Someone Stole Gangzi's Famous Quote

At seven years old and level ten, her Innate Soul Power seemed quite strong—probably stronger than her father's. Talented Food-type Soul Masters were rather rare.

Then.

Xu Huxiao stared at his right hand and activated the Eye of Omniscience. Three seconds later, a stream of information entered his mind:

[Human]: Xu Huxiao

[Age]: Six

[Martial Soul]: Platinum Dragon-Patterned Arms, Monster Shrek, Hulk

[Level]: Ten (limit: 1,100 years)

[Soul Skill]: None

[Inner Monologue]: The strong fear no challenges. I am a man destined to become a God!

Eleven hundred years?

It was probably because he had yet to officially begin tempering his body. Otherwise, this limit should not have stopped there.

"Son, once you obtain your first Soul Ring, you'll officially become a Soul Master."

"Before that, Father wants to tell you a story."

Just as Xu Huxiao was examining his information, Xu Bayan's deep voice came from beside him.

Xu Huxiao looked at his father, somewhat baffled. Why was he suddenly telling a story?

Reminiscence surfaced in Xu Bayan's eyes as he began on his own, "This is a story about the origins of Spirit Hall. A very, very long time ago..."

"Legend says that in the ancient era of Douluo Continent, the gods slumbered while Soul Beasts and powerful exotic beasts dominated the continent. Humanity struggled to survive."

"At that time, a Stone Emperor rose to prominence."

"When his Martial Soul awakened, it was merely the most ordinary, most worthless, most useless pebble."

"Everyone called him a once-in-a-million trash Soul Master, saying that such a Martial Soul was only fit for filling latrine pits, because nearly everyone at that time possessed either a powerful exotic beast Martial Soul or a sharp war-weapon Martial Soul."

"But the Stone Emperor did not give up because of this. Instead, he cultivated diligently, endured countless hardships, encountered all manner of fortunate opportunities, and fought through thorns and brambles all the way forward until he finally reached the Title realm."

"He bestowed upon himself the title Blue Star Douluo!"

"Although no one knew why the Stone Emperor used Blue Star as his title, that was not important. What mattered was that despite having an inherently useless Martial Soul, he defied fate through acquired effort and became a powerhouse of his generation."

"The Stone Emperor's legendary experiences were praised by countless Soul Masters!"

"His signature technique, 'Planetary Devastation,' and his Self-Created Soul Skill, 'Tathagata Palm,' struck fear into countless ancient divine clans and exotic beasts. None could stand against him."

"In the end, the Stone Emperor and his Seven Warlords squad led humanity's rise, established Spirit Hall, and gradually brought the continent's Soul Masters into prosperity."

"In the Martial Soul Codex kept by Spirit Hall, there was a sentence once spoken by the Stone Emperor. It inspired countless Soul Masters. Huxiao, do you know what it was?"

Xu Huxiao shook his head blankly. His mind was a little muddled right now.

Xu Bayan's eyes blazed with fighting spirit as he said:

"It was, 'There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—never mock a poor young man!'"

"This was the story of Spirit Hall's origins."

"Son, Father wants to tell you through this story that although you awakened a mid-to-low-grade Mutated Twin-Armed Martial Soul and failed to inherit Father's top-tier Martial Soul, you must not lose heart. As long as you want to grow stronger, no one can stop you from moving forward."

"You must believe in yourself!"

After thinking it over, Xu Bayan still decided to use the story his own father had once told him to encourage his son.

That sentence supposedly spoken by the Stone Emperor had been secretly looked up by Xu Bayan in the Elder Hall at noon, all to make this story more vivid.

After hearing it, Xu Huxiao was deeply shaken, though he did not forget to play along and show that he had already swallowed this bowl of motivational soup.

He had not expected Spirit Hall to have such a legendary tale.

Xu Huxiao felt that his eyes had truly been opened.

That Stone Emperor...

He was probably a fellow transmigrator from Blue Star.

He simply had not transmigrated to the present, but to ancient times.

Don't ask Xu Huxiao why he was so certain. Anyone capable of throwing together the Seven Warlords from One Piece, the ninjutsu Planetary Devastation, and the martial art Tathagata Palm was probably none other than System Lord.

And systems were usually standard equipment for transmigrators. On top of that, the Stone Emperor had named himself Blue Star Douluo.

He probably... missed home.

What a coincidence, meeting a fellow townsman in a foreign land!

Unfortunately, so much time had passed. Even if that ancient Stone Emperor had not kicked the bucket, he had probably taken his system and ascended to some other world to roam free.

After all, with something as heaven-defying as a system, the Stone Emperor probably would not have been content to remain bound within the God Realm.

As for that famous quote.

Uh—

It was obvious that the Stone Emperor probably liked reading novels too.

As for the saying, "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters," Xu Huxiao felt nothing about it.

In his view, whether it was his Three-Life Martial Soul or his Innate Full Soul Power, he had absolutely nothing to do with being trash.

Besides.

So-called judgments of trash were merely the vile, malicious short-sightedness of others.

They were the most meaningless things in the world.

He cultivated and grew stronger not to prove anything to anyone, but simply to achieve his own goals.

It was that simple.

But the little girl Bao Jingjing across from him did not think that way.

After hearing the story, Bao Jingjing's adorable bun-like face was filled with admiration. She gently tugged at Bao Dexian's sleeve and lowered her voice.

"Dad, the Stone Emperor is so amazing. Can Jingjing become such an amazing Soul Master too?"

Bao Dexian knew well how difficult it was for Food-type Soul Masters to cultivate, but he did not wish to shatter his daughter's beautiful fantasy. He smiled honestly.

"Of course. But even if you can't become a powerful Soul Master, being a happy Soul Master is still wonderful."

Hearing that, Bao Jingjing nodded vigorously.

"Mhm~ But I'll still work hard to become a powerful Soul Master. Then I'll buy Dad a house as big as the master's."

The father and daughter spoke quietly, but within the enclosed carriage, they could still be heard easily.

When Xu Bayan and Xu Huxiao heard their exchange, the corners of both father and son's mouths unconsciously lifted.

The carriage left Spirit City through its southern gate.

More than two hours later.

Xu Huxiao's group arrived at the gathering town outside the Soul Hunting Forest, where many Soul Masters came and went.

There were vendors selling dried rations and medicine, as well as Soul Master mercenary teams gathering parties to hunt Soul Beasts.

Cries of hawking and calls to form teams rose and fell without end, making the place exceptionally lively.

Outside the fence of the Soul Hunting Forest, rows of neatly organized armored warriors patrolled with long spears in hand. Each bore Spirit Hall's distinctive emblem on their chest.

This Soul Hunting Forest belonged exclusively to Spirit Hall. A three-story Martial Soul Enforcement Hall stood in the center of the gathering town, responsible for guarding it.

The Xu Family carriage, driven by the steward Luo Ming, stopped directly outside the Martial Soul Enforcement Hall.

Xu Bayan, dressed in a black-and-gold cloak, stepped down from the carriage. A simple steel prosthetic was attached where his left leg should have been, making his gait uneven, but his tall frame still exuded a fierce and imposing aura.

"Welcome, Your Excellency Demon Bear—!!"

The guards at the entrance immediately dropped to one knee upon seeing him, their manner exceptionally respectful.

The warriors responsible for guarding this place belonged to the Hall Guard establishment formerly under Xu Bayan's command, and they were all very familiar with Elder Demon Bear before them.

"Rise. Where is your Commander Wang Zhong? Have him come out."

Xu Bayan smiled as he spoke, leading the others into the Enforcement Hall.

This was Xu Huxiao's first time at this Soul Hunting Forest. He looked around and found everything orderly, with people entering and leaving in an organized fashion.

It seemed the enforcement warriors here managed the place well.

The inside of the Enforcement Hall was plain and spacious. A massive bronze command token over three meters tall stood in the main hall, engraved with six different patterns.

Xu Huxiao knew that they represented the Martial Souls of six powerful Titled Douluo.

After entering the reception room to wait, Xu Bayan used the time to analyze the cultivation direction of Xu Huxiao's Body Arms Martial Soul.

"A Twin Arms Martial Soul would be a little forced if it followed the control route. The agility-attack route would have problems with both speed and one-hit killing power. A more balanced power-attack route would be best."

"You happen to possess a refined and fierce palm technique. Combining the two should produce considerable power."

"Son, do you have any preferred direction for your Soul Skills?"

"Yes!"

Xu Huxiao answered firmly.

"Father, I already decided on my first Soul Skill. It would be best if it were an attribute-enhancement type, something that could strengthen the power and defense of my arms."

"And my Platinum Dragon-Patterned Arms Martial Soul has a particular trait. The Soul Rings it absorbs must come from sub-dragon Soul Beasts."

"Oh? They must be sub-dragons? Then once Wang Zhong arrives, we'll ask him whether this Soul Hunting Forest has any strength- and defense-type sub-dragon Soul Beasts being raised here. If not, we'll go to the Star Dou Great Forest to look for them."

As they spoke.

A man in fitted silver armor hurried in from outside. The moment he saw the people in the reception room, he immediately dropped to one knee and pressed his right fist to his chest in a solemn salute.

"Your subordinate Wang Zhong welcomes Your Excellency Demon Bear to the Soul Hunting Forest Enforcement Hall!"

Xu Bayan stepped forward and patted this former subordinate who had once followed him.

"Sigh, I was the one who dragged you all down and got you demoted to guard the Soul Hunting Forest."

Wang Zhong said emotionally, "Your Excellency, please do not say that. Without Your Excellency, us brothers might not even know which backwater corner we would be in!"

"We are more than content here. It is the perfect place to cultivate our Martial Souls in Heart-Submergence."

Xu Bayan nodded in satisfaction.

"Good! It is good that you think so. Since I no longer participate in the Hall's affairs, it is not convenient for me to interfere with position assignments."

"Since you have the will to cultivate in Heart-Submergence, and since you seem to be at the bottleneck between Soul King and Soul Emperor, I can lend you a hand."

With that.

Faint black flames flowed over Xu Bayan's arm. He brought two fingers together and swiftly tapped eight times on key acupoints across Wang Zhong's limbs, then lightly struck his dantian with his palm.

Xu Bayan shouted in a low voice, "Wang Zhong, release your Martial Soul!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Zhong immediately complied. Five Soul Rings in the optimal configuration appeared one after another, pulsing around him.

Roar!

A tiger's roar shook the heart with ferocious might.

Wang Zhong's Black Tiger Martial Soul completed its possession. His body grew taller and more muscular, sharp fangs and claws sprang forth, and in the blink of an eye, he became a savage half-beast tiger man.

At the same time, Xu Bayan pointed again, this time with a finger containing Blood-Qi Soul Power, and touched Wang Zhong's chest.

Buzz!

At once.

A distinct fluctuation of Soul Power emerged. Wang Zhong's Soul Power, which had been trapped at level fifty-nine for two and a half years, began to rise rapidly after the Blood-Qi in his limbs was connected.

In the blink of an eye, he broke through to level sixty!

Feeling his cultivation break through, Wang Zhong could not suppress the joy on his face. He dropped to one knee in gratitude.

"Your Excellency's great kindness cannot be repaid by Wang Zhong. Should Your Excellency ever have need of me, simply give the order. This subordinate would not hesitate to die ten thousand times!"

Xu Bayan smiled and calmly accepted the salute. "All right. Cultivate well from now on, and remember: in the world of Soul Masters, strength is the foundation."

"Yes!"

Xu Bayan continued, "I came today to hunt a Soul Beast for my son Huxiao and obtain his first Soul Ring."

Wang Zhong respectfully asked, "May I know what requirements Your Excellency and Young Master Huxiao have for the Soul Beast?"

"Huxiao, you tell him."

Xu Huxiao said, "Commander Wang, I need a strength- and defense-type sub-dragon Soul Beast. Does this Soul Hunting Forest have one?"

As soon as Wang Zhong heard that, he immediately replied:

"Yes! This Soul Hunting Forest has a specially isolated Dragon-Seeking Valley. It contains only sub-dragon Soul Beasts, including ten-year, Hundred-Year, and thousand-year ones!"

Xu Huxiao's eyes lit up as he turned to his father. "Father, then let's take a look at Dragon-Seeking Valley here."

"Good. Let's go. Wang Zhong, lead the way."

Wang Zhong withdrew his Martial Soul and accepted the order. "Yes!"