“I swear upon my martial soul—the kindness you show me today, I will repay in the future!”
Wang Teng declared solemnly.
“Alright, alright, no need to be so serious.”
Sisi waved her hand, her smile deepening.
“If there’s one thing I can hope for…
if we have children in the future, would you be willing to take them as your disciple?
What do you think?”
“Absolutely no problem!”
Wang Teng agreed without hesitation.
Taking on disciples and teaching them—in his view, that was the smallest matter.
Seeing that his fiancée had made up her mind, Su Yuntao set aside his concerns and turned his thoughts to the practical arrangements.
“By the way, what kind of hundred-year soul beasts are you looking for?”
“Do you have specific types in mind, or will any hundred-year soul beast do?”
Wang Teng exchanged a glance with Wang Sheng and spoke up: “Brother Tao, my big brother’s martial soul is ‘Battle Tiger,’ and mine is ‘Spinning Top.'”
“We’re hoping to obtain hundred-year soul rings from tiger-type soul beasts.”
“If that’s too difficult, soul rings from beasts like leopards or wolves would also work.”
Wang Teng paused, his tone growing more cautious.
“Of course, those are just our preferences.
We’ll have to see how things actually play out.”
Deep down, Wang Teng’s strongest desire was still for a tiger-type soul beast.
This wasn’t just because Wang Sheng’s martial soul was a tiger—it also stemmed from those blurry yet vivid images buried in his memory: a spinning top transforming into a tiger’s phantom, the finishing move “Tiger Descends the Mountain” striking with overwhelming force…
These were childhood impressions from his past life, already interwoven with his imagination of his own martial soul.
“If I can absorb a tiger-type soul ring, could I truly awaken that kind of power…”
Wang Teng secretly hoped.
Sisi looked at Su Yuntao.
“Do you think you can handle a hundred-year tiger-type soul beast?”
Su Yuntao thought for a moment.
“By myself, dealing with a hundred-year tiger beast would be somewhat risky.”
“But Sisi, you just broke through to level twenty, didn’t you?”
“How about this: first, I help you obtain your second soul ring.
Then, with the two of us working together, handling a hundred-year tiger beast should be no problem.”
“Besides, the Soul Hunting Forest is huge, with many soul beasts.
There are bound to be some old, weak, sick, or injured hundred-year beasts.
With our combined strength, taking down an injured one shouldn’t be an issue.”
Sisi nodded in agreement.
“You’re right.
As a Spirit Hall steward, you should be familiar with the situation in there.
Even if not, you can ask around.
My second soul ring target is quite specific and shouldn’t be too hard to handle—you’ll be more than enough to help me with that.”
“Then we’ll move together.
That way, our chances will be much better.”
Su Yuntao turned to Wang Teng and his brother, his tone turning serious.
“Then it’s settled.”
“Go back to the academy and prepare.
We also need to make some arrangements.”
“Three mornings from now, gather here at the Spirit Hall, and we’ll set off for the Soul Hunting Forest together.”
“Thank you, Brother Tao!
Thank you, Sister Sisi!”
The brothers said in unison, a weight finally lifting from their hearts.
As they left the Spirit Hall, the sunset had painted the sky a warm orange-red.
Walking back to the academy, Wang Sheng still felt like he was dreaming.
“Little brother, they…
really agreed?
For free?”
“They agreed.”
Wang Teng nodded firmly, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon.
“So, Big Brother, we must not waste this opportunity.
For our first soul rings, we must succeed.”
Wang Sheng gave a firm “Mm” and patted his brother’s shoulder with conviction.
They said no more, but their footsteps grew more resolute.
That evening, when the brothers returned to Room Seven, the dormitory was already buzzing with excitement.
The news of both of them breaking through to level ten had been spread by Xiao Wu throughout the entire room.
The moment they stepped in, they were surrounded by their classmates swarming toward them.
Congratulations, exclamations, and curious questions filled the air, making the small Room Seven brim with cheerful energy.
“Nice one, Wang Teng!
Breaking through without a word!”
“Wang Sheng, you’re fast too!
Now you brothers can go soul hunting together!”
“Any ideas on what soul beasts you’re going for?”
The barrage of questions left them somewhat overwhelmed.
They smiled and responded for a good while before finally managing to “escape” the crowd and return to their own beds.
Wang Teng and Wang Sheng exchanged a look, both wearing expressions of relieved ease.
Wang Teng sat down by his bed, his gaze falling on the thick book beside his pillow.
This was the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Soul Skills, borrowed from Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
He picked up the book and scanned the dormitory.
Tang San’s bed was empty.
“Looking for Xiao San?”
Xiao Wu, on the neighboring bed, was painting her toenails without looking up.
“At this hour, he’s probably with Grandmaster.”
Wang Teng nodded.
“I was thinking of returning this book to Grandmaster anyway.
I should also thank him—after all, I’ve borrowed quite a few books from him over these two years.”
He said a quick word to Wang Sheng, took the book, and walked out of the dormitory.
The night had grown deep, the moonlight casting a clear, cool glow that turned the gravel path white.
Sporadic insect chirps came from the grass along the road, making the night feel even more serene.
Wang Teng followed the familiar path toward the teachers’ residential area, his footsteps particularly distinct in the silence.
Though Yu Xiaogang wasn’t an official teacher at Notting Academy, thanks to some connection with the dean, he still had a residence in the faculty quarters.
The light in that room was on.
Through the window, Wang Teng could see two silhouettes seated facing each other, projected on the paper screen.
One was Yu Xiaogang, sitting upright; the other, slightly smaller, was likely Tang San.
Wang Teng walked to the door and knocked gently.
“Come in.”
Yu Xiaogang’s voice came from inside.
He pushed the door open and, sure enough, saw Tang San sitting across from Yu Xiaogang, a book in hand, reading attentively.
Seeing Wang Teng enter, Tang San looked up and smiled at him.
“Grandmaster, I’m here to return the book.”
Wang Teng placed the Encyclopedia of Soul Skills, Volume One, gently on the table.
Then, straightening his posture, he bowed slightly toward Yu Xiaogang and expressed his gratitude: “Thank you for letting me borrow your materials these past two years.
I’ve benefited greatly.”
“Now that I’ve broken through to level ten, I came especially to thank you.”
Yu Xiaogang stood and walked over to Wang Teng.
He clasped his hands behind his back as usual, chin slightly raised, wearing that familiar, somewhat aloof expression of superiority.
“I heard from Xiao San that you’ve reached level ten.”
Yu Xiaogang’s tone was steady, his gaze fixed on Wang Teng as he continued, “Next, have you decided on your target for the soul ring hunt?”
“If you haven’t yet found a clear direction, I can offer some suggestions.”
Having known Yu Xiaogang for two years, Wang Teng had long since figured out his temperament.
So he played along, adopting a posture of humble inquiry: “I would be grateful for your guidance, Grandmaster.”
Yu Xiaogang was clearly pleased with Wang Teng’s attitude.
He nodded slowly before speaking: “Your martial soul, the ‘Spinning Top,’ falls under the category of object-type martial souls.”
“But in terms of performance, both its attack power and attack range are only average.”
“In my view, you might consider focusing on ‘additional attributes’ to compensate for your martial soul’s inherent shortcomings.”
Yu Xiaogang paused, seeing Wang Teng listening attentively, and continued: “For example, choose a poison-attribute soul beast.”
“If you can imbue your spinning top’s attacks with venom, the power of your martial soul will increase substantially.”
“In addition, attributes like lightning, fire, and ice are also excellent choices.”
“Adding attributes to an object-type martial soul is often the most direct way to enhance combat effectiveness.”
With that, he looked at Wang Teng, waiting for his response.
Wang Teng had different plans in mind, but maintained a respectful demeanor on the surface: “Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster.”
“I will seriously consider your advice and weigh it carefully.”
Wang Teng’s words were tactfully phrased—neither directly rejecting nor fully accepting, merely saying he would “consider” and “weigh” them.
Yu Xiaogang, however, seemed quite pleased, a hint of approval appearing on his face.
“Good.
You are teachable.”
He then turned and took a slightly thinner book from the cabinet beside the table, handing it over.
“Since you’ve finished Volume One, you may take Volume Two as well.”
“It contains some case studies on the compatibility between soul skills and martial souls.
It may be of use to you.”
Wang Teng accepted it with both hands, expressed his thanks again, and took his leave.
Walking back, the moonlight remained clear.
As he walked, Wang Teng replayed Yu Xiaogang’s words in his mind, but inwardly shook his head.
“A poison attribute…
that’s certainly one approach, but it’s a bit too dangerous.
Given my current situation, it’s not really suitable.”
Wang Teng was well aware of his circumstances.
The ones helping him hunt this time were Su Yuntao and Sisi—their combat abilities were stronger than Grandmaster’s.
But if they had to face a hundred-year poison-attribute soul beast, it would still be extremely dangerous.
So from the very beginning, Wang Teng had ruled out poison-attribute soul beasts.
For his first soul ring, Wang Teng felt a tiger-type soul beast would be best—with a metal attribute, naturally.
A metal-attribute Blast Tiger Spinning Top was what Wang Teng felt would be most fitting.
He recalled that in the original story, the first soul ring target Yu Xiaogang chose for Tang San was an isolated bamboo with only fifty years of cultivation.
If not for the unexpected encounter with the Mandrake Snake, Tang San’s first soul ring would have been quite unremarkable.
Wang Teng even suspected that the appearance of that Mandrake Snake might not have happened without Tang Hao’s subtle influence.
“In the end, I still have to rely on myself.”
Wang Teng let out a soft breath and pushed aside distracting thoughts.
When he returned to Room Seven, the dormitory had grown quiet.
Most had already fallen asleep.
Wang Teng tiptoed back to his spot, sat cross-legged, and prepared for his daily meditation session.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, a thought struck him.
“Oh, right—my panel…
now that I’m at level ten, will there be any changes?”
Once the thought surfaced, it wouldn’t be dismissed.
For two years, the mysterious panel within Wang Teng had remained dormant.
Over time, he had almost forgotten it existed.
Now that he’d broken through to level ten, perhaps it was the trigger for a change.
Wang Teng gathered his focus and sank his awareness deep into his mind.
Soon, the familiar pale golden light screen appeared in his perception.
Name: Wang Teng
Age: 8
Martial Soul: Blast Spinning Top
Soul Power: Level 10
Range: 10 meters
Soul Skill: None
Talent: None
Talent Points: 1
(Each breakthrough to a major realm grants one Talent Point; upon use, a Talent Point will generate a suitable talent based on current conditions)
“Talent Points…
they actually appeared!”
Wang Teng’s heart jolted, barely containing his excitement.
He repeatedly confirmed the small text: “Each breakthrough to a major realm grants one point.”
A major realm meant a leap like Soul Warrior to Soul Master, or Soul Master to Great Soul Master.
By this calculation, when he reached level ninety as a Titled Douluo, he would have a total of nine Talent Points!
Nine Talent Points—if used wisely…
Could they pave the way to self-attained godhood?
The thought made Wang Teng’s breath quicken.
If that were truly possible, he wouldn’t need to be so cautious in many matters, nor would he have to attach himself to anyone.
His own fate would ultimately rest in his own hands.
It took a long moment for Wang Teng to calm his emotions and bring his focus back to the single Talent Point before him.
“Should I use it now?”
Wang Teng stared at the blinking “+” symbol on the screen, itching to try.
It was like a child getting a new toy and wanting to unwrap it immediately.
His hesitation lasted only a moment.
“Let’s try it.”
Wang Teng’s awareness moved, lightly tapping that “+” symbol.
Instantly, the panel shimmered with golden light, the characters rippling and rearranging like water.
After a few breaths, the glow faded, and new information appeared.
Talent 1: Blast Warrior
“Soul Skill Spinning Top” can achieve evolution under specific conditions.
Talent Points: 0
“Martial soul evolution?
Soul Skill Spinning Top?”
Wang Teng carefully pondered these two new pieces of information, feeling both joy and confusion.
Joy, because the talent “Blast Warrior” clearly indicated the possibility of evolution.
This meant his martial soul had no insurmountable bottlenecks ahead—he simply needed to find the right methods and conditions to continuously transform.
For a soul master, this was like a ray of light pointing to higher ground.
Confusion, because of the phrase “Soul Skill Spinning Top.”
Was the Soul Skill Spinning Top different from the Martial Soul Spinning Top?
Or perhaps…
when the martial soul is driven and unleashed as a soul skill in a specific way, it manifests different characteristics?
Wang Teng frowned, trying to recall his sensations when using his martial soul.
Late at night, everyone else in the dormitory had fallen asleep, the occasional soft snore rising.
Wang Teng sat cross-legged on his bed, brow furrowed, fingers unconsciously tapping his knee.
He thought for a long while but still couldn’t make sense of it.
The words seemed shrouded in a thin mist—visible, yet impossible to penetrate.
“Forget it.”
The night had grown deep.
Wang Teng finally let out a soft breath and relaxed his furrowed brow.
“When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself out.
Perhaps after I obtain my soul ring, I’ll naturally understand.”
“For now, the priority is still increasing my strength.”
With that, Wang Teng closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and gradually settled into his familiar meditation rhythm.
Soul power flowed like a gentle stream, circulating slowly through his martial soul, seeping into every sinew and bone.
Deep within his mind, the pale golden panel floated silently.
The words “Blast Warrior” glowed with an almost imperceptible light in the darkness.
The night was still long, and the road ahead was also long.
But Wang Teng knew—something had already changed.
Meanwhile, at a residence in Notting City.
Su Yuntao and Sisi were also discussing the upcoming soul hunting expedition.
This hunt wasn’t just to help the Wang brothers—it was also for Sisi to obtain her second soul ring.