“I think I understand the logic…”
Wang Sheng nodded, then a worried look crept onto his face.
“But if we use up all our future subsidies in advance, what will we do for our cultivation later?”
“Buying herbs, nutritional supplements, equipment—all of that costs money.”
“Without the subsidies, won’t things get even harder?”
Wang Teng’s smile faded slightly at this.
He let out a soft sigh and said with a hint of helplessness, “Big Brother, it’s rare to find a perfect solution in this world.”
“What we can do is seize the opportunity right in front of us.”
“As for future difficulties…
we’ll figure them out when the time comes.”
“Trust in the wisdom of those who come after!”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out.”
Wang Sheng was silent for a moment, then finally gave a firm nod.
“You’re right.
Then…
let’s do it your way.”
“Great!”
Wang Teng’s smile returned.
“Oh, and Big Brother, I already have someone in mind to help us hunt for soul rings.”
“Who?”
Wang Sheng asked curiously.
“Master Su Yuntao from the Spirit Hall.”
“He should be at level twenty-eight now—an assault-type Great Soul Master with the Lone Wolf martial soul.”
“I think that as long as he’s properly prepared and doesn’t run into anything particularly troublesome among hundred-year soul beasts, he should be able to handle most situations.”
Wang Teng analyzed.
“There are two main reasons for choosing him: first, he was the one who guided our martial soul awakenings—we already have that connection; second, we’re not asking him for free—we’ll pay him.
So it’s quite likely he’ll agree.”
Wang Sheng listened and nodded along, increasingly impressed by how thoroughly his brother had thought things through.
As for whether Su Yuntao would agree, Wang Sheng wasn’t too worried.
He didn’t think Su Yuntao would be motivated by a few gold coins—rather, he had faith in his brother’s talent.
Wang Teng had innate level-five soul power and had reached level ten at just eight years old.
In a small place like Notting City, Wang Teng was undoubtedly a little genius.
At the very least, he would likely reach the Soul Ancestor rank.
If Su Yuntao had any foresight, he would be willing to build this connection.
And since he was already the brothers’ awakening guide, if he helped them this time and they maintained the relationship, their bond would naturally grow closer.
For a soul master like Su Yuntao—from an ordinary background without family backing—making friends with promising individuals was never a bad thing.
Thinking this, Wang Sheng felt even more admiration for his younger brother.
He stood up, grabbed Wang Teng’s hand, and headed out.
“Come on, let’s go to the Spirit Hall right now.”
“Today’s not a rest day—Master Su Yuntao should still be on duty.”
The two brothers left Notting Academy and walked briskly toward the Spirit Hall in the city center.
The evening sunlight fell on the cobblestones, stretching their shadows long and thin.
Occasional vendor calls from the streetside only made their anticipation feel more vivid and urgent.
As they walked, Wang Sheng couldn’t help confirming again, “Little brother, do you really think Master Su Yuntao will agree?
Hunting hundred-year soul beasts is no small matter…”
“Big Brother, don’t worry.”
Wang Teng’s tone was certain.
“We’re not asking him to work for nothing.”
“Besides, while this is a rare opportunity for us, isn’t it also a form of investment for him?”
“In the world of soul masters, strength matters, but so do personal connections and long-term relationships.”
“As long as we ask sincerely and make it clear we’ll repay him in the future, I believe Master Su will seriously consider it.”
Hearing this, Wang Sheng felt somewhat reassured.
He looked at his brother beside him, whose gaze was so steadfast, and suddenly realized that this brother he’d grown up with had, at some point, started thinking further and more thoroughly than he did.
The familiar silhouette of Notting City’s Spirit Hall gradually appeared at the end of the street.
The brothers quickened their pace in unison.
A gentle breeze brushed along the street, stirring the corners of their clothes.
The outline of the building ahead stood solemn and majestic in the daylight.
Wang Teng quietly clenched his fist.
Convincing Su Yuntao was only the first step.
Even if he agreed, hunting hundred-year soul beasts still carried risks.
But Wang Teng also knew that if he couldn’t even dare to pursue a hundred-year soul ring, then every step of his future path as a soul master would be fraught with difficulty.
Opportunities always favored those who dared to think and act—he believed that deeply.
Sensing his brother’s fluctuating emotions, Wang Sheng reached over and patted his shoulder.
“Don’t be nervous.
Whether it works out or not, we’ll face it together as brothers.”
Wang Teng turned to him with a smile and nodded firmly.
Without another word, they strode toward the Spirit Hall.
Before long, Wang Teng and Wang Sheng arrived at Notting City’s central district.
Before them lay a wide, open square.
Across the square stood a magnificent building—the Notting City branch of the Spirit Hall.
Though it was only a branch, it was still the largest and most imposing structure in the entire city.
The three-story circular main structure cast a long shadow in the setting sun, and the Spirit Hall emblem embedded in the roof reflected the golden-red afterglow, gleaming brilliantly.
The dark grey outer walls were thick and solid, and two tall bronze doors formed the main entrance.
The doors bore no intricate decorations, only a relief of a longsword—simple yet full of power.
On the walls flanking the entrance were carved various martial soul patterns: swords, beasts, implements…
These carvings stood like silent epics, recording the myriad phenomena of the soul master world.
But Wang Teng and his brother had no time to study these carvings.
They walked straight toward the Spirit Hall entrance, where two guards in light armor stood with spears on either side.
“Halt.
Who are you?”
The left guard stepped forward, blocking their path.
“Soul masters.”
Wang Teng offered no further explanation.
He simply released a slight surge of soul power.
A faint ripple of level-ten Soul Warrior energy spread outward.
The two guards immediately straightened their postures and stepped aside.
“Please enter, both of you!”
The right guard even stepped forward to push open the heavy bronze door for them.
As the door creaked open, snippets of the guards’ low conversation drifted from behind: “So young and already level ten…
I envy that.”
“Wonder if I’ll ever have a chance…”
“Stop dreaming and keep standing guard.”
Wang Teng didn’t break his stride, as if he hadn’t heard.
Over the years, he had come to understand that on the Douluo Continent, countless people possessed soul power but could never break through to level ten.
Having seen so many, it was hard to take such laments to heart anymore.
At this moment, Wang Teng’s heart held only gratitude.
Grateful that he had a bit more talent than them—grateful that his future still held at least a glimmer of light.
Passing through the entrance, the two entered the main hall of the Spirit Hall.
The interior was vast and lofty, light streaming in through stained glass windows, faintly illuminating the smooth stone floor.
The two walked straight to the reception desk at the center of the hall.
Behind the desk sat a young woman with a pleasant face.
Seeing two half-grown boys approaching, she paused briefly before offering a professional smile.
“Hello, little ones.
What can I do for you?”
“Hello, miss.
We’re looking for Master Su Yuntao.
We know him.”
Wang Teng’s tone was polite, but his words were confident.
It wasn’t entirely untrue—they did “know” Su Yuntao.
Whether he remembered them was another matter.
Wang Teng silently added to himself.
“You know Brother Tao?”
The receptionist’s smile grew a bit warmer.
“What a coincidence—he’s in the lounge on the left right now.”
“He spent the last holiday going to many villages to awaken children’s martial souls.
These past few days, he’s been relatively free.”
“Just walk down the left corridor—the first room on your right is the lounge.”
“Thank you, miss!”
Wang Teng said with a smile.
Years of physical training had given him a healthy wheat-colored complexion, a taller, more upright build than his peers, sharp features, bright eyes, and a spirited smile.
That “miss” made the receptionist’s eyes crinkle warmly.
“Go on, don’t keep him waiting.”
After thanking her, the brothers followed her directions.
The corridor was lined with scrolls and emblems commemorating soul masters’ deeds—quiet and solemn.
They stopped before a dark wooden door.
Wang Teng raised his hand and knocked.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Come in—it’s not locked.”
A slightly lazy male voice came from inside, punctuated by a faint yawn.
Wang Teng pushed the door open.
The room was small and simply furnished: a set of wooden tables and chairs, two long sofas.
Su Yuntao was just sitting up from one of the sofas, stretching—clearly he’d been napping.
He looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a straight face, gentle eyes, and wearing the standard white silver-trimmed steward’s uniform of the Spirit Hall.
“Master Su Yuntao, hello!”
“I’m Wang Teng, and this is my big brother, Wang Sheng.”
Wang Teng quickly introduced himself.
Su Yuntao rubbed his eyes, studied them for a few seconds, then suddenly showed a look of recognition.
“Oh, I remember!
You’re the brothers from Tiger King Village, right?
Yes, that’s it—Tiger King Village.”
“Your village produced two children with soul power in consecutive years—that’s quite rare in rural areas.”
Su Yuntao smiled and gestured to the sofa opposite.
“Don’t just stand there—have a seat.”
“What can I do for you?”
Wang Teng thought for a moment, then came straight to the point:
“Master Su, we’ve both reached level ten.”
“We came to ask if you could help us hunt our first soul rings—we’d like to obtain hundred-year soul rings.”
Then Wang Teng laid out his “soul hunting on credit” idea in full: using their future Spirit Hall subsidies as collateral, asking Su Yuntao for help, and paying him back once the subsidies came in.
“Cough…
cough, cough!”
Su Yuntao had just taken a sip of water and nearly choked on it, hurriedly setting down his cup.
“Soul hunting on credit?
You can do that?”
His surprised expression was tinged with a hint of something—perhaps regret.
If he’d known about this method back then, would he have ended up with a white ten-year soul ring as his first?
The thought sent a pang through Su Yuntao’s heart.
Wang Teng observed his expression and pressed on while the iron was hot: “Master Su, my innate soul power is level five.
I’m confident I can at least reach the Soul Ancestor rank in the future.”
“If you help us today, I will repay you in time.”
“And we’re not just asking empty-handed—we’re offering our future subsidies as tangible collateral.”
With that, Wang Teng looked at Su Yuntao with sincere eyes and fell silent, waiting for his answer.
“You two…
I…”
Su Yuntao opened his mouth, his mind a bit muddled, unsure how to respond.
Just then, a crisp, pleasant female voice came from outside the door.
“Yuntao, off duty!
Why haven’t you left yet?
Are you slacking off and sleeping again?”
Before the words had faded, the lounge door was gently pushed open, and a young woman in a Spirit Hall stewardess uniform stepped in.
She was petite and delicate, with a lovely, delicate face.
The uniform didn’t look stiff on her at all—instead, it accentuated her slender waist and lent her a radiant charm.
Seeing her, Su Yuntao’s face immediately lit up with a smile.
He stood quickly.
“Sisi, you’re here?
Have a seat.”
“You said you had good news to tell me—what is it?”
He guided the young woman named Sisi to sit beside him, his movements natural and affectionate.
Wang Teng’s heart stirred: So this is Sisi—the woman only mentioned by name in the original story.
It seemed Brother Tao had finally succeeded in winning his lady’s heart.
“Yuntao, I’ve reached level twenty!”
Sisi took Su Yuntao’s arm, her tone light and cheerful.
“I was just about to discuss with you about hunting my second soul ring.”
Her gaze then shifted to Wang Teng and Wang Sheng, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“And these two are?”
Su Yuntao quickly introduced them: “This is my fiancée, Sisi.”
“And these two are brothers—the elder is Wang Sheng, the younger Wang Teng.
They’re children I met when I went to Tiger King Village for martial soul awakenings.”
He then briefly explained Wang Teng’s proposal and the “soul hunting on credit” idea to Sisi.
“Sisi, what do you think…
how should we respond?”
Su Yuntao asked in a low voice, clearly valuing his fiancée’s opinion.
Sisi didn’t answer immediately.
She looked at Wang Teng, her gaze clear and serious.
“You’re Wang Teng?
Innate level-five soul power?”
“Yes.”
Wang Teng nodded.
“Your family is from Tiger King Village?
Who else is in your family?”
“Our father is at home.”
Wang Teng answered truthfully.
“Sisi, ” Wang Teng added, “if Brother Tao is willing to help, we will always remember this kindness.”
“For the credit arrangement, we can use our Spirit Hall subsidies as collateral—we absolutely won’t let Brother Tao work for nothing.”
Sisi listened quietly, then suddenly smiled and looked at Su Yuntao.
“Yuntao, help them.”
“Forget about payment—we’ll help them for free this time.”
“Really?”
Wang Sheng couldn’t help asking in surprise.
“Of course.”
Sisi’s smile was gentle, her tone forthright.
“We only hope that if you achieve success in your cultivation in the future, and when you’re able, you’ll remember this kindness and look out for each other.”
Wang Teng felt a warmth surge through his heart.
He immediately stood up and said solemnly, “Thank you, Sister Sisi!
Thank you, Brother Tao!”
(In the original story, Sisi had a dismissive look when she heard Tang San’s martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, but her eyes lit up when she learned of his innate full soul power.
So, after Wang Teng demonstrated his level-five innate soul power and his potential, she was willing to help.)