In a small border town of the Fasno Province—Nuoding Academy.
The place was bustling, filled with the sounds of chattering and the steady flow of pedestrians.
Due to the need for a Wuhun certificate issued by the Spirit Hall, most elementary academies had close ties with it.Following Qian Daoliu's arrangements, Spirit Hall branches across the region had chosen to publicly announce Lin Feng's theoretical findings at various academies.
Prominent individuals from all walks of life had been invited to attend.
A frail and listless figure stood in a corner of the crowd, curiosity in his eyes as he listened to the announcements being read by the soul master on the raised platform.
Master Matthew Nuo, dressed formally, gazed out at the packed square, his face brimming with pride.
He spoke loudly:
"Everyone! Soul master history spans tens of millions of years. Since the birth of meditation techniques, they have never changed.
Today, our Spirit Hall announces that the future of soul masters is about to undergo a revolutionary change!
The cultivation methods of soul masters across the land will rise to a new level!
Created by our Spirit Hall scholar Lin Feng, the Innate Soul Refinement Technique has uncovered hidden soul power pathways within a soul master's body.
This first pathway alone brings a minimum of 5% increase in cultivation speed, along with an enhancement of physical attributes!"
Whoosh—
As expected, the crowd immediately erupted into noise.
Praises, doubts, and debate filled the air.
"Is Spirit Hall that bored? A technique that only gives a 5% boost, and they're making such a fuss?"
"Idiot! Did you even listen to what Master Matthew Nuo said? This is something all soul masters can use!
And didn't you hear the last sentence? This is only the first pathway!"
"Who are you calling an idiot?! It's just one path. Why make such a big deal out of it?"
The first speaker smacked the other on the forehead:
"You really are an idiot. If there's a first, then obviously there's a second, and a third. That Lin Feng guy definitely developed more already.
You think Spirit Hall would reveal everything all at once? Listen carefully, you fool!"
The rebuked man stammered but was left speechless.
"Master Matthew Nuo, who exactly is this Lin Feng? Why have we never heard of him before?"
Seeing the crowd quiet down a bit, Matthew Nuo continued:
"This Lin Feng is now a high-ranking member of Spirit Hall.
It's said that his innate soul power was only level one, but in just a few years, he broke the long-standing belief that level-one innate power couldn't break through to Soul Elder.
After breaking through this barrier, he gained insight and created the Innate Soul Refinement Technique!"
"What?!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, face full of disbelief.The disheveled man pushed through the crowd to the front, speaking excitedly:
"That's impossible! It's absolutely impossible for someone to break the restriction of level-one innate soul power!
Level-one soul power means a waste martial soul—there's no room for growth!"
Matthew Nuo sneered at the approaching man:
"Why would it be impossible? There are no useless martial souls—only useless soul masters!"
"You… You…"
Yu Xiaogang pointed angrily at Matthew Nuo, recognizing that the insult was deliberate—he clearly knew Yu's identity.
After all, Yu Xiaogang had long lived off the academy's connections, with the dean publicly supporting his "Master" reputation. There was no way Matthew Nuo didn't know who he was.
"Who is this guy blocking our view? Move aside and let Master Matthew Nuo continue!"
"Yeah, get out of the way! Some washed-up soul master—look at how filthy his face is! Get lost!"
Yu Xiaogang was shoved aside by the crowd.Some of them didn't hold back, stepping heavily on his ribs and feet—his whole body ached from the rough treatment.
Gasping for breath, Yu Xiaogang stared at Matthew Nuo, straining to catch every word.
Muttering to himself: "Impossible… absolutely impossible…"
Matthew Nuo gave a derisive laugh and went on:
"As some of you may have guessed, Scholar Lin Feng has already developed several more pathways.
For now, only the first pathway is being released to ease the transition to this new theory.
After all, it takes time for the masses to accept innovation.
Don't worry, future pathways will be released at the right time."
"Also!"
Matthew Nuo summoned his soul power and spoke loudly:
"Once you feel the benefits of this technique, do not attempt to develop your own pathways.
Without Lin Feng's unique method, forcibly exploring these routes will only risk your life!
Spirit Hall will take no responsibility for reckless experimentation!"
"Here is the technique for the first pathway. All are free to take a copy today.
Come tomorrow, it will cost 1 copper coin.
After 3 days, 1 silver coin.
After 7 days, 1 gold soul coin.
After that, it will no longer be available."
With that, Matthew Nuo and Su Yuntao began handing out the manuals behind the platform, ignoring the crowd's questions.
Everyone looked at each other, then rushed forward in a frenzy.
Yu Xiaogang, trembling under Matthew Nuo's mocking gaze, reached out and took a copy of the manual.
Back in his room, he swallowed hard and opened the booklet.
Following the technique's soul power route, his gaze grew unfocused:
"It's real… So Lin Feng really did break through to Soul Elder…"
Spirit Hall would never joke about something like this.
"How did he do it? Just through this pathway?
That must be it. Then if I train seriously along this path, and the future ones Spirit Hall releases—
I too can break through to Soul Elder!"
Just like his so-called "ten core competencies," Yu Xiaogang's thinking lacked any logic.
In his extreme joy, shock, and despair, he misunderstood a critical point:
The pathway was created by Lin Feng after breaking through the bottleneck, not the other way around.
This should've been obvious, but not to Yu Xiaogang.He had been stuck at level 29 for so long, he would cling to even a sliver of hope.
But for someone who claimed to understand his martial soul the best—who called himself a "Master"—he had fed Luo Sanpao nothing but fart-inducing radishes and other junk.
After obtaining his first soul ring, he should've realized his soul skills were garbage and not aligned with Luo Sanpao's potential.
A level-29 Grandmaster getting beaten by a century-old Mandrake Snake? He might be the only one.
Now, Luo Sanpao's body was likely filled with impurities—no longer able to evolve.
Yu Xiaogang recalled the disdain in Matthew Nuo's eyes and felt a suffocating weight on his chest.
"Lin Feng shattered the Soul Elder bottleneck.
With his theory out now, my reputation in the soul master world will plummet…
My theories will be even more discredited… I need someone—
Someone to prove my theories are right…"
He muttered to himself, but at no point did he recall the phrase he often loved to repeat:
"There are no useless martial souls—only useless soul masters."
So then… what did that make him?
T/N: For up to twelve chapters ahead on this fic and twenty on my other, become a P@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle