Douluo Dalu: Ability Deduction

Stowing away the soul bone he would most likely never use, Mu Yang sank into deep thought.

There is a saying, "When one person ascends, their relatives follow." While such a phrase might not sit well with his elder cousin Huo Wu, Mu Yang couldn't help but think this way.

Although his aunt Mu Xiyue and her family of four were not his blood relatives, they were still the closest kin he had apart from his late parents.

With his parents gone, his aunt Mu Xiyue and uncle Huo Lie had raised him for years, taking on the roles of his mother and father.

While he might not be able to give them everything without reservation, he was certainly willing to help wherever he could.

The four of them practiced basic meditation techniques, and since all of them had fire-attribute martial souls, Mu Yang had no intention of keeping the Extreme Flame Meditation Method to himself.

His uncle Huo Lie, as the principal of the Blazing Fire Academy, had already reached the level of an eight-ring Soul Douluo. If he were below that, he wouldn't have qualified to hold the position of an elemental academy principal. With the help of the Extreme Flame Meditation Method, Mu Yang believed that within a decade, Huo Lie would likely become a Titled Douluo admired by thousands across the continent.

When that day came, before Mu Yang had fully grown into his potential, Huo Lie could serve as a powerful backer.

Additionally, the soul beast forests were dangerous places. Having a Titled Douluo escort him on spirit hunts would not only enhance his safety but also serve as an asset in future hunts for ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

However, this presented a problem: how should he explain giving them the Extreme Flame Meditation Method, or in what manner should he pass it on?

It wasn't as though he could claim he created it himself, right?

After much deliberation without reaching a good solution, Mu Yang decided to record the Extreme Flame Meditation Method first and look for an appropriate opportunity to present it later.

Of course, if he truly couldn't come up with anything, he could always stage a scenario where the manual "fell from the sky," allowing Huo Wu to conveniently "find" it.

After all, if his elder cousin Huo Wu's "lucky hands" could inexplicably grant him innate full soul power and twin martial souls during his "awakening," it wouldn't be too far-fetched for her to stumble upon a profound meditation method, right?

Early the next morning, Mu Yang was ready and set out with Huo Lie in a carriage, leaving Blazing Fire City and heading north toward Sunset Forest, over 200 miles away.

Within the Heaven Dou Empire, excluding the eastern and western seas, there were three vast and primordial soul beast forests.

The first was Star Dou Forest, located in the southeastern part of the empire, stretching across the border with the Star Luo Empire.

The second was the Great Northern Expanse, a region perpetually covered in ice and snow, in the empire's northernmost reaches.

The third was Sunset Forest, situated northeast of the empire's central region, about 100 miles east of the capital city of Heaven Dou.

Although Sunset Forest wasn't as expansive as Star Dou Forest or the Great Northern Expanse, it still covered a considerable area. Its southeastern border was adjacent to the Heatonmar Province, where Blazing Fire City was located.

Given that Blazing Fire City was positioned at the province's northwest corner, soul masters from the surrounding regions often prioritized Sunset Forest for spirit hunts due to its diverse array of soul beasts.

Of course, those venturing into Sunset Forest generally traveled with advanced soul masters leading their teams.

For less experienced hunting teams, they typically opted for the empire-run Hunting Soul Forest, located more than 400 miles south of Blazing Fire City, to avoid encountering high-level soul beasts that might prove disastrous.

"Xiao Yang, what kind of effect do you want for your first soul skill from your ginseng martial soul?"

Inside the carriage, Huo Lie posed the question to Mu Yang.

As the principal of Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Lie might not be a renowned scholar, but his knowledge of martial souls and soul beasts far surpassed that of most soul masters. Instead of asking what type of soul ring Mu Yang wanted to add, Huo Lie directly inquired about the effect Mu Yang desired for his soul skill.

With his level of expertise, as long as Mu Yang stated the kind of skill he wanted, Huo Lie could immediately determine the appropriate type of soul ring to seek.

Naturally, for a soul master's first soul ring, the optimal age limit was around 400 years. Anything beyond that wouldn't yield overly extravagant results.

"A skill that can either heal injuries or restore soul power," Mu Yang replied without hesitation.

As a food-type soul master, it was essential to produce soul power-infused food capable of healing injuries.

Additionally, the ability to create food that restored soul power would also enhance the efficiency of his innate ability: Deduction.

Food primarily designed to restore soul power often came with the added effect of recovering mental energy, just as food for healing injuries typically restored physical strength as well.

"Restore soul power or heal injuries?"

Huo Lie raised an eyebrow at Mu Yang's response but soon nodded in agreement.

Lower-age soul rings typically didn't generate overly powerful skills, so choosing restorative food-type skills made sense. Even if the soul ring had a lower age limit, these types of food would still provide considerable benefits. On the other hand, if Mu Yang opted for food that boosted percentage-based attributes, the actual effect would be underwhelming.

After pausing briefly, Huo Lie elaborated, "Xiao Yang, for a skill that heals injuries, it's best to look for ginseng or earth dragon soul beasts with the appropriate age. For restoring soul power, nothing beats the Clear Cool Flower."

Ginseng soul beasts were self-explanatory, sharing the same species as Mu Yang's ginseng martial soul.

On Douluo Continent, ordinary plants could evolve into soul beasts, and ginseng was no exception.

Compared to most soul beasts, these "food-type soul beasts" were particularly valuable, highly sought after by wealthy nobles.

As for the earth dragon soul beast, it wasn't part of the dragon bloodline. In Mu Yang's previous world, this creature was called an earthworm. Among soul beasts under 1,000 years, the earth dragon soul beast boasted one of the strongest lifeforces. Moreover, it was relatively easy to find in the forest.

Lastly, the Clear Cool Flower was a support-type, flower-based plant soul beast known for its natural ability to restore soul power.