Searching for the First Soul Ring in the Soul Hunting Forest-He Could Only Try Throwing the Ultra Ball at a Soul Beast
But if his Ultra Ball really could capture Soul Beasts, how was he supposed to obtain Soul Rings?
Would he have to do as other Soul Masters did and deliver the final blow to a Soul Beast on the verge of death?
And what condition did a Soul Beast need to be in before his Ultra Ball could capture it? Surely he couldn't just toss out the ball and have the Soul Beast obey his every command from then on?
Lin Hui had another major concern. In the game, the Ultra Ball had only a 0.1 multiplier when used to capture ordinary pets. Could that end up hindering him when he tried to capture Soul Beasts that were hundreds of years old?
The limit for the first Soul Ring a regular Soul Master could withstand was only around four hundred years. Even those with special constitutions could raise that limit a little, but not by much.
But if the Ultra Ball's properties meant he couldn't even absorb a Soul Ring that was a few hundred years old, wouldn't his path as a Soul Master end at Level 10?
Would he have to risk absorbing a thousand-year, or even a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring as his first?
Wouldn't that make his body explode?
In the game, the Ultra Ball greatly increased the chance of capturing an Ultra Beast. In the world of Douluo Continent, that should correspond to high-year Soul Beasts: the thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider, the ten-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, or even the hundred-thousand-year Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape.
"For now, I should go to a Soul Beast forest and test what my Ultra Ball Martial Soul can do."
Just as Lin Hui was thinking this over, his homeroom teacher, Li Chun, arrived.
Li Chun was a middle-aged man, dressed in neat clothes and looking like an honest fellow. His Soul Power Level was currently 37.
"Lin Hui, how could you talk back to Grandmaster in class?" There was not a trace of reproach in Teacher Li Chun's voice; instead, it was gentle. "Grandmaster may be an eccentric, but he's always been on good terms with the dean of Notting Academy..."
Clearly, because of Yu Xiaogang's relationship with the dean of Notting Academy, many people at the academy, Li Chun included, had always indulged him.
"Teacher Li, I just think Grandmaster is wrong. Besides, I want to follow my own ideas when it comes to my future as a Soul Master," Lin Hui explained earnestly.
"But what if your thinking is wrong? Won't you regret it in the future?" Li Chun gazed into Lin Hui's eyes.
"I won't regret it," Lin Hui replied.
Li Chun took a deep breath.
"Fine. I know you're a child with a mind of your own. Since you've made up your mind, I'll support you."
"You've reached Level 10. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring. We'll do things your way, and I'll help as much as I can."
"Of course, if you can't make up your mind, I'll offer some advice."
Hearing Teacher Li Chun say this, Lin Hui was genuinely touched. After all, his words and actions had stood in sharp contrast to Yu Xiaogang's.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Lin Hui said with a smile.
The next day, Lin Hui entered the Soul Hunting Forest with Teacher Li Chun.
The Soul Hunting Forest was close to Notting Academy. Though it fell under Spirit Hall's jurisdiction, ordinary Soul Masters could enter to hunt for Soul Rings after completing the necessary paperwork.
The Soul Beasts inside were generally not very powerful, and their ages ranged from a few decades to a few thousand years. Still, that was enough for ordinary Soul Masters.
The forest was lush with green trees. Hundred-meter-tall giants stood upright, and beneath their shade, clumps of shrubs could often be seen.
"Third Soul Skill: Lion King Palm!"
Li Chun's arm thickened as he struck out with his right hand. A powerful gust blasted the fallen leaves from the ground and tore the roadside weeds out by their roots.
A phantom lion's paw struck a Rock-Iron Pangolin three meters long.
"This Rock-Iron Pangolin is around four hundred years old. It's a defensive type, and it's got one last breath left. The rest is up to you." Li Chun handed Lin Hui a dagger.
Lin Hui had chosen the Rock-Iron Pangolin to play it safe. Becoming a Summoning Type Soul Master was still just an idea in his mind. If his Ultra Ball Martial Soul couldn't capture Soul Beasts in this world, then choosing a defensive skill for his First Soul Ring would be the most sensible choice.
Still, since Lin Hui possessed Innate Full Soul Power, his Martial Soul's quality had to be top-notch. So he had plenty of confidence that he could continue down the path of a Summoning Type Soul Master.
Using the Rock-Iron Pangolin for a trial would give him an extra safeguard.
Lin Hui went to the fallen Rock-Iron Pangolin and aimed the dagger at its neck, stabbing down hard.
A spark flashed along the dagger's edge.
Even the scales on the Rock-Iron Pangolin's neck were incredibly hard.
Lin Hui's strike hadn't even pierced them.
Seeing this, Li Chun was about to step in and help, but Lin Hui quickly drove the dagger down a second time.
After more than a dozen strikes, the dagger in Lin Hui's hand finally pierced the flesh at the Rock-Iron Pangolin's neck.
At last, a Yellow Soul Ring rose from the Rock-Iron Pangolin's corpse and floated toward Lin Hui as if drawn to him.
But the instant the Yellow Soul Ring touched Lin Hui, it simply vanished on the breeze.
Li Chun's eyes widened in shock. He hurried over to Lin Hui's side.
"How are you feeling? Is anything wrong? Did you feel a surge of power enter your body?" Li Chun asked with concern.
Lin Hui shook his head.
"I don't feel anything unusual inside. There's no fluctuation at all."
Li Chun was baffled and scratched his head.
"That's strange. This is how ordinary Soul Masters absorb Soul Rings. Once they've delivered the final blow to a Soul Beast and reached the level to absorb a Soul Ring, one appears inside the Soul Beast's body, and the Soul Master absorbs it."
"That's how I absorbed all three of mine."
The absorption had failed.
But Lin Hui seemed calmer than Teacher Li Chun. After all, he had been prepared for this.
The failure might even be a good thing. It seemed that Lin Hui absorbed Soul Rings differently from ordinary Soul Masters.
Could he only absorb a Soul Ring by throwing the Ultra Ball to capture a Soul Beast?
Six hours later, they found another Soul Beast that was around four hundred years old. Li Chun defeated it and left it with one last breath, then Lin Hui killed it.
A Yellow Soul Ring appeared above the Soul Beast's corpse. The moment it touched Lin Hui, it vanished again.
"Another failure?" Li Chun was even more baffled. "What on earth is going on?"
"Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power are incredibly rare. Now that you've come to Notting Academy, it's my responsibility to raise you well. Don't worry. We'll find a few more Soul Beasts and try again." Li Chun ended up comforting Lin Hui instead.
Lin Hui was also thinking quickly.
Since killing a Soul Beast really couldn't get him a Soul Ring, he could only try throwing the Ultra Ball at one.
After all, that was how the Ultra Ball worked in the game in his previous life.