Thousand-Year Soul Ring, First Soul Skill (Part One)
Lin Chen glanced at him and said calmly, "Anything is possible. You walk your own path; it isn't for others to decide."
With that, he led Xiao Wu past him.
Tang San stood where he was, turning those words over and over in his mind. His eyes gradually narrowed as he watched Lin Chen's retreating figure.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang returned to his office and slammed his lesson plan onto the desk, his face terribly grim.
"This Lin Chen... he's arrogant beyond measure," he muttered through gritted teeth. "If I let him continue to develop, how will my theories have any ground left to stand on?"
He pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote a letter to an old friend, detailing his conjecture about Lin Chen's Twin Martial Souls and his various "heretical statements." He wanted to see just how a wild child of unknown origins could stand against his own orthodox theories.
Outside the window, the sunlight gradually faded.
Beneath Nuoding Academy's tranquil facade, undercurrents had already begun to surge. Lin Chen knew Yu Xiaogang would not let the matter rest, but he didn't care.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Classes at Nuoding Academy proceeded in an orderly fashion. Aside from Martial Soul Theory and Soul Power cultivation, the most popular class among the new students was continental history.
Teacher Mo, who taught the class, was an elderly scholar past sixty. Sporting a goatee and holding a yellowed book, he always spoke vividly of the Heaven Dou Empire's century-old foundation, the Star Luo Empire's iron-and-blood legacy, and the illustrious fame of the Upper Three Sects. The classroom was packed, and the children listened wide-eyed, utterly enthralled.
"... A hundred years ago, the clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan led an army to repel a great tide of Evil Soul Masters, safeguarding the peace of Fasinuo Province. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect used its support abilities to stabilize the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial court. And the Clear Sky Sect, with a single Clear Sky Hammer, made every sect on the continent bow its head, earning the title of the number one sect under heaven."
Teacher Mo stroked his beard, his voice impassioned. "As for Spirit Hall, it holds authority over Martial Soul Awakening and Soul Master advancement across the entire continent, and protects countless Soul Masters of humble origin. With several Titled Douluo among its ranks, it is a holy land of the Soul Master World. Even the two great empires must show Spirit Hall's envoys a measure of deference."
Waves of astonished exclamations rose from the students. Their faces were full of longing, and they wished they could grow up at once and become Soul Masters renowned throughout the continent.
Tang San sat in the front row, his pen moving swiftly across his notebook, his expression serious. He had come from Holy Soul Village and knew almost nothing about this world. Its history and the balance of power among its factions were precisely what he urgently needed to learn.
Only Lin Chen, sitting by the window in the back row, rested his chin on his hand and tapped the tabletop absentmindedly with his fingertips. His gaze was so calm that not a single ripple stirred in it.
The illustrious Upper Three Sects?
The Clear Sky Sect will hide its head and tail, sealing off its mountain to avoid the world. In a few more years, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will be nearly wiped out in the Soul Hunting Operation. Yu Yuanzhen will die in battle, and only the clan's younger members training away from home will escape with their lives. Nearly half the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be lost, Sword Douluo will lose an arm, and the sect will suffer a grievous blow and voluntarily give up its position among the Upper Three Sects.
As for Spirit Hall-this so-called holy land of Soul Masters will one day unleash the flames of war across the entire continent. Bibi Dong's Rakshasa Godhood will be built upon the bones of countless Soul Masters and Soul Beasts.
In his eyes, this history, polished to a dazzling shine, was no more than half a scroll of fragments. The truth lay hidden in shadows beyond the reach of brush and ink.
"Brother Lin Chen, is Spirit Hall really that good?" Xiao Wu leaned over and asked softly, her eyes full of earnestness.
She had only recently taken human form and knew nothing about the distribution of power in the human world, but she was acutely sensitive to Spirit Hall. This was a secret she had always carried in her bones.
Lin Chen turned his head and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Whether it's good depends on who you are. For ordinary Soul Masters, it might be an opportunity. To a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, they're the most dangerous hunters. Remember, if we meet anyone from Spirit Hall in the future, let's stay far away."
Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully and took his words to heart. What Lin Chen had said also put her a little more at ease.
At the front of the classroom, Teacher Mo noticed Lin Chen's absentminded manner and felt slightly displeased.
This child is a genius with Innate Full Soul Power, but he's far too arrogant. He cleared his throat and suddenly called on him. "Lin Chen, tell us, how has Spirit Hall been able to stand on equal footing with the two great empires and remain standing for a hundred years?"
The classroom fell silent at once, and everyone turned to look at Lin Chen. It was not a simple question; even senior students might not have been able to answer it fully.
Lin Chen slowly stood up, his voice flat but clear. "Teacher, there are three reasons. First, it monopolizes the channels of Soul Master advancement. It controls Martial Soul Awakening, Soul Ring certification, and the conferral of Soul Master ranks across the entire continent, leaving Soul Masters of humble origin no choice but to rely on it. Second, it recruits commoner geniuses widely and uses resources to win people over, giving it deep roots among low- and mid-level Soul Masters. Third, the deterrence of its martial strength: a Limit Douluo holds the fort within Spirit Hall, and its Titled Douluo far outnumber those of the two great empires, enough to keep imperial power in check."
Three sentences, every word striking at the heart of the matter.
Teacher Mo stood there in a daze, forgetting even to turn the pages of his book. He had spent decades studying continental history before gradually working out these underlying reasons. How could a six-year-old child explain them so precisely and thoroughly?
"You... where did you learn all that?" Teacher Mo's voice was trembling slightly.
"I had nothing to do, so I thought it over myself." Lin Chen replied calmly, then sat back down.
Outside the window, Yu Xiaogang happened to be passing by. He had come to discuss cultivation with Tang San, but chanced to hear Lin Chen's answer. His steps halted abruptly, and his face darkened.
Even he had needed a long time to study the foundations of Spirit Hall's power before he could make sense of them. A child from the mountains like Lin Chen could never have figured all that out on his own.
Either someone formidable is guiding this child from behind the scenes, or... he's hiding an even greater secret.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze grew more sinister. Whichever it was, Lin Chen was an enormous variable. He absolutely could not be allowed to grow.
The bell rang for the end of class. Teacher Mo had yet to recover from his shock when the homeroom teacher walked in and announced loudly, "An announcement for everyone-three days from now, the academy will organize all new students who have reached level ten Soul Power to go to the Soul Hunting Forest and obtain their First Soul Rings. Academy teachers will lead the group. Students who meet the requirement should register at the academic affairs office after class."
The classroom erupted in cheers.
Obtaining their First Soul Ring and becoming a true Soul Master was what every new student dreamed of.
Tang San clenched his fists, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. His Mysterious Heaven Skill had long since broken through the first-layer bottleneck, and he needed a Soul Ring to break through the shackles of level ten.
Lin Chen raised his eyes and exchanged a glance with Xiao Wu. Neither spoke, but Xiao Wu already understood what he meant-
Soul Hunting on the outskirts with the main group was far too dull. Their target lay deep within the forest.
Early three days later, more than a dozen new students gathered at the gates of Nuoding Academy, each carrying a pack and barely able to hide their excitement.
The three teachers leading them were all Soul Grandmasters above level twenty. They wore short swords at their waists and looked serious.
Besides them, Yu Xiaogang was also conspicuously present. Dressed in a gray robe, he stood beside Tang San, quietly giving him instructions. Clearly, he had come especially for Tang San.