"Innate soul power, level 1!"
Lin Kong's eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright in bed, his breathing slightly rapid and his forehead damp with cold sweat. His gaze swept from side to side, and he recognized the dormitory of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy.
A communal bed, yellowed quilts, and a few patched clothes washed pale.
Those words from his martial soul awakening were like his nightmare. Even now, a full six years later, when he had cultivated to level ten and only needed his first soul ring to become a soul master admired by everyone, he still could not escape them.
His fists suddenly clenched, bunching up the bedding. His face turned cold and stern, and he gritted his teeth, roaring inwardly:
I'm a transmigrator too, and Su Yuntao even awakened my martial soul. Why didn't things turn out like they did for the other protagonists?
Why did they all get top-tier martial souls plus innate full soul power? What about me?
My martial soul is Dark Blue Silver Grass. No offense, no defense, no support abilities-a textbook trash martial soul. And my innate soul power was only level one.
Why?
His heart burned with agitation. Lin Kong fell stiffly backward and pulled the quilt over his face.
Heh! My chance is here!
My chance to defy heaven and change my fate is here. This year, Tang San graduates from Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy and heads to Shrek Academy. Tang Hao follows in secret to protect him, leaving his wife, Ah Yin, behind.
A chance, a chance to defy heaven and change my fate. As long as I get the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor right leg soul bone, I... I...
Beneath the quilt, his chest heaved violently once more.
"Lin Kong," a sweet, girlish voice called. Xiao Wu asked with concern, "Another nightmare? You've been having more of them lately. What is it? Worried about your first soul ring?"
Six years ago, Lin Kong had awakened his Dark Blue Silver Grass martial soul with level-one innate soul power.
Six years later, Lin Kong had cultivated to level-ten soul power and could obtain his first soul ring.
As for Xiao Wu and Tang San, who shared his dormitory and were also work-study students, seemingly of the same status?
Both of them were already level twenty-nine!
From this point onward, they would be worlds apart.
Tang San would join Shrek, obtain an external soul bone, head to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to consume immortal herbs, win the tournament, enter Slaughter City to obtain a domain, and then cheat his way straight to godhood?
Xiao Wu would become a carried-to-victory dog!
What about him?
He could tag along with the teachers and scrape together some ten-year soul ring, but he could not afford the tuition for an intermediate soul master academy. He could only find some random job in the city, marry a village girl a few years later, and spend the rest of his life like that.
Many years later, only after drinking would he spout nonsense to his drinking buddies, boasting about his fantasies: "If I'd awakened a top-tier martial soul and innate full soul power back then, I'd already be a Titled Douluo."
"If I'd awakened a top-tier martial soul and innate full soul power back then, I'd already be just like you, and then... I could go to the same academy as you," Lin Kong told Xiao Wu.
As a transmigrator, he had a fairly nimble tongue. Just a few simple words could cheer up that silly rabbit, Xiao Wu.
"Hee-hee-Lin Kong, we'll see each other again someday."
"Mm!" Tang San responded icily from beside them.
He disliked Lin Kong.
The reason?
Of course, it was because Lin Kong could occasionally make Xiao Wu laugh with a few words. It was like a needle stabbing into his heart, leaving Tang San very unhappy.
He swept a lofty gaze over Lin Kong, displaying utter contempt and disdain. Taking Xiao Wu by the wrist, Tang San's tone abruptly softened. "Let's go. Any later, and we won't make it in time."
"Okay, let's set off!"
After one last goodbye to Lin Kong, Xiao Wu followed Tang San out of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. They were not at level-ten soul power and did not need to follow the teachers to obtain soul rings.
Xiao Wu: "Xiao San, what kind of soul ring do you think Lin Kong will get?"
Tang San: "Just an ordinary ten-year soul ring, probably!"
If I go with the teachers, I'll only get a ten-year soul ring. If I want a hundred-year soul ring, I'll have to rely on myself.
Lin Kong gradually tightened his fists.
Aside from their immediate benefits, soul ring configurations were crucial to the ceiling of a soul master's future development.
With a white, ten-year first soul ring, one could not cultivate to the Soul Saint realm; with a purple, thousand-year fifth soul ring, one could not cultivate to the Titled Douluo realm.
Ten-year soul rings and hundred-year soul rings represented not only present combat strength, but the future as well.
Every soul master would strive to obtain the soul ring most suitable for them at the time.
I'm going to get a hundred-year soul ring! Lin Kong's resolve grew ever firmer.
First, he would obtain a hundred-year soul ring, then search for the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor right leg soul bone.
This was the plan Lin Kong had settled on.
Hundred-year soul ring, here I come!
After dressing and climbing down from the communal bed, Lin Kong took one last look at the dormitory where he had lived for six years, then turned and left.
"Lin Kong, hurry and assemble. The dean is taking you to hunt soul beasts and obtain soul rings."
"Mm."
"Be careful not to get separated along the way. If you do, running into a ten-year soul beast would be manageable, but a hundred-year soul beast would be very dangerous. You children could be in danger."
"Thank you for the reminder, teacher."
Lin Kong did not hurry to assemble. Instead, he took a detour and left in another direction.
He had submitted his reason to the dean yesterday afternoon: a distant relative was taking him to hunt a hundred-year soul master, so there was no need to trouble the dean.
With one fewer person to look after, the dean was happy to have less to do. After the customary discussion, he had approved the request.
The teacher from earlier was out of the loop and did not know.
Lin Kong was an orphan. He had no relative who would take him to hunt soul beasts for soul rings, nor did he have the money to hire someone to hunt soul beasts for him.
He would have to rely on his own strength to kill a hundred-year soul beast-an almost impossible task for a child with level-ten soul power.
For a transmigrator with level-ten soul power, there was a chance of accomplishing it through his own strength.
Lin Kong left the academy and arrived at a blacksmith's shop.
"Hello, uncle."
"What brings you here, little one?" The craftsman looked at the child before him and could not help frowning slightly.
His hair was dry, yellowed, and split at the ends; his skin was sallow, his cheeks sunken, and his body small and thin, with scarcely any flesh on it. His only attractive feature was his eyes: large and bright, without the slightest cloudiness. His vitality and spirit were quite good.
"Uncle, I'm a graduate of the Soul Master Academy. Here's my proof. I need some oil to hunt soul beasts. Could you let me buy it on credit?"
"Hmm... let me see!"
The documents were authentic and correct.
A junior soul master academy graduate with level-ten soul power only needed to follow the teachers and obtain a soul ring to officially become a soul master, after which he could receive a monthly stipend of one Gold Soul Coin.
Then... the choice was simple!
A little oil did not cost much. Investing in someone certain to become a soul master was a tremendous bargain.
"Little one, you want oil, right? I'll have someone get it ready for you."
"Thank you, uncle!"
A few minutes later, a large quantity of oil had been packed up and placed in the bundle on Lin Kong's back.
"Little one, I hope you get a suitable ten-year soul ring."
"I'll get a hundred-year soul ring."
"Hahaha, ambitious! Then let me congratulate you in advance on killing an incomparably ferocious hundred-year soul beast, surviving, and successfully obtaining a hundred-year soul ring."
"Thank you, uncle!"