Chapter 38: Self-Created Soul Skill — The Great Soul Arena
When Qi Tian stood up, he immediately realized something had changed.
He had grown taller—noticeably so. His body now looked nothing like that of a seven-year-old child.
Even his clothes felt uncomfortably tight. With a helpless shake of his head, he stripped them off and stepped in front of the small inn's mirror.
The reflection that greeted him made him pause.
"Well, well… what a handsome young man," Qi Tian couldn't help but murmur with a grin of self-satisfaction.
His physique had undergone a complete transformation. After acquiring the True Dragon Physique and successfully cultivating the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body, his entire being radiated strength and vitality.
His muscles were perfectly proportioned, his lines sharp and defined like sculpted marble—yet flexible and filled with explosive power.
"What a pity," Qi Tian sighed. "I absorbed my first soul ring too early. Right now, I could easily handle a thousand-year soul ring!"
Still, he quickly calmed his thoughts.
"But relying too much on soul rings isn't the right path. Fully developing my martial soul might yield even greater results."
He recalled what the original novel had mentioned—after reaching rank ninety-six, soul masters could no longer advance through rings alone. True progress came from one's comprehension and understanding of their martial soul.
Soul skills were temporary.
Insight was eternal.
After forcing himself into the now-too-small outfit, Qi Tian headed into the city streets, bought two new sets of clothes, and continued on his journey.
---
Along the road, he practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill diligently.
Within a few days, he successfully entered the introductory stage. His soul power began circulating smoothly through his meridians, radiating a vibrant, life-filled energy.
At this point, his cultivation system was complete:
- True Dragon Physique—strengthened his body.
- Mysterious Heaven Skill—refined his meridians and soul power.
- Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew—enhanced his spiritual power.
Aside from his somewhat low innate soul power, his foundation was nearly perfect. The path ahead stretched open and bright.
A few days later, on the main road outside Soto City in the Balak Kingdom.
Qi Tian continued his journey, practicing as he walked.
The Blue Silver Grass in his hand constantly shifted form—sometimes wrapping around objects, sometimes thrusting forward like a spear—displaying flexibility that seemed far beyond the limits of a mere weapon-type martial soul.
This was the result of his far superior spiritual power and relentless practice in mastering absolute control over his martial soul.
Still, he wasn't entirely sure how effective his attacks actually were.
"Maybe I should test the results of my training," Qi Tian thought, his eyes lighting up.
"If I remember right… There's a Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City, isn't there?"
A faint smile crept across his lips.
"I'm a bit short on cash anyway. Might as well earn some extra gold while testing my strength!"
After leaving Nuoding Academy, he no longer had his work-study status, so the three gold soul coins of monthly pay were gone.
Now, his only steady income came from the one gold coin monthly stipend provided by Spirit Hall—barely enough for food and lodging, but not much else.
If not for the fact that he had started saving since the age of four, he'd probably be counting every coin by now.
---
The Suotuo City Great Soul Arena was the most magnificent building in the entire city. Even from several kilometers away, its colossal structure towered over everything else.
At night, its lights blazed like a sea of stars, and the roar of the audience thundered like crashing waves from within.
At the registration counter, a pretty young lady greeted Qi Tian with a professional smile.
"Rank twelve, one-ring soul master?" she blinked in surprise. "Not many at your level register for soul battles. Are you sure you want to apply for a battle badge?"
"I'm sure," Qi Tian answered firmly.
"Alright then. The registered name is… 'Great Sage'. If you wish to change it later, it'll cost ten gold coins as a reissue fee."
A short while later, Qi Tian received a Bronze Soul Battle Badge, marking his official entry into the Great Soul Arena.
As the girl had said, very few one-ring soul masters participated, so Qi Tian had to wait quite a while before he finally got a match.
His assigned venue was the Twenty-Eighth Battle Arena—a small, rather remote stage with sparse audience seats.
Even the host was a woman of plain appearance, though her voice was steady and her commentary clear.
"Next," she announced, "let's welcome our two new contenders— 'Great Sage' and 'Lone Wolf'—to the arena!"
"Both contestants are one-ring Soul Masters. Their levels might not be high, but let's give them a round of applause for their courage to step into the arena!"
"Battle… begin!"
The referee's voice had barely fallen when a sharp gust of wind howled across the stage.
"Heavens! 'Lone Wolf' activated Martial Soul Possession! He's using a soul skill—Wind Blade! Can 'Great Sage' dodge it!?"
"Wait—look! 'Great Sage' evaded it!"
The host's voice rose with excitement.
"His Martial Soul… is actually Blue Silver Grass? The so-called 'trash' Martial Soul? He's launching a counterattack!"
Blue Silver Grass shot forward like a living serpent, coiling tightly around Lone Wolf's limbs.
"Lone Wolf's trapped! Can he break free—no, wait! He's been kicked off the stage!"
"What a clean victory! That was incredible! The winner of this duel is… 'Great Sage!'"
---
Qi Tian fought two matches that night. By the time he left the Great Soul Arena, he had earned twenty arena points and one gold soul coin.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fight more—there simply weren't enough opponents. Very few one-ring Soul Masters registered for matches, and the system only managed to line up two for him tonight.
Still, his goal was achieved.
"My Blue Silver Bind works perfectly—it pairs well with mental toxins as a control-type soul skill."
"But Implantation Technique isn't quite there yet. My Blue Silver Grass may be strong, but it's not sharp enough. I'll need more refinement."
Through those two battles, Qi Tian tested his self-created soul skills and gained a much clearer understanding of his current combat ability.
As he wandered through the streets of Suotuo City, a familiar name suddenly crossed his mind—Qin Ming, the so-called "genius" who was held back by Shrek Academy.
Qin Ming had awakened the Inferno Grey Wolf Martial Soul, with innate full soul power.
By twelve years old, he had already reached rank twenty-nine… before being tricked into joining Shrek.
Due to the academy's lack of a theoretical foundation, his fifth ring ended up being only a thousand-year soul ring.
A waste of his potential—he could have achieved far more.
"In Bibi Dong's timeline, Qin Ming should've just awakened his Martial Soul. Should I have her recruit him early?"
"And with Liu Erlong's extreme Fire Dragon Martial Soul, she could even serve as his teacher."
A faint smile tugged at Qi Tian's lips at the thought.
The next morning, Qi Tian's soul once again returned to Bibi Dong's body.
He blinked awake and instinctively examined her condition.
"Huh? This place… is Liu Erlong's home?"
Before he could ponder further, a soft knock sounded at the door.
"Bibi Dong, are you awake? We need to head to the Moon Pavilion!" Liu Erlong's voice came from outside.
"Don't just stand there—go open the door," Bibi Dong's voice urged from within Qi Tian's mind.
Qi Tian quickly got up and opened it.
This was his first time seeing Liu Erlong directly through Bibi Dong's eyes—and he couldn't help but stare a little longer than necessary.
She was slightly taller than Bibi Dong, her figure astonishingly voluptuous. Even the loose gown she wore couldn't conceal her graceful, curvaceous form.
"That's Liu Erlong. Well? She's beautiful, isn't she?" Bibi Dong teased.
Qi Tian wasn't stupid—he immediately replied,
"So she's Liu Erlong. Beautiful indeed, but… still a bit behind you."
Only then did Bibi Dong hum in satisfaction, no longer pressing the matter.
"Hurry up and wash up. You're going to the Moon Pavilion with Liu Erlong today," she reminded.
"That girl's domain is quite impressive. After receiving her guidance, my mind feels much calmer. Her etiquette lessons are also surprisingly effective—honestly better than the tutors I had in Spirit City when I was young."
It had been Qi Tian's idea for Bibi Dong to attend Moon Pavilion, and she had agreed—dragging Liu Erlong along as well.
After several days of lessons, the noble-style training nearly drove the fiery Liu Erlong mad.
Yet, for some reason, she endured it all.
Perhaps deep down… she wanted to improve her bearing—so that when she saw Qi Tian again, she could face him with confidence and grace.
—
End of Chapter