Shadow Clone as a Second Soul Skill and the I Reckon Trait

Dai Mubai had also hunted a Vajra Tiger, and his Soul Skill was much the same—even though the Soul Ring he absorbed had come from a thousand-year-old one.

Lin Hao stood and thanked Tang Hao again.

As for his Soul Skill's effects, Lin Hao glanced at Tang San, who was still absorbing his Soul Ring. He decided to tell father and son together once Tang San finished.

Twenty minutes later, Tang San finished absorbing his first Soul Ring and opened his eyes.

Seeing the delight on Tang San's face, Lin Hao asked, "Tang San, judging by your expression, your Soul Skill turned out well, didn't it?"

Tang San got to his feet and grinned at Tang Hao and Lin Hao.

"Ha! My First Soul Skill is called Blue Silver Thorn."

"After wrapping an enemy in Blue Silver Grass, I can make the Blue Silver Vines sprout hard spikes to attack them.

I can also grow hard spikes straight out of the ground to attack an enemy, or combine both attacks."

"It works really well."

"Thanks, Dad!"

With that, Tang San threw his arms around Tang Hao.

Once Tang San had finished, Lin Hao described his own First Soul Skill.

"My First Soul Skill is called Vajra Slash. When I use it..."

After explaining his First Soul Skill, Lin Hao tactfully said goodbye to Tang Hao and Tang San.

They hadn't seen each other in more than ten days. Tang Hao would want to spend time with Tang San, his own son whom he had raised since childhood.

Now that he had his first Soul Ring, Lin Hao naturally wanted to test his strength when he returned to Notting Junior Academy.

Back at the academy, he went straight to find Xiao Wu, who had become its reigning boss.

Xiao Wu had never accepted her defeat to Lin Hao in Dorm Seven. Once classes officially began, she challenged him again.

She even used Waist Bow, her First Soul Skill, but still couldn't beat him.

Though she couldn't beat Lin Hao, Xiao Wu had her first century-old Soul Ring. Dealing with the other students at Notting Academy was easy.

In no time, Xiao Wu had become the boss of Notting Academy.

After sparring with Xiao Wu on the training ground, Lin Hao had a good measure of his strength. If he went all out, even ten Xiao Wus wouldn't be enough to take him down.

Right now, Lin Hao felt frighteningly strong.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Hao, Tang San, and Xiao Wu had all obtained their second Soul Rings, and their Soul Power had climbed past level twenty.

Lin Hao had had sixty chances to draw traits. The forty draws from the first two years had yielded nothing useful.

But among this year's twenty draws, he had obtained one very useful trait.

[I Reckon]

[I Reckon: Anything you resolve to do gains a slight increase in its chance of success.]

Because the Tang San from Shushan had failed to take over this Tang San's body, Tang Hao had never left. Tang San hadn't grown up starved for affection, so he hadn't made Xiao Wu his sworn sister.

Lin Hao, meanwhile, had taken the opportunity to grow closer to Xiao Wu.

Their relationship had progressed quickly over those three years. Lin Hao had held off on confessing only because they were still young; he wanted to wait another couple of years.

All three had grown quickly as well. Lin Hao and Tang San had reached around 1.75 meters, while Xiao Wu had shot up to 1.7 meters.

The development of their martial souls really did affect how their bodies grew.

With all three holding their second Soul Rings, there was no reason to stay at Notting Junior Academy. They had obtained those rings less than two months apart.

After finishing their final month in Notting City and graduating from their third year, the three discussed it and promptly asked the headmaster of Notting Academy to let them leave.

They decided to spend three years at an academy called Shrek Academy in Suotuo City, then head to Heaven Dou City together and enroll at Blue Tyrant Academy.

"Headmaster, we're leaving. Please take care of yourself. I'll repay you someday."

With that, Lin Hao and the other two walked out of the headmaster's office at Notting Academy.

Lin Hao had already made up his mind to give the headmaster of Notting Academy at least one immortal herb someday. The man had truly invested in them.

He had arranged not only Lin Hao's second Soul Ring, but Tang San's as well.

Lin Hao's second Soul Ring had come from a Phantom Leopard roughly nine hundred and fifty years old.

As in the original story, Tang San's second Soul Ring came from a Ghost Vine more than eight hundred years old, and his Soul Skill was still Parasitism.

Lin Hao's second Soul Skill, though, was remarkable. Called Shadow Clone, it let him instantly create five clones with strength identical to his own, making six of him in total.

He could use them to confuse enemies, attack, or escape, and he could freely shift his true self between them. As long as at least one clone survived, he would not truly die. His true self was a clone, and every clone was his true self.

The Soul Skill could also evolve. Each new Soul Ring would add two clones. By the time Lin Hao became a nine-ring Titled Douluo, he would have a terrifying twenty clones.

What was more, Lin Hao could use all his Soul Power in advance to create a single clone that would last a month. That clone could take any form—even a ball or a pen that someone else could carry away.

During that month, no matter how far Lin Hao was from the clone, proper use of Shadow Clone would make him nearly impossible to kill.

Before doing anything dangerous, he could create a clone and hide it. If he suffered a fatal blow, he could instantly shift his true self into that clone. As a means of staying alive, it was hard to beat.

After learning what his second Soul Skill could do, Lin Hao dropped to his knees and bowed to the headmaster of Notting Academy.

Once they left Notting City, the three used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to head for Holy Soul Village. They planned to say goodbye to Tang Hao before traveling to Shrek Academy in Suotuo City.

After half a year of classes at Notting Academy, Tang San had fully grasped the Tang Sect inheritance. He then claimed he had received a sect inheritance and shared it with Lin Hao and Xiao Wu.

That gave Lin Hao access to the information on immortal herbs, as well as the complete Mysterious Heaven Skill.

After more than two years of practice, all three had become fairly proficient.

They returned to Holy Soul Village and stayed for a day. The next morning, they set off straight for Suotuo City.

Lin Hao had originally planned to go directly to Blue Tyrant Academy in Heaven Dou City. But Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, so they would settle at Shrek Academy in Suotuo City first.

Only after Lin Hao met Dugu Bo and obtained Lovesick Heartbreak Red and other scent-concealing sachets at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would he take Xiao Wu to Heaven Dou City.

To avoid what had happened in the original story, Xiao Wu needed to carry at least five or six things that could conceal her aura. That would minimize the risk of anyone discovering that she was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form.

The Balak Kingdom lay in the southern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering Fasinuo Province.

On the main road to Suotuo City, two young men and a young woman walked at an unhurried pace.

None of them carried a heavy load, yet their gait and the sweat on their foreheads made it clear that all three were exhausted.