"Master was right."
"No matter what, something drawn like that is just a worthless sheet of paper."
"No matter how strong this little monster is, he's still just a child whose brain hasn't fully grown. He probably thinks our Soul Rings are street performers' hula hoops."
Hearing this, the students all nodded, feeling that Qin Mu's words were utterly absurd.
Even if he could pin a Titled Douluo to the ground and beat him up, there was no way he could defy common sense and draw Soul Rings out of thin air with a brush.
At the same time, the Sky Screen followed Qin Mu all the way to the back of Crippled Old Village.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the village's dirt roads, gilding the entire Crippled Old Village with a warm golden edge.
Several old hens pecked leisurely at bugs by the roadside, while the occasional barking of dogs drifted through the air. It was an utterly peaceful pastoral scene.
Following the dirt road, Qin Mu ran with practiced ease to the outside of a fenced courtyard.
A large willow tree grew in the yard.
Beneath the willow tree, an emaciated old man reclined halfway in a bamboo lounge chair.
The old man's hair was gray-white, and two clumps of ragged cotton were stuffed into his ears. He was clearly someone with an ear condition.
He held an ink-dipped brush in his hand and gestured at the empty air, seemingly concentrating on drawing something.
Qin Mu pushed open the fence gate and ran inside, hurrying over to the old man.
"Grandpa Deaf!"
Qin Mu's crisp voice rang through the little courtyard. He did not deliberately raise his voice and simply called out openly.
"A strange old man came to the village just now. There were several glowing rings around his feet."
As Qin Mu spoke, he stretched out both little hands and gestured around his feet.
"But those rings were ugly. Yellowish and purplish."
"I want you to draw me some pretty ones, the brightest colors!"
Seeing this, everyone outside the Sky Screen froze for a moment.
Then, a burst of uproarious laughter erupted across Shrek Academy's training grounds.
"Oh my, I'm dying of laughter!"
Oscar clutched his stomach, pointing at Qin Mu in the Sky Screen as he laughed uncontrollably.
"This little monster may be strong, but something seems wrong with his head."
"That old man has such huge clumps of cotton stuffed in his ears. He's obviously Deaf, yet Qin Mu seriously ran over to make requests of him?"
Ma Hongjun shook his head repeatedly from the side, his face full of mockery.
"Isn't that like playing music for a cow?"
"I think Crippled Old Village is just a shelter. There are people with broken legs, people without lower bodies, and now there's Deaf. He probably can't even hear people talking normally, yet they expect him to draw Soul Rings? What a fool's dream."
Dai Mubai crossed his arms, looking as though he were watching a good show.
"This little brat probably found Senior Dugu Bo's Soul Rings novel. His childish nature kicked in, so he ran home to act cute with a disabled elder."
Hearing the students' discussion, Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back and nodded slightly.
"The weak always use absurd fantasies to conceal their ignorance."
Yu Xiaogang sighed and spoke in a lofty tone.
"How sacred are Soul Rings? How could they possibly be drawn with a broken brush?"
"This child ran to ask Deaf for Soul Rings. Not only does that prove he knows nothing about cultivation, it also proves that everyone in that village is a group of ignorant fools who can only deceive themselves."
As soon as Yu Xiaogang finished speaking, many soul masters across Douluo Continent nodded in agreement.
In their eyes, the old man and child in the scene were merely playing house.
However, what happened next on the Sky Screen nearly made them unable to laugh ever again.
The emaciated old man reclining in the bamboo chair, with ragged cotton stuffed into his ears, did not even turn his head to look at Qin Mu's lips.
"Glowing rings?"
Deaf's hoarse voice rang out in the courtyard, carrying a distinct note of disdain.
"Pharmacist's old poisoner probably caught him. They're nothing more than low-class tricks."
The moment those words came out, everyone outside the Sky Screen was instantly dumbfounded.
"He... he heard him?!"
"Wasn't there cotton stuffed in his ears?"
"How did he know what the boy said without even turning around?"
Yu Xiaogang looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his body swaying violently.
He had just confidently declared the man a crippled good-for-nothing, yet this "Deaf" not only heard Qin Mu, his hearing was even sharper than that of ordinary people!
In the Sky Screen, seeing that Deaf had responded, Qin Mu hurriedly moved closer and grabbed Deaf's arm, shaking it.
"Grandpa Deaf, draw some for me! That old man has nine of them, and I want them too!"
Pestered by Qin Mu, Deaf helplessly put down the brush in his hand.
He reached up, pulled the two clumps of ragged cotton from his ears, and casually tossed them onto the ground.
"Enough, enough. Stop shaking me. These old bones of mine are about to fall apart."
After saying that, Deaf sat up from the bamboo chair and turned to walk into the inner room.
Not long after, he carried out a rather old Sandalwood Box and set it firmly on the stone table in the courtyard.
When he opened the wooden box, several small bowls carved from white jade were arranged neatly inside.
Each bowl contained paint of a different color.
The moment these paints were exposed to the air, they emitted an invigorating, strange ripple, as though even the surrounding air had grown much thicker.
"What color do you want?"
Deaf switched to a soft, fine Wolf Hair Brush, weighed it in his hand, and asked casually.
"The reddest kind! Red like fire! And the glittering gold kind too!"
Qin Mu shouted excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Red? Gold? Tacky."
Deaf curled his lips, but his hands did not stop moving.
He dipped the Wolf Hair Brush in his hand into the jade bowl filled with bright red paint.
"Stand still. Lift your foot."
Qin Mu obediently raised his right foot.
Deaf flicked his wrist.
The paintbrush soaked in red did not fall onto any paper. Instead, it began to dance through the air directly beneath Qin Mu's foot.
The brush tip moved through the air, leaving behind bright red lines that condensed without dispersing.
The moment the beginning and end connected, a crisp hum echoed through the small courtyard.
Immediately afterward, a crystal-clear ring radiating dazzling red light appeared from thin air beneath Qin Mu's foot. It hovered steadily there and began to slowly rotate and pulse.
Seeing this horrifying scene, all of Douluo Continent was completely stunned.
Inside Spirit City.
Pope Bibi Dong suddenly rose from her throne. Her ample chest heaved violently as her beautiful eyes fixed on the Sky Screen, and for a moment, she even forgot to breathe.
"Red... a red Soul Ring..."
Bibi Dong's voice was dry and strained.
Hundred thousand years!
On Douluo Continent, red represented the supreme Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring of the soul master world!
It was a peerless treasure that could only be obtained by slaying a tyrannical Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and surviving a near-death ordeal.
And now, some old man had casually dipped a brush in paint and drawn one out???
How was that possible?!
However, the shock had only just begun.
After drawing one, Deaf seemed to feel that it was not symmetrical enough.
His brush tip tapped repeatedly, and with several swift strokes, he drew more.
Three blood-red rings took shape one after another, settling around Qin Mu.
Four red Soul Rings!
Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings!
"Hiss!"
Inside the grand hall of Heaven Dou Imperial City, Sword Douluo Chen Xin sucked in a breath of cold air. Even the hand gripping his sword trembled uncontrollably.
As a level ninety-six Peak Douluo, he had struggled his entire life without even glimpsing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Yet four of them hung beneath the feet of a cowherd boy from some village!
Just when everyone thought this was already the limit.
Deaf rinsed the brush in a basin of clear water beside him, then dipped it into the jade bowl filled with pale golden paint.
"Think red is too plain? I'll add some gold ones for you. They'll be a hundred times more imposing than that old poisoner's rings."
The brush moved like a dragon and snake, and golden light burst forth.
Five pure golden rings, radiating an aura of sacred majesty, condensed one after another beneath Qin Mu's feet.
Golden and red light intertwined, illuminating the entire humble farmhouse courtyard like an immortal's abode.
Thud.
On Shrek Academy's training grounds, Yu Xiaogang's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.
His mouth hung open, his eyes unfocused, as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.
"Golden... Divine Soul Rings beyond the hundred-thousand-year level..."
Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, his mind having completely shut down.
Four hundred-thousand-year rings and five divine-level rings!
A full nine world-destroying Soul Rings!
Even if a legendary god descended to the mortal realm, they would probably turn and flee in terror upon seeing such a Soul Ring configuration.
In the Sky Screen, Qin Mu clapped excitedly as he stared at the nine incredibly stylish rings beneath his feet.
He tried moving them with a thought.
With a whoosh, the nine rings instantly withdrew into his body and vanished without a trace.
Qin Mu stomped his foot again.
Buzz!
The nine alternating red and gold Soul Rings sprang out once more, pulsing around him in unison.
In particular, the invisible aura of majesty they emitted was even more intimidating than real Soul Rings.
"Wow! They can be summoned and put away freely too! Grandpa Deaf, you're amazing!"
Qin Mu excitedly ran two laps around the courtyard.
Then he stopped, turned to look at Deaf, and made another request.
"Oh, right, Grandpa Deaf."
"When that strange old man who got taken away by the big centipede released those rings, a huge green snake appeared behind him."
"I want an animal behind me too, the most majestic kind!"
"One isn't enough. I want four!"
Hearing Qin Mu's request, Tang San outside the Sky Screen was consumed by jealousy.
What was this kid trying to do???
Drawing Soul Rings was one thing, but now he wanted that old man to draw Martial Souls for him too?
Throughout the ten-thousand-year history of Douluo Continent, even Twin Martial Souls were prodigies seen only once in a century.
Yet he wanted four?
Fourfold Martial Souls? That was simply a fantasy!
However, after hearing Qin Mu's request, Deaf did not get angry. Instead, he laughed.
He casually tossed the soft Wolf Hair Brush into the water basin, then turned and took down a specially made, broom-thick brush from beneath the eaves.
"You want four animals? And you want them majestic?"
After saying that, Deaf threw his head back and laughed. The aura of an emaciated old man vanished from him in an instant.
In its place was the bearing of a grand master of painting who looked down upon the world and all creation!
"Fine! Today, I'll draw you a gathering of the Four Symbols!"
With that, Deaf lifted the enormous brush in one hand and soaked it thoroughly in special ink.
Then his eyes widened, brilliant light flashing within them as he fiercely swung the brush toward the empty air behind Qin Mu!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Ink flew and splashed through the air, yet not a single drop fell to the ground.
In an instant, a vast phantom of a winding, coiling creature with deer antlers and a serpent's body began to take shape on the left. It was the eastern Azure Dragon!
Immediately afterward, an earthshaking tiger roar faintly rang out.
A phantom White Tiger wrapped in the murderous aura of Geng Metal condensed on the right!
Then, the southern Vermilion Bird was reborn in flames, its blazing fire soaring to the heavens.
To the north, the Black Tortoise appeared with turtle and serpent intertwined, as heavy and imposing as a mountain!
Deaf's brush moved like a violent storm. Every stroke carried terrifying laws capable of communicating with heaven and earth.
When the final stroke touched the eastern Azure Dragon's eye.
Roar!!!
Four terrifying roars erupted at the same time!
Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise!
The phantoms of the four Primordial Divine Beasts completely solidified behind Qin Mu.
Their massive bodies intertwined and coiled through the air, radiating a terrifying pressure capable of destroying heaven and earth.
At that moment, countless low-level soul masters were so frightened that their legs went weak, and they dropped to their knees.
Even those Titled Douluo felt a tremor rising from the depths of their souls.
Martial souls?
Was this fucking Fourfold Martial Souls?
And every single one was a top-tier martial soul on the level of divine beasts!
However, at that moment, on Shrek Academy's training grounds.
Yu Xiaogang suddenly burst into loud laughter.
His laughter sounded especially abrupt in the silent surroundings.
He forced himself to remain calm, dusted himself off, and rose from the ground.
"Little San, Mubai, look carefully."
With his hands behind his back, Yu Xiaogang spoke loudly in a tone as if he had seen through everything.
"Don't let this sleight of hand fool you."
"Martial souls are innate, and Soul Rings are condensed from the energy left behind after soul beasts die. This is an eternal truth of Douluo Continent."
"That old man may be an exceptional painter, capable of making his paintings look alive and even radiate frightening pressure."
"But things drawn on paper are ultimately lifeless objects without souls."
At this point, that lofty confidence appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face once more.
"It's like a sword molded from mud."
"No matter how sharp it looks, it can't kill anyone. At most, it can scare ordinary people."
Hearing the master's words, Tang San immediately activated his Purple Demon Eye and stared intently at the Sky Screen for a while.
Then he took a deep breath and nodded in firm agreement.
"Teacher is right."
"I just examined it with my eye technique. Although those four divine beasts look realistic, they are still fundamentally made of ink and paint."
"They don't possess the genuine sense of power, connected by bloodline, that we soul masters of Douluo Continent have."
Tang San crossed his arms, a trace of disdain flashing through his eyes.
"In my opinion, these Fourfold Martial Souls and those nine hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings are nothing but flashy empty shells."
"Other than serving as decorations to put on a show, they can't display even the slightest real combat ability."
With Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's analysis, everyone at Shrek Academy finally let out sighs of relief.
"Ha, that scared me."
Ma Hongjun patted his chest and curled his lip.
"I thought that brat had really produced four Divine-Level Martial Souls. Turns out it's just a glowing poster."
Dai Mubai sneered as well.
"A paper tiger is still a paper tiger. One poke and it falls apart. The people of Crippled Old Village really love deceiving themselves."
It was not just Shrek Academy.
Soon, many experts from Heaven Dou Imperial City and Spirit Hall came to the same conclusion.
After all, no one wanted to believe that something they had painstakingly cultivated for their entire lives was inferior to a few casual strokes of ink from someone else's brush.
Meanwhile, within the Sky Screen.
Qin Mu looked at the four majestic Primordial Divine Beasts behind him and excitedly rubbed his little hands together.
He turned to Deaf and asked.
"Grandpa Deaf, these four big guys you painted look pretty fierce, but can they help me fight?"
Before you continue