Chapter 177: The True Upper Limits of a Soul Master
At the entrance of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy.
Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Martial Soul Department of Shrek's outer court, had been pacing back and forth outside the Sea God Pavilion for two and a half hours, unable to muster the courage to step inside.
Finally, Elder Mu couldn't stand it any longer and sent a spiritual message from within the pavilion:
"Come in, Shaozhe. Nothing will be solved by loitering outside."
Hearing his teacher's voice, Yan Shaozhe's face turned slightly embarrassed and conflicted. Though he wasn't mentally prepared to enter, now that Elder Mu had spoken, there was no way to refuse. Resigned, he could only bite the bullet and step inside.
"Teacher, were you looking for me?" he asked respectfully, bowing as he entered.
It was only then that he noticed Xian Lin'er already seated beside Elder Mu, wearing an equally awkward expression.
Elder Mu smiled gently. "Was I looking for you, or were you looking for me?"
"Teacher, I…"
"No need to explain. I've already guessed why you came. Lin'er was here before you, and your intentions are the same. You're both here to ask the same thing, aren't you?"
Yan Shaozhe turned to Xian Lin'er in surprise. "So you also…"
Xian Lin'er turned her head away without responding, clearly unwilling to speak with him.
Yan Shaozhe could only smile helplessly. The two of them had once been lovers, but because of Feng Ling, they had not ended up together. Afterward, Yan Shaozhe married Cai Mei'er, the current vice president of the Martial Soul Department, while Xian Lin'er eventually accepted Qian Duoduo.
It was tragic in its own way. Qian Duoduo, having pursued her for decades, had to wait until they were both over a hundred years old, when death loomed during a beast tide, before she finally relented. They hadn't united in their youth or even middle age—it was only in their twilight years, at around one hundred twenty or thirty years old, that they shared a bed. Truly, Qian Duoduo was the epitome of a loyal, long-suffering man.
Seeing them, Elder Mu couldn't help but be reminded of his own entanglement with Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao. Compared to Qian Duoduo, though, Long Xiaoyao had been lucky. At least Ye Xishui had given birth to his son. Qian Duoduo, by contrast, had suffered in silence all his life.
Shaking off his memories, Elder Mu returned to the matter at hand.
"You both came here to ask why I agreed to Jing Hongchen's proposal to allow both sides to recruit each other's talents freely. Since you've come, I'll give you a proper explanation."
As he spoke, two cushions floated toward Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er, signaling for them to sit.
"First, let's talk about what we stand to gain. The soul tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire has already far surpassed our own. If Shrek remains complacent, we will eventually be left behind. That was clear to me during my visit to the Sun Moon Empire."
"Though they can't easily kill me now, if I'm confined within a fixed area like the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, and they're prepared to pay any cost with special fixed soul tools, I wouldn't survive. We must pursue the path of soul technology. But the students we sent there failed to complete the Ultimate Individual Soldier Plan."
"Shrek lost—completely. We've been cut off from the possibility of acquiring soul tool blueprints through official channels. Now, whether those students can truly learn from the Sun Moon Empire, and whether any of the soul engineers there are willing to join us, is our only hope of catching up in soul tool technology."
"As for the Martial Soul Department students you're worried about…"
He paused and looked at Yan Shaozhe. "Shaozhe, as a Level 95 Super Douluo and the dean of Shrek's Martial Soul Department, tell me—what does a soul master need to advance to a higher realm?"
Yan Shaozhe answered promptly and respectfully, "The cultivation of a soul master primarily depends on the innate martial soul and innate soul power. These determine the natural upper limit of a soul master's potential. Unless they encounter extraordinary opportunities during their cultivation journey, their ultimate level is determined by these innate traits."
"Even Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, who first proposed this theory ten thousand years ago, was stuck at Rank 29 for many years due to his extremely poor innate soul power. Only after Ancestor Tang San gave him a Grade Nine Ganoderma to purify the impurities in his martial soul was he finally able to cultivate beyond that point."
Elder Mu's mouth twitched ever so slightly. Though the principle was long accepted, no matter how many times he heard the phrase "there are no useless martial souls, only useless people," it always rubbed him the wrong way.
If not for the fact that he was Yu Xiaogang's descendant, and that Yu's doctrine had become sacred and politically correct in Shrek, Elder Mu would've cursed him long ago for misleading generations of students.
Unaware of his teacher's discomfort, Yan Shaozhe continued.
"Besides the innate martial soul and soul power, there are acquired factors such as soul rings and soul bones. Soul bones grant additional skills, and when highly compatible, can even slightly enhance the martial soul. A soul master with seventh-level innate talent could potentially rise to the equivalent of eighth-level talent with the right soul bone."
"As for soul rings, they play an even more critical role. Highly compatible soul rings can strengthen a soul master's bloodline, elevate the martial soul, and extend their upper limit. The age of the soul rings also affects this limit. For instance, a soul master whose first ring is white (ten-year) will almost never reach Soul Douluo. Those with three yellow rings typically can't reach Titled Douluo."
"On the other hand, combinations like two yellow, three purple, and four black rings suggest a ceiling around Level 92. Two yellow, two purple, and five black might reach Level 97. Those with a red ring among their nine, especially a 100,000-year one, could reach Level 98. Only with multiple soul rings totaling 300,000 years or more does one have the potential to reach the Ultimate Douluo realm. Of course, rare opportunities can break these patterns."
"In summary, the combination of innate martial soul and acquired soul rings defines the soul master's final ceiling. Soul bones are helpful, but they're support. The soul rings determine the speed and quality of growth, and ultimately the level a soul master can reach."
Elder Mu nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly. Martial souls and soul rings. Martial souls are fixed at birth. Soul rings, on the other hand, are acquired resources—accumulated over time through effort and opportunity. And Shrek's foundation lies in our ability to hunt and provide powerful soul rings."
He paused, then asked a sharp question.
"So, Shaozhe, Lin'er—do you believe the Sun Moon Empire can provide powerful soul rings for our exchange students?"