The group ventured deeper into the forest. Now and then, low-level Soul Beasts sensed Qian Xunji's oppressive presence and scattered in every direction.
Dean Zhu knew the terrain extremely well. Along the way, he avoided unnecessary trouble and led the three toward the trails of the three kinds of Soul Beasts Lin Fan needed.
Dean Zhu often brought students from the Primary Soul Master Academy to the Martial Soul Forest, so he knew it like the back of his hand.
Before long, they reached a bamboo grove.
The closer they got to the grove, the denser the Lightning Element Soul Power in the air became.
A few golden bamboo stalks came into view, their leaves flecked with flickering arcs of lightning. They radiated a gentle yet pure energy.
"Thirteen pairs of nodes in all. Dean Zhu, that's a Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo, isn't it?" Lin Fan said, looking at one of the thick golden stalks.
"It is a Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo!"
Dean Zhu lowered his voice, unable to hide his delight. "It's about thirteen hundred years old, a perfect match for what you need, Lin Fan!"
Qian Xunji nodded slightly and swept his gaze across the grove. In an instant, he sensed a Soul Beast lurking nearby. Its Soul Power was only around six hundred years' worth; it was nothing to him.
Lin Fan's heart leapt with joy. He looked at the Golden Thunder Bamboo, its entire stalk tinged pale gold and fine lightning patterns winding around it. The Lightning Element Star Dust within him began to stir wildly, and a steady stream of resonant energy surged through him. This Golden Thunder Bamboo was clearly the Soul Beast best suited to him.
At that moment, Lin Fan felt even more scorn for Yu Xiaogang.
Those so-called Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul were nothing more than common knowledge familiar to a handful of powerful figures in the Soul Master World, dressed up as original theory.
They might fool people who couldn't even afford to attend school.
Even so, Yu Xiaogang had never shared this theoretical knowledge with anyone else—only with his disciple!
Absorbing a Plant Element Soul Ring with a Beast Martial Soul was already one of the possible paths for Soul Master cultivation. Few were willing to try it, since Beast Martial Souls really were better suited to absorbing Soul Rings from Soul Beasts.
People who didn't know any better were taken in by Yu Xiaogang's claims that the theory was his own invention, and believed he was a true grandmaster!
Dean Zhu, right before them, was merely a Soul King, yet he understood the compatibility between Soul Beasts and Martial Souls far better than Yu Xiaogang, who only knew how to theorize on paper.
If Yu Xiaogang hadn't deliberately hyped it up, his theory wouldn't have been worth mentioning.
"Senior brother!" Bibi Dong tugged at Lin Fan's sleeve and pointed at the Golden Thunder Bamboo. Her little face was full of curiosity, along with a hint of anticipation.
Lin Fan came back to himself and smiled warmly at Bibi Dong. Then he turned to Dean Zhu and Qian Xunji, clasped his hands, and said, "Teacher, Dean Zhu, I'm sure. I want the Soul Ring from this Golden Thunder Bamboo."
"Good. If that's your decision, then let's get to it."
Qian Xunji spoke calmly, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority. "The Golden Thunder Bamboo is guarded by a six-hundred-year Thunder Pattern Snake. I'll deal with it and make sure the Golden Thunder Bamboo's Soul Ring stays intact."
Before he had even finished speaking, Qian Xunji flashed forward. He didn't use a single Soul Skill; he merely released a trace of his oppressive presence. A shrill cry rang out from deep in the bamboo grove, and the Thunder Pattern Snake was knocked unconscious by the pressure, completely deprived of its ability to resist.
At the same time, Dean Zhu beat the Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo until it was on its last legs. "Lin Fan, come finish it off."
At his words, Lin Fan's face brightened. He took the cleaver from Dean Zhu and brought it down hard on the Golden Thunder Bamboo's wound!
Plant-type Soul Beasts were different from other Soul Beasts. They could only remain where they were, and Golden Thunder Bamboo's attacks were limited: it could only strike using the golden lightning covering its entire body.
When the Golden Thunder Bamboo died, a pale purple Soul Ring appeared around its stalk.
"Sit down and absorb it," Dean Zhu said calmly.
Lin Fan nodded and sat cross-legged. Guided by his power, the pale purple Soul Ring slowly settled around him.
Seeing this, Dean Zhu stood guard nearby, anticipation shining in his eyes.
This was a genius whose very first Soul Ring was a thousand years old!
Dean Zhu didn't understand why Lin Fan and Bibi Dong both wanted thousand-year Soul Rings as their first, but he knew it was a secret.
He had his suspicions, but his heart remained with Spirit Hall.
If Qian Xunji didn't say anything, he wouldn't ask. He would learn when the time was right.
As time passed, Lin Fan's back became completely soaked with sweat. Judging by his expression, though, he didn't seem to be having much trouble.
Watching Lin Fan, Bibi Dong was very worried. "Teacher, will senior brother be all right?"
"He'll be fine. From the way he looks, this thirteen-hundred-year Golden Thunder Bamboo still hasn't reached the limit of what he can absorb," Qian Xunji replied calmly.
"He still hasn't reached his limit?" Bibi Dong glanced at Lin Fan in surprise. At last, her worries completely faded.
Two hours flew by.
"Looks like it won't be long before he finishes absorbing it," Qian Xunji said, watching Lin Fan's expression.
Bibi Dong nodded, her face full of anticipation.
Seeing Lin Fan's expression, Dean Zhu couldn't help the astonished smile that appeared on his face.
About half an hour later, the pale purple Soul Ring circling Lin Fan suddenly blazed with light.
His tightly shut eyes snapped open. A flash of golden lightning flickered in their depths, and the aura around him surged.
"He did it!" Dean Zhu couldn't help exclaiming, his face full of incredulous delight.
He had absorbed a thousand-year Soul Beast for his very first Soul Ring, and done it so smoothly, without the slightest backlash. Such talent was unheard of; across the entire Soul Master World, it was truly peerless!
Lin Fan slowly stood and stretched his limbs. His bones cracked crisply, and a sense of strength far beyond what he'd felt before filled his entire body.
"Senior brother, hurry and tell me—what's your First Soul Skill?" Bibi Dong rushed forward and called out eagerly.
Lin Fan affectionately ruffled Bibi Dong's hair, then said, "My First Soul Skill is called Golden Thunder Transformation."
"It increases the penetration of my lightning, and boosts every aspect of the Soul Skills I use afterward by 30%. For every level I gain in Soul Power, that percentage goes up by another 1%, up to a maximum of 50%."
"Also, after absorbing the Soul Ring dropped by the Golden Thunder Bamboo, my lightning can keep tempering my body."
"And because it was a thousand-year Soul Ring, the Soul Power it gave me was enough to raise me straight to level thirteen."
As soon as he finished speaking, two sharp intakes of breath rang out.
Bibi Dong turned in confusion to look at Qian Xunji and Dean Zhu, both of them astonished. "Teacher, Dean, what's so surprising about that?"
At her words, Qian Xunji flicked her on the forehead in exasperation. "I told you to study hard, but you never listen."
"The further Lin Fan develops this Soul Skill, the greater the benefit it'll bring him!"
"An entire 50%—even some low-level Auxiliary Soul Masters couldn't manage that."
"With this Soul Skill, it'll be like having an Auxiliary Soul Master supporting Lin Fan from now on."
"Besides, Lin Fan's already level thirteen. That saves him four or five months of cultivation."
Bibi Dong listened in amazement. "What! It's that powerful?"
She turned to Lin Fan, her face full of admiration. "Senior brother, you're incredible!"
Lin Fan smiled slightly, then said, "Teacher, because I absorbed the Golden Thunder Bamboo's Soul Ring, my Lightning Element Martial Soul has changed."
"Even though it can only keep strengthening my body, it can strengthen other people's bodies too!"
Qian Xunji nodded. "Good. But I imagine it'll take a long time to temper the body this way, right?"
Lin Fan nodded. "About as long as it takes the Golden Thunder Bamboo, though it might be faster since we're human."
"Then Dong'er can strengthen her body with you from now on," Qian Xunji said with a smile.
At that, Bibi Dong froze. "Senior brother, how do we strengthen it?"
Lin Fan smiled slightly. "When we cultivate, just stay close together."
"Huh?" Bibi Dong's face instantly turned red. A thought crossed her mind, and she couldn't help murmuring to herself, Wouldn't that make it dual cultivation?
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