Book 1: Skydream Iceworm

Chapter 5.1: First Glimpse Through The Gate

“Because of its innate strength and toxicity, the Mandala Snake doesn’t have many natural predators. Before they reach a thousand years of age, their bodies will have a dark green colour, and they’ll grow a metre longer for every hundred years they live. By the time they’re approaching the thousand-year level, their bodies can be as long as ten metres in length. Once they break through, the energy inside of their bodies will condense, and they’ll continuously molt. Not only will the colour of their bodies change from dark green to pink, their bodies will also simultaneously shrink back down to one metre. Afterwards, they’ll grow another metre every hundred years. After reaching two thousand years of age, they’ll once again shrink back down to one metre. However, the pink colour of their skin will become deeper. If we look at the colour and length of this Mandala Snake, we can see that it should’ve been over one thousand three hundred years old. If it weren’t for your help, I’m afraid that I’d’ve had to suffer a bit to kill it.”

Naturally, Bei Bei didn’t say that it actually wouldn’t have been too hard for him and Tang Ya to team up and kill the Mandala Snake—if Huo Yuhao hadn’t been there.

After listening to Bei Bei’s explanation, Huo Yuhao’s knowledge grew. “This Mandala Snake is actually that mysterious. Then, would it perhaps shed again, once it’s reached ten thousand years in age?”

Bei Bei nodded and replied, “A ten thousand year Mandala Snake will turn yellow. That would be a truly terrifying existence. Even Soul King experts won’t dare to rashly provoke a ten thousand year Mandala Snake if they encounter one. You’d need a Soul Emperor, at the very least, to be able to beat it easily.

“Junior brother, since Xiao Ya is currently absorbing her soul ring, tell me about your soul skill. What’s the name of the soul skill that you just used, and how long can you maintain it for? This is very important information.”

Huo Yuhao had previously heard the Skydream Iceworm’s reminder, and knew that he couldn’t let him be revealed. After pondering about it for a little while, he said, “Eldest senior brother, the skill that I just used is called ‘Spiritual Detection Sharing’. You should have been able to sense its range: it can only currently be of help within a roughly thirty metre radius. When my soulforce increases, its radius should also increase. I don’t know how long I can maintain it, but I feel that its soulforce consumption doesn’t seem to be too large.”

“No way.” Bei Bei looked at him, flabbergasted. “The soulforce consumption of a skill that has such an enormous effect like yours ‘doesn’t seem to be too large’? Your Spirit Eyes seem to be too strong. Furthermore, your soul ring was only obtained from a ten year Wind Baboon! This is almost too impossible to believe. The soul masters of the Douluo Continent have researched martial souls for over ten thousand years, but there’s never been a situation like yours recorded within any of the books I’ve read. This is truly hard to imagine.”

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and said, “I don’t know what’s going on either.”

After Bei Bei pondered the matter himself for a while, he revealed a smile and said, “Junior brother, you don’t need to think too deeply about it; a strong soul skill is always a good thing. With the support of this soul skill, I’m afraid that any soul master will be willing to work with you in the future. However, junior brother, you’re a spiritual-type soul master. In the future, do you plan to walk the path of an auxiliary system soul master, or a control system soul master?”

Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment. “I don’t know either.”

Bei Bei said, “Choosing the path your cultivation will take is very important. This directly relates to the the soul skills that you’ll choose for your future soul rings, as well as the direction of your cultivation. Although you, a spiritual-type soul master, have only just obtained your first soul ring, you’ve already revealed your martial soul’s strong potential. If you become a simple auxiliary system soul master, I feel that it would be a bit of a waste. Although I don’t know what kind of spiritual soul skills you’ll manage obtain in the future, I’m inclined towards making you become a control system soul master. You’ll have to put in a lot of time and energy into your spiritual control, but if everything goes smoothly, you might become the core of your team in the future.”

“A team? Do soul masters have to join a team?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously. Since his youth, he’d always relied on himself for cultivation, and had had to experience everything for himself. No one but his mother had ever taught him anything. Now that he’d joined the Tang Sect, in his opinion, his eldest senior brother had become more important than a teacher. It had only been a short period of time, but Bei Bei had taught him many things.

Bei Bei patiently explained, “Our profession as soul masters has developed quite a bit after so many years, but the idea of forming a team was entirely created by the almighty founder of our Tang Sect, ten thousand years ago. At that time, he and his companions were called ‘Shrek’s Seven Monsters’. The seven of them all had formidable abilities, and could release an even stronger fighting strength when they worked together. From then on, cooperation between soul masters became the only path for their development. After all, the strength of an individual is miniscule. For example, your cooperation with me just now. It allowed me to be much more relaxed during the battle. Xiao Ya and I also have some combination tactics. Conversely, the number of soul masters within a team normally shouldn’t surpass ten. Out of that team, there would be a battle-type soul master who’s responsible for defense, an assault system soul master who’s responsible for attacks, and a control system soul master who both commands and controls the battlefield. There are also auxiliary system tool-type soul masters, auxiliary system food-type soul masters, agility system soul masters, along with many other types of soul masters. They all have different uses in a team.”

Huo Yuhao seemed to have suddenly understood something as he said, “Then, is eldest senior brother an assault system soul master?”

Bei Bei smiled as he nodded and said, “My martial soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; It’s considered a rather strong martial soul amongst beast souls. It specialises in attacks. On the other hand, Xiao Ya’s martial soul is Bluesilver Grass, which will allow her to become a control system soul master like the almighty ancestor of the Tang Sect from the legends. However, her controlling abilities mostly appear within the Bluesilver Grass. If you can also become a control system soul master, we can rely on the combination of your spiritual controlling abilities and Xiao Ya’s Bluesilver Grass. With two control system soul masters, we won’t even need an auxiliary system tool-type soul master to be able to form a strong team.”

Huo Yuhao nodded seriously, “Eldest senior brother, I’ll listen to your advice. Then, I’ll work hard to become a control system soul master. Only, my natural talent isn’t too good... My cultivation speed is very slow…” After speaking to this point, he couldn’t help but lower his head. When he compared himself, who was already eleven but only had one ring, to Bei Bei or Tang Ya, his talent was quite disappointing.

Bei Bei rubbed Huo Yuhao’s head and smiled. “Talent is only one part of success. In the past, there weren’t always people who could guide you on your cultivation path. Add on to that the fact that you didn’t have a suitable cultivation technique, and it’s already very commendable that you have been able to reach your current situation with hard work alone. Furthermore, your martial soul in and of itself is pretty good, which means that your potential in the future will be very great. Thus, you don’t have to be so remorseful. Since you have the time right now, it’d be better for you to cultivate more. As long as you’re able to break through to the thirtieth rank before the age of twenty, you’ll have hopes of becoming a strong soul master. No matter whether it’s me or Xiao Ya, we’ll both do our best to help you.”

“Thank you, eldest senior brother.” Only a touched expression remained on Huo Yuhao’s face.

Bei Bei gently pat his shoulder. “Meeting you might also be Xiao Ya and I’s good fortune, since we were able to resolve the issue of her advancement in rank so quickly. After she finishes absorbing her soul ring, we can return to the academy. This place isn’t particularly suitable for cultivation. You can recall the Mysterious Heaven Technique that I told you about earlier right now, and can start cultivating it once we’ve reached a safe area.”

“Yes.” Huo Yuhao replied respectfully. In his heart, Bei Bei had already become slightly more of a teacher to him than Tang Ya.