"Big brother, I think I know what my Martial Soul can do?"
Qin Qi looked up at Qin Ming. After some thought, he decided to tell him about his Martial Soul's ability.
He trusted his brother, and he trusted Qin Ming's character as well.
"That's a good thing. Knowing your Martial Soul's traits now will help you choose more suitable Soul Rings in the future."
Qin Ming looked at the Little Bug on Qin Qi's shoulder and spoke.
Having been a teacher for so long, he had unconsciously slipped into teaching mode.
"What ability does your Martial Soul have?"
Qin Ming asked.
"It seems like I get stronger by eating."
Qin Qi was not entirely sure either. He tentatively took some food and offered it to the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu.
But the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu seemed to have entered a dormant state and had no intention of eating anything else.
"But I'm not sure. It might just be my imagination."
Qin Qi said.
"Hmm. If that's true, then your Martial Soul is an extremely powerful one."
"How about this? I'll test your Soul Power and physical condition first, then we'll see what's going on."
Qin Ming fell silent for a moment, then pushed up his glasses and spoke.
"That's all we can do."
Qin Qi said.
Over the following days, Qin Ming temporarily postponed his plan to obtain a Soul Ring and took Qin Qi through a series of physical tests.
Then, over the next few days, the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu ate one meal every day. After it finished eating, Qin Qi would feel a warm current well up within his body.
"Based on the test data, your physical condition has indeed been improving continuously."
"This is the morning data, and this is the evening data. Judging from these results—"
"After your Martial Soul consumes food, it continuously converts the energy directly into improving your physical condition."
"It can only eat once a day. That is probably related to your Martial Soul's current efficiency in converting food."
After conducting rigorous tests, Qin Ming reached a conclusion. Qin Qi's Martial Soul truly did make him stronger by eating.
"Big brother, does that mean I'll be able to take it easy in the future?"
Qin Qi looked at the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu on his shoulder and joked.
Thump.
"You brat, you sure know how to dream. Your physical condition may have improved, but if you want to make use of those advantages—"
"Then you need to train in close-quarters combat. If you don't know how, no matter how strong your body is, you won't be able to use that strength."
Qin Ming knocked Qin Qi on the head as he spoke.
"Ah, the Strength Path is too weak. If it had been some other Gu insect, wouldn't I have taken off already?"
Qin Qi sighed helplessly. The Strength Path was still too restrictive. Its mechanics were built for one-on-one combat, it had no ranged options, and close combat required training.
"Big brother, can I obtain my first Soul Ring now?"
Qin Qi asked.
"Yes. I more or less understand your Martial Soul's traits now, and I've found several Soul Beasts suitable for it."
"But based on your Martial Soul's traits, I currently have two plans."
"The first plan is to absorb a Soul Ring normally. It will most likely be a yellow Soul Ring of a hundred years."
"The age limit should be safely maintained between three hundred and four hundred years."
Qin Ming pushed up his glasses. This was not a random guess; he had calculated it from Qin Qi's physical condition over the past few days.
Three hundred to four hundred years was the limit Qin Qi's current body could safely endure.
"Big brother, the second plan wouldn't be to postpone getting a Soul Ring and make use of my Martial Soul's traits—"
"To continuously improve my physical condition, then obtain a Soul Ring with a higher age limit later, right?"
Qin Qi looked at Qin Ming. He knew how important the first Soul Ring was. In most cases, it determined just how far a Soul Master could go in the future.
"Yes, that is what I had in mind."
"You're still young. Your Innate Full Soul Power already puts you ahead of many people from birth."
"You have enough time to build yourself up and lay a solid foundation for your future."
Qin Ming had graduated from Shrek Academy, and one of the teachers there had possessed a white first Soul Ring.
He had learned about that teacher's past experiences from the teacher himself, so he knew how important the first Soul Ring was to a Soul Master's future.
"Of course, this will definitely leave you with less cultivation time than others. Overall, both plans have their advantages and disadvantages."
"You can choose freely."
Qin Ming did not force his own thoughts onto Qin Qi. He handed the final decision to him.
"Then I choose... the second plan."
"You only live once. You have to take a gamble, and just like you said, big brother, I'm still young."
"My Innate Full Soul Power gives me plenty of room to make mistakes."
Qin Qi thought for a long time before finally making his decision. He would choose the second plan and gamble on his future.
"Good. From now on, I'll create a training plan tailored specifically to you and help you improve your physical condition as quickly as possible."
Qin Ming nodded, then tossed Qin Qi a notebook filled to the brim with training plans.
"Wait, we're starting right now?"
Qin Qi looked at the packed training schedule and felt slightly dizzy.
"That's right. The time of youth must not be taken lightly. Wasting one second means wasting one second of your life!"
"Start running now! Run a few laps around the academy!"
Qin Ming immediately became serious and shouted.
"Yes."
Qin Qi replied helplessly.
From then on, Qin Qi trained every day, and his meals were all high-energy foods.
Every morning, noon, and evening, he also had to soak in medicinal baths, costing a great deal of money every day.
But Qin Ming had never been stingy. For his younger brother's future, he would not hesitate even if it meant emptying his entire savings!
During this time, Qin Qi thought of Whale Rubber. This thing could improve physical condition, and after hesitating for a while, he told Qin Ming about it.
"Whale Rubber? Isn't that something nobles use as an aphrodisiac? It can improve physical condition?"
Qin Ming was somewhat puzzled. He did not doubt Qin Qi; he merely wondered why such a thing could improve physical condition.
"You know me, big brother. I know a few friends too, and they recommended that I try it."
"Then the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu got greedy and took a bite. That one bite made me realize its body-strengthening effects were far better than meat."
Qin Qi really had let the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu try it, but it had spat it out. He had been puzzled at the time as well.
But after some research, he understood. It was not that the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu could not eat it.
Its appetite simply was not large enough yet. Whale Rubber contained too much energy, and the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu could not process it.
"That does not prove it has body-strengthening effects. It may only work for you."
"Mm, let's test it."
Over the following days, Qin Ming conducted rigorous tests and concluded that Whale Rubber could indeed improve physical condition.
"Big brother, are you going to tell the three instructors about this?"
Qin Qi looked at Qin Ming and asked.
"If I had discovered it, then I definitely would have told the three instructors."
"But you discovered it. You decide what to do."
Qin Ming was a man who valued loyalty and affection. The three instructors had treated him very well, so if he had discovered the benefits of Whale Rubber—
He definitely would have told the three instructors and contributed to Heaven Dou Royal Academy's efforts to train students.
But unfortunately, Qin Qi had discovered this matter. Qin Ming chose to respect Qin Qi's opinion.
"Let's wait a little longer. We'll tell them later."
Qin Qi thought for a moment before speaking.
"Mm."
Qin Ming nodded and agreed. From then on, he kept this matter strictly confidential.
In the blink of an eye, a year passed. Qin Qi was seven years old now, and his physical condition was no weaker than that of a level-twenty Soul Master.
Qin Ming was also preparing to let Qin Qi obtain a Soul Ring. He recommended one between seven hundred and eight hundred years old.
That was the safest range Qin Qi's current physical condition could absorb.
"Big brother, I spent a year and endured all this hardship for something more than a hundred-year Soul Ring."
Qin Qi smiled after hearing Qin Ming's words.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Qin Ming frowned and asked.
"My goal is a thousand-year first ring!"
Qin Qi declared. He had spent a year stuck at level ten, not just to go from four hundred years to eight hundred years.
What he wanted was a thousand-year Soul Ring!
Before you continue