Three Fire Talismans Unlocked with One Ring, and Xiao Wu Walked Right into a Test

On the way back to the academy, Reck barely spoke.

Lin Xuan followed quietly behind him.

But his mind was nowhere near the road.

Ever since he had absorbed the Soul Ring, the golden book deep in his mind had been giving off a faint glow.

The Primal Beginning Talisman Scripture had changed.

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Xuan followed Reck all the way back to Notting City.

Once they entered the academy, Reck waved him off.

"Go get some rest. Classes start as usual tomorrow."

"Okay, Dean. Thank you again."

Reck took a few steps, then stopped and looked back at Lin Xuan.

"Oh, and one more thing. Xiao Gang is stubborn, but he means no harm. If he comes to talk to you, you can ignore him, but don't fall out with him. He's my friend, after all."

Lin Xuan nodded. "Okay, Dean."

He still had to show the dean some respect.

At that, Reck turned and left.

Lin Xuan did not return to the dormitory.

He changed direction and headed for the academy's Back Hill.

The Back Hill was where Work-Study Students usually swept up fallen leaves. No one would be there at this hour.

Lin Xuan found a clean rock and sat down. He closed his eyes and sank his awareness into his mind.

The golden light was more than twice as bright as before.

The pages of the Primal Beginning Talisman Scripture spread open in his mind. The Clear Mind Talisman was still on the first page, but the book had turned to the pages beyond it on its own.

The second page. The third. The fourth.

Three new talisman designs were etched clearly into the golden pages.

Lin Xuan's breathing quickened.

On the second page was the Fireball Talisman.

Its design was far more complex than the Clear Mind Talisman's, with denser lines and sharper turns.

Information flooded his mind: Gather fire-attribute Soul Power and draw the talisman on Talisman Paper. Once activated, it launches a fireball at an enemy. Its power increases with the amount of Soul Power infused.

An Attack Talisman!

On the third page was the Fire-Controlling Talisman.

Its design formed a ring, with a swirling flame pattern at its center.

The information read: It can be attached to a weapon or to one's own or another person's body, granting fire-attribute attack power for a short time.

It can also be activated directly to scorch a target with flames.

It can attack, defend, and even enchant someone else?

On the fourth page was the Fire-Repelling Talisman.

Its design was the simplest, its lines broad and flowing.

Effect: Upon use, it greatly increases resistance to flames, allowing the user to withstand fire-attribute attacks.

A Defensive Talisman.

Lin Xuan opened his eyes. His palms were slick with sweat.

One Soul Ring, three talismans.

Attack, support, defense—he had all three.

What did that mean?

Other people got one soul skill from absorbing a Soul Ring.

He had gotten three in one go?

And all three talismans were fire-related, a perfect match for the Fire-Maned Lizard Soul Ring he had absorbed.

If absorbing Soul Rings of other attributes also gave him three talismans each time, then...

Lin Xuan did not dare follow that thought any further.

Just imagining it was exciting!

"First, let's see if I can draw them."

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the rock and opened his right hand. His Talisman Paper Spirit hovered steadily above his palm.

After absorbing the Soul Ring, the Soul Power inside him was nothing like before.

If he had once possessed a bowl of water, he now had at least half a bucket.

And that half bucket carried the heat left behind by the Fire-Maned Lizard.

Lin Xuan did not start immediately.

First, he reviewed the three new talisman designs in his mind.

The Fireball Talisman had the densest lines and the most complex structure.

The Fire-Controlling Talisman had a ring-shaped design with a swirling flame at its center.

The Fire-Repelling Talisman had flowing lines and was the simplest.

After some thought, Lin Xuan decided to draw the Fire-Controlling Talisman first.

The reason was simple.

He had told Tang San and Xiao Wu that he was a support-type Soul Master.

The Fire-Controlling Talisman could summon flames to attack, but it could also attach to someone else's weapon or body and grant fire-attribute attack power. That was a classic support ability.

Using it openly would make perfect sense.

As for a pure Attack Talisman like the Fireball Talisman, he could draw one and keep it in reserve.

A trump card for a critical moment.

Catch them off guard!

Lin Xuan channeled his Soul Power to his fingertip.

Unlike before, it flowed with remarkable ease this time.

The power he once had to guide deliberately and control with care now seemed to know where it should go. A gentle push was enough to send it down the right path.

His fingertip touched the Talisman Paper.

With the first stroke, the outer ring began to take shape.

Soul Power guided his Spiritual Power, tracing a fiery red line across the paper.

It did not break.

The second stroke followed at once, joining the end of the outer ring before spiraling inward.

Still no break.

Lin Xuan's finger moved swiftly across the Talisman Paper, every stroke precise.

The design in his mind flowed straight to his fingertip with almost no delay.

Outer ring, inner ring, central flame pattern.

All in one fluid motion.

"That's it?"

Lin Xuan looked down at the Talisman Paper in his palm.

The fiery red ring glowed faintly on the paper, and the swirling pattern at its center still flickered gently.

The Fire-Controlling Talisman was complete.

Lin Xuan stared for a long moment.

He thought back over how long it had taken.

From the first stroke to the last, had it only been thirty seconds?

That could not be right.

Lin Xuan clearly remembered spending seven whole days learning to draw his first Clear Mind Talisman.

Seven days!

He had failed countless times. Each time, his Soul Power had cut out halfway through, or he had lost control of his Spiritual Power.

And now?

His first Fire-Controlling Talisman had taken thirty seconds.

"Is this the difference a Soul Ring makes?"

"Is this how the Douluo Continent works? That makes things a lot easier!"

Lin Xuan pinched the Fire-Controlling Talisman between trembling fingers.

He was delighted!

"Let's try the Fireball Talisman."

Lin Xuan summoned another sheet of Talisman Paper.

The Fireball Talisman's design was much more complex than the Fire-Controlling Talisman's. Its lines were nearly twice as dense, and its turns were sharper.

Lin Xuan focused and began to draw.

This time, he was noticeably slower.

Every stroke of the Fireball Talisman required more Soul Power. At several sharp turns, he had to redirect his Spiritual Power instantly. The slightest hesitation would ruin it.

Fortunately, Lin Xuan held steady.

A minute later, the Fireball Talisman was complete.

Dense lines crisscrossed its fiery red surface, and the whole sheet radiated heat.

"One minute." Lin Xuan noted the time. "Twice as long as the Fire-Controlling Talisman, but compared to the Clear Mind Talisman, that's still fast."

That was only natural.

Attack Talismans were more complex than support and Defensive Talismans to begin with.

For a level-eleven Soul Master who had just obtained his first Soul Ring, drawing an Attack Talisman in one minute was already fast enough.

And Lin Xuan could improve through practice. Eventually, drawing talismans in an instant would be no trouble at all.

Last came the Fire-Repelling Talisman.

Its design was the simplest, with broad, gentle lines. There were no sharp turns, nor did it require a concentrated infusion of Soul Power.

Twenty seconds.

Lin Xuan spread the three talismans out on the rock and looked at them.

The Fireball Talisman, the Fire-Controlling Talisman, and the Fire-Repelling Talisman.

Attack, support, defense—every type was covered.

"Let's test them."

Lin Xuan picked up the Fireball Talisman, aimed at a jutting rock in front of him, and channeled his Soul Power.

The lines on the Talisman Paper flared to life.

The next instant, a fireball the size of a basketball shot out of the Fireball Talisman and slammed into the rock.

It scorched the rock black, leaving thin wisps of smoke rising from the edges.

Lin Xuan walked over and touched it. The stone was hot, but it had not cracked.

"Not bad." Lin Xuan assessed the damage. "A little stronger than an ordinary level-eleven Soul Master's attack."

That was to be expected.

The Primal Beginning Talisman Scripture had said a talisman's attack power depended on its user's Soul Power Level.

He was only level eleven, so the Fireball Talisman's power was naturally limited.

As his Soul Power grew, the same Fireball Talisman would grow stronger too.

And Lin Xuan could release many Fireball Talismans at once.

Enough of them would add up to something far greater—a unique advantage no other Soul Master could match!

Next was the Fire-Controlling Talisman.

Lin Xuan activated it using its first method: releasing flames directly at a target.

Flames shot from the front of the Fire-Controlling Talisman. Once they had fired, the talisman vanished.

Its power was somewhat weaker than the Fireball Talisman's.

"The area isn't very large." Lin Xuan crouched to inspect the scorch marks. "But it's enough to block a path or distract an opponent."

The second method required attaching the talisman to a person. For now, Lin Xuan had no way to test how much damage the enchanted flames could do.

He did not know whether they were fiercer than ordinary flames or about the same.

He would need someone else to help him test that.

After all, using it on himself would not let Lin Xuan boost the Fireball Talisman's damage.

He skipped testing the Fire-Repelling Talisman.

Its effect was to increase fire resistance. Testing that meant setting himself on fire, and Lin Xuan had no intention of doing that.

That concluded his tests of the three talismans.

Lin Xuan sat back down on the rock and took stock of his condition.

He had about half his Soul Power left. He had used a little less than half his Spiritual Power too.

Drawing three different talismans and testing them had consumed roughly half his reserves in total.

In other words, at his current level, he could draw at least six talismans in one go.

Six.

That was one more than the five Clear Mind Talismans he could draw at level ten, even though the new talismans were far more complex.

That was the improvement his Soul Ring had brought.

Lin Xuan considered his options.

If he drew nothing but Fireball Talismans, he could launch six fireballs in succession. That would be enough to threaten a Soul Master at his own level.

Mixing the talismans would give him both offense and defense, making him more flexible in a fight.

Of course, that was only his current limit.

As his Soul Power continued to grow, he would only be able to draw more kinds of Talismans.

Lin Xuan stood and brushed off his pants.

It was getting dark. Time to head back.

The lights were still on in Dorm Seven.

Xiao Wu lay on her stomach, chin resting on her pillow, legs kicking idly behind her. Her braid trailed to the floor, but she couldn't be bothered to move it.

Across from her, Wang Sheng was straightening up his Spirit Beast Atlas. He had flipped through a few pages when Xiao Wu's sigh interrupted him.

"What are you sighing about?"

"I'm bored."

"Read a book."

"Don't want to."

Xiao Wu buried her face in her pillow and mumbled,

"Why isn't Lin Xuan back yet?"

Wang Sheng closed the atlas.

"The Dean took him to hunt a Soul Beast. He's not going to be back that quickly. What's your hurry?"

"I'm not in a hurry." Xiao Wu rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Everyone else is just too boring."

Wang Sheng's mouth twitched. He said nothing.

Xiao Wu ignored him and kept muttering to herself.

"Tang San's gone too. He went out to train. That leaves you lot, and I can't even get interested in fighting any of you."

Wang Sheng silently raised the atlas in front of his face and pretended he hadn't heard.

He still remembered all too clearly the last time Xiao Wu had kicked him two meters through the air.

Fight Xiao Wu?

Wang Sheng might not be smart, but he wasn't that stupid.

Just then, the dormitory door opened.

Lin Xuan walked in, carrying a faint smell of sulfur.

Xiao Wu sprang off the bed.

"You're back!"

Lin Xuan set his cloth bag on the table. "Yeah."

"What about your Soul Ring? Did you absorb it? How old was it?" Xiao Wu hurried over and circled him.

"Three hundred and eighty years. A Fire-Maned Lizard."

"Let me see, let me see!"

Lin Xuan held out his right hand and summoned his Martial Soul.

Pale yellow Talisman Paper appeared in his palm. A yellow Soul Ring slowly rose and circled him.

"Oh," Xiao Wu said. "Yellow. A hundred-year Soul Ring, just like mine!"

"Obviously. First Soul Rings are always hundred-year ones," Wang Sheng cut in from behind.

Xiao Wu shot him a glare, and he immediately shut up.

"So what Soul Skill do you have now?" She turned back to Lin Xuan. "Can you make fire?"

Lin Xuan dismissed his Martial Soul and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I can draw new Talismans now. Fire ones."

"Really?" Xiao Wu planted both hands on the edge of his bed and leaned so close she was almost in his face. "Draw one for me!"

"Not right now. I don't have enough Soul Power left."

"Tch." Xiao Wu pouted, retreated to her half of the bed, and flopped onto her stomach again. "Then draw one for me tomorrow."

"Okay."

Hugging her pillow, Xiao Wu turned her head toward Lin Xuan. "You said your new Talismans use fire. Can other people use them too?"

"They can."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Then next time we fight, if you stick one on me, can I kick people with my legs on fire?"

Lin Xuan pictured it.

Xiao Wu launched a flying kick, flames trailing from her leg. Her target went flying, with burns to boot.

"In theory."

"Great!" Xiao Wu rolled across the bed, her braid whipping everywhere. "Lin Xuan, you're so useful!"

"Thanks for the compliment."

Across from them, Wang Sheng muttered sourly under his breath, "So the rest of us are useless, huh?"

Neither of them paid him any attention.

After washing up, Lin Xuan took off his shoes and lay down with his hands behind his head.

He had gained more today than he'd expected.

Three new Talismans. Thirty seconds to a minute to draw each one. Enough Soul Power to draw six.

And this was only his first Soul Ring.

Once he got his second...

As he was thinking, Xiao Wu's blanket rustled a few times. Then Lin Xuan felt the bed dip slightly beside him.

"Why are you squeezing over here again?"

"My blanket's too thin. I'm cold."

"In this weather? What are you cold for?"

"I just am."

Lin Xuan shifted over helplessly.

The dormitory light went out.

In the dark, Xiao Wu spoke again.

"Lin Xuan."

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow, let me try that fire Talisman first."

"I know."

"I have to be the first."

"Okay, okay."

After that, Xiao Wu fell silent.

Her breathing grew slow and steady. She was asleep.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes, but his mind kept working.

Tomorrow, he needed to find a secluded place to test the Fire-Controlling Talisman's second use. Xiao Wu would make a good test subject, since she kept asking to try it.

No sense letting a willing volunteer go to waste.