Plans for Soul Hunting

That night.

In Yu Xiaogang's office at Nuoding Junior Academy.

Yu Xiaogang lifted his head from his desk. His eyes were bloodshot, but a smile of certain victory hung on his face.

After Lu Yang rejected him again during the day, Yu Xiaogang had returned to his office. He pored over his treasured books, along with his own detailed commentary on the ten core competencies of martial soul, and finally completed his proposed configuration for every Soul Ring of Lu Yang's Martial Soul.

Previously, he had thought Lu Yang's Martial Soul was merely an ordinary ball of light with no offensive power, unsuitable for development as a power attack system Martial Soul. Thus, he believed that by exploiting the effects of light itself, absorbing Soul Rings produced by Soul Beasts with the LIGHT attribute, and adjusting brightness and other properties to control and harass opponents, Lu Yang could absolutely become a control system Soul Master.

But after reviewing the material again, Yu Xiaogang discovered that many Soul Skills produced by LIGHT-attribute Soul Beasts could also provide boosts to the user and others. This opened up more possibilities for developing Lu Yang's Martial Soul.

Yu Xiaogang believed that the control effects provided by the LIGHT attribute alone were still somewhat lacking. But if Lu Yang could also do some of the things support system Soul Masters did, he would certainly become the core of a team. An unprecedented Soul Master combining the control and support systems was about to emerge under his guidance. With his knowledge and Lu Yang's talent, he could raise a Titled Douluo who specialized in both control and support!

Having finished all this, Yu Xiaogang smiled in satisfaction. He believed that as soon as he presented this plan, Lu Yang would undoubtedly be won over by his learning. This disciple would be his, no matter what.

Meanwhile, in the student dormitory at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Everyone else in the dormitory had already gone to sleep. Only Lu Yang remained awake. Leaning against the headboard, he toyed with a small stone while turning over everything that had happened since he arrived at Nuoding Academy.

When Su Yuntao from Spirit Hall first brought him to Nuoding Academy, the dean's face had bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum. Yet the Soul Hunting application Lu Yang submitted had still not been approved.

Considering how Yu Xiaogang had been pestering him every few days lately, Lu Yang had already guessed the hidden reason. It seemed that old man Yu Xiaogang was determined to make him become his disciple, even resorting to tactics like these.

Lu Yang did not particularly mind Yu Xiaogang hovering around him every day. But in a world like the Douluo Continent, where cultivation was possible, cutting off someone's path of cultivation created a blood feud that would not end until one side was dead. Since Yu Xiaogang had done this, Lu Yang naturally would not simply swallow it. He had to find another way.

When his Martial Soul awakened, Su Yuntao had asked Lu Yang whether he wanted to join Spirit Hall. At the time, Lu Yang had reservations and did not agree outright. He had never wanted to get involved with Spirit Hall, but Yu Xiaogang's actions forced him to seek another way out.

Since the teachers at Nuoding Academy could not help him hunt for a Soul Ring, he would choose Spirit Hall instead. Although the person in charge of the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch was only a Soul Elder, while Su Yuntao and the others were all Soul Grandmasters, their combat strength was at least far greater than Yu Xiaogang's.

Lu Yang was a commoner by birth. Although his physical constitution had improved considerably after his Martial Soul awakened, he was still unsure whether he could exceed the normal limit and absorb an older Soul Ring. Asking the people from Spirit Hall to help hunt a four- or five-hundred-year-old Soul Beast should therefore be no problem. While they were at it, he could have them assess his physical strength and see whether he met the requirements for absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the usual limit.

As for which Soul Beast to hunt, Lu Yang had already made his plans.

He had set his sights on a flying Soul Beast called the Flame Sparrow. It was a hot-tempered, highly aggressive fire-attribute Soul Beast, but according to various books on Martial Soul knowledge, the vast majority of Soul Skills granted by its Soul Rings were enhancement skills.

The age of the Soul Rings a Soul Master could absorb was limited by their physical constitution, so their first few Soul Rings would not be particularly old. As their cultivation improved, this meant their early offensive Soul Skills would see less use. Many high-ranking Soul Masters rarely even used their early Soul Skills in battle. Enhancement Soul Skills, however, had no such problem.

Although rewards from Divine Trials and the like could increase the age of his Soul Rings later on, Lu Yang had no intention of pinning all his hopes on something as elusive as a Divine Trial. His plan, therefore, was to choose enhancement skills wherever possible for his first few Soul Skills. Such skills would remain useful even when he reached the rank of Titled Douluo. At least they would not become a joke the moment he unleashed them, like Tang San's Mother's Entanglement.

Early the next morning.

Yu Xiaogang rose bright and early. He went to the dean's office and excitedly explained the cultivation plan he had devised for Lu Yang to the dean of Nuoding Academy.

"Dean, rest assured. As long as Lu Yang cultivates according to my plan, he will certainly become a powerful Soul Master specializing in both control and support."

Having finished explaining his plan, Yu Xiaogang spoke with confidence.

"So, has the boy agreed to become your disciple?" the dean asked.

At those words, the smile froze on Yu Xiaogang's face. A moment later, his usual zombie-like expression returned. "Not yet, but I believe that once I tell him about this new cultivation plan, he will definitely be tempted."

The dean nodded outwardly, but inwardly he sighed. He could not quite say whether there was anything wrong with Yu Xiaogang's plan. Still, he kept feeling that something about it was not quite right.

In particular, even as dean, he had never heard of cultivating a single Martial Soul along two paths. Yet when he thought of Yu Xiaogang's background, he hesitated. Perhaps the man really had seen a Martial Soul cultivated along two paths somewhere else?

What worried the dean of Nuoding most, however, was the situation with Lu Yang. Director Su had submitted Lu Yang's Soul Hunting request long ago, but to give Yu Xiaogang time to take him as a disciple, the dean had kept holding back Director Su's application and had not allowed him to take Lu Yang.

If he delayed for a day or two, he could still find an excuse to brush it off. But nearly half a month had passed, and Yu Xiaogang still had not persuaded Lu Yang to become his disciple. The dean feared something might go wrong if he continued dragging things out.

Besides, Lu Yang was a student brought here by an officer from the Spirit Hall Branch. If he thoroughly offended them over something like this, he truly feared he would be unable to handle the fallout. But seeing Yu Xiaogang's certainty, the dean decided to help stall for two more days. Just two days. If Yu Xiaogang still could not persuade Lu Yang, he would have Director Su take Lu Yang to obtain a Soul Ring.

What the dean did not know was that Lu Yang had already left the academy early that morning and headed for the Spirit Hall Branch in the city. By now, he had found Su Yuntao and was preparing to ask him to take him to obtain a Soul Ring.