Self-Created Soul Skill

Hah... ha!

Yan Jin held a horse stance and strained in place for a long time before throwing a punch. At the front of her fist was magma she had created with her Martial Soul.

The magma drifted forward two meters before falling to the ground, scorching the dust with a sizzling sound.

"Ugh, no. Amon, what you said about shooting magma out like an arrow is impossible."

Under Amon's guidance, Yan Jin was training in how to use her Martial Soul. Her progress had been less than ideal, and she spoke dejectedly.

When it came to researching and applying Martial Souls, imagination was also a crucial factor.

Amon never lacked all kinds of wild ideas. He had given Yan Jin several viable directions for development, but putting them into practice was somewhat difficult.

Magma belonged to the Tool Martial Soul category. As the name implied, Tool Martial Souls carried the meaning of "tools." Their most obvious trait was that they could be used like tools, with blades, swords, hammers, and the like being typical examples.

But a "tool" like magma, which had physical substance yet could not be held and was difficult to use, faced great limitations in its development and application. It was hard to bring out its qualities as a "tool." By comparison, Beast Martial Souls with elemental attributes seemed to hold a greater advantage.

Amon guessed that this was also why that Soul Douluo had not placed much importance on Yan Jin.

He adjusted his Monocle and chuckled. "That's because your Soul Power control isn't good enough yet."

"Improving Soul Power control is easy for you to say. How could it possibly be that easy?" Yan Jin said with a frown.

"Is it really that hard?"

As he spoke, Amon extended his right index finger and thumb in the shape of a gun. With a "biu~," a small hole exploded in the trunk of a nearby tree.

Air Bullet was a Soul Power application technique Amon had developed to compensate for the lack of offensive power in his Soul Skills. It counted as a minor Self-Created Soul Skill.

The principle was to compress and encase air with Soul Power, then fire it outward.

Once the Soul Power bullet struck something, the stable structure of the Soul Power membrane around it would break, causing the air inside to burst out and create an impact.

It sounded simple, but was actually very difficult. It demanded an extremely high degree of control.

Amon's First Spirit Ring had a passive effect that improved Soul Power control, while the ability granted by his Spirit Bone, which could materialize Soul Power, also made his Soul Power easier to control.

"Isn't my Air Bullet far harder than simply using Soul Power to launch the magma your Martial Soul creates?"

Looking at the wound in the tree trunk, Yan Jin's gaze sharpened. The move just now had not actually caused much damage.

Unless it struck a vital area such as the head, neck, or heart, it probably would not kill anyone.

But the key was that Amon's attack had been extremely fast and made very little noise. It was almost impossible to notice, and it was a ranged attack!

With her strong instincts for battle, she keenly recognized the practical value of Air Bullet.

What surprised her even more was that Amon had not displayed his Martial Soul or revealed his Spirit Rings when he attacked. That meant it was a Self-Created Soul Skill!

Having received a year of foundational Soul Master education and personally attempted it herself, she knew perfectly well just how difficult Self-Created Soul Skills were.

What she did not know was that even if Amon had used his Martial Soul and Spirit Rings, he could have kept her from noticing. His First Soul Skill could conceal the outward signs of activating a Soul Skill.

"Teacher~ can you teach me that move?" Yan Jin's voice suddenly became exceptionally gentle and sweet.

"Sure. You're calling me teacher already—how could I refuse?" Amon explained the principle behind Air Bullet to her.

Three minutes later, the excitement faded from Yan Jin's face. Staring blankly, she asked, "Amon, is that something a person can actually do?"

Forget firing Air Bullet and making it deal damage—she could not even gather and compress air with Soul Power!

Teacher when she needed something, Amon when she didn't. Heh, what a little brat!

Amon grumbled inwardly.

"The suggestions I gave you for using your Martial Soul are all feasible. They're just hard to achieve because your control isn't up to par. What you need to do is calm down and practice properly. Air Bullet is still too difficult for you, but Magma Shot is much simpler by comparison."

With a clear example right before her, Yan Jin's fighting spirit was rekindled.

While teaching Yan Jin, Amon had not neglected his own cultivation. In fact, the one interacting with Yan Jin now was merely one of his Time Clones. This was also the clone he normally used for classes, the one whose personality most closely resembled that of the Main Body.

Amon's Main Body and his other three clones had remained in the house Ma Wen had given him. The three clones studied knowledge, while the Main Body focused wholeheartedly on cultivating Soul Power.

His clones shared a mental link with the Main Body. Within one thousand meters, they could exchange information at any time, though the connection weakened beyond that distance.

If they were too far apart, their mutual perception would weaken to nearly nothing. They could only sense whether the others were alive and their rough direction.

"So you're here. President Shi asked you to go see him." Lu Wencong glanced at Yan Jin, who was grunting and shouting in the open space, then spoke to Amon, who was lying in the grass against a tree trunk.

Amon braced his right hand against the ground and stood up. "I'll go right away."

Shi Guantao was not in his office. When Amon found him, he was standing on the roof of the teaching building, looking down below as the south wind whipped his robes with a loud flutter.

With his back to Amon, he said without turning his head:

"You moved out of the academy?"

"Yes. I'm living not far from the academy now. It only takes a few steps to get here."

"That property belongs to Ma Wen."

"She's lending it to me for the time being."

Shi Guantao shook his head. "That woman is no harmless sort... If you think the academy's salary is too low and want to leave, I respect your personal choice."

Amon chuckled. "No, I'm very satisfied with life at the academy. I haven't had overly close dealings with her either, and I won't bring trouble into the academy. I merely secured a student loan from her."

"A student loan?"

"I exchanged my promise to cooperate with her in the future for her investment. Perhaps I'll become part of the Ice Thorn Chamber of Commerce someday, but for now, I'm only a student who dreams of stepping onto the stage of the Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies."

"The Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies?" Shi Guantao was slightly moved. He knew how difficult that would be.

"That's a remarkable goal. I hope you achieve it. But there is one thing—the academy is a place for teaching and nurturing people. I don't want the filth from outside brought here.

"This academy is the work of my lifetime. If anyone tries to destroy the peace within it, I will never let them go."

A powerful surge of Soul Power erupted, fully revealing the aura of a Soul Ancestor.

Amon felt a slight tightness in his chest. He took a deep breath and said quietly, "I treasure this peace as well."

Shi Guantao nodded and encouraged him. "Then work hard. If you can reach level twenty before turning eighteen, I'll write you a letter of recommendation to Northland Advanced Soul Master Academy."

Northland Advanced Soul Master Academy was the foremost institution in Northland Province. Its admission requirements were rather strict, and normally only outstanding graduates of junior Soul Master academies could enter.

"I will work hard. Thank you for your help." The corners of Amon's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.