The next day
Early morning
Lin Fan woke from his cultivation, ate breakfast in the cafeteria, and made his way to an empty classroom.
There was no one inside, and only three or four desks.
Before long, Bibi Dong strolled into the classroom, looking lazy.
To Bibi Dong, theory classes were dull, like sitting through a lecture in middle school.
Unless the lesson covered something she was interested in, she could never get excited.
Seeing this, Lin Fan shook his head helplessly. "Junior Sister, theory classes are still important."
"You and I both have Twin Martial Souls. As far as I know, the last Soul Master to cultivate Twin Martial Souls died when his body exploded because he couldn't withstand the Soul Rings."
"No one knows the reason behind it."
At that, Bibi Dong shuddered, a frightened look appearing on her little face. "Senior Brother, is that true? Don't lie to me!"
Lin Fan nodded. "How could I lie to you about something so important?"
"This concerns what we'll achieve in the future. We need to plan ahead."
Bibi Dong furrowed her brow. Thinking about how poor she was at theory, and how she might be unable to obtain Soul Rings for her second Martial Soul, the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor, later on, filled her with worry.
But theory classes really were so dull!
"Student, why do you look so troubled?" At some point, an elderly man in his seventies, dressed in a red robe, had entered through the doorway.
Seeing the old man, Lin Fan could tell he was a man of great learning.
"Greetings, Teacher Long Yuan," Lin Fan said respectfully, bowing.
Bibi Dong saw who had arrived and bowed respectfully as well. "Greetings, Teacher Long Yuan."
Long Yuan had been the dean of the Advanced Soul Master Academy at Martial Soul Academy the previous term. His strength had reached Rank 89, and his Martial Soul was a Dragon Ape with the bloodline of a dragon. Even ordinary Titled Douluo were no match for him.
More importantly, Long Yuan's theoretical knowledge and understanding of Martial Souls, Soul Masters, and Soul Beasts were unrivaled at Martial Soul Academy.
He was the theory teacher Qian Xunji had found for Lin Fan and Bibi Dong.
"Have a seat." Long Yuan smiled amiably and gestured for them to sit.
Lin Fan and Bibi Dong bowed once more before taking their seats.
Long Yuan smiled. "Were you just discussing Twin Martial Souls?"
As he spoke, he looked at Bibi Dong, his expression inviting her to ask whatever she wanted.
Bibi Dong smiled and asked, "Yes, Teacher Long Yuan. Do you know how to solve the problem of obtaining Soul Rings for Twin Martial Souls?"
Long Yuan chuckled and stroked his beard. "There are two important things to understand about obtaining Soul Rings for Twin Martial Souls."
Seeing that there was hope, Bibi Dong looked expectant.
Lin Fan listened attentively as well.
He already had some understanding of the matter, but since the teacher before him knew about it, he naturally wanted to hear whether it matched what he remembered.
"To obtain Soul Rings below the ten-thousand-year level, a Soul Master only needs to meet the required physical standards."
"The Saint Child told me that you discovered the effects of Whale Rubber, and that it helped you obtain thousand-year First Soul Rings. May I take a look?"
At that, Lin Fan and Bibi Dong nodded. A pale purple Soul Ring appeared and revolved around each of them.
Seeing that their First Soul Rings really were thousand-year Soul Rings, a flicker of surprise crossed Long Yuan's face.
He had already heard about it, but seeing it with his own eyes was still shocking.
The hand stroking Long Yuan's beard paused. Unable to hold back his praise, he said, "Good, good! You truly are peerless geniuses of Spirit Hall. At such a young age, you can already withstand thousand-year First Soul Rings. Your foundations are far more solid than those of any students from previous years!"
"Whale Rubber can temper the body and greatly strengthen a Soul Master's physique, but your ability to safely absorb thousand-year First Soul Rings also shows that your talent and willpower are beyond ordinary people."
Bibi Dong gave a soft laugh, some of her earlier gloom lifting. But at the thought of the danger Twin Martial Souls posed, she quickly sobered and gazed up at Long Yuan, eager for an answer.
"Teacher Long Yuan, please tell us. How should we absorb Soul Rings for our Twin Martial Souls later on without our bodies exploding?"
"Absorbing Soul Rings below the ten-thousand-year level only requires meeting the physical standards. But absorbing Soul Rings above that level tests your willpower and mental strength!"
"When absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, you'll experience Soul Shock. That's because a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast is incredibly powerful, and even after death, it retains a portion of its mental power."
"This mental power remains within the Soul Ring and only disappears when the Soul Ring does."
"So, absorbing a Soul Ring requires both sufficient physical strength and mental power. That's the first point."
"As far as I know, before you, there were three people with Twin Martial Souls. The one from the most recent generation only reached the Soul Saint level."
"I found records in an ancient book about the second Twin Martial Soul wielder before you. He reached the Soul Elder level."
"But he cultivated both Martial Souls at the same time. When he reached the Soul Elder level, he decided to absorb a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for his second Martial Soul, and he died as a result."
"His physical strength should have been sufficient. After all, both his Martial Souls were Beast Martial Souls, and both were powerful ones."
"But he still died because his mental strength wasn't enough!"
Bibi Dong listened in astonishment, unable to keep a look of pity from crossing her face.
With such heaven-defying talent, he had died for such an absurd reason.
Even in the Soul Master World today, almost no Soul Masters died while absorbing Soul Rings.
The only exceptions were some self-taught Soul Masters who awakened their Martial Souls but couldn't even attend school afterward.
Otherwise, their teachers would certainly tell them, when they absorbed their First Soul Ring, that it was best not to exceed three hundred years.
That was because those people out in the world couldn't enjoy the benefits provided by Martial Soul Academy.
Perhaps the disciples of great sects and powerful families knew, too, but they had elders guiding them!
For commoner Soul Masters, a three-hundred-year First Soul Ring was still difficult to obtain.
They had poor food growing up and weak physiques, yet were expected to absorb a First Soul Ring of around three hundred years. It was a bit of a stretch.
Perhaps a few gifted children could grit their teeth and endure it through sheer willpower, but cases like that were extremely rare.
"Teacher, what's the second point?" Lin Fan asked.
Long Yuan raised a hand to calm them. His expression grew serious, and the warmth in his smile faded as his tone deepened.
"Physical strength and mental power are the foundation that let you withstand the power of a Soul Ring."
"The second point is the compatibility between the Soul Ring's attributes and the Martial Soul's attributes. This is the true key to preventing Twin Martial Souls from making your body explode or turning against you."
He walked slowly to the desk between them, his gaze sweeping over Lin Fan and Bibi Dong as he spoke each word clearly.
"Ordinary Soul Masters have only one Martial Soul. As long as the Soul Ring's attributes are more or less compatible, there won't be any major problems."
"But you're different. You have two Martial Souls within you, and your sea of consciousness has already been occupied by the auras of two different Martial Souls."
"Each Soul Ring must be chosen with care. It has to match the corresponding attributes of the Martial Soul it's meant for. Only then can it settle in safely without clashing with the other Martial Soul."
Before you continue