This Gangzi... how did those two brain-dead idiots in the original story fall for trash like him? Liu Erlong and Bibi Dong, both of them.
Did they both have a fetish for ugly men?
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Ji Hongchen couldn't help shaking his head. The original Douluo story truly defied description. The whole thing was practically a joke.
Almost everyone was an idiot.
Take Qian Renxue. She inherited Bibi Dong's idiot genes too. If she could kill the crown prince and replace him, why not just have Golden Crocodile kill Xue Ye? Wouldn't impersonating the emperor be much simpler?
Even if she couldn't kill Xue Ye?
Then at least do a proper fucking job of killing people!
What the hell was killing two and leaving one alive supposed to accomplish? Was her brain filled with golden liquid? She'd already killed two, so what was the point of sparing one?
What came later was even more outrageous.
She actually wanted to discard the utterly loyal Chrysanthemum Douluo, using his life to win Tang San over.
Was that really how a normal person thought?
He wanted nothing to do with those idiots.
With that thought, Ji Hongchen returned to his room and took out the basic martial soul textbook provided by the school to study.
These fundamentals were not to be underestimated.
As a soul master, a basic understanding of soul beasts was essential. Otherwise, it was easy to suffer for it, just as Tang San had.
He had nearly ruined his Blue Silver Emperor.
If he hadn't received a second evolution later that improved its quality, his Blue Silver Grass would probably have been little more than a decoration.
For his first soul ring, Ji Hongchen planned to obtain a soul skill that increased sharpness. He also had a strong feeling that absorbing his first soul ring would bring a qualitative change to his martial soul.
Evening soon arrived.
Xiao Chenyu brought a group over to find Ji Hongchen, who was still reading.
"Hey, Ji, put the book down. Dinner's on me tonight."
Ever since absorbing a Hundred-Year Azure Wolf for his first soul ring, Xiao Chenyu had become the brightest star in all of Nuoding School, drawing attention wherever he went.
His family had also given him considerable support in resources.
After all, Xiao Chenyu wasn't an only child. He had an older brother and a younger brother, but neither matched his talent of innate rank-three soul power.
On top of that, his first soul skill came from a hundred-year soul ring compatible with his martial soul.
Naturally, his family had begun to value him and direct more resources toward him. Unless something unexpected happened, he would become Nuoding City's next city lord.
Thanks to Ji Hongchen's reminder, Xiao Chenyu had also become friends with him. After learning that his friend's family was struggling, he often treated Ji Hongchen to meals.
"Sure."
Ji Hongchen didn't stand on ceremony.
Although all he had done was give Xiao Chenyu a reminder, he would definitely repay him for treating him to meals every day when he had the chance.
After all, he had a huge appetite, and everything he ate was expensive soul beast meat. Over the past year, he had eaten his way through several hundred Gold Soul Coins of Xiao Chenyu's money.
Fortunately, Xiao Chenyu had deep pockets and a fairly wealthy family. Otherwise, his father would surely have beaten him for spending several hundred Gold Soul Coins on food in a single year.
After dinner.
Ji Hongchen resumed practicing his swordsmanship. Whenever he grew tired, he meditated instead of resting. Day after day passed like this, yet he never found it tedious.
The next day.
Ji Hongchen divided the materials for the Compound Bow into several batches and drew separate blueprints, commissioning different blacksmiths to make each component to prevent its design from leaking.
The Compound Bow was extremely powerful.
In this world, hunting hundred-year soul beasts with it would be no problem at all. If its design leaked, organizations with ill intentions would inevitably come knocking.
After all, although the people of the Douluo Continent were stupid.
They certainly weren't short of malice. Behind the scenes, nearly every major power would snuff out promising talents and eliminate threats to cut off future trouble at the root.
Only one person could really be considered a gentleman.
That blockhead, Qian Daoliu.
As for Qian Renxue, she was simply stupid beyond measure. Trading a loyal subordinate for an enemy's loyalty was something only her "world-shaking wisdom" could produce.
What an absolute joke.
After commissioning the blacksmiths to craft the Compound Bow's parts, Ji Hongchen began considering how to increase his soul power.
Half a year passed.
On the training grounds.
Ji Hongchen took a deep breath, then exhaled a stale breath, his gaze resolute. At that moment, his spirit, energy, and essence united, as though his body was the sword and the sword was his body.
It felt somewhat like man and sword as one.
In this state, his speed increased considerably, and his vision became sharper, allowing him to spot more weaknesses and openings.
"My soul power has successfully broken through to rank ten, too!"
In a year and a half, he had risen from an innate half-rank to rank ten, averaging one rank every two months. Although advancing was easier at the soul scholar stage, this was already remarkably fast.
It rivaled the pace of some geniuses with innate rank-eight or rank-nine soul power.
He could feel that, besides the uncontrollable lump of iron inside him, there was now a Sword Embryo being nurtured.
This Sword Embryo was a piece separated from his martial soul. As long as he continued tempering it with sword intent, it would eventually become a true sword.
And swords like this.
He would have nine of them in the future!
With all nine swords unleashed together, his swordsmanship would make the entire world blanch!
For now, however, he needed to consider his choice of first soul ring, as well as how to obtain a Soul Hunting Permit to enter the Soul Hunting Forest.
"I'll go see Xiao Chenyu first."
That kid had managed to sneak out to hunt soul beasts, so he definitely had a Soul Hunting Permit. I could ask whether he'd lend it to me.
With that thought, Ji Hongchen went to find Xiao Chenyu.
"Chenyu, do you have a Soul Hunting Permit? I'm planning to ask someone to come hunt a soul ring with me," Ji Hongchen asked directly.
"A Soul Hunting Permit?"
Xiao Chenyu froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. He looked at Ji Hongchen with delighted surprise. "Ji Hongchen, you've already reached rank ten?"
"Yeah."
Ji Hongchen nodded.
Xiao Chenyu was thrilled to hear it. "I knew it! You work so hard every day. Of course you could become a soul master!"
"All right. Since you've reached rank ten, I'll definitely help you."
Xiao Chenyu handed Ji Hongchen the Soul Hunting Permit he carried with him, then asked solemnly, "Hongchen, do you need me to find a Soul Hunting Team for you, too?"
Although the strongest soul beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest were only thousand-year ones.
It was still dangerous. Besides, in his eyes, Ji Hongchen trained so diligently that only a hundred-year first soul ring, at the very least, could do justice to his efforts.
Taking the Soul Hunting Permit.
Ji Hongchen naturally felt deeply moved. Having the city lord's son as a friend certainly made many things easier in this feudal age.
"All right, I'll head off to hunt my soul ring."
"Stay safe! If it doesn't work out, come back and I'll contact a Soul Hunting Team for you!" Xiao Chenyu couldn't help calling after Ji Hongchen as he left.
After reaching the outskirts of the city.
Ji Hongchen first visited a blacksmith's shop to buy some throwing darts, then went to a pharmacy for Beast-Repelling Powder and healing medicine, along with the most important item of all: poison.
After that round of shopping.
His wallet was badly wounded.
Of his original hundred-odd Gold Soul Coins, only a few dozen remained, piling snow onto the frost for Ji Hongchen, whose family was already far from wealthy.
"I might be the most miserable Douluo transmigrator ever!"
Ji Hongchen felt rather helpless.
Still, it was all worth it to improve his strength.
Before entering the Soul Hunting Forest.
He took out the prepared Compound Bow components and assembled them according to the blueprints, then picked up the specially made arrows to test its power.
The Compound Bow was made entirely of darksteel and felt extremely heavy in his hands. Its bowstring was the tendon of a hundred-year soul beast, making it exceptionally tough. The arrowheads were also darksteel, while the shafts were made from hundred-year lone bamboo, known for its toughness.
With the arrowheads coated in poison as well.
Even an ordinary thousand-year soul beast would struggle to escape death if struck in a vital spot. The full three hundred Gold Soul Coins Ji Hongchen had spent to barely afford this custom weapon had not been wasted.
Before you continue