Staring at the cultivation method in his hands and reading its description, Huo Si was utterly shaken.
Not because the method was particularly amazing or complicated.
It didn't say what would happen after cultivating it, nor did it grant any complex abilities.
It was simple—so simple it was easy to understand. It didn't have the kind of boundless, endlessly replenishing Soul Power that Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill possessed in its later stages.
But in Huo Si's eyes, it was different.
It wasn't a cultivation method that made its user invincible all on their own. In fact, no person or creature could cultivate it.
So how would you fight an enemy?
Oh, so you admit there are enemies—people, even? Just catch them all and refine them in an instant.
"Cultivate by eating. The Martial Soul eats, and I refine the Soul Power."
"One method, two kinds of cultivation."
"If it can't be eaten, it can still be spat out. At worst, I'd only lose my Martial Soul."
[If you experience any discomfort that threatens your life, immediately summon your Martial Soul, sever all connections, and abandon it!]
Reading the final note, Huo Si couldn't help swearing.
"Holy crap!"
"Now that's what I call letting the Martial Soul shoulder all the risks while I enjoy all the benefits."
This method was probably harmful to Soul Beasts and people alike.
Oh, not harmful to him, Huo Si. In that case, no problem.
Setting the method aside, Huo Si grabbed Gong Changyun.
"Please find a way to completely sever the connection to the Martial Soul immediately!"
Damn, holy crap. They've come up with all sorts of tricks for detached Soul Beasts.
Huo Si had never imagined that a simple, common Soul Power meditation method from the Douluo Continent could be turned into something like this.
Huo Si seemed to think of something. He snatched up the cultivation method, his eyes flashing gold.
It was a heaven-defying, outrageous cultivation method. Thank goodness it had fallen into his hands. What would happen if some other Soul Master with a detached Soul Beast got hold of it?
Seeing how satisfied Huo Si was, practically unable to put the method down, Gong Changyun immediately broke into a smile.
"Though the method is still at the theoretical stage, it'll definitely need a lot of adjustments in practice, and accidents may happen."
"Pioneer, bear with this version for now. The Think Tank should soon develop a compatible Soul Beast Devouring Method 2.0."
Huo Si could only say one thing: the Think Tank was awesome!
In the research team, Elder Ke watched Huo Si clutching the cultivation method in excitement, and his brows immediately drew together.
"Research a faster, more practical Martial Soul evolution route at once!"
After choosing a target for his First Soul Ring and mastering the Martial Soul Devouring Evolution Method, Huo Si couldn't wait to bring Chu Youwei back to the Douluo World.
Inside a hotel in Nuoding City
Hum~!
A huge door slowly appeared and swung open. Huo Si led Chu Youwei back into the room.
Click~!
At the hotel window, Long Weiguo slowly lowered the sniper rifle he had just set up. With a grave expression, he came over to Huo Si.
"I have some bad news. It looks like we've been watched."
Huo Si's brows furrowed at once.
"Spirit Hall, or... the Nuoding City pawnshop?"
Chu Youwei's expression darkened, too. Cold sweat instantly soaked her back as she recalled what Elder Long had said.
"I don't know yet. I only know that a group of people have stayed put ever since we entered the hotel."
"At first, I only suspected it, but I went downstairs for ten minutes to buy food, and they followed me again. That confirmed they were watching us."
"Sir, should I capture them alive and find out who sent them?"
Long Weiguo slowly drew his pistol, his expression stern.
"No need. Tomorrow, I'll give them a chance to make their move."
After some thought, Huo Si spoke.
Nuoding City might not have any experts or powerful Soul Masters, but it had two forces that couldn't be ignored.
The Spirit Hall Branch and the City Lord's Mansion of Nuoding City, which belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire.
The next day
With Chu Youwei and Long Weiguo, Huo Si slowly walked out of the hotel under the receptionist's strange gaze.
Long Weiguo quickly came up beside Huo Si.
"They're following us."
Huo Si nodded and paid them no mind, heading straight for the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City.
"Hahaha, Brother Huo, you're finally here!"
Su Yuntao hurried forward, glancing at Chu Youwei without making it obvious.
Huo Si nodded. He noticed the way Su Yuntao was looking at Chu Youwei but said nothing.
A beautiful woman was a fine match for a gentleman. It was perfectly normal—but she was a woman Su Yuntao could never have.
"This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."
Inside the deacon's dormitory
"Brother Huo Si, this is an Awakening Stone. When awakening a Martial Soul, arrange the stones into a Six-Pointed Star Array, like this..."
"This is a Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball. It can hold only up to level ten Soul Power. If there's too much, it'll burst."
"The awakening process goes like this: arrange the Awakening Stones into a Six-Pointed Star Array, then use Soul Power to activate it. Once the array opens, it'll draw Soul Power from the surroundings into the person being awakened, helping them awaken their Martial Soul..."
After putting away the Awakening Stone, the Six-Pointed Star Array, and the Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball, Huo Si gave Chu Youwei a look.
Chu Youwei understood. She took out another large gold bar from her bag.
"Heh heh heh... Ahem, actually, it's not that difficult."
"As long as Brother Huo doesn't show it off carelessly or do anything wicked with it. And if you do, just don't tell anyone you know me."
"Once Brother Huo Si's Soul Power reaches level twenty, I can recommend you to join Spirit Hall as a deacon. Then you'll have a good explanation for where the items came from."
Chu Youwei put on a professional smile.
"Deacon Yuntao, if someone's Soul Power has broken through level ten, but they don't know exactly what level it's at, how can they test it?"
The Spirit Power Testing Crystal Ball for awakenings was enough for now, but Su Yuntao had already explained that it could only measure up to level ten Soul Power.
They would definitely be taking the awakening items back to the Dragon Kingdom later. A level-ten limit would do for now, but it wouldn't be enough.
Chu Youwei asked.
"Oh~! You're Brother Huo's younger sister, right?"
Huo Si smiled at Su Yuntao, who was waggling his eyebrows at him.
"My younger female cousin, Chu Youwei."
"My younger male cousin, Long Weiguo."
Su Yuntao hurriedly extended a warm hand.
"Oh, oh, so you're little Youwei! From now on, just call me Big Brother Yuntao."
"If you break through to Soul Master and absorb a Soul Ring, come here. Big Brother Yuntao will test you himself."
"And you, Brother Weiguo—just call me Brother Yuntao. Same goes for you."
Seeing Su Yuntao's beaming smile and how unlike the Blind Douluo of the original story he seemed, Huo Si and Long Weiguo's mouths twitched uncontrollably.
"Ahem..."
"Brother Yuntao, to be honest, I have something else to ask you about today."
Thud, thud, thud~!!!
Su Yuntao thumped his chest loudly.
"Go ahead, brother."
"We're brothers, after all. Speaking of our little sister..."
Seeing that Su Yuntao's intentions weren't pure, Huo Si interrupted him and took out his target for his First Soul Ring.
"Brother Yuntao, do you know where this Soul Beast has appeared recently?"
Huo Si showed him a sheet of paper.
The paper clearly listed all sorts of information about the Giant-Mouthed Snake. The target Soul Ring was four hundred years old.
Su Yuntao immediately looked displeased.
"The Giant-Mouthed Snake? That kind of Soul Beast is a real headache. Ordinary Soul Masters can't beat one, and even Great Soul Masters have trouble dealing with it."
"There's one in the Soul Hunting Forest outside Nuoding City."
"They're solitary Soul Beasts, so they don't usually become a plague. But each time one grows, it harms a lot of Soul Beasts and damages the Soul Hunting Forest's ecosystem. Every time that happens, Nuoding City asks people from our Spirit Hall Branch to deal with it."
Hearing this, Huo Si couldn't help looking pleased. As long as it was in the Soul Hunting Forest, he wouldn't have to travel all the way to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt one. That would save plenty of time.
Looking at the information on the Giant-Mouthed Snake, Su Yuntao seemed to think of something.
"Brother Huo, you're not planning to hunt this Soul Beast for your First Soul Ring, are you?"
He glanced at Chu Youwei nearby and gritted his teeth.
"If you're not in a hurry, Brother Huo, I'll take a day off tomorrow and bring a few coworkers to hunt it with you."
Huo Si smiled and shook his head.
"I wouldn't want to trouble you, Brother Yuntao. I'm in a hurry to hunt a Soul Beast, obtain a Soul Ring, and go home to awaken the Martial Souls of the people in my village."
Su Yuntao gritted his teeth.
"Take my deacon's token. Just show it to the guards at the Soul Hunting Forest entrance. The rules inside are that you can't go on a mass hunt for Soul Beasts you don't need or damage the forest's ecosystem."
"With your resources, there are groups outside the Soul Hunting Forest. They won't charge much as long as you're not paying them to hunt for you. You can join one of those groups with this deacon's token, and it won't cost you anything."
Huo Si smiled and accepted the token.
"Could you give me a map too, Brother Yuntao? The people in my village are new to the city, and I'm afraid we won't find our way."
Su Yuntao thumped his chest.
"No problem. We're brothers!"
After leaving the Spirit Hall Branch, Huo Si took Chu Youwei and Long Weiguo to buy a carriage, then rode out of the city.
"Brother Weiguo, you're amazing. You even know how to drive a carriage."
"I'm not that good at it. We had a horse farm when I was little. There were places cars couldn't go, so we had to use horse-drawn carriages."
Long Weiguo scratched his head.
Huo Si slowly lowered the carriage curtain. Behind them, another carriage followed close on their heels, flanked by several sturdy men on horseback.
"It looks like the people we've crossed this time have considerable clout in Nuoding City."
"Weiguo, take us out of Nuoding City and find somewhere secluded to deal with them."
The moment he saw the emblem on the carriage, Huo Si recognized who they were. They weren't from Spirit Hall. Now that their identities had been exposed, they had no reason to be left alive.
"Yes, sir!"
"Hyah!!!"
In a stretch of mountain forest, Huo Si slowly climbed down from the carriage, followed closely by Chu Youwei.
"Run! Why'd you stop?"
"Hahaha, you can't escape us today!!"
"I'm just curious. You were still a beggar three days ago, so why are you so rich now!!!"
Huo Si planted his feet on the ground and straightened the black brocade robe he was wearing.
He looked up at the ten burly men on horseback and the carriage stopped not far away.
"You think you've got me at your mercy?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Huo Si slowly lowered his raised right hand.
Bang~! Bang~!! Bang~!!!
The instant his right hand dropped, a string of gunshots rang out.
Muzzle flashes flickered like tongues of flame.
On horseback, the burly leader's expression changed.
Two white Soul Rings flashed. Before he could even release his Martial Soul, his head exploded, and he fell from his horse.
One, three, five, nine!
Only when the last burly man's white and yellow Soul Rings lit up did he finally finish releasing his Martial Soul. He kicked the horse's legs out from under it, then tried to use the rearing, whinnying animal to shield himself from the gunfire.
Long Weiguo immediately put away his pistol and raised the assault rifle that had always hung around his neck.
A pistol's caliber couldn't tear through a horse's body, but an assault rifle was different. Its terrifying caliber ripped through the horse's flesh and bones, then pierced the burly man hiding behind it.
Splurt~! Splurt~!! Splurt~!!!
"Gah~!!!"
Huo Si frowned.
"You could've died without feeling any pain, but your own cleverness made you choose the most painful way to go."
Inside the carriage, an old man's eyes widened. His whole body shook violently, beyond his control.
"How is this possible?!"
Long Weiguo instantly raised the assault rifle and fired without a word.
Bang~! Bang~!! Bang~!!!
A pistol was weak. One shot to the body might not kill, so you had to aim for the head. But if you were already holding an assault rifle, there was no need to aim for the head. A burst was enough to kill them all anyway.
"Money Shield!"
The old man raised his hand. Two yellow Soul Rings appeared at once, and a golden shield in his hand blocked the storm of bullets.
Clang, clang, clang~!!!
Sparks flew from the shield as dents appeared one after another.
"Pretty tough!"
Long Weiguo gritted his teeth and began firing measured shots.
Each bullet hole was like a pit, precisely marking the path of the previous shot. After three rounds, together with the groundwork he'd laid beforehand—
the old man's Money Escape was pierced in an instant.
"Run, young master!"
Bang!!!
The old man's head exploded, scattering white brain matter across the ground.
Thump! Thump!! Thump!!!
Long Weiguo's heart pounded violently. After personally killing eleven cultivators from the Douluo World, the blood in his veins began to boil, and his fighting spirit surged to its peak.
He lowered his assault rifle and decisively reached for the grenade at his waist, his gaze fixed on the carriage.
"Leave no survivors. I already know who they are. Just kill them."
Seeing Long Weiguo eyeing the carriage warily but hesitating to pull the grenade's pin, Huo Si gave the order.
Click!
At Huo Si's words, Long Weiguo pulled the pin without the slightest hesitation.
The force of his throw sent the grenade through a gap and into the carriage.
Roar!
Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—shone brightly as the phantom of a turtle with a gold coin carved into its shell slowly appeared.
Bang!
The carriage exploded violently.
A severed arm, faintly radiating Soul Power, flew out.
"Gahhh!!!"
A piercing scream rang out, and the Soul Elder's Martial Soul shattered.
"Holy crap, a Soul Elder can take a grenade head-on?"
Huo Si hurriedly looked at the carriage, which had been blown to pieces.
The scream gradually faded.
"No, you can't kill me! I'm from the Jin Family of Nuoding City..."
Buzz!!!
A young man in tattered clothes, his chest torn open, still clutched at his waist with his right hand and pulled out a gold token.
Huo Si's expression shifted slightly. He snatched the pistol from Chu Youwei's waist.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!
The young man's breath stopped for good. Fighting back his nausea, Huo Si crouched and slowly reached for the storage pouch at the young man's waist.
"Not a bad haul... We even got a Storage Soul Tool."
Huo Si summoned his Martial Soul.
The moment the little snake appeared in his hand, it cowered, but as soon as it flicked out its tongue, its eyes turned cold.
Huo Si slowly lowered his hand. The little snake frantically licked at the blood, then opened its mouth...
Watching it struggle to open its tiny mouth despite being unable to swallow even a finger, Huo Si's mouth twitched.
After dealing with the bodies, the three of them followed the map to the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest. They showed their tokens and entered the forest under the respectful gazes of the people there.
"The only advantage of the Spirit Hall identity token is that ordinary low-ranked Soul Masters hold it in high regard."
"The air in the mountains is so fresh."
Before you continue