After Qian Daoliu finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of golden light and shot straight into the sky!
"First Soul Skill, Angel Assault!"
The Sharp-Clawed Hunting Falcon seemed to sense the danger too. Just as it tried to turn and fly back, it ran straight into Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu merely gave a light swing of his left fist. A streak of golden light punched a hole straight through the Sharp-Clawed Hunting Falcon's chest, and its iron-like feathers were no sturdier than paper.
With a shrill cry, the Sharp-Clawed Hunting Falcon plummeted through the air, then crashed heavily to the ground.
"Little one, the rest is up to you!" Qian Daoliu shouted.
"Damn, that took less than a minute! No wonder he's a Peerless Douluo!"
Li Jiutian marveled inwardly. Then he picked up a sharp stone and slit the Sharp-Clawed Hunting Falcon's throat.
Chapter 4: First Soul Skill: Vacuum Slash!
A moment later, a pale purple Soul Ring rose from the Sharp-Clawed Hunting Falcon's corpse, shimmering brightly.
"Xiao Tian, if you successfully absorb this Thousand-Year Soul Ring, you'll be a once-in-a-century genius, a rare prodigy the likes of whom the world has never seen!"
"If you can't hold on, don't force it. Tell me!"
Even Qian Daoliu wasn't sure what would happen. He trusted Li Jiutian's abilities, but this was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, after all!
"Master, don't worry. I'm determined to claim this Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"
Li Jiutian took a deep breath and sat down to absorb the Soul Ring.
About half an hour later, Li Jiutian's face began to pale, and beads of sweat as big as beans had already soaked through his clothes.
Qian Daoliu said nothing, merely watching the boy before him in silence.
Just then, Li Jiutian opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Soul Power surged from his entire body, and a golden barrier instantly blasted away all the sweat on him!
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you! Come on, tell me about your first Soul Skill!"
Qian Daoliu could no longer hide his delight. He spoke excitedly.
"My first Soul Skill is called Vacuum Slash. When I activate it, a golden blade of light five meters long forms in the air, imbued with holy energy, and shoots straight at my opponent! It suppresses and erodes the Soul Power of its target."
"This move is not only incredibly destructive, but also useful for both offense and defense. When I activate the Soul Skill, a golden shield forms around me as well."
"After absorbing this Thousand-Year Soul Ring, my Soul Power has also risen to level 22!"
Li Jiutian replied softly, then grew dazed and collapsed to the ground, unconscious...
Even someone as powerful as him, bolstered by a God-tier Spirit that far surpassed the Eight-Winged Angel, had exhausted all his Soul Power and passed out after absorbing his first Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
If anyone else dared to do the same, even Tang San, they would explode on the spot!
The next morning.
In a luxurious room somewhere in Spirit Hall.
Li Jiutian opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft bed.
"You're awake!"
Just then, a pretty maid walked in carrying tea.
Li Jiutian took a sip, then asked, "How long have I been asleep? Where's my master?"
"You slept through the night. The Great Enshrined had an urgent matter to attend to, so he returned to the Elder Hall first. He specifically told me to let you rest for a couple more days."
"He also said that once you've mostly recovered, he'll take you to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts and obtain your Second Soul Ring."
The maid answered respectfully.
"I see."
Li Jiutian got dressed and headed for the door, thinking:
While I have the chance, I'll head to Notting Academy first and hurry up and copy Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer!
Just as he was planning what to do next, a young man and woman walked toward him.
The woman had an otherworldly air, short yellow hair, and fox-like eyes. Paired with her devilish figure, she would surely make countless men fall for her.
Isn't that Xie Yue and Hu Liena? What a coincidence, running into them here, Li Jiutian thought.
Hu Liena was the first to greet him.
"Hello, Li Jiutian. I'm Hu Liena, and this is my older brother, Xie Yue."
"We were there on the day your Martial Soul Awakening took place. I had no idea your Martial Soul would be so powerful!"
"Right. Well, I'll be going."
Li Jiutian replied quietly, then walked briskly around the two of them. He had important business to take care of and no time to chat with them.
"Hey, kid! Nana's greeting you. What kind of attitude is that?"
"Do you even know who we are?"
Seeing Li Jiutian's indifferent attitude, Xie Yue placed his right hand firmly on Li Jiutian's shoulder and said angrily.
"Oh? Why don't you tell me who you are?"
Li Jiutian asked with interest, then grabbed Xie Yue's right hand and tossed it aside with ease.
He's only six. Where did he get that much strength? Hu Liena's brows furrowed slightly, and she was quite shocked.
"Listen up! We're the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall, and Nana is the current Pope's only disciple!"
Xie Yue replied confidently.
The so-called Golden Generation wouldn't even be qualified to fight Tang San years from now. Thinking of that, Li Jiutian suddenly burst out laughing.
"Kid, what are you laughing at? Are you looking down on us?"
After Xie Yue finished speaking, he released his Soul Rings and prepared to attack.
"Sorry, I'm not looking down on your Golden Generation. Among your peers, you're certainly exceptionally talented!"
"But compared to me, you're like stars beside the bright moon, like crows beside a phoenix. Get it?"
"How about this? In six years, I'll take on everyone in the Spirit Hall Academy Team by myself. If I lose, I'll kneel and apologize to you in front of everyone. How does that sound?"
Li Jiutian smiled faintly, not taking the matter to heart at all.
"Hmph! You're challenging the entire Spirit Hall Academy Team? I thought the Great Enshrined's disciple would be clever, but it turns out he's a fool too. We accept your bet!"
Xie Yue replied with great confidence.
Li Jiutian pursed his lips, doing his best to keep from laughing out loud, then strode away.
"D-Does he really only have six years?" Hu Liena swallowed as she watched him disappear into the distance.
The southern part of the Heaven Dou Empire.
This was a relatively remote and impoverished region of the Heaven Dou Empire. But near the academy, the streets were crowded, and noisy cries from vendors rang out without end. The place was still quite lively.
"Hey, kid, want a candied hawthorn skewer? Only five Copper Soul Coins, and it's super tasty!"
"Come take a look at our clothes! They're all made of fine silk. One outfit is only ten Silver Soul Coins, and nine are just one Gold Soul Coin. What a bargain!"
"Handsome young man, we've got top-quality roasted venison! If it's not tasty, you don't pay. Why not come in and try some?"
Li Jiutian helplessly shook his head and ignored the vendors. At last, he reached the gates of Notting Academy.
What could he do? He had a handsome, adorable face, and on top of that, he wore a valuable black silk robe. Anyone with eyes could tell he was rich.
So when the vendors saw him, their eyes lit up. They could hardly wait to fleece him.
"Big brother, could you open the gate for me?"
Li Jiutian looked calmly at the young man standing by the entrance.
"Little friend, you don't seem to be a student at our academy, do you?"
The gatekeeper glanced at Li Jiutian, not daring to let his guard down, and asked him.
"I'm here to see someone!"
Li Jiutian used his Shining Golden Eyes to peer inside the academy, but he couldn't see Tang San anywhere.
"I'm terribly sorry. Anyone who isn't from the academy is forbidden to enter."
The young man was probably afraid of being punished, so he stood in front of the gate and replied respectfully.
"I'll only be inside for half an hour, then I'll leave. Could you make an exception, big brother?"
Li Jiutian smiled faintly, then slipped one Gold Soul Coin into the young man's pocket.
"Half an hour? You could stay in the academy for half a month! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. Come on in, handsome!"
When the young man saw the Gold Soul Coin, he bent over with a fawning grin. His expression had changed a full 360 degrees as he opened the gate.
That one Gold Soul Coin was probably more than the young man earned in a year. How could he not be respectful? He felt the coin in his pocket, grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter 5: Kidnap Xiao Wu, Beat Up Little Tang San! (Part 1)
Li Jiutian knew that one truth never changed, whether on Blue Star or Douluo Continent: the rich were always treated like royalty. If money could solve a problem, it wasn't a problem.
One Gold Soul Coin was pocket change to him, but to that young man, it was a year's income!
Li Jiutian wasn't a fool. He wouldn't expose himself too soon over some small fry, so he settled things with money.
As soon as he stepped into the academy, the female students passing by couldn't help sneaking glances at him. He turned heads everywhere he went.
But Li Jiutian's brows were knitted together, because he had searched the entire academy and still hadn't seen Tang San or Xiao Wu.
Did they skip class today?
Li Jiutian suddenly understood and hurried toward the dormitory building.
"You don't look like you're from Notting Academy, do you?"
Just then, a low voice came from behind Li Jiutian.
"I'm here to see someone!"
Li Jiutian turned around, then cursed inwardly: Damn, my luck's rotten today. I can't believe I ran into him!
The man who had spoken had a scruffy beard and looked like a refined, cultured middle-aged man. He was none other than Yu Xiaogang!
"Who are you here to see?"
Yu Xiaogang asked, puzzled.
"I'm here to see... my younger brother. His name is Li... Li Qiye!"
A bead of sweat appeared on Li Jiutian's forehead. He then hurried out of the teaching building.
"Keep an eye on that child. If anything seems off, report it to me immediately!"
Watching Li Jiutian leave, Yu Xiaogang quietly spoke to a teacher beside him.
Inside the dormitory building at Notting Academy.
"I actually ran into that dog Grandmaster. Luckily, I was quick-witted and managed to escape!"
"If I'd said I was there to see Tang San, he would definitely have gotten suspicious!"
"His Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, would be completely useless without the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Golden Sacred Dragon. But Grandmaster's still pretty clever. I absolutely can't underestimate him. There aren't many people on the continent smarter than him!"
Li Jiutian breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then began looking for Tang San's dormitory.
Because it was class time, most of the dormitory doors were closed. Only one door had been left ajar, with a narrow crack.
Li Jiutian carefully walked up to that dormitory, then thought, "System, sense whether there are any powerful Martial Souls nearby."
[Soft Bone Charm Rabbit Martial Soul detected. Does the host wish to copy it?]