Lin Yao could only smile bitterly at his father's words. His old man had clearly given up because there was no way to fight back, and was comforting himself so Lin Yao wouldn't feel like resisting.
An ordinary six-year-old child certainly wouldn't have understood what Lin Xueli meant, but Lin Yao understood perfectly.
Even so, he truly had no good solution right now. He could only nod, then recalled the strange voice's earlier demand.
He would begin the divine trial after becoming a Soul Elder. If he wanted to oppose Shrek Academy through his own strength, the divine trial was his only hope.
At that thought, Lin Yao asked, "Father, do you have any meditation methods or anything else suitable for me to practice?"
Lin Xueli nodded at Lin Yao's question, then said, "Of course we have meditation methods. I'm just still considering which cultivation method would suit you best. By rights, since you have a dragon-type Martial Soul, the Dragon Transformation method held by the Blue Lightning Family of the Heaven Dragon Sect would suit you best."
Lin Yao immediately knew what Lin Xueli was about to say, and added, "But the Heaven Dragon Sect's price would definitely be very high, right?"
Lin Xueli nodded, then shook his head, looking rather frustrated. "It's not that the price would be very high. It's that we couldn't afford it at all."
Lin Yao picked up the recommendation letter from Shrek Academy and flicked its edge. "Could we throw our weight around by invoking their name?"
Lin Xueli's eyes lit up. He reached out and took the Shrek Academy recommendation letter from Lin Yao. "I'd forgotten about that! It was written by someone from Shrek Academy, after all. That means the price they ask will be something we can afford."
Leaning against a chair nearby, Lin Yao asked curiously, "So, Father, what exactly do they want?"
Lin Xueli shrugged and said, "The spectacle of your Martial Soul Awakening has already spread. They want you to marry into the Heaven Dragon Sect, take the Yu surname, and become their live-in son-in-law."
Lin Yao furrowed his brows. "Am I remembering wrong, or does the current head of the Heaven Dragon Sect have a son?"
Lin Xueli smiled. "Why would you think they'd use someone from the main branch for a marriage alliance?"
Lin Yao: "..."
He turned and went into his room to cultivate. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Lin Yao closed his eyes and felt the Soul Power flowing through his body.
After he absorbed his First Soul Ring, Lin Xueli had tested him. Lin Yao's Soul Power had now reached level fourteen.
However, Lin Xueli had recommended that the most important thing for Lin Yao now was to stabilize his cultivation and prevent his foundation from being too shaky and leaving hidden problems in the future.
Lin Yao accepted his father's advice. In his previous life, he'd been able to spout all kinds of opinions about Douluo's cultivation system on websites and swagger around like an expert. But now that it involved his own life, it was safer to heed the advice of someone with experience.
After cultivating all night, Lin Yao opened his eyes. His Soul Power had become a little more consolidated than it had been the night before, but that was all. He stood up and stretched his stiff limbs.
"Maybe I can practice releasing my Soul Skill." Lin Yao spoke to himself. In truth, it was less about practice and more about the irrepressible excitement he felt after suddenly gaining supernatural powers.
The back garden of the Lin Mansion opened onto a stretch of mountainous terrain. There, Lin Shouli had carved out a training ground specifically for Soul Masters.
The training ground held three kinds of targets made from special rare metals: moving targets, attack targets, and fixed targets.
The moving and fixed targets were easy enough to understand. Attack targets were special training devices that incorporated Soul Guidance Technology.
They could imitate an ordinary Soul Engineer's basic slashing motions and fire a Soul Cannon. They were designed specifically to test defensive or strength-based Soul Skills after enhancement.
After entering the training ground, Lin Yao walked straight toward an attack target.
With a single step, the phantom image of an Ender Dragon appeared behind Lin Yao, and a yellow Soul Ring floated beneath his feet.
"First Soul Skill, Ender Possession!" Lin Yao shouted. Layer upon layer of Soul Power as black as the Ender Dragon covered his body, stacking over him. As the Soul Skill took effect, Lin Yao's aura changed completely.
While Ender Possession was active, Lin Yao's attack power, speed, and defense all increased by 150 percent. He could also sense that the Soul Skill had room to grow; every ten levels would raise the enhancement by roughly another ten percent.
By the time he reached the ninth-ring level, this Soul Skill would give Lin Yao a 240 percent boost.
An enhancement-type Soul Skill was almost all he needed on its own. Lin Yao looked at the attack target, then sent a trace of Soul Power from his fingertip to press its activation button.
The humanoid attack target immediately raised the Soul-Guided longsword in its hand and slashed straight at Lin Yao's waist.
Lin Yao raised the arm protected by Ender Possession to block. With a clang, the blade struck the protection around him and a crack appeared in the sword.
Lin Yao felt a faint sting. He raised his hand and blocked the attack target's second Soul Cannon blast.
Then he stepped in close and punched the center of the attack target with all his might.
Only after Lin Yao had tired himself out did he shut down the attack target and put away his Martial Soul. Looking at his hands, he thought that although the exchange had been a long way from real combat, he had at least traded blows with the attack target. It had given him a little understanding of his Martial Soul.
He casually summoned his Enchanted Golden Apple Martial Soul. Though its abilities were absurdly powerful, it was still a Food-type Martial Soul, so he could summon an apple to eat at any time, even without an attached Soul Ring.
Without a Soul Ring, however, it could only quickly replenish Lin Yao's stamina and heal obvious external injuries. It was nowhere near the Enchanted Golden Apple's world-shaking power.
But for Lin Yao, who had only practiced until he was thirsty and wanted to replenish some fluids, its current effect was enough.
Lin Yao was also considering whether he should attach a First Soul Ring to the Enchanted Golden Apple now.
In theory, the greatest advantage of Twin Martial Souls was that the second Martial Soul could be given Soul Rings with higher age limits.
But that only applied to ordinary people. Lin Yao had already confirmed that a god was going to bring him a divine trial. Judging by the situation in Douluo I, if he attached a Soul Ring now, he could raise its age limit later during the divine trial...
Before you continue