Nuoding City, Spirit Hall branch.
This was a massive domed building spanning several hundred square meters, divided into three floors. Its entrance insignia bore only a gleaming longsword, signifying that it was the lowest rank of branch.
Though it was Spirit Hall's lowest-ranking branch, Soul Ancestors above level 40 still presided here, awakening Martial Souls for children in the surrounding districts, assessing their levels, and distributing stipends.
As he stepped into the enormous building, Lin Yue slightly raised his head and saw golden murals of Martial Souls covering the dome overhead. The vast branch hall had huge crystal windows on all sides, refracting light into different colors and giving it an ancient, elegant air.
"As expected of a place where the Angel God preached. Even a Spirit Hall branch is built in the style of a church."
Though this was not his first time visiting the Spirit Hall branch, Lin Yue could not help inwardly marveling at the building's solemn and sacred style when he entered again.
"Hm? Little Lin, is that you? Have you changed your mind recently? Are you willing to join Spirit Hall now?"
Seeing the little boy whose Martial Soul he had once awakened, Su Yuntao hurried over at once, his face brimming with expectation.
"No, Master Su. I'm here to collect my Soul Hunting Permit."
Awkwardly raising a hand in greeting, Lin Yue could clearly see Su Yuntao's expression instantly fall, revealing a faint trace of hurt and resentment.
"I'm saying, with talent as good as yours, why won't you join Spirit Hall?"
Only in Spirit Hall could he receive the best resources. It was safe, too, and he would not need to offend anyone else.
Every time he saw this child, Su Yuntao turned into a resentful housewife, lamenting how such an enormous achievement had slipped away right before his eyes.
"Sorry for the trouble, Master Su Yuntao."
Comforting the dejected office worker, Lin Yue accepted the permit handed over by a staff member, then waved goodbye.
"I'll come see you again next time I collect my Gold Soul Coins."
"Sigh, this brat."
His recruitment attempt had failed again. Su Yuntao helplessly looked up, planning to ask Sisi out on a date to ease his disappointment.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue clutched the paper permit and trotted toward Beast Soul Forest.
In just one month, his Soul Power had naturally not reached level 20, so he was still unable to obtain his Second Spirit Ring.
However, after seeing Dugu Xin and his wife off yesterday, Lin Yue reviewed what he had gained over the past month and unexpectedly deduced some of the system's basic operating principles.
It seemed that accepting commissions from ordinary people did not yield many good things.
Aside from that Fat Ning from the Seven Treasure Merchant Association, who had given him a decent reward last time, Lin Yue had basically obtained no valuable items this month, only ordinary points.
Clearly, commissions only gave generous rewards when the client was sufficiently powerful or had enough potential.
For commissions from all kinds of people, the amount of reward given by the system often depended on how desperately the client desired it, as well as the strength or wealth they possessed.
Although those who came to the clinic for treatment were usually sincerely seeking medical help, because they were ordinary people, the system's rewards were often only two or three hundred points.
Over the past month, Lin Yue had accumulated nearly twenty thousand points, yet he had not received a single system-type item.
[Ding. Enhance technique: Mysterious Heaven Skill?] [Warning: Enhancing Mysterious Heaven Skill requires a handling fee of 5,000 points. Success rate: 30%.]
Pinching the handwritten manual that recorded every crucial detail of the Mysterious Heaven Skill's circulation, Lin Yue let out a soft sigh.
"Confirm."
[Ding. Enhancement failed. Remaining points: 6,000.]
"Ha, just as expected."
Lin Yue sighed softly as he watched the handwritten manual in his hand turn to ash under the frenzied power of enhancement, vanishing into the world. A faint sense of frustration rose in his heart.
Over the past month, he had used more than ten thousand points to enhance two copied manuals of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Yet the 30% success rate was simply too low, wasting ten thousand points for nothing. Now, only this much remained.
He knew the 30% success rate was not high, but without special items, he could only brute-force it with points.
"Forget it. I'll just treat it as a foundation. It'll succeed eventually."
Points were relatively easy to obtain. As long as he stayed at the clinic, he could always earn around ten thousand every month.
And that was precisely why Lin Yue had collected his hunting permit.
The clinic could only earn him points. If he wanted enhancement items or amplification items, working at the clinic alone would not be enough.
He had to accept commissions from people who were stronger or wealthier.
"Perfect. Today's hunting permit has been issued too. I'll go work as a mercenary in Soul Hunting Forest and help hunt a few Spirit Rings. Maybe I'll get an amplification item and enhance the Mysterious Heaven Skill."
Thinking of the qualitative change brought by enhancement, perhaps raising his cultivation speed by another level, Lin Yue could not help feeling excited. His steps toward Soul Hunting Forest sped up.
His Soul Power had now reached level 15. With Whale Rubber tempering and a perfect First Spirit Ring, Lin Yue was quite confident in his combat ability.
In a place like Nuoding City, defeating an ordinary Soul Grandmaster would be no problem! He could even fight ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Beasts!
Besides, it was time to earn some Gold Soul Coins to prepare for a second round of Whale Rubber tempering.
'Assistance with Soul Hunting. Ten-Year Spirit Rings: one hundred Gold Soul Coins. Hundred-Year Spirit Rings: one thousand Gold Soul Coins. Safety guaranteed. Final payment refunded upon failure.'
Arriving outside Soul Hunting Forest, Lin Yue's eyes lit up as he looked at the signs raised by the various mercenary groups.
Making money from ordinary people really was not as fast as Soul Hunting.
A single Hundred-Year Spirit Ring could earn over a thousand Gold Soul Coins. Where else could he find work that paid so quickly?
Tiny Nuoding City did not even have a Great Soul Arena. If he wanted to hone his combat skills while earning combat rewards, he could only assist mercenary groups with Soul Hunting.
"Hm? Little guy, do you need to hunt a Soul Beast? Today, our group is helping hunt Ten-Year Soul Beasts. It only costs fifty Gold Soul Coins."
Lin Yue had barely walked among the mercenary groups for long when he heard a soft call by his ear.
"No, I'm not here to hunt Soul Beasts. I'm here to join a mercenary group and help out."
"What? You want to join a mercenary group? Little guy, what kind of strength do you even have?"
Seeing such a scrawny child claim that he could help, the leader of the mercenary group burst into laughter. The companions behind him also grew noisy, watching as though it were a spectacle.
"I'm currently a one-ring Battle Soul Master..."
The other man interrupted him before he could finish.
"Enough, little runt. You're still too young. Go train some more before coming back. Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous. This isn't a place for playing house."
Without waiting for Lin Yue to finish, the rugged man at the front patted his shoulder, signaling for him to head home early.
Yet just as he rejected him, a puzzled voice suddenly came from behind Lin Yue.
"Wait. You said you're a one-ring Battle Soul Master. Are you Agility Attack Type or Strength Attack Type?"
"Hm?"
Lin Yue turned slightly and saw a tall, thin man watching him from behind.
The man was gaunt, with sunken eye sockets and a slightly dark complexion. An unsettling aura radiated from his entire body.
He pulled out a somewhat stiff smile. The five fingers on both hands were suspiciously long, likely due to his Martial Soul.
"We're the Skeleton Mercenary Group. We've just taken on a job to hunt a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring. We're currently short one member. Are you interested in joining us?"
As he spoke, the tall, thin man pointed to a child in their group who was only a few years older than Lin Yue.
When the child saw Lin Yue looking at him, his eyes revealed a trace of jealousy and hostility. Still, he stretched out his hand and revealed his Martial Soul.
It was a wooden stick that resembled a rolling pin. It did not yet have a Spirit Ring, so he was likely here to obtain his First Spirit Ring.
"Our Skeleton Mercenary Group has five people. Including you, that makes exactly one more. If this hunt succeeds, how about one hundred Gold Soul Coins for you?"
Seeing that Lin Yue's expression seemed somewhat strange, the Skeleton Mercenary Group leader smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I'm a level 31 Battle Soul Elder, and the other members are at least Soul Grandmasters. Safety is absolutely guaranteed. We won't tarnish our reputation."
"Alright."
Lin Yue nodded and did not refuse.
Yet when he looked at the people in the group, a faint sense of unease began to grow in his heart.
For some reason, he felt that joining them had gone a little too smoothly, and the way these people looked at him seemed somewhat off.
But what was the reason behind all this strangeness?