First Soul Skill, Foundation-Building Pill

"Heaven and Earth, Mystic and Yellow."

Jiede softly recited the incantation unique to food-type Soul Masters and released his soul skill.

"First Soul Skill, Foundation-Building Pill!"

A pitch-black pill condensed in Jiede's palm, giving off waves of stench.

Jie Yuan wrinkled his nose, his face turning even paler. "It still smells this awful."

Jiede smiled calmly and scraped the black pill with his fingertip.

The black outer shell cracked open, revealing a golden pill that emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

"Dad, the effect of my first soul skill is that whoever takes it can adjust their physical strength to its peak state for one minute.

"Most importantly, taking it over a long period can provide Root Consolidation, Origin Nourishment, tempering the body. Not only can I take it myself, but others can eat it too, with the same effect."

"What?"

Jie Yuan's eyes widened. "Didn't the Soul Sage's notes say that after food-type Soul Masters absorb a Pale Blue Jellyfish as a Soul Ring, the food can only work when they eat it themselves?"

"Maybe my Mystic Core Martial Soul is rather special."

Upon hearing his son's words, Jie Yuan's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed completely.

Suddenly, he felt his throat clog up. He dropped to his knees by the side of the boat and vomited endlessly.

Jiede was startled and hurried over, gently patting his father's back. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I feel uncomfortable, dizzy, and nauseous," Jie Yuan said weakly.

Jiede glanced up at the blazing sun. "You probably got heatstroke."

"That's possible."

"Dad, eat the Foundation-Building Pill. It can improve your physical condition, so it should help ease it."

Jiede brought the Foundation-Building Pill he had just condensed to his father's mouth.

Jie Yuan did not hesitate and swallowed it.

A moment later, his complexion looked much better.

"Dad, sit still. I'll row the boat."

Yet Jie Yuan still insisted on rowing together with his son.

After reaching shore, he leaned against a tree to rest.

Jiede touched his father's forehead and found it somewhat hot, while his lips were dry and cracked.

The Foundation-Building Pill was, after all, merely a pill for tempering the body. It required long-term consumption and could not cure illnesses.

Jiede's gaze flickered.

I just risked absorbing a high-year Soul Ring. Dad was probably so worried that it gave him internal heat, and with the heatstroke on top of that, it led to these symptoms.

"Dad, wait here for me."

Jiede summoned his Mystic Core Martial Soul. Without using a soul skill, he guided the Mystic Pellet along the ground to rapidly search for herbs.

Jiede stopped in front of a herb.

The leaves of this herb grew in opposite pairs and were shaped like elongated hearts.

"What kind of herb is this?"

Through the information fed back by the Mystic Pellet, he learned that this herb could clear heat and toxins, reduce swelling and pain, regulate qi, and calm the body. It was especially effective against heatstroke.

"Could it be patchouli?"

Jiede did not care to investigate further and picked it first.

He quickly searched for several other herbs as well, all of which could relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

After thinking for a moment, he cut off a piece of bark from a willow tree.

Jiede threw all the herbs into the Mystic Pellet for refinement. About ten minutes later, the surface of the black pill seemed to have been coated with a layer of water.

A few minutes later, the watery layer gradually turned black and ran down along the pill's edges.

All the impurities in the herbs were gradually removed.

After Jiede absorbed the seven-hundred-year Pale Blue Jellyfish, his martial soul underwent subtle changes.

The speed at which the Mystic Pellet refined medicinal ingredients also increased considerably.

After breaking through, his soul power had risen from level 13 to level 15.

His spiritual power sensed everything within the Mystic Pellet.

He could clearly distinguish the flow of the melted medicinal liquid, knowing when to increase his soul power and when to slow it down. Unlike when he had refined the Millennium Whale Glue before, he no longer relied entirely on instinct.

One minute later, the pill was complete.

Jiede handed the pill to Jie Yuan. "This is a Patchouli Qi-Rectifying Pill I just refined using the Mystic Pellet. Dad, try taking it."

Jie Yuan had watched the entire pill-refining process from the side. This pill was not a soul skill, but something his son had randomly cobbled together.

He fell silent for a few seconds before deciding to support his son's research.

After taking the Patchouli Qi-Rectifying Pill, he felt much better within minutes.

A quarter of an hour later, Jie Yuan could stand and move freely again. His dizziness and grogginess had completely vanished.

Jie Yuan said in amazement, "Your martial soul really is strange. It can even refine medicine?"

Jiede looked rather pleased with himself. "It's a Mystic Core Martial Soul, after all. This is perfectly normal."

"By the way, son, you must never reveal your first martial soul. Even if you do reveal it, you can only tell others that its pills work only for yourself," Jie Yuan cautioned.

"I understand. I don't want to get captured and turned into a pill-producing tool. With the stench as cover, I doubt anyone would dare eat my Mystic Pellets anyway."

Hearing Jiede's assurance and seeing his crafty expression, Jie Yuan felt much more at ease.

"Let's go, son. We're heading home. Today's mission has ended perfectly."

Along the way, Jiede kept recalling the pill-refining process from earlier.

Empowered by the water attribute of the Pale Blue Jellyfish, the Mystic Core Martial Soul had undergone a qualitative leap.

Given enough time, I might become the first alchemist on the Douluo Continent.

"Dad, help me find an old traditional doctor later. I want to learn some medicinal theory."

"Aren't you tired? You're busy from dawn to dusk every day."

"My Mystic Core Martial Soul can identify the effects of medicinal herbs. Wouldn't it be a waste if I didn't learn some medicinal theory?"

"Fine. But that herb you fed me earlier, you didn't know its name either, did you?

"Patchouli Qi-Rectifying Pill? Did you make that up?

"Tell me the truth."

"I know what it does, at least. As long as it doesn't kill anyone, it's fine."

"You brat, you're asking for a beating."

The father and son bickered and played as they gradually disappeared into the distance.

Behind Notting Academy.

Tang San finished cultivating and sat on a rock, sighing deeply.

"Ah, Dad, I miss you so much. Where are you?"

Little did he know that Tang Hao was currently sitting in an inconspicuous cave, facing a blade of grass and murmuring endlessly.

"Ah Yin, my Ah Yin..."

At that moment, a pink figure came running from afar.

Xiao Wu planted her hands on her slender waist. "Well, well, Little San. So you were secretly hiding here by yourself."

Tang San had a headache. He came to the back mountain partly for peace and quiet so he could cultivate with focus, and partly to avoid Xiao Wu's pestering.

He did like this little girl, but every time Xiao Wu came looking for him, she clung to him and questioned him endlessly.

"Little San, what is your first soul skill?"

Xiao Wu now posed a question straight to his soul. "Tell me quickly. I have a feeling that your first soul skill definitely isn't simple."

"Not simple?"

Tang San felt bitter and indignant. It's more than not simple. It's absurdly not simple—so simple that it couldn't possibly be any simpler.

His first soul skill was his humiliation. He did not want to tell Xiao Wu.

Boys were all like that. Before the girls they liked, they cared greatly about saving face.

"It's nothing, just an ordinary soul skill."

Tang San spoke blandly. "Anyway, even if I don't use my soul skill when fighting you, you still can't beat me."

"What did you say?"

Xiao Wu's willow-like brows shot up. "What do you mean, I can't beat you? I may not have beaten you, but you haven't beaten me either!"

Tang San silently added, That's only because I didn't use the Silent Sleeve Arrow. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to fight me to a draw.

"Tang San, you're infuriating."

Xiao Wu let out a coquettish snort, released her soul power, and kicked at Tang San.

Tang San dodged aside, caught Xiao Wu by the ankle with one hand, and inexplicably took a light sniff.

"Heh, you still wanted to sneak attack me?

"I'm the only one who gets to sneak attack others. Nobody gets to sneak attack me!"

"You're shameless!"

Xiao Wu's pretty face reddened. "You're awful. Let go of me. Don't you know men and women shouldn't touch?"

"I won't. I won't let go. What if you sneak attack me again after I release you?"

"Let go of me!"