aircannonsinc Chapter 16: Hidden Sect Power?! Martial Soul Evolution 2nd Time?!
Chapter 16: Hidden Sect Power?! Martial Soul Evolution 2nd Time?!
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The night was deep, and the moonlight shone like quicksilver onto the ground.
Cao Kun's courtyard is located on the back hill of Shrek Academy.
The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and the rising steam of tea. The earth-shattering battle and destructive atmosphere outside seemed to have been completely isolated by this small courtyard, leaving only a sense of peace that soothed the mind.
In the living room, Cao Kun, Zhao Wuji, and Flander sat facing each other.
Dugu Yan held the teapot in her delicate hand and poured boiling hot spiritual tea for the three of them. The emerald green tea soup rippled in the white jade cup, emitting a refreshing fragrance.
Her movements were gentle and graceful, her blue eyes lowered, and she did not utter a word. Only occasionally did she raise her eyes, and when her gaze swept over Cao Kun in the main seat, it was with undisguised reverence and submissiveness.
After filling the three cups of tea, she gave a graceful bow and quietly withdrew, leaving the three people in the room alone.
The living room is not large, but its furnishings are simple and elegant.
A few simple rosewood chairs, a low table, several landscape paintings with profound artistic conception hanging on the wall, and a bronze incense burner in the corner emitting wisps of smoke.
There are no gold or jade decorations here, but there is a unique charm of returning to simplicity.
Zhao Wuji and Flander were sitting in the guest seats at that moment.
Both of them were still somewhat disheveled, their clothes covered in dust. Zhao Wuji's bare upper body had several bloody scratches from the gravel, and Flander's glasses were askew.
But they were completely unaware that their four eyes were fixed on the white-clad, calm-looking young man in the main seat.
Curiosity, shock, bewilderment, excitement... a variety of emotions surged and churned in their hearts, almost bursting forth.
The scenes just now, the god-like methods of recovering Tang Hao in a few moves and exploding the ring with a single finger, had already exceeded the limits of their comprehension.
Countless questions welled up in their minds, churning like boiling water.
"Cough cough..."
Finally, Flanders coughed lightly, pushed up his crooked glasses, and broke the silence.
His voice was hoarse, with a hint of barely concealed probing: "Cao Kun... uh, um... just now... thank you for your help, for saving me, Lao Zhao, and the academy."
Zhao Wuji also came to his senses and nodded hurriedly, his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes filled with complex emotions: "Kun'er, tonight... I owe you so much."
He paused, then finally couldn't help but ask the most crucial question, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency: "What...what realm are you at now? Why...why didn't I see you release your spirit rings just now?"
This is the biggest point of contention between the two.
In battle, Soul Masters release Soul Rings almost as naturally as breathing, making them a symbol of power and status.
But during Cao Kun's fight with Tang Hao, from beginning to end, apart from the barely perceptible light on the last finger, not a single spirit ring appeared under his feet!
This completely defies common sense in the world of Soul Masters!
And his martial spirit...
They vaguely remembered that Cao Kun's awakened martial spirit was a somewhat ancient-looking bell.
Although it feels somewhat special, it should never be powerful enough to withstand or even crush the Clear Sky Hammer!
Cao Kun picked up his teacup, gently blew away the floating tea leaves, and took a small sip. The rising steam blurred his features, making him appear even more profound and unfathomable.
He put down his teacup, looked up at the two of them, his gaze calm as an ancient well, his voice low but clear enough to reach their ears:
"Title Douluo!"
The four words, like four thunderclaps, exploded in the ears of Zhao Wuji and Flander!
"A...a Title Douluo?!"
The two gasped almost simultaneously, their bodies involuntarily leaning forward, their eyes wide open, their faces filled with disbelief!
It's actually a Title Douluo?
An eighteen-year-old Title Douluo?!
Are you kidding me?!
The youngest Title Douluo in the history of the mainland was Tang Hao, who was just beaten half to death, and he achieved that at over forty years old!
Eighteen years old?
This is simply a fantasy!
When Zhao Wuji reached the Soul Emperor level at the age of thirty-seven or thirty-eight, he was already hailed as a genius!
Flander didn't break through to Soul Emperor until he was over forty!
"Comparing people is infuriating..." Flander muttered to himself, his tone filled with shock and a hint of indescribable loss.
He always thought that although he was stingy and liked to take advantage of others, he was also diligent in his cultivation as a Soul Master. At level 78, he was a Soul Saint, which would be considered a top expert on the continent.
Compared to this eighteen-year-old Title Douluo in front of him... it's like comparing a firefly to the bright moon!
Zhao Wuji was in a daze. He remembered the six-year-old child he found in the Star Dou Great Forest twelve years ago, a child who was thin and bony but had an unusually resolute look in his eyes.
At that time, he only thought that this kid had good potential and was a promising talent.
But he never dreamed that in just twelve years, this kid would grow to the point where he needed to look up to him, or even... save his life!
"Unbelievable... but... otherwise, how could he have defeated Tang Hao so easily..."
Zhao Wuji shook his head with a wry smile, accepting this absurd yet only reasonable explanation.
However, the doubts in my heart did not decrease, but rather increased.
"But... even titled Douluo need to release their spirit rings when unleashing their spirit skills in battle, right? And your martial spirit..." Flander couldn't help but ask.
Cao Kun seemed to have anticipated their questions. His expression remained unchanged as he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a sense of reminiscence and narration: "This matter is a long story, and it involves some secrets. Since you two are not outsiders, I will tell you frankly."
He paused, then said, feigning nonchalance, "I didn't reach this level solely through my own talent. Twelve years ago, shortly after I awakened my martial soul, I was noticed by a traveling elder of a reclusive sect and taken as a disciple. I was favored by the sect's patriarch, who bestowed upon me his inheritance and, with supreme secret techniques and resources, helped my martial soul complete its second transformation, allowing me to advance by leaps and bounds."
"A hidden sect?"
"Ancestral inheritance?"
"A second transformation of the martial soul?"
Zhao Wuji and Flander were startled again; these words were both unfamiliar to them and filled with a mysterious allure.
"That's right."
Cao Kun nodded and explained, "My bell-shaped martial soul was originally just a mutated weapon martial soul, and its quality was acceptable."
"But with the help of the sect's secret techniques, it absorbed the innate chaotic energy and fused with many rare and precious materials, eventually transforming and evolving into a true god-level martial soul."
"My name is... Chaos Bell."
"A god-level martial soul?!"
The two gasped in shock!
A god-level martial soul—that's a legendary existence!
It's a level higher than a top-tier martial soul!
No wonder it could easily suppress the Clear Sky Hammer!
No wonder it possesses such power without revealing its spirit rings!
Everything seems to make sense now!
Zhao Wuji suddenly remembered something, slapped his thigh, and exclaimed in realization, "No wonder!"
"No wonder those 'spiritual springs' and those strange 'pills' you gave me before, every time I drank or ate them, I felt my soul power circulating faster and my body feeling much lighter!"
"That thing played a huge role in my rapid breakthrough to level 88!"
"Is this your sect's treasure?"
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