Winning Him Over

Martial Soul Laboratory.

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

A massive symbol was inscribed on 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, Papal Hall, Martial Soul Saint Hall, Spirit Hall Main Temple, Martial Soul Sub-Hall, and Martial Soul Branch Hall. Notting City is merely a remote little town, so ours is the lowest-ranking Martial Soul Branch Hall."

Ma Xiunuo raised a hand, signaling Yang Ming to stand in the center of the floor's markings, then smiled.

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

Yang Ming nodded silently. Though he felt somewhat uneasy, having his Soul Ring assessed 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 Core Flame Martial Soul appeared, transforming into a cloak of azure flames that covered his arm. The blue 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 heating on. Ma Xiunuo immediately felt waves of hot air wash over him. Sweat poured from his face and body, and before long, his clothes were drenched.

Ma Xiunuo looked thoughtful as he mused inwardly:

So he obtained a Soul Ring for his flame-type Martial Soul first? That makes sense. That strange-looking weapon of Yang Ming's probably wouldn't be easy to find a suitable Soul Ring for. On the other hand, there are plenty of fire-element Soul Beasts. With his talent, he must have killed a four-hundred-year-old Soul Beast and obtained a yellow Soul Ring, right?

However,

The instant a black Soul Ring appeared beneath Yang Ming's feet, Ma Xiunuo felt that all his previous thoughts had been far too shallow!

The reason geniuses were geniuses was because they could break through the limits of ordinary people's thinking and accomplish things others could never imagine!

"Could my presbyopia be making me see things?"

Ma Xiunuo rubbed his eyes in disbelief, nearly pressing his face against Yang Ming's Soul Ring. Only after examining it with the utmost care 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, unable to help with Ma Xiunuo's question. He merely asked in return:

"Take a guess?"

Ma Xiunuo: "..."

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

"Fine. Everyone has their own little secrets. Especially a genius like you, Yang Ming—you must have secrets that cannot be revealed. I won't continue probing."

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

There was simply no way to explain something like this!

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've reached now. Theoretically, if you obtained a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, you should have gained a tremendous amount of Soul Power. Your level shouldn't be low."

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

The instant the Soul Power within his body flowed into it, the crystal ball lit up with a hazy yellow glow. Yet the light was not as brilliant as Ma Xiunuo had expected; 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 was, the more Soul Power it provided. Yang Ming should have been at least level sixteen. There was no way he could be merely level eleven!

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

Moreover, because of this, every level Yang Ming gained now was equivalent to someone else gaining three levels, requiring him to absorb a massive amount of Soul Power.

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

Ma Xiunuo scratched his head, nearly pulling out his white hair strand by strand. No matter how hard he thought, he could not understand why such a situation had occurred.

Left with no other choice, Ma Xiunuo sighed and said in a deep voice:

"Yang Ming, please rest in the reception room for now. Your situation is highly unusual, and I cannot make the decision myself. I need to report it to the bishop of the Suotuo City main temple and explain the details. Only after the bishop reviews it can a decision be made."

Seeing Yang Ming looking somewhat nervous, Ma Xiunuo offered reassurance:

"You don't need to worry either. You are a rare super genius. After the Su Yuntao incident, I already reported your situation to the bishop. He thinks highly of you, saying that you are courageous and compassionate, a promising talent worth nurturing."

"Suotuo 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 the horizon was stained with streaks of colorful clouds.

Just as Yang Ming was about to lose his patience from waiting, the reception room doors opened again. Ma Xiunuo stood to one side of the doorway, bowing and scraping before The Big Shot to show his respect. This person was surely the bishop of the Suotuo City main temple.

The newcomer was an elderly man who looked quite advanced in years. The wrinkles on his forehead were carved as deeply as if by blades and axes. He wore magnificent bishop's robes and leaned on a cane as tall as himself, yet he showed none of an old man's frailty as he walked. Instead, he seemed like an ancient tree rejuvenated in spring, vigorous in stride and swift as the wind.

Standing to the side, Ma Xiunuo introduced him to Yang Ming.

"This is Lord Bishop, Lord Beska."

Yang Ming nodded and politely said:

"Greetings, Lord Bishop."

To Yang Ming's surprise, Bishop Beska's attitude was exceedingly warm. He clasped Yang Ming's hands with both of his own, and the perfectly measured smile on his face gave one the feeling of a spring breeze.

"Since ancient times, heroes have emerged in their youth. Upon seeing you today, I immediately felt an affinity with you, as though we had known each other in a previous life."

Beska's unusual attitude was so enthusiastic, like that of an eager sycophant, that Yang Ming felt a little embarrassed.

This was not Beska's fault. After all, a super genius with Dual Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power had appeared in his jurisdiction. Naturally, he had to do everything possible to win such talent over to Spirit Hall. This would also be a tremendous achievement for him.

When Yang Ming remained silent, Beska's heart sank. He thought Yang Ming still harbored resentment toward Spirit Hall over the Su Yuntao incident, and inwardly gritted his teeth even harder at that useless bastard Su Yuntao, who could neither accomplish anything nor avoid causing trouble.

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

(Two chapters today)