Picking Up Fragments on Douluo Continent

The great tree fell at the blow, its cut smooth and clean.

"I haven't taught Xiao San these techniques yet. For Xiao San, who only knows how to swing a hammer, this is still too early. As for the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, that would be aiming too high!"

Tang Hao murmured, "I never expected him to comprehend these techniques on his own. A genius?"

"No, calling him a genius might even be understating it."

Tang Hao felt that if someone was taught and learned quickly, they were talented.

If someone was taught and understood as soon as they learned, they were a genius.

But if no one taught them and they comprehended it themselves...

A genius among geniuses???

Tang Hao watched that tiny figure still tirelessly swinging the Firewood Chopper.

A long-forgotten feeling welled up in his heart.

Back then, he had also been a genius.

Suddenly, Tang Hao let out a self-mocking sigh. "So what if I was a genius? So what if I was a Title Douluo? In the end, I couldn't even protect my own wife."

Tang Hao lingered no longer. Dragging his somewhat weary body, he slowly returned to the blacksmith shop.

Lu Feng had no idea Tang Hao had come. He was still immersed in his training.

"Although the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer is powerful, it isn't without weaknesses. Its most obvious flaw is that it requires a long charging process, and in real combat, enemies simply won't give you that time."

"In the original story, Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Xiao Wu's Soul Bone Skill to improve this move."

"What should I do now?"

As Lu Feng pondered, the technique in his hands began to change.

He no longer focused on the strength behind every slash. Instead, he controlled his body, turning it along with the pull of his momentum.

Gradually, his steps began to look somewhat chaotic. Several times, he nearly stepped on his own foot and tripped himself.

Yet Lu Feng was like a small boat amid raging waves, drifting with the current while steadily sailing forward.

But improving a cultivation technique was hardly so simple. Countless predecessors of the Clear Sky Sect had experimented for years without making any progress.

Bang!

Lu Feng lost focus for a moment and slammed his forehead into the tree trunk. It hurt so badly that tears nearly came to his eyes.

"My control over strength still isn't good enough. More importantly, my body is too small and weak. A little horse pulling a big cart—I just can't manage it."

"Forget it. Spirit City wasn't built in a day."

Lu Feng rubbed his head, packed up his things, and headed home.

"School starts in a few days. I can't wait to meet the other protagonist."

"I wonder what fragments that little rabbit can provide me with? I'm not greedy. If she casually drops a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring Fragment or a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bone Fragment, I'll be completely satisfied."

Nuoding City

"Junior Soul Master Academies mainly teach basic cultivation and academic subjects. Only after obtaining a spirit ring and officially becoming a Soul Master can one graduate from the academy. Beyond that, there are intermediate and even advanced academies."

Old Jack drove the ox cart while telling the two of them about Soul Master Academies.

Lu Feng lounged comfortably atop the ox cart, eyes closed, one leg crossed over the other, with a foxtail grass stem hanging from his mouth.

"Xiao San, get on the cart and sit down too. Nuoding City is still more than half a shichen away," Old Jack said concernedly, glancing back at Tang San walking beside the cart.

Tang San wiped the sweat from his forehead and pretended not to care. "No need, Village Chief Grandpa. I'm not used to riding ox carts. I'll treat this as physical training."

In truth, ever since Lu Feng had left the blacksmith shop, Tang San had experienced "intense fatherly love" every few days.

A few days ago, after two months of effort, Tang San had finally refined a chunk of raw iron down to the size of a fist. He eagerly showed Tang Hao his achievement.

The moment Tang Hao saw the refined iron, he thought of Lu Feng, that "other people's child."

Thus, Tang San learned what it meant for "fatherly love to be as heavy as a mountain."

"Hiss~"

Tang San touched his backside. Even though he had applied ointment, it still burned painfully.

"Hmph, school is about to start. Lu Feng is from the same village as me, so I'll let this matter slide for now." Tang San shot Lu Feng an unfriendly look before continuing after the ox cart.

"Village Chief Grandpa, what are intermediate and advanced academies?" Tang San asked Old Jack curiously.

Old Jack patiently explained, "Intermediate academies teach more advanced knowledge. To graduate from one, you must reach level twenty and obtain your second spirit ring."

Old Jack glanced back at Lu Feng and Tang San, his eyes full of satisfaction. In his view, with their talent, reaching level twenty would not be difficult.

"However, intermediate academies will not help students hunt spirit rings. To obtain a second spirit ring, you must rely on your own strength to hunt spirit beasts."

With that, Old Jack sighed.

It was far too difficult for commoner Soul Masters to become strong!

Cultivation resources, family influence, growth environment. Fall one step behind, and you fall behind every step!

"What about advanced academies?" Tang San asked.

Old Jack gave a bitter smile. "Advanced academies are even harder. They aren't something commoners like us can even consider."

At some point, Lu Feng had opened his eyes and was listening intently to Old Jack.

To be honest, when he had read Douluo Continent, he had only cared about Soul Master Competitions and how the protagonist showed off.

After the animation came out, his attention had shifted to the "wives."

He knew very little about the continent's customs and culture.

Besides, novels were ultimately fictional. Now, he was living in a real world.

Along the way, Old Jack continuously explained matters related to Soul Master Academies to the two of them. From time to time, he also slipped in amusing stories he had witnessed in his youth.

Holy Soul Village was not far from Nuoding City, and the three of them were riding in an ox cart. Before noon, they had already arrived at the city gates.

This was not Lu Feng's first time in Nuoding City. Back when he was a hunter, he had come here several times with vegetable-selling caravans.

Old Jack drove the ox cart to its designated spot and led the two toward the Junior Academy.

Nuoding City was entirely paved with marble and was remarkably level. The streets were bustling with people and full of life.

The Junior Academy was located in the west of Nuoding City. The group walked for quite a while before reaching its gates.

The academy looked exceptionally grand. Its towering arched entrance stood nearly ten meters high and had been constructed from hard stone. Beneath it were two iron gates, and Tang San could tell at once that they were made from excellent refined iron.

"If I took these two gates apart, there'd be enough material to forge so many hidden weapons!"

Tang San's eyes gleamed as he stared at the dark gates.

"What are you doing! Is this a place country bumpkins like you can come to? Get lost, get lost, get lost!" The young gatekeeper saw Tang San's fascinated expression and shouted harshly.

Startled awake by the young man's voice, Tang San came back to his senses. Remembering how he had looked just now, he immediately felt heat rush to his head.

His face reddened slightly as he looked up at the young man, a flash of hostility passing through his eyes.

"What are you staring at! I'm talking to you!"

The young man pointed at Tang San with his right hand and shouted, "Where did this hillbilly come from? Do you know what place this is?"

Seeing this, Old Jack hurriedly smiled apologetically. "Little brother, we're from Holy Soul Village. These two children are our village's Work-Study Students this year."

The gatekeeper frowned and said with a mocking tone, "Work-Study Students? The academy hasn't had any Work-Study Students for years. You aren't impostors, are you? Do you have Spirit Hall certificates?"

The young man's attitude was not without reason. There had indeed been people who pretended to be Work-Study Students in order to work at the academy.

After all, sweeping the grounds at the academy earned ten copper soul coins a day!

That was far better than working outside.

Anger flashed through Old Jack's eyes, but he swallowed it and took out their certificates, handing them to the gatekeeper.

"Hahaha, Blue Silver Grass? Innate Full Soul Power? What kind of nonsense is this? If you're going to forge documents, at least make them believable." The gatekeeper waved the certificates in his hand, both angry and amused.

"Holy Soul Village? More like Beggar Village!"

"What did you say?" Old Jack's expression changed. He suddenly stepped forward and glared furiously at the gatekeeper.

Holy Soul Village was his greatest pride. He would never allow anyone to sully it.

Tang San narrowed his eyes, his face darkening. His right hand lifted slightly as he released the safety on his Sleeve Arrow.

"Hmph, exposed and now you're lashing out from embarrassment? I've been a gatekeeper at this academy for four years, and I've never heard of a student with Innate Full Soul Power. Let's see what kind of story the other certificate has made up."

"Martial soul: body. Innate..." The gatekeeper's words abruptly stopped halfway through.

On Lu Feng's certificate, a golden seal shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

"Sp-Spirit Hall... Youth Group Reserve!" The young man's eyes widened at the seal on the certificate.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Though it was a cool autumn day, the young man felt as if he were standing in a furnace.

It was easy to forge a martial soul certificate. All one needed was a Soul Master to imitate the Soul Power seal.

But forging the seal of Spirit Hall? If that was discovered, it would cost someone their head!

"Th-this..."

"I'm done for. I've offended two future Lord Soul Masters!"

The young man stood frozen in place, as though a massive stone weighed on his heart. For a moment, he could not say a word.

"E-Elder, I'm truly sorry. I was blind and looked down on others. I hope you can forgive me," the young man said with difficulty.

"Hmph!" Old Jack snorted coldly, immediately feeling immensely satisfied.

Still, Old Jack did not reply. The young man's words had pierced the softest part of his heart.

Tang San lowered his head and stroked his right wrist without saying a word.

In Tang San's eyes, insulting his martial soul was already a capital offense!

Had the young man apologized a few seconds later, an arrowhead would have appeared in his throat!

"Hmph, our village chief is magnanimous, so we'll let you off this time. Next time, keep your eyes open."

Seeing the young man's pale face and restless appearance, Lu Feng waved his hand, signaling for him to step aside.

The young man had indeed been at fault, but it was not some grave offense. Lu Feng had no interest in making things difficult for an ordinary person.

Hearing this, the young man felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted. He bowed deeply to Lu Feng once more.

Just as Lu Feng stepped through the academy gates, a ball of white light dropped out.

Picked up white special attribute Faith Fragment *1 (1/1)

If You Do Not Spurn Me, I Wish to Take You as My Godfather!

"Xiao San, go on in first. I'm going to take a casual walk around the academy."

After speaking, Lu Feng did not wait for Tang San's response and headed off alone.

"Faith?"

Lu Feng silently pondered, The original story mentioned that the Angel God exterminated fallen Soul Masters and established Spirit Hall, eventually ascending to the divine realm through the faith of Soul Masters across the entire continent.

Lu Feng scanned his fragment inventory. Amid a pile of white fragments, the Faith Fragment looked somewhat out of place, occupying a small space all by itself.

"Huh? Faith can't be synthesized? Every fragment is independent?"

"Where did this thing come from?"

Lu Feng turned back toward the academy gates and saw that the young gatekeeper was still watching him from afar.

"Could it be him?" Lu Feng wondered.

"The young man offended students. Though they're only Work-Study Students, if Old Jack or Tang San truly pursued the matter, he would definitely lose his job."

"To me, it was only a small effort. But to him, it was a well-paying job, perhaps even the pillar supporting an entire family."

"What is this? Is it making me do one good deed a day?"

"If I became emperor, governed with kindness, and liberated the suffering masses, wouldn't I be able to ascend to the heavens in broad daylight?"

Lu Feng shook his head and tossed the absurd thought from his mind.