Chapter 34: Chapter 8: Soul Tool, 24 Bridges and the Moonlit Night (Part 1)_1

Translator: 549690339

“Teacher, the longer the cultivation time of a soul beast, the stronger its strength and the better the effect of the soul ring it produces. In what aspects does this strength manifest?” Tang San asked.

Grandmaster’s stiff face showed a trace of his characteristically ugly smile, “That’s a very good question. The difference in soul rings produced by soul beasts of different levels mainly lies in the attribute enhancement and the ability of the skill they provide to the Soul Master. For example, if we look at this from a quantitative perspective, your Bluesilver Grass Martial Soul is set on a path of a control-class Tool Soul Master, then if you acquire a 10 year soul ring that matches your attributes, your Bluesilver Grass control will increase by ten, but if it’s a Centennial Soul Ring, your control over the Bluesilver Grass would be enhanced by a hundred. And so on. Therefore, whenever possible, all Soul Masters will try to pursue more powerful Martial Souls.”

Tang San said with confusion, “Doesn’t that mean the people with greater power can obtain better soul rings? Nobles can simply rely on their family’s strength to hunt stronger soul rings for themselves.”

Approval shone in Grandmaster’s eyes, “Thinking this far proves you’ve thought about it carefully, but the reality is not that simple. Or I should say, the additional requirements for soul rings are extremely harsh.”

“Firstly, you must be the one to kill the soul beast to obtain its soul ring. The soul ring only exists for a very short amount of time, and if not attached to oneself within two hours, it will lose its effect.”

“Secondly, soul beasts are extremely proud creatures, and no soul beast will allow itself to be captured. If a soul beast is severely injured by an enemy, in an attempt to capture it, the soul beast will choose to self-destruct through soul power. This prevents the scenario you mentioned, even if you hire someone to hunt a soul beast, if they do not make the final kill, it will be difficult to obtain the soul ring.”

“Of course, this is not absolute. How could the wisdom of humans be inferior to that of soul beasts. The best method for hunting soul beasts is to form a group and head to the location of the soul beasts, delivering the final strike yourself to obtain the soul ring. Hence, the nobles and some people with power you mentioned do have certain advantages when hunting soul beasts.”

“However, just because such people can easily obtain soul rings doesn’t mean they will become stronger than normal Soul Masters. No one can be sure if the soul beasts they encounter have attributes that are the most suitable for themselves. The level of a soul beast is important, but whether the attributes are compatible is equally crucial. Even the best soul ring, if incompatible with one’s own Martial Soul, will not be effective and may actually impair the individual. Most importantly, each Soul Master is limited in the soul rings they can absorb at different stages.”

“For instance, you are now a Soul Scholar at level ten. With your current Soul Power, at most you can absorb the soul ring of a hundred-year soul beast. If you rashly try to absorb a thousand-year soul ring, there is only one outcome: your body won’t be able to withstand it, and you’ll be destroyed by the power of the soul ring. When absorbing a soul ring, no external force can assist you, you can only rely on yourself. Think about it, those who need others’ help to kill the soul beasts they need – how could their own strength be strong enough to sustain themselves? It is even possible that absorbing a suitable soul ring within their control could have devastating consequences. Tang San, remember, this world is fair. If you want to achieve something, you have to make the corresponding effort. Taking shortcuts is the action of the mediocre. The Martial Soul theory I am researching is meant to make this process of effort a bit easier for Soul Masters, to become stronger given equal strength. Do you understand?”

Tang San nodded earnestly.

He was not someone who habitually sought shortcuts anyway. Relying on his own efforts and progressing step by step toward his goals was the most solid approach.

Instead of rushing to leave the city, Grandmaster took Tang San and headed towards the interior of the city.

“Teacher, aren’t we supposed to be leaving the city?”

Grandmaster replied, “To hunt soul beasts, we need to prepare some things, and moreover, we can’t go on foot. Although a journey of two hundred miles isn’t too far, it’s always good to save some time.”

As the sun rose gradually from the east, the number of pedestrians in Notting City also started to increase. Today was also one of the rare days that Tang San did not use the morning’s Purple Qi from the East to cultivate his Purple Demon Eyes.

Grandmaster’s preparations were not complicated. He bought two leather bags specifically for carrying drinking water, each able to hold five liters of clean water. He also purchased some cured meat, flatbread, and fruit, packing two large bags full.

If Tang San could understand these purchases, what Grandmaster bought next was something he could not comprehend, and it was also the item they purchased the most.

A full twenty pounds of white radishes. Tang San’s current task was to carry them. For him, twenty pounds wasn’t much, but of course, if he had to walk two hundred miles, that would be problematic.

Fortunately, after collecting all these items, Grandmaster immediately hired a carriage in the city, paying the driver five Silver soul coins.

Currency exchange in Soul Land is like this: one golden soul coin equals ten Silver soul coins, which equals one hundred Copper soul coins. A single golden soul coin is enough for an average family of three to live on for several months. It’s the equivalent of three years of Tang San’s earnings from working at the Notting Academy.

The reason why the profession of Soul Master is said to be the noblest on the continent is partly due to income. Even just advancing from a Soul Scholar to a Soul Master, one could enjoy a subsidy of one golden soul coin per month. That’s enough for an ordinary person to live on. Of course, that’s just for basic living; luxury would be out of the question.

As a Soul Master’s cultivation level increases, especially after surpassing the Grand Soul Master and entering the Soul Venerable level, one could simply register at the Martial Soul Hall and be directly titled by the nation, becoming a noble of the lowest rank, a baron. The higher the strength, the higher the noble title, and naturally, the income rises accordingly.