Notting City

While making clay sculptures, Shi Quan keenly noticed something: this focused, single-minded sculpting not only improved his compatibility with the Mud Martial Soul, but might also strengthen his Spirit Power.

If he used Spirit Mud to shape a good piece, one that was vivid and lifelike or even possessed a certain spiritual charm, he would need to concentrate all his Spirit Power into his martial soul throughout the entire process. That process would definitely have the effect of training his Spirit Power.

His father's flexible control over his martial soul also consumed mental energy—Spirit Power. If he controlled it for too long, Shi Jian would grow tired as well.

"Xiao Quan, you did very well."

Shi Jian looked at Shi Quan, who had just awakened from that state, his eyes full of astonishment. He himself had begun learning clay sculpture at six, yet he had only entered Shi Quan's earlier state by chance when he was eighteen or nineteen—a state where one became wholly immersed in sculpting and forgot oneself entirely.

In Shi Jian's original plan, it would already have been excellent if Shi Quan could reach that selfless state within three months. Yet after barely half a month, Shi Quan had already achieved it. How could he not be shocked?

Is this the talent of a Soul Master? Shi Jian wondered, sincerely happy for Shi Quan.

"Xiao Quan, remember that feeling from just now. From now on, you need to enter that state as often as possible. Practice makes perfect. Once you can control it freely, it will be time for you to try making clay sculptures with your martial soul."

After reflecting on that feeling for a moment, Shi Quan nodded. "I understand, Dad."

For now, he was still making clay sculptures from ordinary soil. According to Shi Jian, only once he could freely immerse himself in the process of sculpting would he be able to try using his martial soul to create them.

Clay sculpture looked ordinary, but actually doing it was far from as easy as it seemed. That feeling of selfless immersion was not something one could enter so easily.

Had Shi Quan not developed the habit of reading from an early age, making his mind naturally calmer than most, and had he not received the aid of the Spirit Soul martial soul, he could never have reached such a state for the first time in only half a month.

This state of focused, selfless immersion was extremely special.

Even if it could not help Shi Jian improve his control over his martial soul, this special state was still greatly beneficial to Shi Quan's cultivation.

With the Spirit Soul martial soul's assistance, Shi Quan entered that selfless state for the second time seven days later. During the practice, he could feel his Spirit Power gradually improving under its influence, and his perception of the Spirit Soul martial soul became noticeably stronger.

As the number of times increased, Shi Quan became more and more adept at entering that selfless state. After a little over two months, he could already enter it almost every day.

Just as Shi Jian had predicted, this focused and selfless state of immersion was useful not only for controlling one's martial soul, but also for cultivation, offering a certain degree of assistance and improvement. His cultivation speed was a little faster than usual. It was not much, but over time, the gains would be considerable.

This focused, tranquil study and cultivation made Shi Quan appear more composed. Whenever he did something, he instinctively calmed his mind and could quickly immerse himself in it.

Clay sculpture seemed simple, but truly doing this one thing well brought benefits far beyond Shi Quan's expectations.

Deep down, Shi Quan admired his father somewhat. An ordinary person had actually managed to reach such a level.

There were not many external distractions in the Douluo world. Countless ordinary people like Shi Jian devoted their entire lives to a single pursuit, but for him to happen to comprehend a method of controlling his martial soul through such an exceedingly ordinary pursuit was not merely a coincidence of martial soul compatibility. It was even more a reflection of Shi Jian's own talent.

If Dad had been born in a world of cultivation and enlightenment, he would definitely have been a genius.

Three months passed quickly amid this fulfilling cultivation.

This special state felt somewhat like the enlightenment states described in novels from his previous life. They were similar, but there were also obvious differences.

He could now enter this special state freely, but what troubled Shi Quan was that it had a prerequisite: he had to have the Spirit Soul martial soul's assistance.

So he gave this special state a name: the Spirit Enlightenment State.

Only by relying on the Spirit Soul martial soul could he quickly clear away the clutter in his heart and wholly immerse himself in the Spirit Enlightenment State.

The more often he entered the Spirit Enlightenment State, the more Shi Quan admired his father. The Spirit Enlightenment State provided comprehensive enhancements to a Soul Master's cultivation, and as one's strength increased, those enhancements would most likely only grow rather than diminish.

Especially for a Level 95 Titled Douluo. If Shi Quan remembered correctly, the original novel seemed to say that after Level 95, what Titled Douluo relied on was no longer the accumulation of Soul Power, but their understanding of their own martial souls. With the Spirit Enlightenment State's aid, one could practically be said to have no bottlenecks at all after Level 95.

If word of this got out, the entire continent would probably be shaken.

Of course, Shi Quan was not certain. After all, Tang San's Soul Power Level had always soared directly whenever it advanced. There had never been any mention of needing enlightenment.

Although the Spirit Enlightenment State was powerful, it had certain drawbacks. In that state, all of one's awareness and thoughts were immersed in a single matter, causing one to ignore time and even everything around them. If danger arose, there would be no time to react. Therefore, one had to enter the Spirit Enlightenment State somewhere safe.

"Xiao Quan, take a break today."

Shi Quan halted just as he stepped into the Clay Sculpture Room. He looked doubtfully toward Shi Jian inside. "What's wrong, Dad? Why aren't we cultivating today?"

Shi Jian said calmly, "Tomorrow, you're going to Notting City's Soul Master Academy to study. You'll be gone for a year. You've spent every day in this Clay Sculpture Room lately, so on your last day, go spend some time with your mother."

"I understand, Dad."

Shi Quan's expression shifted slightly. He had been cultivating every day lately and had truly lost track of time. He had not expected that he would be leaving for the academy so soon. Li Meili had doted on him since he was little, and now she was about to send him away to study. Her mood surely would not be good. Shi Jian must have noticed Li Meili's feelings as well, which was why he had specifically told him to keep her company.

When he arrived at the front courtyard, Li Meili was sitting quietly by herself, staring blankly at a reclining chair to one side. The chair was not large; they had prepared it for Shi Quan. Usually, Shi Quan liked lying on it to bask in the sun and read.

Over the last three months, Shi Quan had not lain on it even once because of his daily cultivation, but it was still spotless.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Shi Quan came up behind Li Meili and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Why aren't you cultivating today?" Hearing his voice, Li Meili's face immediately broke into a radiant smile.

Shi Quan grinned mischievously. "I missed our pretty, beautiful Mom, of course."

"Why is our Xiao Quan's mouth so sweet?" Li Meili burst into laughter, then turned around and pulled Shi Quan into her arms. "What delicious food do you want for lunch? Mom will make it for you!"

"Sweet and sour ribs, spicy rabbit meat..." Shi Quan counted them off on his fingers. Before long, he had named a long list of dishes. "...I like everything Mom makes~"

"Hahaha, all right, all right."

In just a few words, Shi Quan had Li Meili laughing happily.

Happy times always passed quickly. Amid their laughter and conversation, night soon fell.

In his room, Shi Quan unusually did not begin cultivating the moment he returned. Instead, he stared blankly at the moonlight outside the window for a while. Thinking of the Soul Master Academy he would soon attend, as well as Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Grandmaster there, Shi Quan felt unusually restless.

He looked forward to the world outside, but he also felt reluctant to part with his family.

Early the next morning.

Shi Quan awakened from cultivation amid the fragrance of porridge. For the past three months, he had spent every night cultivating. He still only had a few rough ideas about the system's treasure chest trigger patterns. He had tried several times over those three months, but there had been no response. For now, he could only rely on his own diligence and hard work to improve his strength as much as possible.

After three months of arduous cultivation, his Soul Power Level had reached Level 5, and he was not far from Level 6. At this rate, he was confident that he could Breakthrough Level 20 before graduating from the junior academy.

In the main hall, Li Meili had already prepared breakfast for the two of them. They had packed Shi Quan's things in advance. To see him off, the two had deliberately put on brand-new clothes, and naturally, Shi Quan had new clothes as well.

Although they lived in a village, Shi Quan's family was not poor. After all, Shi Jian's craftsmanship was there. His clay sculptures alone were enough to ensure that the family never lacked food or clothing.

"Xiao Quan, come eat."

Li Meili's call came from the main hall.

Perhaps because she was thinking that Shi Quan would be leaving for the academy today, breakfast was especially lavish, filled entirely with Shi Quan's favorite dishes.

Shi Quan ate heartily, and his stomach quickly swelled. Even though he was stuffed, nearly two-thirds of the breakfast still remained on the table.

He could not finish it. There was simply no way he could finish it.

Shi Quan rubbed his round little belly with a deeply satisfied expression, making Li Meili beside him giggle.

After the three finished breakfast, the Carriage Shi Jian had arranged in advance was already parked steadily outside their home. After a brief tidying up, they loaded the prepared belongings onto the Carriage one by one, then set off toward Notting City.

They had prepared everything thoroughly for Shi Quan: bedding, pillows, a straw mattress, clothes, shoes, and even washing supplies.

Shi Jian drove the Carriage while Shi Quan and Li Meili sat in the back. Along the way, the three chatted and laughed as if they were simply setting out on a trip. Naturally, Shi Jian also gave Shi Quan plenty of instructions. Shi Quan understood the peculiarities of the Spirit Enlightenment State and knew its importance, so he would not expose it carelessly. Without Shi Jian's guidance from now on, he could only rely on himself to improve through practice.

The Carriage was not especially fast, but Stone Family Village was not far from Notting City. Just before noon, they could already see Notting City's towering walls in the distance.

Shi Quan had come to Notting City many times before with Li Meili and Shi Jian, so it was not unfamiliar to him.

There was still plenty of time to register, and it was nearly noon anyway. Shi Jian directly parked the Carriage outside a restaurant in Notting City, intending to have lunch first.

"Master Shi, are you in the city to deliver clay sculptures again? Come, come, sit over here."

The moment they entered the restaurant, the shopkeeper warmly greeted Shi Jian. The restaurant was grandly decorated, and many exquisite clay sculptures were displayed on the cabinets behind the counter. Yet although it was only close to noon, the restaurant was already full of diners, with only one or two empty tables along the edges.

Shi Jian also smiled and waved at the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper Li, your business is as booming as ever. I'm here today to see this boy of mine off."

"Oh?" While leading Shi Jian and the others to an empty table, Shopkeeper Li's gaze toward Shi Quan changed slightly.

Shopkeeper Li was a shrewd man. People came and went through his restaurant every day, and he had seen all sorts of people. He knew far more than the average person. He clasped his hands and congratulated Shi Jian. "Congratulations, Master Shi, on raising such a promising son."

Shi Jian smiled without arrogance or impatience. "You flatter me, Shopkeeper Li. It is all his own fortune."

"Master Shi is still the same as always. Sit down first. I'll have the kitchen prepare several extra signature dishes for you." Shopkeeper Li smiled and headed toward the kitchen.

"Dad, do you know that Shopkeeper Li well?"

Shi Jian shook his head. "He ordered clay sculptures from me twice before. We only dealt with each other a couple of times. But the food here really is good, so eat plenty later."

Shi Quan nodded thoughtfully. His father was not only mature and steady, but also exceptionally shrewd in dealing with people.

What was a restaurant for? A place for boasting, chatting, and gathering, where there were many people and many ears.

The fact that he possessed Soul Master talent would soon spread through Notting City among those who knew Shi Jian, carried by Shopkeeper Li's words. After all, an ordinary family producing a Soul Master was rare gossip. There was no harm in letting the news spread. It might even bring the family a good deal more business later. There were benefits and no drawbacks.

After lunch.

Li Meili was afraid that they had not prepared enough things, so she insisted that Shi Jian drive the Carriage around the streets once more. She called it checking for omissions and filling the gaps—if they saw anything Shi Quan needed, they would buy it along the way. Shi Jian understood his wife's feelings. He knew Li Meili simply wanted to spend a little more time with Shi Quan, so he obediently drove the Carriage toward the streets.

Mother and son browsed, played, and laughed as they went, as though they had come to Notting City solely to shop.

"Hello, sir. Do you happen to know which way Notting Academy is?"

Just as the three were happily shopping, an elderly voice from not far away caught their attention. All three instinctively turned toward the direction the voice had come from.