As Qi Dao released a wave of Soul Power, the Yellow Soul Ring above the Ironclad Turtle moved toward him and soon hovered over his head.
Buzz!
The Peerless Sword, lying across Qi Dao's lap, suddenly hummed. It flew out of its sheath on its own and hovered in midair, tip pointing down.
The Yellow Soul Ring Qi Dao had drawn over rapidly contracted and settled around the Peerless Sword's blade.
The next moment, a powerful energy surged into Qi Dao's body. It struck his meridians, bringing a faint, stinging pain.
Qi Dao understood at once.
Six hundred years was clearly not his body's current limit.
Meanwhile...
Qi Father and Qi Mother watched closely for any change in Qi Dao.
Only when they saw no trace of pain on his face did they breathe a sigh of relief.
The others in the Soul Hunting group were astonished too.
"That boy A Dao is something else!"
"When I absorbed my four-hundred-year Second Soul Ring, even I felt some pain. But A Dao's absorbing a six-hundred-year First Soul Ring like nothing's happening."
"The gap between people really is wider than the gap between a person and a dog!"
"Once A Dao gets past this, he'll have a clear road ahead!"
"Leader, vice leader, you raised a fine son. You'll be enjoying the good life from now on."
The group voiced their admiration while discreetly flattering Qi Father and Qi Mother.
They were companions who hunted souls together, but it never hurt to strengthen their ties.
They had not known Qi Dao long, yet both his knowledge and his talent gave them the feeling that this boy was destined for great things.
Naturally, they wanted to grow closer to his parents now. If Qi Dao went on to achieve something remarkable, a little of that glory might rub off on them.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Qi Father and Qi Mother felt proud too.
Several hours passed.
The Soul Ring's energy had posed no threat to Qi Dao, and the rest of the absorption went smoothly.
Within Qi Dao's consciousness, the Peerless Sword gave off a faint glow, its blade gleaming cold and bright.
Most strikingly, the cracks across its blade had turned into intricate patterns.
Qi Dao could feel the Peerless Sword rejoicing.
Its quality might not have been particularly high yet, but it was certainly no longer anything like a Trash Martial Soul born of a harmful mutation.
The Ironclad Turtle's Soul Ring had clearly mended the flaws in the Peerless Sword, allowing it to complete its first evolution.
Qi Dao slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile lifting his lips.
"A Dao!"
Qi Father called out in delight when he saw him wake.
Under everyone's gaze, Qi Dao stood and smiled. "Dad, sorry I worried you all!"
Qi Father broke into a broad grin. "Haha! All that matters is that you absorbed the Soul Ring successfully!"
"Now, let's see how your Martial Soul has changed!"
At that, everyone turned to Qi Dao with curiosity.
The Peerless Sword had returned to his body on its own once he finished absorbing the Soul Ring.
Qi Dao nodded with a smile and summoned it again.
Everyone studied the Peerless Sword. Someone cried out, "The cracks that used to cover the blade have all turned into patterns!"
"All the flaws in the blade are gone!"
Qi Mother's eyes reddened slightly.
"It's restored. Thank goodness it's restored!"
Who would dare call her son's Martial Soul trash now?
Qi Father smiled. "All right. A Dao has absorbed his First Soul Ring, so it's time we headed back."
Everyone nodded.
After leaving the Soul Hunting Forest, they shared a meal at a hotel outside the forest before going their separate ways.
On the way home, Qi Dao examined the changes in himself.
The most obvious change after absorbing his First Soul Ring was to his body.
He had grown a little taller, and the lines of his muscles were more pronounced.
If the body developed each time a Soul Ring was absorbed, it was no wonder Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent tended to mature early.
Then there was his Soul Power Level.
Qi Dao could tell that he had advanced straight to level thirteen.
(An explanation here: in the original work, Tang San reached level thirteen after absorbing a Soul Ring over four hundred years old, so the protagonist should theoretically have reached an even higher level. But later, Tang San absorbed his Third Soul Ring and a Soul Bone, then a ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring, without gaining several levels at once. This rule seems to come and go, so I haven't given the protagonist too many levels.)
Reaching level thirteen was an unexpected delight for Qi Dao.
At his usual cultivation speed, reaching level thirteen step by step would have taken him at least half a year.
Back home, Qi Father and Qi Mother asked about his First Soul Skill.
Qi Dao smiled. "My First Soul Skill is called Peerless Sword Body. For a short time, it gives me a small boost to Strength and Soul Power while increasing my defense by one hundred percent."
(The Soul Skill's strength here is based on Dai Mubai's Third Soul Skill from the original work, gained from a thousand-year Diamond Tiger. For half an hour, it doubles his attack, defense, and Strength.)
He was fairly pleased with his First Soul Skill, especially its defensive effect.
After all, a percentage-based increase was a precious thing!
Qi Father and Qi Mother sucked in a sharp breath.
"A Dao, you could tell people that was a Second or Third Soul Skill, and they'd believe you!"
Qi Dao smiled faintly. "No matter how big the boost is, building a solid foundation is what matters."
If his base defense was only one hundred, doubling it would bring it to just two hundred.
But if his base defense was one thousand, or even ten thousand, doubling it would yield far more.
When classes resumed, Qi Dao quietly returned to Notting Academy.
Two years earlier, he had applied for a private teachers' dorm room. He rarely attended classes, preferring to visit the library alone and read.
The books were not necessarily right about everything, but they still did a great deal to broaden Qi Dao's horizons.
That was one of the main reasons he remained at Notting Academy.
To give something back to the academy, he occasionally taught the students in his class or showed them a few practical combat techniques.
In the fourth-year dormitory, everyone crowded around Qi Dao excitedly when he appeared.
"Boss!"
Qi Dao recognized several faces before him.
Xiao Chenyu, Liu Long, and Ling Feng!
The three looked more mature than they had three years ago. With Qi Dao setting the example, they had also become much more diligent than in the original story.
Xiao Chenyu now had the highest Soul Power Level at level eight.
Liu Long and Ling Feng were next, both at level seven.
All three were expected to reach level ten before sixth year.
Qi Dao looked at each of them and offered a few words of encouragement.
After he left, Liu Long, Ling Feng, and the others watched his retreating back. One of them could not help saying, "It's only been one vacation. Why does the boss seem so different?"
Xiao Chenyu said quietly, "As far as I know, absorbing a Soul Ring makes a Soul Master's body develop. The same thing happened to Xiao Haijie."
The dormitory erupted.
"What?!"
"Y-you mean the boss has already absorbed his First Soul Ring?"
"H-how is that possible?"
"Wasn't the boss's Innate Soul Power only half a level?"
"How did he cultivate faster than us?"
Xiao Chenyu shook his head. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it. But the boss..."
"Somehow, it makes perfect sense!"
"Have you forgotten what the boss said?"
"A true genius will never be held back by his Martial Soul!"
"Without a doubt, the boss is a true genius!"
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