Ye Chen said firmly, "Dean, after our earlier fight with the Blazing Bird, you should have seen it for yourself."
"In terms of attack power alone, Torchic and I can knock out a four-hundred-year Soul Beast when we fight together. Now that I have my First Soul Skill and Torchic has evolved into the even stronger Combusken, I'm sure I'll be fine training in the Outer Zone."
"If you don't lend me your permit, I'll probably sneak into Soul Hunting Forest by myself once we get back to the academy. I want to get stronger more than anything!"
After hearing Ye Chen out, Dean Ding chuckled. "You're only six years old, and you don't have some blood feud to avenge. Why are you in such a hurry to get stronger?"
"Because Tang San is strong," Ye Chen said in a child's voice. "I beat Tang San three times when we sparred before. But I didn't realize he'd been holding back and hadn't used his Hidden Weapons. This time, Tang San defeated the Datura Snake by himself, and it hit me hard. So I want to fight Soul Beasts. I want to become stronger, or I'll get thrashed when I spar with Tang San again!"
Dean Ding considered this for a while before finally giving in. "All right, you can stay in Soul Hunting Forest by yourself. But I hope you'll leave as soon as you can and won't stay too long. Otherwise, the Spirit Hall patrol team will take you for a suspicious person."
With that warning, Dean Ding pulled a permit from inside his clothes and handed it over.
Taking the permit, Ye Chen clasped his hands. "Thank you for letting me stay, Dean."
"All right, be extra careful by yourself in Soul Hunting Forest. If I don't see you at the academy in a month, I'll make time to come back and collect your corpse." After saying this with a hint of teasing, Dean Ding turned and headed toward the forest entrance.
Ye Chen stayed where he was, watching Dean Ding walk away. Only after he was gone did Ye Chen turn toward the Blazing Bird's corpse nearby.
What he'd said earlier about the Blazing Bird being exactly five hundred years old had been a lie.
The Soul Beast was actually six hundred years old. His First Soul Ring had a six-hundred-year limit, and his First Soul Skill was a six-hundred-year Soul Skill, too.
Why hide the full effect of the First Soul Skill, Blaze, and the First Soul Ring's true age?
Because Dean Ding and Yu Xiaogang knew each other well. To keep Dean Ding from accidentally letting the truth slip to Yu Xiaogang, it was better to keep it hidden.
Coming back to himself, Ye Chen tucked the permit into his belt, then used his short knife to cut open the Blazing Bird's corpse. He planned to take some Soul Beast meat for dinner and check whether the Blazing Bird's body contained a Soul Bone.
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