Chapter 6: Cultivation, Developing Soul Skills

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Gu La remained composed, quickly scanning the system information without missing a single detail. He eventually came to a conclusion.

"Soul rings are like move-learning machines, containing all the soul skills that my martial soul 'Groudon' can learn."

"In other words, while others rely on luck to obtain soul skills and are limited by compatibility between spirit beasts and their martial souls, I can freely choose the skills that suit me best, mastering the most fundamental abilities of the spirit beast's bloodline."

Gu La felt a surge of joy. Originally, if he wasn't satisfied with the soul skill he received, he had planned to save up for skill discs to replace it. Now, it seemed he could save a significant amount in the future.

As for choosing his first soul skill, there was no question—it had to be Gravity Control.

Gravity Control wasn't just a rare golden-tier skill, equivalent to a "ultimate technique," but it was also incredibly versatile, useful for offense, defense, and even daily training.

It could also partially address Groudon's inability to fly due to its excessive weight.

A must-pick!

With his decision made, Gu La selected Gravity Control.

The thousand-year soul ring's violent energy surged into his body, seemingly intent on avenging the soul master who had killed it.

But Gu La remained calm, allowing the rampant soul power to rampage through his meridians. His soul power, fortified by Groudon's primal essence, was as thick and stable as the earth itself.

Whether it was his meridians or dantian, both were at an inhuman level of strength, just like his physical body. To him, the violent soul power of the Vigorous Vajra Bear was nothing more than playful antics.

Outside, Tang Hao relaxed upon seeing the purple soul ring merge into Gu La's body, signaling that Gu La had successfully fused with the soul ring and would face no further major issues.

He then glanced at Tang San, feeling a pang of regret. Due to Tang San's lack of nutrition during childhood, he couldn't absorb a higher-level first soul ring, which made Tang Hao feel remorseful.

But regret wouldn't change anything. He needed to compensate as soon as possible.

Tang Hao decided that after Tang San settled into school, he would find some rare medicinal herbs to strengthen Tang San's foundation.

As for Tang San's safety, with Gu La—whose strength rivaled that of a Soul Master—in Nuoding City, Tang San would be well-protected.

An hour later, Gu La slowly opened his eyes. A faint brown glow flickered in his eyes, and his gaze became steadier. After compressing his soul power using the Xuan Tian Technique, his cultivation stabilized at Level 13.

Tang San helped Gu La up, his voice filled with envy and curiosity. "Brother Gu, what soul skill did you get? A thousand-year soul skill must be very powerful, right?"

"It's indeed stronger than I expected."

Gu La raised his hand, and the purple soul ring beneath his feet began to rotate slowly, emitting a faint glow.

An invisible gravitational field instantly spread out from Gu La, covering a ten-meter radius. The surrounding grass and trees were flattened, and Tang Hao and Tang San felt a sudden heaviness on their shoulders, as though their bodies had become several times heavier.

"Gravity Control gives me the ability to control gravity within a certain range. The higher my level, the stronger the gravity and the wider the range. It accelerates the depletion of the enemy's stamina and slows them down."

Gu La considered Gravity Control akin to a domain-type soul skill—covering a wide area without the usual difficulty of controlling such skills. In his opinion, it was nearly a perfect soul skill.

Tang Hao also thought of domain-type soul skills. Having the Killing God Domain himself, he understood the immense power of such skills. Weakening the enemy was equivalent to strengthening oneself.

His escape from the Spirit Hall's pursuit had much to do with his Killing God Domain.

Moreover, domain-type soul skills became even more effective when facing multiple enemies.

Tang Hao showed no signs of discomfort and praised Gu La. "Amazing luck. This soul skill has great potential. Even as your cultivation increases, it will continue to be useful."

Tang San shifted his shoulders, adjusting to the increased gravity. He marveled, "What an incredible soul skill! It feels like being stuck in mud—even slight movements require tremendous effort."

He prided himself on the agility of his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps, which excelled in dodging and lightness techniques, allowing him to handle the sudden increase in gravity. Others, however, wouldn't have his skills. Once caught in the gravitational field, they'd likely be at Gu La's mercy.

"I think so too."

Gu La retracted his soul skill. Gravity Control consumed a lot of soul power. Although his meridians and dantian stored twice as much soul power as a typical soul master of his level, he could only maintain the full effect for two minutes.

Fortunately, Groudon drew endless power from the earth, allowing him to sustain the gravitational field indefinitely.

He added, "In my mind, this is just the basic application of Gravity Control. I have an idea—by training to control gravity, could I create an imbalance in the gravity affecting different sides of someone's body?"

"In battle, once balance is lost—even if they don't fall over—their combat effectiveness will be greatly affected, making them vulnerable to attacks."

Tang San asked, puzzled, "Can you really do that?"

Tang Hao's expression grew complex, his astonishment at Gu La's intelligence bordering on numbness. He explained:

"Yes, it's possible. Soul masters can develop their soul skills to produce different effects from the same skill."

"But you both possess full innate spirit power. Your spirit power level is the priority. Higher levels allow you to dominate lower-level soul masters. Don't get too obsessed with developing soul skills—it would be putting the cart before the horse."

Both nodded in agreement, though what they truly thought remained unknown.

"Alright, you've both obtained your first soul rings. It's time to head back."

Without further ado, Tang Hao grabbed the two boys and flew into the sky, avoiding the Spirit Hall guards as they returned to Holy Spirit Village.

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Holy Spirit Village

After parting ways, Gu La went home to eat, while Tang Hao and Tang San returned to their dilapidated house.

Tang San headed toward the stove to prepare dinner as usual, but Tang Hao stopped him.

"Xiao San, show me your second martial soul."

"Mm."

Tang San raised his left hand, summoning a forearm-length, pitch-black hammer. As he gripped the handle, the weight pulled his arm down, smashing a small crater into the ground.

"So it's the Hao Tian Hammer! Haha!"

Tears welled up in Tang Hao's eyes as he crouched down to look at Tang San. "Xiao San, always remember—use the hammer in your left hand to protect the grass in your right."

"I will, Father."

Tang San hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is Blue Silver Emperor Mother's martial soul?"

Tang Hao's expression turned serious. "Xiao San, remember this—outside, never say your martial soul is the Blue Silver Emperor. Call it a variant martial soul or Blue Silver King."

"And never reveal your second martial soul. The world of soul masters is filled with danger. Be wary of hidden malice."

Tang San hesitated again. "Not even to Gu La?"

Tang Hao paused, thinking for a moment. Recalling Gu La's deep understanding of martial souls—far surpassing Yu Xiaogang in his impression—he nodded. "You can tell him."

"As for the Blue Silver Emperor… yes, it was your mother's martial soul. But now isn't the time. When you reach the Soul King level, I'll tell you everything."

Tang Hao realized he had been too stern and softened his tone slightly.

"You mentioned wanting to learn blacksmithing earlier. Starting today, I'll teach you a hammer technique. You need to master it as soon as possible."

"Mm." Tang San nodded firmly.

Tang Hao began teaching the Disorderly Wind Splitting Hammer Technique, a method that strengthened the body and was a secret art of the Hao Tian Sect. It was perfect for laying the foundation for Tang San.

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