Chapter Four: The Concept of the First Spirit Ring! Arriving at Nuoding City! Tang San, the Sympathizer of the Weak?

On the mountaintop, Lu Yu sat cross-legged, a faint golden light enveloping his entire body.

The Golden Light Incantation!

To master the Golden Light Incantation, one must first forge a foundation using innate Qi. The more innate Qi contained within that foundation, the greater the power one can unleash in the future.

Lu Yu had used the techniques of the "Triple Inversion" to lock away his innate Qi, ensuring not a single shred was lost. Therefore, the one thing he possessed in abundance was innate Qi.

After a long while, Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes and murmured, "The Triple Inversion has reached a point where further progress is difficult, and the foundation of the Golden Light Incantation is now rock-solid. To advance these two techniques any further, I must obtain my first soul ring."

"But why has the Lightning Method remained impossible to cultivate?"

"Could it be due to the restrictions imposed by the world laws of the Douluo Continent?"

He was in his third life. In his previous life, he had practiced for over a decade. Though his spiritual power could not be called overwhelmingly strong, by his own estimation, it should not be inferior to that of a Soul Saint—provided, of course, that the Soul Saint did not possess a head soul bone and did not specialize in spiritual cultivation.

Even so, to possess such powerful spiritual force immediately upon awakening one’s Martial Soul was unprecedented in the history of the Douluo Continent.

With the cultivation experience from his previous life, he should theoretically have been able to perform internal observation with ease. Yet, while he could sense the innate Qi within his body and control it using the specific methods of the Triple Inversion, he remained unable to look inward.

The Lightning Method, whether the Yin or Yang Five Thunder, required the movement of Qi from the internal organs. Since he could not perform internal observation, he naturally could not perfectly manipulate that Qi.

"It seems the most pressing matter is to first obtain my first soul ring."

With this thought, Lu Yu stood up, descended the mountain, and returned to the village.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as on the day of the Martial Soul awakening, Jack led Lu Yu to the entrance of the blacksmith shop. He did not go inside but called out for Tang San from the exterior. Not long after, Tang San emerged carrying a small bundle. After greeting Jack and Lu Yu, he cast a lingering, reluctant look at the shop before following them toward the edge of the village.

Along the way, Tang San asked Jack several questions regarding the soul master academies, while Lu Yu kept his head lowered, lost in thought. He was considering what kind of soul beast he should choose for his first ring and what age it should be. He had originally wanted to aim high—to secure a thousand-year soul ring as his first!

Because when absorbing a soul ring under ten thousand years, the limit of what a soul master could absorb depended entirely on the strength of their physical body.

It was only at the ten-thousand-year level that the resentment of a deceased soul beast would permeate the ring, launching a spiritual assault on the absorber. However, because he had failed to master the Lightning Method, and though the Triple Inversion could be practiced below the bottleneck, it only served to accumulate Qi without further strengthening his body. Given his current physical condition, he could not yet absorb a thousand-year ring.

The beginning is always the hardest. Once the first step was taken and he possessed his first soul ring, Lu Yu would be able to break through his bottleneck, bring the Triple Inversion to a true level of mastery, and begin cultivating the Lightning Method.

Thinking this, Lu Yu gave up his fixation on a thousand-year ring. Furthermore, having a thousand-year ring as a first ring was simply too shocking for the Douluo Continent. Despite his heritage from a previous life, the problem was that he had zero backing in this world. If he were targeted by the major powers, he would be nothing more than meat on a chopping block. The secret of how one could attain a thousand-year soul ring at the first stage would drive the leaders of many great factions into a frenzy.

An innocent man is not guilty, but his treasure makes him a target. Lu Yu understood this principle better than anyone, for it was exactly how he had suffered a crushing defeat in his previous life.

Tang San continued to pose questions to Old Jack, who answered them patiently. Watching the distracted Lu Yu beside him, Tang San sighed inwardly, dismissing it as the restless, mischievous nature of a child. He, having lived two lives, possessed twin Martial Souls and innate full soul power; he would surely make a name for himself on this continent and perhaps even bring glory to the Tang Sect in this foreign world.

The Notting Primary Soul Master Academy was located in the west of Notting City. After they entered the city, Old Jack asked a passerby for directions and confirmed their path. While walking, Tang San suddenly asked Lu Yu, "Lu Yu, since we both have innate full soul power, we will likely be sent to obtain our soul rings after joining the academy. Why don't we team up?"

Tang San wore a faint smile, but his expression held the look of a superior viewing an inferior. He thought to himself, "After all, we came from Holy Soul Village together. With my hidden weapons, obtaining a soul ring shouldn't be difficult. I'll lend him a hand as a favor to a fellow villager."

Tang San regarded Lu Yu as nothing more than a little kid. Lu Yu, however, having lived three lives and dealt with all sorts of people, saw the pity in Tang San’s eyes at a glance.

Lu Yu felt speechless, though he shook his head with a light laugh. "No thanks. I believe the teachers at the soul master academy will assist the students in hunting for their soul rings."

Tang San paused, as if he hadn't considered this, and his expression darkened slightly. It wasn't because of the rejection, but because he realized that even a child like Lu Yu had thought of something he, a transmigrator with two lives of experience, had overlooked. He would not allow himself to make such a low-level error.

They soon arrived at the gates of the Notting Primary Soul Master Academy, only to be blocked by a young guard. After Old Jack spoke with polite, respectful words and presented the proof issued by Su Yuntao, the guard looked at the documents and then at their rustic appearance, sneering with disdain.

"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass? Martial Soul: Stone? And both have innate full soul power? What a joke! I suspect you forged these certificates from the Spirit Hall!"

Looking at the arrogant and contemptuous young man, Lu Yu felt a sense of irony. While this "dog-eyes-looking-down-on-people" scenario felt cliché, the guard’s skepticism was not entirely unreasonable. After all, in the Douluo Continent, no one had ever heard of a trash martial soul possessing innate full soul power.

Old Jack dared not argue with the guard and, seeing the man's uncompromising attitude, intended to head to the local Spirit Hall in Notting City to find someone to verify their claims. But as he turned to leave, the guard scoffed, "Dressed like paupers, and from 'Holy Soul Village'? I think 'Beggar Village' would be a more fitting name!"

At these words, Old Jack turned back, trembling with fury. "What did you say?"

The name "Holy Soul Village" was the greatest pride of the villagers, for it signified that their village had once produced a Soul Saint.

"What? You aren't convinced?" The guard, emboldened, stepped forward to shove Old Jack.

Just then, Tang San lunged forward. He arrived before the guard, pushed him, and tripped him, sending the young man crashing to the ground. Lu Yu saw it clearly: Tang San’s left hand had slightly raised, and the sunlight caught a flash of cold, sharp light from his sleeve.

Tang Sect Hidden Weapon—Silent Sleeve Arrow!