Winning Him Over

Martial Soul Laboratory.

Five black stones, each as large as a fist, were embedded in the surrounding walls. They emitted faint, barely perceptible fluctuations into the air—something ordinary people would find difficult to notice.

A massive symbol had been carved into the floor, shaped like a token, with a longsword pointing straight down at the entrance.

As Ma Xiunuo led Yang Ming inside, he explained:

"Spirit Hall is also divided into ranks. From highest to lowest, there are several levels: the Douluo Consecration Hall, the Papal Hall, the Martial Soul Saint Hall, the Spirit Hall Main Temple, the Martial Soul Sub-Hall, and the Martial Soul Branch Hall. Notting City is merely a remote little city, so ours is the lowest-ranking Martial Soul Branch Hall."

Ma Xiunuo raised a hand, signaling for Yang Ming to stand in the center of the pattern on the floor. Smiling, he said:

"All right, Yang Ming. Please summon your Martial Soul and release your Soul Ring."

Yang Ming silently nodded. Though he felt slightly uneasy, verifying the Soul Ring was an unavoidable process. Since he was already here, there was no need to worry so much.

Yang Ming raised his left arm, and the Green Lotus Earth-Core Flame Martial Soul appeared, transforming into an azure flame garment that covered his arm. The blue-green flames flickered, casting shifting light and shadow across the side of Yang Ming's face.

The temperature in the room surged, even more exaggerated than having the heat turned on. Waves of hot air struck Ma Xiunuo head-on, and sweat continuously poured down his face and body. Before long, his clothes were already soaked through.

Ma Xiunuo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he mused to himself:

So he obtained a Soul Ring for his flame-type Martial Soul first? That makes sense. That strange-looking weapon of Yang Ming's wouldn't be easy to find a suitable Soul Ring for. Fire-attribute Soul Beasts, on the other hand, are plentiful. With his talent, he probably killed a four-hundred-year Soul Beast and acquired a yellow Soul Ring, right?

However,

The instant a black Soul Ring appeared beneath Yang Ming's feet, Ma Xiunuo immediately realized how shallow his earlier thoughts had been!

A genius was a genius precisely because he could break through the limits of ordinary thought and accomplish things beyond ordinary imagination!

"Could my old eyes be seeing things?"

Ma Xiunuo rubbed his eyes in disbelief, nearly pressing his face against Yang Ming's Soul Ring. Only after inspecting it carefully did he finally confirm it.

"That's right. This really is a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"

"But how is that possible? Yang Ming, how did you do it?"

Yang Ming shrugged. He could offer no help with Ma Xiunuo's question and merely asked in return:

"Take a guess?"

Ma Xiunuo: "..."

After taking a deep breath and calming his rising blood pressure to avoid suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, Ma Xiunuo finally said in a deep voice:

"All right. Everyone has their own little secrets. Especially a genius like you, Yang Ming—you must have secrets you cannot reveal. I won't pry any further."

Seeing that Ma Xiunuo tactfully did not press the matter, Yang Ming also breathed a sigh of relief.

This was something that simply could not be explained!

Ma Xiunuo picked up a yellow crystal ball from a nearby table and handed it to Yang Ming.

"Relax. Pour your soul power into it and let me see what level you're at now. In theory, obtaining a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring should grant you a great deal of soul power, so your level ought to be quite high."

Yang Ming did as instructed, placing one hand on the crystal ball.

The moment the soul power within him flowed into it, the crystal ball lit up with a hazy yellow glow. Yet the light was not as dazzling as Ma Xiunuo had imagined; instead, it appeared somewhat dim.

"What's going on? Why do you only have level eleven soul power?"

Logically speaking, the stronger the Soul Ring itself, the greater the increase in soul power it brought. Yang Ming should have been at least level sixteen. There was no way he could be merely level eleven!

Naturally, Yang Ming could not tell Ma Xiunuo that his Soul Ring had not come from killing a Soul Beast, but was instead the product of fusing with Flame Demon King Ragnaros.

Moreover, because of that, every level Yang Ming gained now was equivalent to three levels for someone else, requiring him to absorb an enormous amount of soul power.

Seeing Yang Ming say nothing, Ma Xiunuo understood that even if he asked, he probably would not receive an answer.

Ma Xiunuo scratched his head so hard he nearly plucked out his white hair one strand at a time. No matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand why this situation had occurred.

Left with no alternative, Ma Xiunuo could only sigh and say gravely:

"Yang Ming, please rest in the reception room for now. Your case is very unusual, and I cannot make the decision myself. I need to report it to the bishop of the Soto City main temple, explain the situation in detail, and wait for his review before a decision can be made."

Seeing Yang Ming looking a little nervous, Ma Xiunuo reassured him:

"You don't need to worry either. You are a rare super genius. After the incident with Su Yuntao, I already reported the matter to the bishop. His Excellency thinks highly of you. He said you are courageous and kindhearted, a promising talent worth cultivating."

"Soto City is a major city relatively close to Notting City in our Fasno Province. With the bishop's abilities, he only needs half a day to get here. It won't delay you for too long."

Seeing this, Yang Ming could only suppress his impatience and wait patiently in the reception room.

The sun sank in the west, and streaks of colorful clouds spread across the horizon.

Just as Yang Ming was growing impatient from waiting, the doors of the reception room opened again. Ma Xiunuo stood to one side of the entrance, bowing and scraping before The Big Shot to show his respect. This person was evidently the bishop of the Soto City main temple.

The newcomer was an elderly man who appeared quite advanced in years. Deep wrinkles were carved into his forehead as if by knife and axe. He wore magnificent bishop's robes and leaned on a cane as tall as himself, yet he showed no trace of frailty as he walked. Instead, he seemed like an old tree springing back to life, his stride vigorous and forceful.

Standing to one side, Ma Xiunuo introduced him to Yang Ming:

"This is His Excellency the Bishop, Lord Beska."

Yang Ming nodded and politely said:

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

To Yang Ming's surprise, Bishop Beska was extremely warm. He clasped Yang Ming's hands with both of his own, wearing a perfectly measured smile that made others feel as though they were basking in a spring breeze.

"Since ancient times, heroes have emerged in their youth. Now that I have met you, I feel an immediate kinship with you, as though we had known each other in a past life."

Beska's unusual attitude, as eager as a fawning dog, made even Yang Ming feel a little embarrassed.

Beska could hardly be blamed. After all, a super genius who had awakened Dual Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power had appeared within his jurisdiction. Naturally, he had to do everything possible to win such a talent over to Spirit Hall. It would also be a tremendous achievement for him.

When Yang Ming remained silent, Beska's heart sank. He thought Yang Ming was still resentful toward Spirit Hall because of the incident with Su Yuntao, and he gritted his teeth even more fiercely at that useless bastard Su Yuntao.

Thus, in order to win Yang Ming over, Beska decided to offer a grand gift!

(Two chapters)