Martial Soul, Manifest!

"Successful evacuation."

"Evacuation point: Heding City Academy—Confidential"

"Duration: 00:60:35"

"Loot this round: 2329853"

"Total defeated: 18"

Back in the real world, a pale blue screen popped up.

9>>>10-->10>>>11

200EXP↑

17932/18000-->132/0

Zhang Yang let out a long breath. He'd finally reached level 10 and could get his first Soul Ring.

As for the "132/0" in the experience section, it only took him a moment to understand what it meant.

Before a Martial Soul gained a Soul Ring, meditation could no longer raise its level, but cultivation gains still accumulated.

Once a Soul Master obtained a Soul Ring, those gains from cultivation would reappear.

So although he couldn't use the 132 experience points just yet, as soon as Zhang Yang obtained a Soul Ring and automatically advanced to level 11, those points would be added to his level 11 experience bar.

Before level 10, each level required 1,000 experience points. He had no idea how much each level would require after level 11.

Whatever. Who cared? He was already level 10.

Being level 10 at six years and five months old was no different from having Innate Full Soul Power at six years and five months old.

That was what Zhang Yang thought.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking on his part.

On the Douluo Continent, there was an uncrossable chasm between having Innate Soul Power at level 9 and having Innate Full Soul Power.

Take Oscar, for example. He had Innate Full Soul Power and became the continent's first food-type Titled Douluo. Then the God of Food's Godhood Inheritance came to him of its own accord, hoping Oscar would inherit his godhood.

And what about Ning Rongrong? She had Innate Soul Power at level 9, yet her Martial Soul had transformed from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, making it unquestionably the greatest auxiliary-type tool Martial Soul in the world.

And what had the Goddess of Nine Colors said? Unless you reached level 99 and became a Limit Douluo, there was no reason for her to choose you of her own accord.

That was the difference.

But what did any of that have to do with Zhang Yang?

Zhang Yang was destined to take a path unlike that of any other Soul Master on the Douluo Continent.

He wouldn't accept a god's Godhood Inheritance. He would prove the Dao through strength.

He would cultivate to level 100, then ignite his divine fire, condense a divine core, and become a god on his own.

Of course, that was all for the future.

For now, Zhang Yang planned to get something to eat and fill his stomach.

At eleven at night, Zhang Yang left the dormitory and headed for the school gate.

According to academy rules, students weren't allowed to leave their dormitories after nine at night, let alone go outside the school to eat on Hotel Street.

But rules were dead; people were alive.

Zhang Yang had an argument of his own: Who did they think he was? His father was Zhang Lingyue.

Across all of Heding City, there weren't many people who could get the better of Old Zhang.

The teacher on duty didn't dare let Zhang Yang go hungry. He first took some snacks from a cupboard, hoping to solve the problem by taking the roundabout route.

But Zhang Yang didn't like the seasoned dried meat, so the teacher had no choice but to accompany him off campus to find something to eat.

With the teacher on duty accompanying him, Zhang Yang made it out through the academy gates without a hitch and reached Hotel Street.

As they followed the bustling crowd along Hotel Street, the teacher grew increasingly uneasy. "Uh, Zhang Yang, we've already walked a long way down Hotel Street. Haven't we passed the place you like to eat?"

"Almost there, almost there. Don't get worked up, teacher," Zhang Yang said casually, soothing him while keeping his own little scheme to himself.

"Am I worked up?"

Zhang Yang chuckled and walked for a few more minutes before finally stopping. "Teacher, we're here."

The teacher looked at the grand, brightly lit gate and the imposing stone lions flanking it. At last, he realized he'd been played by this six-and-a-half-year-old first-year Soul Master.

Zhang Yang, however, paid no attention to what the teacher beside him might be thinking. He strode forward and rapped hard on the door knocker, calling out as he did, "Shouzhuo, Shouzhuo, open the door!"

Zhang Yang pounded on the door with all his might, and the doorkeeper, Liu Shouzhuo, moved quickly too.

Liu Shouzhuo had just stormed out of the gatehouse, his brows furrowed in anger, when he heard Zhang Yang calling at the door.

Recognizing Zhang Yang's voice, the doorkeeper didn't even have time to straighten his clothes. He tightened the cotton coat draped over his shoulders and hurried to open the gate.

"It's the young master. Weren't you—" Liu Shouzhuo began, instinctively voicing his concern. Then he looked up and noticed the teacher on duty behind Zhang Yang. His words caught in his throat, and he quickly changed tack. "You're..."

"This is the teacher on duty at our academy. I could only come out with him accompanying me. Shouzhuo, take the teacher to the side room for tea, then ask the cook to prepare a few dishes for me. I haven't eaten all day."

With that, Zhang Yang didn't bother wondering what Liu Shouzhuo or the teacher might think. He strode straight through the gate and headed for the main house at the back.

In the main house, Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing lay in bed, fast asleep. Suddenly, hurried footsteps drew closer and soon stopped outside their door.

"Knock, knock, knock." Zhang Yang tapped on the door, then pushed it open at once. "Dad, Mom, I'm back."

Inside the room, Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing had already woken when they heard the knock. After all, they were Soul Masters who had walked on the edge of a blade.

But they'd been roused in the middle of the night and were still groggy when Zhang Yang burst into their bedroom, bringing a chill with him.

By the faint moonlight, Zhu Ranqing made out who had entered, and her spirits immediately lifted.

"Oh, son!"

Zhang Yang had been at the academy for three whole months. At first, Zhu Ranqing had gone to visit him every so often.

But once she saw that he was adapting well to communal life and had never cried out that he missed home, she stopped going as often.

Zhang Lingyue had also asked her to give him some space.

Zhang Yang threw himself into Zhu Ranqing's arms. The chill clinging to him made her shiver. "Son, why are you back? Did something happen? Did someone bully you?"

Zhang Lingyue said nothing. He only glanced at the clock on the wall. It was half past eleven at night.

"Did someone in your dorm bully you? Tell Mom who it was, and I'll make things right for you," Zhu Ranqing said with concern.

Zhang Yang lifted his head from Zhu Ranqing's arms. "No. I have some happy news to tell you, Mom."

"Oh, that's good. Come on, son, tell Mom. What's the happy news?" Only after hearing that he hadn't been mistreated did Zhu Ranqing relax.

"It's about my Soul Power," Zhang Yang said happily. "Mom, my Soul Power has gone up a level."

"Really? What a good boy!" Zhu Ranqing beamed and showered kisses on Zhang Yang's little face.

Beside them, Zhang Lingyue's mind raced through the numbers.

Zhang Yang had awakened his Martial Soul at the end of June. Today marked exactly five months.

Going from level 1 to level 2 in five months was a normal pace.

He should have no trouble reaching level 10 before graduating sixth grade and getting his first Soul Ring.

Zhang Yang grinned. "Mom, then guess what level my Soul Power is now."

It was a question that sounded incredibly stupid, but Zhu Ranqing, who doted on her son, eagerly played along. "Let me guess. My son should be... level 2, right?"

Beside her, Zhang Lingyue watched helplessly as his wife teased their silly son.

"Nope." Zhang Yang laughed and slumped into Zhu Ranqing's arms. He held up both hands to show her. "It's level 10."

"?"

"?"

Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing looked at each other, their minds full of questions. Then they both burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha... Silly boy, where did you get level 10 from? Your Innate Soul Power was level 1. Once you level up, that makes 1 plus 1, or level 2. How could it possibly be level 10?"

Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing doubled over laughing, tears running down their faces.

Zhang Yang wasn't angry. Instead, he said proudly, "I know that if your Innate Soul Power is level 1, then leveling up makes it level 2. But before I leveled up today, I was already level 9, not level 1."

"Ha... huh?" Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing's laughter cut off abruptly.

Zhang Yang continued, "My Soul Power was level 9 during the day. I cultivated until eleven tonight, and then I leveled up. Level 9 goes up to level 10. That's right, isn't it?"

"?"

"?"

Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing stared at him, bewildered.

"Dad, Mom, look."

With that, Zhang Yang wriggled free of Zhu Ranqing's embrace and stood on the bed, looking down at them. "Martial Soul, manifest!"

The M14 appeared in Zhang Yang's hand, radiating a fierce chill. At the same time, Soul Power erupted around him.

"!"

"!"

Zhang Lingyue and Zhu Ranqing's expressions changed.