After leaving Spirit Hall, Xiao Xuan rushed straight home without stopping.
Becoming an official Soul Master was a joyous occasion no less glorious than bringing honor to one's ancestors in a commoner's family on the Douluo Continent. Naturally, he had to tell his parents at once.
In the outskirts of Nuoding City, in the Xiao family's little courtyard.
When Xiao Xuan released his Martial Soul and the bright yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet, Xiao Wuyong and Li Ya turned to stone on the spot, their minds going completely blank for a full half minute!
"Tw... Twelfth level?! And a Hundred-Year Soul Ring?!"
"Xuan'er! Haven't you only been at school for a month?! What on earth happened?!"
Xiao Xuan had prepared his story long ago. Without blushing or missing a beat, he repeated the explanation he had given Wang Ping'an.
"A beneficial mutation?!"
Xiao Wuyong and Li Ya exchanged looks, the shock on their faces rapidly giving way to indescribable ecstasy!
The Douluo Continent held all manner of wonders. Though Martial Soul Mutation was rare, it did exist.
As long as he hadn't turned into trash worse than a pig or a dog, a beneficial mutation that sent him racing toward becoming a divine weapon was like blue smoke rising from their ancestors' graves and heaven itself putting food in his mouth!
"Good! Wonderful! Hahaha! My son, Xiao Wuyong's son, is a mutated genius!!"
Xiao Wuyong threw his head back and laughed, then, his eyes red, downed three large bowls of strong liquor in a row.
After lunch, seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Xuan prepared to return to the academy.
Before leaving, he took his mother's hand and gave her a serious reminder:
"Mother, Teacher Wang was especially pleased after using those pieces of low-grade Whale Rubber a few decades old that you found for me last time. He said their medicinal properties were surprisingly good."
"If the caravans have any more of that cheap stuff, please make sure to save it for me. The more the better! I still need to take some to the teacher who took me Soul Hunting as a token of respect!"
"Silly child, don't worry! As long as it's useful to you, I'll keep an eye on the medicine shop every day!" Li Ya readily promised.
After saying goodbye to his parents, Xiao Xuan strolled leisurely back to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Back in his single room, Xiao Xuan locked the door behind him, drew the curtains tight, and sealed even the gaps around the window.
"Everything's ready. Time to temper my body!"
Xiao Xuan took a deep breath and pulled out the three dark yellow, hard gelatinous lumps wrapped in oiled paper, arranging them neatly on the table.
Three pieces of low-grade sea beast Whale Rubber, each a few decades old.
Although the three portions of Whale Rubber were full of impurities and low in age,
that didn't matter to Xiao Xuan. After synthesis, their quality would rise to the very best among hundred-year specimens anyway.
"System, synthesize them!"
Xiao Xuan communicated with the system in his mind.
Before the fusion, Xiao Xuan had actually considered adding auxiliary materials such as red-patterned alloy ore or gold crystal ore, as he had when strengthening his Martial Soul.
But on second thought, this stuff was medicinal material he had to eat!
If he really added some heaven-defying attribute like "indestructible" or "metallic hardness" to it,
and then couldn't melt it even by roasting it over a fire, shattered all his molars with one bite, or swallowed it only for it to pierce straight through his stomach and intestines, that would be quite the spectacle!
To be safe, all-natural was best!
[Ding! Detected low-grade ten-year Whale Rubber ×3. Quality assessment: one star.] [Three-in-One Fusion of All Things activated... No auxiliary materials added. Proceeding with pure advancement of the same origin!] [Fusing... Congratulations, host. Obtained: [Hundred-Year Supreme-Grade Pure Whale Rubber] ×1!]
A hum sounded, and golden light flickered.
The three rough, dark yellow crystals on the table abruptly melted and flowed together, finally condensing into a palm-sized golden lump, clear and lustrous all over like the finest amber!
The pungent, foul fishy stench of sea beast had vanished without a trace, replaced by an intensely rich, enticing fragrance. A single whiff was enough to make the Qi and blood throughout his body faintly seethe!
Xiao Xuan wasted no more time. He quickly brought out the earthenware pot and charcoal stove he had prepared and placed the Whale Rubber over a low flame to roast slowly.
Before long, the amber-colored Whale Rubber gradually softened and dissolved into a small bowlful of thick, scalding golden liquid.
Xiao Xuan's gaze sharpened. He picked up the steaming pot, held his breath, and threw back his head, gulping it all down in one fierce swallow!
"Boom-!!"
The scorching Whale Rubber slid into his belly, like a mass of blazing magma!
Violent Qi, blood, and vitality erupted inside Xiao Xuan's small body, rampaging wildly from his stomach and turning into surging torrents of heat that swept through his limbs and bones, deep into his muscles, fascia, and bone marrow!
This was, after all, supreme-grade deep-sea essence a full hundred years old. For a child of just six, it was no different from being hammered to pieces!
Hiss... That hits the spot!
Xiao Xuan's little face turned deathly pale with pain. The bones throughout his body gave off teeth-grating cracks and pops, while his meridians felt as though they were being pierced by tens of millions of steel needles at once!
But the tenacity he had gained from living two lives kept his teeth clenched tight as he lay on the bed. Veins bulged on both hands as he gripped its edge, forcing himself not to make a single cry of pain while he did everything he could to guide the medicinal power in tempering his body!
An hour passed.
When the violent medicinal power had finally been completely refined and absorbed, Xiao Xuan looked as though he had just been pulled from the water, his clothes soaked through with sweat.
But what followed was an unprecedented sense of fullness and strength!
His formerly rather slender frame had become much sturdier and fuller, his bones as dense as iron, and even his skin gleamed with a subtle jade luster.
A layer of pitch-black impurities and grime, reeking terribly, had also seeped out onto the surface of his skin.
Tsk, that stinks!
Good thing I live in a single room!
Xiao Xuan grinned and, taking advantage of the deep, quiet night when no one was about, slipped off to the bathroom for a thoroughly refreshing cold bath.
Back in his room, he opened the window and aired it out for half the night before finally flopping down to sleep, refreshed.
Over the next few days, campus life returned to normal.
As always, Xiao Xuan maintained his disciplined routine, moving between classroom, cafeteria, library, and meditation in his dormitory, keeping a low profile and drawing no attention to himself.
But though he didn't look for trouble, trouble came looking for him.
On a secluded path in the bamboo grove behind Nuoding Academy.
Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back, Tang San facing him.
"Xiao San, that child in your class named Xiao Xuan returned to the academy these past few days, didn't he? Did he also succeed in absorbing a Soul Ring?"
Tang San nodded and answered honestly, "Yes, Teacher."
"I heard from our classmates and Director Wang Ping'an that Xiao Xuan also obtained a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring. He's an official Soul Master now."
"A hundred-year first ring... Just as I expected!"
At those words, a look of smug excitement instantly bloomed on Yu Xiaogang's stiff, expressionless face.
A few days ago, he had made a special trip to the academic affairs office to look through Xiao Xuan's file. When he saw the words "Martial Soul: Lone Bamboo, Innate Soul Power: level one" written plainly on it, Yu Xiaogang had immediately scoffed.
What a joke!
Someone with innate level-one Soul Power could cultivate to level ten in a month?!
That simply doesn't fit my Theory of Martial Soul Core Competitiveness!
In Yu Xiaogang's view, whoever had helped Xiao Xuan awaken had definitely made a serious mistake!
Xiao Xuan's true aptitude was definitely that of a rare genius, and he was very likely to have Innate Full Soul Power as well!
At the very least, he was a genius with innate Soul Power of level eight or nine!
"Heaven is on my side!"
Yu Xiaogang's heart burned with excitement.
If he could take this genius under his wing as well and train him with his own invincible theories,
then, in the future, when the twin stars Tang San and Xiao Xuan burst onto the scene, who would still dare mock Yu Xiaogang as a worthless Grandmaster who could only talk strategy on paper?!