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Tie Li's Martial Soul was a Forging Hammer, and he possessed Rank 2 Innate Soul Power. Each time he advanced a level, his physical attributes increased by twenty.

But what if it were a White Tiger Martial Soul? Every increase in Soul Power Level would bring at least eighty points of additional attribute growth. That was the difference between the two.

In the early stages, the difference might not have been obvious, but as their Soul Power Levels rose, the attribute increases alone would create an enormous gap.

If he could cultivate an Advanced Meditation Method, prolonged cultivation would improve the quality of his Martial Soul. Perhaps the increase gained with every Soul Power Level would rise afterward.

Twenty at first, then twenty-two, then twenty-four.

Perhaps the only way to narrow the gap with geniuses was to obtain a Soul Bone.

A Soul Bone could cleanse one's aptitude, and its effects were exceptionally significant.

Even a Soul Bone produced by a Thousand-Year Soul Beast could raise the attribute increase gained per Soul Power Level from twenty to thirty.

The earlier one absorbed a Soul Bone, the more its attributes would increase alongside one's rising Soul Power Level.

Once fused, the Soul Bone became part of the body. As one's Soul Power Level rose, it would naturally bring the Soul Bone's growth along with it.

Then the attribute increase gained with each Soul Power Level would be thirty, plus the Soul Bone's twenty.

Compared with the massive gap from before, that would immediately close a great deal of distance.

Tie Li shook his head. He should give up on such an unrealistic fantasy for now. Soul Bones were far too distant from him.

Nor did he think he was some chosen one who could casually kill a Soul Beast and have it drop a Soul Bone.

The chosen ones nowadays...

Tie Li gazed into the distance for a long time without speaking.

They were all reborn with their memories, and they all started out as blacksmiths. Why was the difference so huge?

After returning home, Tie Li went to his room and carefully took the Mystic Spirit Dew from his clothes.

He swallowed it and immediately began refining it.

Compared with Mystic Spirit Grass, the spiritual energy released by Mystic Spirit Dew was far more abundant.

Tiny flecks of black impurities were expelled from his body. Sweat mixed with the black filth, and a powerful stench filled the room.

Tie Li felt as though he had become a piece of iron undergoing the tempering of a Forging Hammer.

Perhaps because the foul smell in the room refused to disperse, Tie Li ended his cultivation state early.

"Ugh."

After dry heaving, Tie Li immediately opened the windows to air out the room. He impatiently stripped off his clothes, tossed them into a bucket to soak, and only then went to wash himself.

There was no one home at the moment. Normally, his father and mother would be at the blacksmith shop. His father handled the forging while his mother took care of miscellaneous tasks nearby.

Now that Tie Wen and Tie Wu were old enough, they followed their father to learn. They might not awaken Innate Soul Power. If they could not become Soul Masters, they could learn the forging trade from their father or study another craft outside. Either way would do.

They would not return for lunch until noon, then rest for a while afterward.

His mother would come back earlier because she had to buy groceries and cook.

After washing up, Tie Li saw his mother returning with a basket of vegetables.

"Dali, where did you go last night?"

Seeing the faint dark circles beneath her eyes, he knew she had not rested well the night before.

"I went out with my classmates yesterday."

Tie Li briefly explained what had happened the previous night, though he altered the facts somewhat. The Hundred-Year Soul Beast became a Ten-Year Soul Beast, the Mystic Spirit Grass became ordinary medicinal herbs, and the hunted Soul Beast and herbs were sold. He said he had received forty Gold Soul Coins as his share.

"That much? You're not lying to me, are you?" His mother was first shocked, then doubtful.

To keep them from worrying, Tie Li stuck to his story.

When his father and younger brothers returned, they were also startled by the number of Gold Soul Coins.

Tie Li continued to insist on his explanation and asked his father to accept the coins.

But his father firmly refused, saying that the wolf hide and wolf teeth from before had already brought in quite a bit of money, enough for their upcoming expenses. He told Tie Li to spend the Gold Soul Coins on himself.

Unable to persuade his father, Tie Li could only put the Gold Soul Coins away for now.

For the following days, Tie Li cultivated at home, striving to refine the Mystic Spirit Dew.

Every day, black impurities were expelled from his body. In exchange, the quality of his Martial Soul improved.

The scale-like patterns on the hammer grew increasingly distinct. Most noticeably, its weight had nearly reached seventy pounds.

Correspondingly, his own strength was increasing as well.

One afternoon, Tie Li went to help at the blacksmith shop. With neither skill nor strength lacking, he forged quickly and produced items of excellent quality.

During the forging process, Tie Li discovered that his body would instinctively match the rhythm of the Forging Hammer. At such times, he refined the Mystic Spirit Dew three times faster than usual.

After making this discovery, Tie Li began visiting the blacksmith shop more often.

Tie Niu even raised the price of the items forged by Tie Li by ten percent. After all, they were made by a Soul Master, and that was the privilege granted by a Soul Master's status.

On the fourteenth day, Tie Li successfully broke through to level thirteen in Soul Power.

The Mystic Spirit Dew was completely refined, and his cultivation speed returned to its usual snail's pace.

During the time Tie Li had not gone to school, Li Li had been the most worried. He wondered whether Tie Li had met with an accident at the Snowwind Trading House, encountered some trouble, or exposed the fact that he had obtained Mystic Spirit Grass.

While eating in the cafeteria, Li Li saw Tie Li carrying two plates of meat dishes and six large steamed buns. Only then did he finally relax.

Tie Li's life afterward returned to its usual routine of two points and one line: attending classes and cultivating.

The only disturbance in his life came from his younger brothers' Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.

They awakened their father's Forging Hammer Martial Soul, but neither was born with Innate Soul Power. They were destined to be unable to become Soul Masters.

They had always regarded Tie Li as their role model, hoping they too would awaken Innate Soul Power and become Soul Masters. But reality gave them a slap in the face, and they threw themselves completely into the blacksmith shop.

"Dali, a lot of Intermediate Soul Master Academies came to Manno City to recruit students today." In the cafeteria, Jin Bao sat beside Tie Li and told him the news he had just learned.

"Oh? Do you know where they are?" Tie Li asked curiously.

He wanted to see the recruitment scene at the Intermediate Soul Master Academies and learn what requirements were needed to enter them.

"I heard it's at Guno Square. There must be a lot of people gathered there. If we go now, we definitely won't be able to squeeze in," Jin Bao said.

His Soul Power Level was only six. Whether he could break through to become a One-Ring Soul Master within the next two years was still uncertain.

One of the hard requirements for entering an Intermediate Soul Master Academy was becoming a One-Ring Soul Master.

"It won't hurt to go take a look."

Tie Li sped up his eating and stuffed the two large plates of meat dishes and steamed buns into his stomach.

"Wait, I haven't finished eating yet."

Seeing that Tie Li truly intended to go, Jin Bao grew anxious. Of course, he wanted to witness such a scene too.

The two soon arrived at Guno Square. Everywhere they looked, there were people.

Just to watch the excitement, many people had closed their shops and specifically come to Guno Square.

"That's Young Master Halman's family, isn't it? Amazing, he has a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

"Look at that student from Manno Junior Soul Master Academy. He has a Hundred-Year Soul Ring too."

"Wow, he has two Soul Rings. He's a Soul Grandmaster."