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"Result?"
The voice was dull and flat — as if the speaker couldn't care less.
Lin Fan hesitated. "His Martial Soul mutated. Probably mid-tier. Innate soul power of five. He named it Prism Crystal."
The other man didn't reply. But his body language suggested a kind of relaxed indifference.
After a while, he said, "Let the old man know … he can take his grandson now.."
Lin Fan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Brother Lin… is that really the right move? Xiao Chen's talent isn't bad, and—"
But he stopped himself. Lin Mo was staring at him, his expression like a beast about to strike.
"Go inform the old man. That's all."
"…As you command, Lord."
Footsteps. The door opened and closed.
Once again, the office fell into that familiar, unpleasant silence.
A faint sigh followed.
Lin Mo was still staring at the wall — or rather, past it, as if he could see through to the eastern quarter of the estate.
His fingers idly ran along the edge of a letter, half-buried under other papers. Only the last few lines were visible:
I don't like owing people. I'm not in your debt anymore.
Farewell. Though I doubt we'll meet again.
***
Eastern Quarter.
Lin Zhechen's residence was nestled within the inner edge of the estate's eastern wing.
Light filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow across the room.
Lin Zhechen was seated on a simple but proper bed, legs crossed, chin resting on one hand.
"Where do I even start…" he murmured.
He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and closed his eyes.
He tried to look inward — and felt himself being pulled upward.
Moments later, he appeared in a vast, dark void. Only an area roughly the size of his room was lit.
The floor beneath his feet looked like a pond, but closer inspection revealed something thicker — more like dense mist.
Spiritual energy.
Some of the mist flowed into his body, anchoring his image within this space.
He glanced around, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"I've never heard of a place like this. Do all Soul Masters have this? Or just me?"
He took a few steps. It felt like walking on solid ground.
He approached the center of the misty pond.
There, a slow-moving spiral of mist rose upward, curved, and returned to the base — a continuous loop.
He narrowed his eyes. Inside the column of mist, something faintly resembling the slender trunk of a sapling stood.
As he got closer, the mist parted. Surprisingly, his posture improved. His balance returned.
He whispered, "Is this my real body? Or just an image?"
He reached out and touched the trunk.
Light flickered briefly under his fingers — and vanished.
A sliver of information surged into his mind.
His eyes widened. "This is it. The seed… the Seed of Light."
He stood there, stunned, parsing what he'd just learned.
Limit Breaker Tree. What a strange name.
This, apparently, was just the conceptual form of the tree. Its true form? Unknown. But its roots were buried inside his body.
He withdrew his hand and took a few steps back.
He'd seen enough for now. He could return later.
"It's time to wake up."
He didn't need to do anything. The moment he said it, he felt himself falling.
Moments later, he opened his eyes.
Back in his room. Back in his body.
The familiar weakness returned. He grumbled irritably, "So the tree's been draining me this whole time? Sucking me dry?"
Still, he didn't mind much. The seed was a treasure. He had died for it.
Eventually, he would learn what the tree could do.
Just from the name, he could already guess a few things.
Now he had to see how it reacted to the power systems of this world.
He stretched out his legs and frowned slightly.
Strange. I can't freely move my spiritual energy.
He moved his hands a little. Opened and closed his fists.
Vital energy was always circulating — either being generated or used. It flowed through his body, pooled in his organs, and surged through his blood.
He rested his elbows on his knees and stared blankly ahead.
"I can sense soul power clearly, and…"
The other two energies.
"I can't control any of them properly."
Even with all his experience from the previous world, using these energies was hard.
He muttered, "Why are they so weak? Not just passive — they're low in quality too."
He focused on the stream of soul power.
It reminded him of the hybrid energy from his past life — but with something new blended in.
"Let's see how they behave when the Martial Soul is active."
He extended his right hand.
In a burst of light, the Prism Crystal appeared above his palm.
It absorbed ambient light and scattered it into seven shimmering colors.
Beautiful.
"It's different now," he murmured.
"They changed. A small amount of both spiritual and vital energy were consumed. More spiritual than vital."
He paused.
"Not enough to matter."
Then, he focused inward.
"The soul power… it's moving faster. Flowing stronger than before."
He winced in thought.
Why are the other two…
"…leaning toward soul power, like starving children drawn to food?"
He hovered the Martial Soul over his fingertips and laid back on the bed.
Colored light danced across his face.
His gaze deepened. If someone had seen his expression just then, they might have called it… hungry.
He whispered, "The secret to eternal life… it's hidden within that tree. And this Martial Soul."
I'll uncover it.
"But I'll need knowledge. A massive library."
Ancient records. Texts that hold the truths of this world.
With a thought, the Martial Soul retracted into his body. He kept staring at the ceiling.
If he were honest, the idea of accessing a new power system thrilled him.
This world relied heavily on talent.
But so did his old one.
Still… the dangers here couldn't even be compared
These people had no idea how lucky they were.
His mind drifted to the path of cultivating a Martial Soul.
"Through meditation, I must raise my soul power to Rank 10. Only then can I hunt a suitable Soul Beast and obtain my first Soul Ring."
"But first, I should analyze the Martial Soul's attributes… and create a growth plan."
He was lost in thought when a hesitant knock pulled him out.
Still lying down, he said softly, "Come in."
The door creaked open.
His maid stood there — hesitant and sad.
"Young Lord…"
He glanced at her and gave a faint smile.
"Your face says you didn't bring good news."
Not that many things mattered to me anyway.
She fidgeted with the hem of her robe. "The Lord summoned me… he gave me a storage-type Soul Tool."
"For what?"
Her voice trembled. Tears welled in her eyes.
"To gather your things, Young Lord…"
"…"
Lin Zhechen looked away and stared at the ceiling.
Then closed his eyes.
I see…