Chapter 8 - First Ring

Glorybound City also had a Spirit Pagoda branch located in the heart of the city. It was a three layer pagoda. This was the lowest rank possible for a Spirit Pagoda branch. A mid-sized city would have a seven-layer Spirit Pagoda branch. Major cities would have a thirteen layers Spirit Pagoda branch. However, the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters was situated in Shrek City.

Tang Ziran had a smile on his face as they walk inside the building but couldn't hide the worry in his eyes. While they have enough money to buy a spirit soul, whether it is suitable for his little Tang Tang is the question.

They saw a reception desk after walking in and went to it. A Soul Master observes them coming and stood up to receive them.

"Hello, may I ask what you're here for?"

"Hello Lord Soul Master. I've brought my son to buy a spirit soul. His martial soul has achieved the 10th rank."

The Soul Master face changed and unenthusiastically asks if they had enough money.

"Huh? Well, if it isn't the little freak."Tang Ziran blink before he turned his head to locate the direction of the voice. Tang Wulin followed and saw it was the same spirit master who oversees his awakening.

"Hehehe. It seems fate wanted us to meet again and don't think about running away after your test like last time!" Exclaimed the Spirit Master, then he turns to the receptionist and him will take over.

He brought the duo farther into the building before turning to back to them.

"What rank of spirit soul do you want to buy?"

"Lord Spirit Master, we're not quite knowledgeable about these things. Could we possibly inconvenience you to explain this to us?"

The Spirit Master smiled gently said, "It fine, a city like Glorybound City, the Spirit Pagoda only offers three types of spirit souls. Ten-year white spirit souls, hundred-year yellow spirit souls, and random spirit soul selection."

"There are 73 ten year white spirit souls and 11 hundred year yellow spirit souls to choose from. The price of a white spirit soul is seventy thousand coins, while yellow spirit souls are one million coins. Which one do you want to buy?"

Tang Ziran eager face turn pale and could barely mutter any appropriate words after hearing the price. He thought about all the time Wulin spend in the forge working for his spirit soul.

*"Here, some money for the family."

"Naturally it fine, it was only a little bit from that freak Mang Tien gave me."

"I finally have enough!"*

Tang Wulin already knowing his family is struggling merely to place food on the table, swiftly considered his choice.

"We will buy the random spirit soul selection." stunning his dad who turns to look anxiously at him and causing the Spirit Master to smile more.

"It all because dad is useless." Tang Ziran clenches his fist, as he felt his son kept making sacrifices because of his uselessness. He didn't want his son to sacrifice anything more or shatter from the pressure of thinking he has to take care of the family. He is a kid for heaven sake, if only he wasn't useless.

"Could you take me to go select a random spirit soul." Tang Wulin patted his dad on the back, before turning to the Spirit Master.

"Of course, you really are a sensible child. Initially, you would have had to pay a fee for the spiritual power examination, but I'll assist you out and exempt you from the fee."

Tang Ziran eyes sparkled as he got down on his knees and kept on thanking the Spirit Master, who just said it was ok.

"Follow me. Your father will wait here. Ordinary people can't look into the world of Soul Masters."

Tang Wulin listen in as the Spirit Master talk about the importance of Spiritual Power, which sounded a lot like the container in a mage body, that determines a mage Magic Power and it limits. He pays close attention when he heard that a strong spiritual power required a strong spirit soul and body.

The Spirit Master then went over the ranking of Spiritual Power: Spirit Origin, Spirit Connection, Spirit Sea, Spirit Abyss, Spirit Domain, and the fabled Divine Origin.

Spirit Master instructed him to put on the helmet and saying relax as he lays down, while his arms are linked together by an unrecognizable machine.

"Remember to keep your body relaxed." Warned the Spirit Master as he activates the machine.

'Hm, let see what outrageous number you get now, little freak.'

When the numbers first appeared, they jumped up extremely quickly. After a moment, the numbers gradually stabilized. Spirit Master saw these numbers and was only able to utter some words.

"Bullshit..."

On the screen, before the machine was turn off the spiritual number stop at 2450. The Spirit Master tries to remember when was the last time anyone number was that high at this age but no one came to mind.

'Freak, this kid is a way too much of a freak.'

The number is not really a surprise if one takes the time to consider that for the past 3 years Acnologia has been training his Dragon Slayer Magic, causing his spiritual power to grow. Couple with the fact that his immense magic power also transfers over. Well, it not really a surprise it is so high but sadly the Spirit Master didn't know this.

'Are you telling me, this kid is already in the Spirit Sea realm, at only 9 years old!'

"My spirit soul?" The Spirit Master snaps out of his inner thoughts. Nodding before bringing Wulin into an adjacent room.

The Spirit Master pointed at two buttons on the machine and said, "The green button is to start, the red button is to stop. After stopping, the spirit soul at that location will roll out. When you press this button and shine the device's light upon the spirit soul ball, your spirit soul will break out of its shell. After releasing the spirit soul, its power will belong to you. You may begin whenever you're ready."

"I... I need to talk to my superiors. Kid don't move after you pick your soul, please do not move." Pleaded the Spirit Master as he ran straight out of the room leaving Tang Wulin.

The hundred or so spirit souls within the machine slowly began to circulate. Not too long after, it reached a shockingly fast speed, giving off the feeling of being too much for one's eyes to take in.

Thinking it been long enough, he presses the red button and with a bang. The machine stopped circulating and a pure white spirit soul ball fell out of the machine, tumbling into the metal case beside Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin took out the spirit soul ball and following the Spirit Master Instruction. A gentle yellow light was released from the device and fell upon the spirit soul ball. The spirit soul ball reacted by emitting a faint radiance, then slowly turned transparent.

The white light began to dissipate as the spirit soul ball opened up completely. The spirit soul inside had appeared at last.

It really was too tiny, measuring only about ten centimeters in length and was about as thin as a child's finger. Its body was an earthen yellow color, and if you looked at it closely, a tiny rhombus shaped scale could be seen.

'Of course, he has to be related to those overgrown lizards' Tang Wulin thought dryly while sighing gently at the apparent irony.

'Weak Martial Spirit Soul and a Spirit Soul huh.'

Gently shaking his head Tang Wulin was going to leave, but he did remember that man did urge him to stay. While he wouldn't normally care, he waives the spiritual power price for him and has been kind so far.

Then again he has things to do, so he walks outside and told his Dad what happen, ignoring his Dad expression that went from pleasant shock to genuine disappointment. He then left the Spirit Pagado alone, with his dad being the one to talk with the Spirit Master Surpeoir while he goes back to his training.

"I Am Bac-. Godammit! Where did he go this time?" The Spirit Master look all around but only saw the boy Dad, who was giving him a nervous smile.

"Lord Spirit Master, I am sorry but my son had to go to his Blacksmith Job." Tang Ziran bowed as he tried to appease the miserable expression on the Spirit Master face. He knew well enough his son lack of respect attitude could drive just about anyone mad.

"Hahaha! That kid really left." Spoke the man behind the Spirit Master. The Spirit Master looks at the man trembling and polity apologize for wasting his time. The man waves him off and said he will talk to the Dad instead. Tang Ziran smiled wryly wondering how his son keeps getting him wrapped up in his problems.

"Hey, go check which Spirit Soul he got." Said the Man, who set his hand around his chin. The Spirit Master blink before he went over to the computer and cried out in surprise.

"This is... He got a grass snake." Lamented the Spirit Master, thinking about how weird that kid luck is.

'Innate Full Spirit Power, Bluesilver Grass Martial Soul, Weird markings and Aura, 2450 Spiritual Power and now a Grass Snake'

The Man couldn't help but smile wryly at how similar this situation sounded. After all the Founder of the Tang Sect, Tang Sang was born a Full Innate Soul Power with Bluesilver Grass and he was able to evolve it into the Bluesilver Emperor, to dominate the continent.

"This kid is going be big." See the man as he realizes he was too late. He turns to Tang Ziran, giving him a card while telling him before he left.

"If your son, ever feels like joining the Spirit Pagado then please use that card to contact me. I will be honest, your son is a monster in terms of potential and we would love gladly nurture him." Tang Ziran blinks in surprise as he took the card while watching the man leave.

"Um, who is he ." Question Tang Ziran. The Spirit Master turns and looks at Ziran smiling bitterly before saying.

"He one of the Spirit Pagoda Counselor." Tang Ziran expression turn into shock as he looks back at the card in his hand.

#

Tang Wulin watches as the little snake slithered around his stable hand, stroking its head on his graceful palm. Even though it retained an illusory form, it was still actively interacting with his hand.

'At the minimum, you're better looking than them.'

Thinking about the Dragons he slew, Tang Wulin decided to fuse with the Snake now.

He promptly closed his eyes and silently entered a state of meditation as his fusion began.

The little Grass Snake twisted and turned within his palms. Apart from that first connection between the two of them, nothing else had been transmitted. This was the intelligence of the spirit soul of the lowest grade. The more powerful a spirit soul was, the more intelligent it would be.

The little Grass Snake's earthen yellow body gradually took on a blue tint while the blade of Bluesilver Grass rapidly grew.

The originally weak and frail grass harmoniously curled up and gradually grew. It was about as thick as a finger with an appearance similar to that of a vine's. Upon careful inspection, vestiges of scales could be found on the blade of grass.

The Grass Snake spiritual power was vastly too weak compared to his spiritual power to resist and was dominated by him.

Tang Wulin's soul power began to violently fluctuate as it met with the bottleneck and surged through, breaking through and evolving his martial soul at the same time.

Tang Wulin's whole body felt light as the condensed soul power within his dantian had countless threads penetrating into every single cell of his body.

At that moment his body started to heat up. The golden marking appearing again he notices as it started to intertwine with his Bluesilver Grass like a skeleton.

Then on snake forehead, a blue trident appeared with the snakeskin turning blue. On the side of its head, four golden colored wing-like appendages appeared and its eyes turning pink.

Tang Wulin blackout as he was being covered by the Bluesilver Grass. Tang Wulin spiritual power and spirit power increase rapidly. After a while, he opened his eyes noticing his drench clothing he went to go shower and change.

Walking out of his room, he was assaulted by his crying dad who keeps on shaking his head on his cheeks.

"Son, dad is sorry! You were forced to take on that spirit soul because of he so useless!" Tang Ziran kept on hugging his son, as Na'Er, his mom and Mang Tien appeared in front of his room.

"Let me take a look at your rank and martial soul." Said Mang Tien, Tang Wulin threw him a questioning glance before his dad told him Mang Tien came over because he heard he was breaking through.

He sighs, then lifted his right hand and with just a thought, the dim room immediately lit up. A white ring of light slowly rose from his feet and revolved rhythmically around his body.

This was a Soul Master's soul ring. A white soul ring represented a 10-year soul ring, the lowest type.

He notices the grass felt like an extension of his consciousness and he got feedback on everything it touched.

'Papa!'

Tang Wulin blink, looking around after hearing somebody other than Mang Tien talking. He felt his consciousness tremble before he heard the sound again.

'Papa!.'

The voice seems to have come from his spirit soul the snake. He heard it was possible to talk with your spirit soul if you had a high enough Spiritual Power. Yet, the only thing this Snake could say was "Papa" and nothing else. He wonders if that was because it was only a 10-year-old spirit.

"Your Bluesilver Grass is a bit abnormal." Mang Tian said to Tang Wulin.

Hearing the word, abnormal Tang Wulin left his thoughts, looking up to Mang Tien he Said "How?"

Mang Tian answered, "First of all is its weight. I didn't feel it at first, but I noticed when it fell onto the ground that the sound it made wasn't light at all. After inspecting it again, I discovered that although it is very slender, its body is actually very heavy. It's even heavier than a vine. Bluesilver Grass with only one soul ring shouldn't possess this type of attribute. Let me test it again first."

Four soul rings appeared behind Mang Tian, one white, two yellow, and one purple. Tang Wulin smirk as he could feel that Mang Tien was stronger than he let on through his vast experience. He had a tiny rabbit, a pair of hammers and a brown bear, with a hammer with brown vein lines showing.

Mang Tian forcefully pulled on the Bluesilver Grass with the backing of his soul skill as well as his formidable soul power.

A bizarre scene appeared in front of them all. Everyone, expected the Bluesilver Grass to be torn apart. Unexpectedly, however, the dim body of the Bluesilver Grass began shining under the opposing forces exerted upon it.

Mang Tien asks him if anything happens, with him saying his spirit power got drained. Then he nodded going on an explanation about a Variant Martial Soul. Tang Wulin only really caring about the parts where he said it was a good variation.

"Ohhhh, my baby." Lang Yue pulled him into her bosom while everyone around him smiled. Then went in for a group hug, with Tang Ziran dragging Mang Tien in regardless of his resistance.

#

Tang Wulin went outside to the garden, laying on his back as he watches the snake move around him. His dad told him the martial soul was a grass snake a very weak creature. He hasn't shown anyone what the snake looks like after fusing with it because of something strange that happened.

After the snake underwent its alteration, the trident on it heads lighted up and changing his surroundings to one under the sea. An indescribably terrifying aura suddenly surged out of the Trident with overwhelming waves of raging water swirling around it. It started suffocating him under its might.

It almost did before his destructive Dragon Slayer powers acted up. For a split second, he precisely saw his own Dragon Form clashing against the Trident. Then everything returns to normal with the snake lying on his palm sleeping.

'Great, more potential problems to figure out."

The snake slithered to his face and started to rub its trident head on his face.

'I think I will name it, Leviathan.'