Pinning Down the Timeline, Soul Rings and Soul Skills

The dark gold terrorclaw bear was a supreme existence in the Soul Beast Realm, comparable to an ultimate martial soul among martial souls.

Even one only a hundred years old could easily contend with an ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beast.

Never mind Su Haichao, who was approaching the Soul Elder rank—even a Soul King would fare poorly against one.

"Little brother, stay home. Dad and I are heading out."

Su Yuntao turned back, his eyes still filled with reluctance and worry. After all, Tang Shan was a child not even three years old. Had they not lived with him for two years, neither Su Yuntao nor Su Haichao would have felt comfortable leaving such a young child home alone.

As he watched the two leave, Tang Shan's gaze gradually grew distant.

I hope they come home safely.

Whenever he thought of Su Yuntao's soul ring configuration in the original story, Tang Shan wanted to do whatever he could to change it. He believed this was already the limit of what he could manage. After all, he was still just a child without any real strength.

He checked the sky. It was only around ten in the morning. Tang Shan changed his clothes, took his keys, and headed out.

As the head of Nuoding City's Spirit Hall, Su Haichao enjoyed excellent benefits. This two-story residence was one of them. Located in the center of Nuoding City, right next to Spirit Hall, it made both his work and daily life much more convenient.

Spirit Hall had branches in practically every city and town on the continent, with its reach extending even into the villages.

Nuoding City's Spirit Hall was not lavish, but it naturally exuded a solemn, sacred air.

A plaque representing the six great martial souls hung above the main entrance, and passersby frequently cast their eyes toward Spirit Hall.

Tang Shan walked through the entrance with practiced ease. The guards on either side did not stop him; Su Haichao had clearly informed them beforehand.

Before he could turn into the library, some activity at the counter caught his attention.

"Sisi, correct? You want to join Spirit Hall?"

An elderly man dressed in Spirit Hall's official uniform was writing something with his head lowered.

Standing before him was a girl who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, brimming with youthful energy.

"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo."

Tang Shan approached. This old man was Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo, who had tested Tang San's soul power level and certified his Soul Master status in the original story. His standing in Notting City's Spirit Hall was probably second only to Su Haichao's.

What had caught Tang Shan's attention was not Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, who treated him so well, but Sisi, the girl applying to join Spirit Hall.

He remembered that his dear older brother had become this girl's hopeless admirer in the previous life. Judging by her behavior in the original story, she was definitely a manipulative girl who played innocent.

He wondered what choice his older brother would make in this life.

"Oh, Tang Shan's here."

Seeing the tiny boy walk up to him, Ma Xiunuo's aged face broke into a gentle smile.

"What is it? Here to read again?"

Tang Shan nodded and looked at Sisi.

Sisi was also drawn to the delicate, adorable little boy. "Hello, little brother. My name is Sisi. Where's your family? Why aren't you at home? It can be dangerous for someone so young to come out alone."

Tang Shan blinked. "My dad works on the top floor here. I came to play."

At those words, Sisi's expression shifted slightly. The only person who worked on the top floor of Notting City's Spirit Hall was probably its current head.

"All right, Sisi, your registration is complete. I'll explain your duties when you report for work tomorrow."

Ma Xiunuo's words interrupted Sisi's racing thoughts. She respectfully took the documents from him. "Little brother, I have something to take care of. Goodbye."

With that, Sisi said farewell to Ma Xiunuo, turned, and left Spirit Hall.

"You little rascal, what are you up to?"

Before Tang Shan could react, Ma Xiunuo pulled him closer.

"Who are you trying to fool with that innocent act? Tell me, what are you plotting with that girl?"

Tang Shan chuckled. "Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, don't you think Sisi would be a good match for my big brother?"

Ma Xiunuo was left speechless.

"You cheeky little thing. Barely three, and already arranging a match for your brother. Enough, go read your books. I still have a pile of work to deal with."

Tang Shan did not leave immediately. Instead, he dragged over a small stool and watched the old man work while shamelessly asking, "Grandpa, how have things been on the continent lately?"

Ma Xiunuo answered without looking up. "What else would be happening? Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire clash all the time, and the Clear Sky Twin Stars are making their mark across the continent. I really don't understand why a little rascal like you cares about continental affairs. Oh, right, Spirit Hall has chosen the successor to the next Pope—the Spirit Hall Holy Maiden. I think her name is Bibi Dong."

Hearing that, Tang Shan's pupils contracted slightly. He stood and waved. "Grandpa, I won't disturb you anymore, then. I'll go look around."

"Tang Shan, slow down. If you bump into something and hurt yourself, I won't be able to answer to the hall head."

Tang Shan made a gesture to show he understood and headed toward Nuoding City's Spirit Hall library without looking back.

Bibi Dong is Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, so that certain "Angel Inheritance successor, hopeless romantic, and Heaven Dou Crown Prince" must already have been born. I wonder which of us is older.

Ever since learning that his father was the head of Spirit Hall, Tang Shan had frequently asked him to gather news from across the continent, ostensibly to broaden his horizons.

Previously, he had been unable to determine even the rough timeline. Though he still could not pinpoint it precisely, narrowing it down was no longer much of a problem.

Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden had existed before, but formally establishing her as the Pope's successor and announcing it across the continent was another matter. Presumably, Bibi Dong had only gained that qualification after bearing the Pope's child.

The Continent of Love really does live up to its name.

Recalling the melodramatic love story behind the final "three gods and one sword sheath," Tang Shan could not help shaking his head. Being a hopeless romantic was no good. If nothing else, following one's physical desires would still be better.

He entered the library, found the study on soul rings he had left unfinished last time, and began reading it carefully.

A Soul Master could gain one soul skill by absorbing a soul ring. A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, however, could grant two soul skills.

The soul skill gained depended on the quality of the martial soul, as well as the soul beast's age and quality. A Soul Master's desire for a particular soul skill could also exert a minor influence.

Tang Shan frowned at this. He did not particularly agree. Leaving everything else aside, the first three soul rings of the Star Luo Empire's White Tiger Dai Family strongly contradicted that claim. No soul beast could possess only a single ability, yet whenever Dai Family members hunted their designated soul beasts, they invariably obtained White Tiger Vajra Transformation, White Tiger Protective Barrier, and White Tiger Fierce Light Wave. Clearly, the teachings passed down by their ancestors also subtly influenced the Dai Family's Soul Masters;

Even setting the Dai Family aside, the succession of soul power amplification skills possessed by the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineers during Douluo II was another strong counterargument. If the Dai Family's case could still be attributed to an innate gift, surely the Sun Moon Empire's future Soul Engineers could not all come from the same family.

This suggested that a Soul Master's consciousness also played an important role in determining a soul ring's effects. Still, it needed testing. He should have an answer once his older brother and father returned.

Dense woods blocked the daylight. Flecks of light slipped through gaps in the leaves and scattered across the ground, creating a beautiful scene.

Clad in armor, Su Haichao led the way, watching and listening in every direction for dangers in the woods. Su Yuntao followed beside him in a smaller suit of leather armor. Whether danger came from ahead or the side, Su Haichao would be able to react immediately.

"Dad, how old a soul beast are we looking for this time?"

Su Haichao answered Su Yuntao's question without hesitation. He had clearly prepared in advance.

"Before we entered the Soul Hunting Forest, I tested your physical condition with soul power pressure. You could withstand pressure at level eighteen, so a soul beast around six hundred years old should suit you. To be safe, though, a six-hundred-year-old soul beast will be enough for you to absorb."

Before he finished speaking, a rustling in the bushes put Su Haichao on alert.

"Lone Wolf Possession! Yuntao, get up a tree first!"

As he spoke, Su Haichao's body underwent a drastic transformation. He swelled in size, and his leather armor would likely have burst apart had it not been specially prepared;

His pupils turned a deep green, radiating ferocity. Sharp claws extended from all ten fingers, gleaming with a chilling light;

Three shimmering soul rings, two yellow and one purple, revealed Su Haichao's cultivation. He was unquestionably a formidable Soul Elder.

At his warning, Su Yuntao activated martial soul possession without hesitation as well and scrambled up a nearby tree. His movements were clean and swift. Clearly, the past year of brutal training had not been wasted.

Awooo! Awooo! Awoo!

Wolf howls rose one after another, and shadowy wolf shapes flickered among the bushes. They had clearly been surrounded by a pack.

Rather than alarmed, Su Haichao was delighted. What a promising start—he had encountered a pack of wolf soul beasts just after entering the Soul Hunting Forest. There might be one suitable for Yuntao among them.

With a long, drawn-out howl, gray wolves sprang from the bushes one after another.

Gray-furred wolves were ten-year soul beasts. Upon reaching a hundred years, they grew a tuft of white fur on their heads, with another tuft appearing for every additional hundred years of cultivation.

With his keen vision, Su Haichao identified the gray-furred wolves the instant they leaped out. A quick scan revealed no hundred-year soul beasts for now. The cultivation of the wolf king hiding behind the scenes remained unknown.

Even as his thoughts raced, Su Haichao did not hesitate. The first soul ring at his feet suddenly flashed.

Awooo!

First soul skill, Wolf Howl: reduced all enemy attributes by 10% and increased all his own attributes by 20%.

An invisible power bolstered him, making his already enlarged body grow even more muscular.

Facing the jaws lunging straight at him, Su Haichao sidestepped the attack and swept his sharp claws sideways. Blood immediately sprayed from the gray-furred wolf's neck.

He thrust his right hand forward to block the claws raking toward his chest, while his other hand pierced straight through the gray-furred wolf before him.

Casually tossing the wolf's corpse aside, Su Haichao looked at the wavering pack and shouted, "Come on!"

Watching his father kill his enemies in a few lightning-fast movements, Su Yuntao felt his blood surge with excitement. Had he not retained a little reason, he would have jumped down to fight alongside him.