Choosing His Own Soul Skill

"So, what soul beast are you planning to choose as your prey this time?" Qian Renxue asked.

"I'd like to choose a Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow or a Blazing Spirit Kite. Based on what I read in the Soul Beast Encyclopedia, I think the soul skills produced by their soul rings are both pretty good," Lu Yang said.

"Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrows do live in the Star Dou Great Forest, but we might not be able to find a Blazing Spirit Kite there," She Long said.

Although the Star Dou Great Forest was the most dangerous soul beast habitat on the Douluo Continent, the Spirit Hall, a massive organization that had dominated the continent for tens of thousands of years, understood it far better than any other sect.

As an elder of the Spirit Hall, She Long naturally knew something about the soul beasts inhabiting the Star Dou Great Forest, including the Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow.

As for Blazing Spirit Kites, most inhabited Lava Fire Ridge near the Calamity Mountains. A few might live in the Star Dou Great Forest, but finding them in that boundless sea of trees would be extremely difficult.

Qian Renxue did not know much about soul beasts-or rather, she knew more about those suited to an angel martial soul. Although the soul beasts Lu Yang had chosen were also fire-attributed, that was not the attribute given first priority for the six-winged angel martial soul, so she was not particularly familiar with them.

Still, since She Long did not seem to object to Lu Yang's choice, she said nothing more.

Heaven Dou City was far from the Star Dou Great Forest. The group traveled for three days before reaching Haagen-Dazs City.

They stopped in the city to rest for a night, and only after fully recovering their energy did the three continue toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

With She Long, a Titled Douluo, present, Qian Renxue felt safe letting Lu Yang test his skills once they entered the Star Dou Great Forest. She thought that, given his cultivation, he should have little trouble handling the ten-year or hundred-year soul beasts on the forest's outermost fringe.

To Qian Renxue's surprise, however, Lu Yang seemed rather stiff when fighting soul beasts, as though he could not quite put his abilities to use.

Seeing her confusion, She Long offered a reminder from the side. "Young mistress, Lu Yang is only six years old, and it's only been about half a year since he awakened his martial soul. It's perfectly normal for him to lack combat experience."

Only after hearing She Long's words did Qian Renxue realize her mistake. Lu Yang was still just a child. How could he have any experience fighting soul beasts to the death?

"Once we get back, Uncle She Long, you and Uncle Ci Xue should spar with him. A powerful Soul Master needs more than soul power cultivation alone," Qian Renxue said.

"Yes, young mistress," She Long replied.

Before long, however, Qian Renxue noticed that Lu Yang's movements had become much smoother. Or rather, he had found a fighting style that suited him.

After activating Martial Soul Possession, Lu Yang's limbs were clad in armor formed from soul power. Its defense was so strong that attacks from ordinary hundred-year soul beasts could barely penetrate it. Naturally, this allowed Lu Yang to fight much more freely. His current fighting style was to use the armor on his arms as shields to withstand a soul beast's attacks, then seize the right moment to counterattack.

Moreover, with the enhancement from his first soul skill, Sunflame Dawn, all his attributes were boosted by one hundred percent. Coupled with his control over weapons formed from the fire and light granted by The Winged Dragon of Ra, he had no shortage of offensive methods. He simply lacked proficiency.

"What remarkable adaptability. He found a fighting style that suits him so quickly," She Long remarked with admiration.

At that moment, Qian Renxue even felt a little jealous of Lu Yang. Although he certainly could not compare to her now, when she had been his age, she had still spent every day trailing after Bibi Dong, seeking her mother's approval. By that comparison, Lu Yang was far more capable than she had been.

That realization also strengthened Qian Renxue's resolve to spend more time cultivating once they returned. Otherwise, with Lu Yang's current cultivation speed and a Titled Douluo guiding him, his cultivation might catch up to hers in just a few years. When that happened, would she not be outdone by a child eight or nine years younger than her?

During soul hunting, tracking down soul beasts was what took the most time.

After searching the Star Dou Great Forest for two days, Lu Yang and his two companions finally found traces of a Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow.

Snake Lance Douluo then personally captured a Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow of around five thousand years and tossed it in front of Lu Yang.

Without hesitation, Lu Yang conjured a Flame Light Sword and brought it down on the five-thousand-year Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow's head.

As its head parted from its body, a purple soul ring coalesced above the Crimson Flame Feathered Sparrow's corpse. After taking a moment to ready himself, Lu Yang sat cross-legged beside the body and began absorbing the soul ring, which was over five thousand years old.

As the soul ring's energy entered his body, Lu Yang immediately felt waves of stabbing pain from within. It was the discomfort caused by the soul ring's energy surging through his body.

Still, the pain was not beyond what Lu Yang could bear. In fact, it was not even enough to make him grit his teeth and endure.

Watching from the side, Qian Renxue and She Long both showed surprise in their eyes. When they first saw Lu Yang's body trembling as he began absorbing the soul ring, they had thought he would have to endure considerable pain before successfully absorbing this Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Yet judging by Lu Yang's condition, the absorption seemed to be proceeding very smoothly. Even his physical discomfort seemed to fade before long.

Nevertheless, the time Lu Yang took to absorb the soul ring far exceeded Qian Renxue and She Long's expectations. He did not wake from his meditation until the following evening.

"It took almost an entire day. It seems absorbing this soul ring wasn't as smooth as we imagined," Qian Renxue said.

"Uh..." Lu Yang scratched his head, unsure how to respond.

The reason he had taken so long to absorb the soul ring was not that he could not withstand its energy, but rather its soul skill.

During the absorption process, Lu Yang discovered that the soul ring contained no soul skill! This discovery shocked him. After all, he had encountered no such problem when absorbing his first soul ring.

Lu Yang had even considered whether something was wrong with this soul ring and whether he should stop absorbing it. Only after reviewing what had happened when he absorbed his first soul ring did he find a clue.

He then made an attempt, and to his surprise, he really did obtain a soul skill in the end. This skill was very similar to the one he had pictured in his mind. Lu Yang therefore felt that the martial soul of The Winged Dragon of Ra might grant him more than accelerated cultivation and recovery. It might also have another trait: allowing him to choose his own soul skills.