Chapter 9: The Hometown Soul Master Training Plan
Listening to Ye Wen's explanation, Ah Yin's eyes sparkled with admiration; it amazed her that his new soul skill had matched his predictions exactly. After all, soul skills in Douluo Continent were largely unpredictable. No one could be certain of the skill they'd acquire after absorbing a soul ring, only that the most suitable soul beast would give them the best chance.
Ye Wen felt a flicker of pride but, instead of jumping around with excitement, he remained calm and worked with Ah Yin to assign night watch shifts. Dusk had fallen, and it would be impossible for the two of them to safely return to human civilization in the dark. The Soul Hunting Forest was dangerous enough by day, but at night it became a haven for nocturnal soul beasts, an utter nightmare for humans.
Fortunately, luck was on their side not only did they find the soul ring they needed on the first day, but the night passed without incident.
The next morning, they left the forest in an orderly manner. At the entrance stood the same old guard and young man from before. Ye Wen felt deeply grateful to the older guard; without his tip about the Qingnang Beast's usual location, it could've taken them days of dangerous searching.
"Thank you for your help, Uncle," Ye Wen said politely.
Looking at the young boy who had left a deep impression on him, the old guard sighed. He hadn't expected the boy's luck to be so good that he'd emerge from the forest after just one day. Still, not having any real connection to the boy, he kept his emotions to himself. Instead, he offered him a few words of guidance as a seasoned commoner Soul Master might.
"Don't let your first soul ring go to your head," he said gruffly. "There are plenty of strong Soul Masters out there. Now that you've got your first ring, you can register at the Spirit Hall. They'll give you a gold coin each month, which'll help ease your expenses."
Though this was common Soul Master knowledge, Ye Wen still felt a warmth in his heart. In his past life, he'd grown up an orphan, having to fend for himself by studying relentlessly to try and improve his life. But he'd pushed himself too far and died in the process. In his brief twenty something years, he could count on one hand those who had truly shown him kindness. He silently vowed that if he ever gained the power to do so, he'd return the favor to the old guard.
After a few more words, Ye Wen and Ah Yin began their journey back to Notting Elementary Academy. During the walk, Ye Wen realized his shortcomings: although he had knowledge that far surpassed this era, he severely lacked combat strength and couldn't tackle everything alone. He needed allies, or progress in his martial spirit research would stagnate. He didn't want to become a theorist like Yu Xiaogang, who used conjecture as a substitute for real science.
True theory needed scientific grounding, extensive data, and consistent accuracy. Otherwise, it would be nothing but dangerous misinformation.
"Brother, what's on your mind?" Ah Yin asked, noticing his pensive expression.
Ye Wen thought for a moment before replying, "In the future, when we reach three rings, I plan to start training apprentices and cultivating our own allies. Moving through human society alone is too risky, and as I advance in my martial spirit research, I'll need more data and assistance."
Hearing about such complicated matters, Ah Yin quickly lost interest. As a Blue Silver Emperor with an easygoing personality, she had no drive to lead or build an organization, content to grow naturally like her kin.
Watching her disinterest, Ye Wen could only smile wryly.
Soon, they returned to Notting Academy. Instead of rushing to the Spirit Hall to register as Soul Masters and collect their stipends, they tested their soul power levels with a crystal ball first.
Ye Wen: Level 15 Soul Master
Ah Yin: Level 15 Soul Master
The two were nearly equal, true prodigies of innate full soul power. Without the boost of additional soul rings, they had each managed to advance by five levels in just a year.
As for Tang San? His so called innate full soul power was nothing special. He'd started out looking plain and insignificant, only feeling his cultivation blocked after practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill for a while. By then, he'd just barely caught up to Xiao Wu, who truly possessed innate full soul power.
True innate full soul power? Ha! Ye Wen thought.
Yet the high levels of soul power presented a dilemma: until they could perfectly control their soul power output, it was crucial not to register with the Spirit Hall. Otherwise, their full soul power would be exposed immediately.
So, the next phase of their training would focus on refining their control to deceive the power detection devices.
This skill would be useful all the way until they reached the Soul Elder rank. As long as they suppressed their soul power enough, they could avoid detection and keep collecting the stipend what a deal! Ye Wen chuckled at the thought.
Life returned to its usual, uneventful rhythm. They spent their days under the teachers' supervision, learning basic Soul Master knowledge and training quietly. Before long, it was winter break, and Ye Wen and Ah Yin were back in Saint Soul Village, surrounded by familiar fields and loved ones.
"Grandfather, I have an idea I want to test. If it succeeds, it could help our village produce more Soul Masters."
They were gathered at the dinner table when Ye Wen shared his hometown Soul Master training plan.
Ye Buyi didn't immediately agree, stroking his long white beard in contemplation.
"How sure are you? I've lived my whole life and never heard of anyone being able to create Soul Masters artificially."
"Don't worry, Grandpa. It's just a theory, but the experiment won't be life threatening."
"Well… go for it, then. The villagers spend their days with their heads in the clouds anyway. If you can give their children a chance to become Soul Masters, I doubt they'd refuse. But remember, Xiao Wen whatever you do, you can't harm people or violate the natural order. If you do, Spirit Hall will brand you a fallen Soul Master."
After a moment of silent deliberation, Ye Buyi solemnly nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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