Chapter 12: The Correct Way to Use the Martial Soul
The blue light blade carried an icy power; fine ice shards had already appeared around the edges of the pierced wound.
As Qian Zhaoguang forcefully pressed down with both hands, a very distinct gash appeared on the Blood Tiger's abdomen.
After this slash, the blue light blade vanished from the saber tip, as if it had never existed.
If not for the mist condensing on the cold blade due to the low temperature, Qian Zhaoguang might have even thought he had imagined it.
Thump!
The Blood Tiger landed heavily on the ground with a whimper, struggling to get back up.
"Xiao Guang, stop."
The old butler leaped forward, casually kicking the Blood Tiger unconscious, then beckoned Huo Yutong over.
"Xiao Tong, quickly come and give it the final blow. Your soul ring is secured."
Huo Yutong hurried over and obediently plunged her White Tiger Dagger forcefully into the spot the old butler indicated.
As a gush of hot blood spurted out, a rich yellow soul ring gradually condensed above the corpse.
"Focus your intent on your Martial Soul, use your will to draw the soul ring towards you..."
While the old butler guided Huo Yutong in absorbing the soul ring, Qian Zhaoguang carefully wiped his long saber clean before sheathing it.
He touched the spot on his chest; it still felt slightly cool.
The pitiful amount of Level 1 soul power within his body was now completely depleted.
The ordinary refined steel long saber had also failed to withstand the intense clash and the infusion of Martial Soul power, shattering into two pieces.
That blue light blade just now...
Was that an effect of my Martial Soul?
If that thing could be attached to his long saber to extend its attack range, that seemed pretty good.
Case solved. The Wind Jackal earlier must have been killed by the Martial Soul's light blade, which he had unintentionally activated.
Nearby, Huo Yutong had already entered the state of absorption. The old butler walked over and patted Qian Zhaoguang's shoulder.
"Kid, well done. With that monstrous strength and exquisite saber technique of yours, in a life-or-death fight, even a Beast Soul Grandmaster with a martial soul of average quality would definitely lose to you. Tsk tsk tsk, such abundant Qi and Blood... the more I look at it, the more I think that strange Martial Soul of yours resembles a Body-type Martial Soul."
Qian Zhaoguang grinned but didn't say anything.
His abundant Qi and Blood had absolutely nothing to do with the Extreme Ice Light; it was purely a result of cultivating the Golden Body Art.
"By the way, what was that section of light blade that erupted from your saber tip?" the butler asked.
"It should be... my Martial Soul, I think. I'm not entirely sure. After all, my cultivation level is still too low right now. I used it once, and my soul power was gone."
A satisfied expression appeared on the old butler's face. He looked at Qian Zhaoguang with deep emotion and said, "Then you must cultivate diligently in the future and strive to raise your soul power level as soon as possible. If someday I'm no longer around... cough cough cough cough... you'll at least have the power to protect yourself... cough cough cough cough cough..."
Qian Zhaoguang quickly helped the old butler soothe his coughing, complaining, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? Don't always say such unlucky things. What do you mean 'no longer around'? Pei, pei, pei (spitting sounds to ward off bad luck)."
"Hahahaha, alright, alright, Grandpa won't say it. Then I'll strive to live a few more years, live until you and Xiao Tong have your happy event, then I'll... Oof! You little rascal, are you trying to pat me to death?"
"Ahem ahem..."
This time it was Qian Zhaoguang's turn to cough awkwardly.
Never experienced the pain of elders pushing for marriage in my past life. Now, just turned six in this life, and I get to experience it ahead of schedule?
When Huo Yutong opened her eyes, the sun in the sky had been replaced by the moon; night had completely fallen.
She looked down at herself. Her originally petite frame seemed to have grown slightly taller after absorbing the soul ring; even her clothes felt a bit tighter.
Her body felt stronger, and her skin had gained a lustrous sheen, looking incredibly supple and even fairer than before.
All her physical attributes had been enhanced by this soul ring.
She subconsciously summoned her Spirit Eyes. A bright yellow soul ring was extremely conspicuous in the darkness.
Now, even without deliberately circulating her soul power, she could see with perfect clarity in the night.
"I... I've become a Soul Master!"
Huo Yutong shot up to her feet, exclaiming in surprise.
"Yes, congratulations."
"Congratulations, Xiao Tong."
Qian Zhaoguang and the old butler, sitting before her, both expressed their happiness for her.
"Mama, I've finally become a Soul Master! You won't have to suffer in the Duke's Mansion anymore..."
Her nose tingled, and tears streamed down continuously from her beautiful eyes.
"Brother Zhaoguang, Grandpa Zhu, thank you, thank you both..."
As she spoke, Huo Yutong threw herself into Qian Zhaoguang's arms and burst into tears again.
Qian Zhaoguang instantly stiffened, unsure where to put his hands, frantically signaling with his eyes to the old butler who was enjoying the show nearby.
The old butler acted as if he hadn't seen anything, simply turning back towards the tent, muttering to himself.
"Mm... getting old, need to rest early."
Damn it, this old man!
The next morning, the trio, having successfully concluded their soul hunting trip, embarked on the return journey by carriage.
Qian Zhaoguang had unlocked the correct way to use his Extreme Ice Light Martial Soul and gained an understanding of his current strength – a fruitful harvest.
Huo Yutong had obtained a very practical soul skill from the Blood Tiger, named Frenzy (or Chaos).
Similar to when the Blood Tiger itself used it, the specific effect depended on the relative spiritual power of the involved parties.
When cast on oneself, it could stimulate the spirit, providing a temporary boost to various bodily functions.
If cast on another target, it would cause mental disorder, dizziness, and sharp pain in the head.
If the target's spiritual power was too low, they might even lose control and attack their own teammates due to confusion.
This type of soul skill, whose effect was entirely dependent on the relative spiritual strength between user and target, was extremely practical, avoiding the awkward situation of becoming useless in later stages of cultivation.
Furthermore, Spirit-type Soul Masters inherently excel in the mid-to-late stages, and the power of this soul skill would continuously increase along with Huo Yutong's spiritual power growth.
Upon returning to the Duke's Mansion, the first thing Huo Yutong did was rush home to share the joyous news with her mother that she had become a Soul Master.
Mother and daughter embraced, weeping tears of overwhelming joy.
During the time they were away, although the Duchess continued to oppress Huo Yun'er, she still had to maintain some semblance of decorum and didn't resort to direct, harsh measures.
However, she did tighten the surveillance throughout the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, replacing personnel in various positions with her own trusted subordinates.
Consequently, the Huo mother and daughter's desire to move out would likely be much harder to realize.
Returning to the familiar White Tiger Duke's Mansion after ten days away, even Qian Zhaoguang couldn't help but feel a sense of relaxation.
The Douluo Continent of this era was unlike the relatively peaceful times ten thousand years ago, constantly protected by the Spirit Hall's Judgment Army. Evil Soul Masters could emerge at any time, posing a danger to low-level Soul Masters.
Although Shrek's Inner Court claimed to be constantly maintaining peace on the continent, relying solely on those sixty-odd students was, frankly, little more than a joke.
Didn't the original story show how a few minor members from the Holy Spirit Cult managed to severely injure a group of Inner Court disciples right under the nose of a certain Level 98 "most disgraceful" Super Douluo?
In these times, it was truly a dangerous affair for low-level Soul Masters to travel far from home.
Even with the old butler, a Soul Saint, as protection, Qian Zhaoguang felt a significant lack of security.
After returning, he rested for only half a day before reporting back to the old blacksmith, once again immersing himself in the intense and stimulating process of cultivation through forging.
(End of Chapter)