NOVEL WEB Chapter 95: The Frog in the Well
The ability to transform one's potential into real strength is influenced by countless external factors.
Even a prodigy like Ah Xing from the 'Kung Fu World'—an unparalleled martial arts genius—needed the fate-defining blow from the Evil God of Fire Clouds to unleash his true potential, transforming from a cocoon into a butterfly.
Had he started his life with a small business, comfortably passing his days, he would likely have remained a mere bug with incredible resilience till his death, never becoming the 'Bruce Lee' capable of demolishing entire buildings with a single strike.
True dragons cannot be nurtured in shallow waters, and a thoroughbred horse, if penned, will squander its robust bones and muscles.
Within the depths of the Shuimu Principality, it is extremely difficult to cultivate a truly powerful individual.
Just as the Heaven Dou Empire's official ranks hold no Titled Douluo, the Shuimu Principality bears no figures of the Soul Douluo level on its surface.
The few old Soul Saints left either belong to Grand Duke Mufeng's generation or are elders to various marquises.
Yet, the principal of the Plant Academy—a control-type Soul Saint once unaffiliated—was warmly invited by Grand Duke Mufeng's father to semi-officially join the principality, aiming to nurture and retain highly skilled talents for the Shuimu Principality.
Within the Shuimu Principality, nearly all talented soul masters hold the belief that they must venture to the territories of the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire, or join the Spirit Hall to escape this small pond and explore broader lakes and seas.
Innate soul power above level six is typically met with an olive branch from the Spirit Hall's deacons, and unless one hails from a family with substantial background, most, be they commoners or members of smaller families, do not pass up the opportunity to join the Continent’s foremost faction.
The Spirit Hall takes advantage of this by recruiting a large number of promising soul masters from civilian backgrounds and small families every year.
Of course, as long as one has innate spirit power and can become a soul master, the Spirit Hall will not turn them away. After all, it's an investment—who knows if future generations might possess exceptional talent and potential.
However, even with talent and a good training environment, this doesn't guarantee a perfect growth path.
Many people's focus is solely on the protagonist group's impressive spirit rings and abilities. They overlook the fact that even the optimal spirit ring configurations from the initial Douluo period are aspirations beyond reach for ninety percent of soul masters on the Douluo Continent.
In the original story, Tang San's display of a hundred-year-old yellow spirit ring as his first spirit ring immediately shocked the over-imaginative son of the city lord, Xiao Chenyu.
Indeed, Xiao Chenyu wasn't entirely wrong in his assumptions, considering Tang San's background is one of the most powerful and solid forces on the Douluo Continent.
Later, cannon fodder character Ye Zhiqiu, serving as the Head of External Affairs at Canghui Academy, showcased his Soul King power, causing a stir among the onlookers.
Being a Soul King is a rare feat on Douluo Continent, wielding tremendous strength, and in some kingdoms, it even accords a noble title such as a viscount or earl.
And where was this happening?
Just outside the Star Dou Forest, in a market town over a hundred miles away, a gathering place for soul masters.
In the grand duchy of Shuimu, the Soul King holds an undeniably pivotal role.
However, even the side portrayal of Ye Zhiqiu shows him with a mere configuration of one white soul ring, two yellow, and two purple.
Yet, when confronted by the main characters with the criticism 'being unwilling to cause trouble makes one mediocre,' he was swiftly outmatched in a few moves.
Realizing that the nascent protagonists were not his match, Deputy Director Zhao Wuju, known as the 'Immovable King Zhao,' timely intervened.
With his Soul Saint level of power, he effortlessly swatted the adversary away, echoing Tang Hao's style, without even using his martial spirit, delivering a remarkably elegant performance.
Aside from Ye Zhiqiu, the side character Qin Ming, heralded as the second youngest Soul Emperor in the history of the Douluo Continent as per the Spirit Hall records, is a prodigy and the first graduate of Shrek Academy.
Yet, even for him, the fifth soul ring in his configuration remains just a thousand-year purple one.
Moreover, the most outstanding young soul masters congregated from across Shuimu's grand duchy, especially from the Plant Academy, were soundly defeated by Ma Hongjun, who effortlessly triumphed over seven opponents in succession.
Most tournament participants are not the young protagonists described in the original story, still in their teens, but rather those nearing the age limit of twenty-five.
Among the seven main members of the Plant Academy, only three are Soul Ancestors, while the remaining four are Soul Elders.
One of them, wielding the martial spirit of 'Scarlet Flame Brambles,' is a control-type Battle Soul Elder whose soul ring configuration is three yellow and one purple, yet he's just another nameless small role.
Even two formidable side characters, 'Snake Spear Douluo' She Long and 'Porcupinefish Douluo' Ci Xue, boasting the rank of titled Douluo, possess soul ring configurations of merely two yellow, three purple, and four black.
Amongst those who ascended to the rank of Titled Douluo, who across the entire Douluo Continent would dare to say they lacked talent?
Ling Yi, having stayed for so long in the small domain of the "Shuimu Principality," was often enveloped by a growing sense of safety, yet the accompanying sense of limitation always lingered in his mind.
Had Ling Yi been a native of the principality, he might have eagerly joined those who traveled to the Heaven Dou Empire's advanced soul master academy two years ago, hitching a ride with Lou Gao to Gengxin City, seeking to apprentice under a Soul Sage through connections with the Blacksmith Association.
But Ling Yi did not follow suit.
It wasn't that he wasn't tempted by the backing of a Soul Sage-level master, but he knew that what he sought couldn't be taught by any Soul Sage—indeed, not even the likes of Qian Daoliu or Tang Chen, revered Titled Douluos, could guide him!
Ling Yi was unlike Tang San, the protagonist of the original work, who disguised his martial soul—the seemingly worthless "Blue Silver Grass"—as the illustrious "Blue Silver Emperor" and possessed superior talent bolstered by "Clear Sky Hammer," a top-tier martial soul.
Moreover, Tang San carried the highest legacies of the Tang Sect from his previous life, including the profound techniques within the Xuan Tian Treasure Record.
Ling Yi was the true bearer of the waste martial soul, "Blue Silver Grass!"
His half-level innate soul power said it all!
Despite possessing a similar innate half-level soul power, Yu Xiaogang's father, the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, a Titled Douluo above level ninety-five, could not solve the training issues stemming from Yu Xiaogang's congenital talents.
As the Saintess of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong was infatuated enough to abandon her saintly identity and forsake the Spirit Hall that had taught and nurtured her for years. Yet, she never thought to help Yu Xiaogang with his low innate qualities?
Even if the price was high, and the Spirit Hall was unwilling to pay, wouldn't Bibi Dong let Yu Xiaogang know if there were an opportunity?
Given Yu Xiaogang's status, it wasn't impossible for him to return home and seek help from his father.
The greatest likelihood is that, throughout the many years on Douluo Continent, there really have been very few cases of resolving a soul master's innate talent deficiencies.
Those who accidentally achieve such breakthroughs generally keep this information to themselves, treating it as a secret worthy of being passed down through generations.
Or perhaps, it is simply unreplicable?
Take for instance Dugu Bo, the first famous "Jade Phosphor Serpent" soul master in history. Was it because he became a Titled Douluo that led his martial soul to evolve into the "Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor," or was it the evolution of his martial soul into the "Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor" that made him a Titled Douluo?
The original text never explained, and who knows where Dugu Bo is now. Ling Yi's speculations remain just that—speculations.
After all, Dugu Bo's son perished due to the backlash of the martial spirit. Although his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, inherited the "Bi-Phosphorus Snake" spirit, she did not receive the qualities of the "Bi-Phosphorus Snake Emperor". Nevertheless, her body is still being corroded by the poison of the martial spirit.
(End of Chapter)
