Douluo: The Ultimate Self

In truth, Yang Xiong wasn't particularly interested in crossbow-like hidden weapons.

Since arriving in the world of Douluo Continent, Yang Xiong had focused solely on his own cultivation, striving to grow stronger independently. He had never considered developing skills in hidden weapons or any kind of weaponry.

After all, this world had spirit tools—true destructive weapons found overseas. If hidden weapons were a product of the martial arts world, spirit tools were more akin to the fantastical world of cultivation. The two were on entirely different levels.

If Yang Xiong had truly wanted to study weapons, he would have delved into firearms and cannons. With the technological level of the Douluo world, developing machine guns and artillery wouldn't be difficult. Compared to hidden weapons, firearms and spirit tools offered overwhelming advantages.

In the soul master world, soul power and spirit weapons were the foundation. Yang Xiong didn't want to waste time on other pursuits. Even his study of medicinal herbs was cursory—he wasn't truly interested in alchemy but rather in familiarizing himself with the properties of various divine herbs.

After returning to Hunter's Soul Town, the group rested for several days. Their journey through the Great Star Dou Forest had been perilous, but the rewards were immense.

Among the eight students of Shrek Academy, three had obtained satisfactory soul rings and advanced to Soul Elders. Tang San, in particular, had also gained an external soul bone.

Under Zhao Wuji's instructions, Tang San's possession of the external soul bone was to remain a secret. Having wandered the soul master world for years, Zhao Wuji understood the value of external soul bones. Even with Tang San's powerful backing, revealing it could invite trouble.

After absorbing the Hurricane Mantis's soul ring, Tang San's soul power reached level thirty-one. Xiao Wu and Oscar similarly advanced to level thirty-one.

Xiao Wu's third soul skill was another instance of teleportation, which puzzled Yang Xiong. How could a Soft Bone Rabbit possess a teleportation ability—an ability with spatial attributes?

Tang San, on the other hand, was extremely satisfied with his third soul skill: *Blue Silver Hurricane Array*. When activated, the tips of his Blue Silver Grass became as sharp as the Hurricane Mantis's forelegs, granting them formidable cutting and offensive capabilities. With this skill, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass now packed a much stronger punch, no longer limited to entangling or restraining enemies.

Compared to Tang San and the others, Yang Xiong was now feeling conflicted.

He had a two-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider in his possession, but he was unsure how to handle it.

At his current soul power level, Yang Xiong couldn't yet absorb his third soul ring. Moreover, the spider's poison attribute wasn't suitable for him.

Recently, Yang Xiong had felt that his offensive capabilities were lacking. For his third soul ring, he wanted something fire- or metal-attribute to significantly boost his attack power and explosiveness.

Since developing the *Spiraling Sphere*, Yang Xiong had been contemplating how to infuse elemental energy into it. Only then would the *Spiraling Sphere* reach its full potential and become truly powerful.

His first soul ring's spatial attribute and second soul ring's wood attribute were relatively weak, as they were only hundred-year soul rings.

The spatial attribute, while enabling teleportation, was among the most mysterious and unpredictable energies—it wasn't something one could easily master.

As for the wood attribute, though Yang Xiong could infuse it into the *Spiraling Sphere*, it didn't seem to enhance its destructive power. This might be due to the inherent nature of the wood attribute itself.

After extensive research, Yang Xiong realized that absorbing a soul ring didn't grant all the attributes of the spirit beast. Instead, only the attributes contained within the soul ring and soul skill were transferred.

For example, when he absorbed the first soul ring from the Dark Tortoise, the tortoise possessed both water and earth attributes, along with latent spatial attributes. However, since the soul skill manifested spatial attributes and the soul ring contained spatial energy, there was no trace of water or earth attributes.

The strength attribute, on the other hand, seemed somewhat ambiguous. It didn't manifest clearly but instead enhanced physical prowess, vitality, and resilience. After absorbing two strength-type soul rings, Yang Xiong noticed significant improvements in his body, strength, and combat power.

This reminded Yang Xiong of the Power Clan. They pursued pure strength-type soul rings, but on another level, most strength-type spirit beasts also possessed strong earth attributes. Titans like the Titan Giant Ape and Thousand-Pound Ant were prime examples of strength-type spirit beasts, yet their main manifestation was earth attributes. Strength seemed to represent robustness, vitality, and vigor.

Interestingly, in the world of Douluo, there was no explicit "strength attribute." Descriptions of strength were vague and often tied to vitality and physical resilience.

Regarding the Man-Faced Demon Spider, there were still unresolved questions. According to soul master history, external soul bones were typically obtained during the absorption of soul rings. There was no record of absorbing soul bones separately. During the process, there was no physical contact between the soul master and the spirit beast—it was more like the soul ring's energy flooded the body, transforming it.

Yang Xiong naturally coveted the Eight-Spider soul bone. For a soul master, it was akin to having a cheat code. Especially since Yang Xiong possessed a self-body spirit—if paired with devouring abilities, the Eight-Spider soul bone could function like eight weapons. Combined with his multitasking control, it would make combat effortless and reduce bodily damage.

However, Yang Xiong already possessed the external soul bone *Dark Tortoise Armor*, whose core was located along the spine. Could he absorb a second external soul bone centered on the spine?

Yang Xiong didn't want to waste a soul ring slot or squander such a valuable soul bone. Moreover, by his standards, the Man-Faced Demon Spider's soul ring was lackluster—its age and attributes were subpar.

---

Since entering Hunter's Soul Town, Lin Gong had disappeared without a trace, likely shifting to covert protection.

After resting for two days, the group returned to Shrek Academy. Along the way, Xiao Wu seemed anxious, even with Tang San's constant reassurances.

Shrek Academy was undergoing construction. A new building was being erected next to the male and female dormitories, and progress was rapid—it would likely be completed in just a few days.

Before entering the Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong had removed his weighted gear. Upon returning to school, he promptly reattached it.

As Yang Xiong had anticipated, Ning Rongrong had privately approached Tang San to discuss purchasing hidden weapons. Tang San agreed to craft a set but stated that specific transaction details would require further communication with the sect's decision-makers.

When Zhao Wuji recounted the events of the Great Star Dou Forest to Flender, an unfamiliar middle-aged man was present alongside Flender.

After hearing Zhao Wuji's account, the middle-aged man spoke. "The bellow you described likely came from the legendary Sky Azure Bull Python—a mythical emperor of the forest. As for Tang San and Xiao Wu's safety, I suspect Tang San's father intervened."

Zhao Wuji looked astonished. "So he's Tang San's father? But why is Tang San's martial soul Blue Silver Grass? Still, only someone of his caliber could rescue Xiao Wu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have warned Lin Gong not to interfere—likely fearing Lin Gong's battle with the Titan Giant Ape might harm Xiao Wu."

The middle-aged man smiled. "Tang San's martial soul isn't just Blue Silver Grass. He has twin martial souls, and his other martial soul is one of the strongest in existence."

Flender thought deeply before speaking gravely. "It seems the next time the children hunt for soul rings, I'll need to accompany them personally—or even bring all the teachers. Safety must come first."

---

The next morning, everyone was pleasantly surprised at breakfast. The cafeteria's food quality had drastically improved, with not only vegetarian options but also a variety of meats.

Yang Xiong felt a sense of resignation. The person he dreaded most had arrived. He hoped this individual wouldn't interfere with his cultivation.

Sure enough, during the morning class, an unfamiliar middle-aged man appeared alongside Flender.

The man appeared gaunt and somewhat melancholic, with an air of aloofness despite his hands clasped behind his back, resembling an authoritative figure inspecting the premises.

Flender introduced him first. "This is my good friend Yu Xiaogang, an expert in martial souls and cultivation. From now on, he will oversee your training. You may address him as 'Master.'"

Yu Xiaogang nodded but remained cold. "Starting today, I expect you all to wake up early. Breakfast will provide sufficient nutrition to sustain your day's training. However, if you can't even rise early, don't bother eating."

"I've reviewed your files. Though you're all prodigies, that's not enough. You'll undergo intense training to build a solid foundation and become true powerhouses in the future."

The students were visibly shaken by Yu Xiaogang's words. Yang Xiong, however, felt exasperated, finding his tone oddly unsettling.

Yu Xiaogang continued. "Today's first lesson is to assess all of your combat capabilities."

"Dai Mubai, step forward. Your task is to face each of your classmates in turn. You must defeat them all."

Dai Mubai's expression darkened. Unsure whether to step forward, he glanced at Yang Xiong and Tang San, knowing their combat abilities rivaled his own.

Yu Xiaogang frowned. "You're at level thirty-seven. They're at most level thirty-one, and four of them are Soul Grandmasters. Are you saying you can't handle this?"

Dai Mubai stepped forward resolutely.

Yu Xiaogang continued. "Tang San, you go first. No using your third soul skill or those hidden weapons."

Soon, Dai Mubai and Tang San engaged in combat. Despite Dai Mubai's strength, Tang San eventually defeated him after a fierce struggle. In the process, Tang San was forced to reveal his third soul skill and utilized several techniques from the Tang Sect.

Yu Xiaogang addressed the frustrated Dai Mubai. "Remember this: among soul masters of the same level, control-type soul masters reign supreme. Their attacks may lack raw power, but they excel at restricting opponents. Below level sixty, control-type soul masters can dominate their peers completely."

The students were deeply affected by these words. Yang Xiong, however, inwardly criticized Yu Xiaogang's statement. While partially true, it overlooked one key fact: there wasn't a single Title Douluo-level control-type soul master in the entire Douluo Continent. Moreover, without relying on the Tang Sect's techniques, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass alone wouldn't have defeated Dai Mubai.

Yu Xiaogang glanced at the group, his gaze lingering on Yang Xiong, before continuing. "Tang San used his third soul skill, violating my earlier rule. He'll assist Dai Mubai by taking on one opponent."

"Yang Xiong, though you're only at level twenty-six, I've heard your combat abilities are formidable. You'll face Tang San. Tang San is still restricted from using his third soul skill."

"Dai Mubai will face combinations of Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, followed by Ma Hongjun and Oscar. As a high-level Soul Elder, defeating two Great Soul Master teams shouldn't pose a problem."

Yang Xiong stepped forward. "Apologies, but I've already reached level twenty-seven. Fighting Tang San without restrictions on his third soul skill would make the fight meaningless."

Yu Xiaogang was astonished. He had assumed Yang Xiong was the weakest among them, given his initial soul power of six and supposedly useless martial soul. Yet here he was at level twenty-seven at twelve years old, matching the others in soul power.

Noticing Yang Xiong's casual demeanor and unwavering confidence, Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Very well. Tang San, you may use your third soul skill."

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