Chapter 59: Rising Fame
Despite being under constant scrutiny from his clan due to his reputation, as the son of one of the world's top soul masters and a prominent figure in a major sect, Yu Xiaogang had always lived a relatively comfortable life. And now, thanks to the resources of his father, Yu Yuan, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he had finally broken through the previously unyielding barrier at the 29th level. News of this breakthrough spread quickly. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the top three sects, had long struggled with Yu Xiaogang's inability to advance to Soul Elder, and the soul master community had collectively dismissed him as a failure in reaching that level.
However, with Ye Wen's guidance, Yu Xiaogang's successful breakthrough cemented Ye Wen's reputation as a true soul master. In terms of soul master knowledge, the Three Upper Sects were the undisputed authorities on the continent, yet they had been unable to resolve Yu Xiaogang's issues something Ye Wen achieved. Consequently, Ye Wen's name spread even wider within the soul master community.
While Yu Yuan was less than thrilled with the remarks from fellow soul masters disparaging his clan's inability to aid his son, he owed Ye Wen a significant debt and refrained from interfering. To maximize the benefits of Ye Wen's theories, he imposed an intense training regime on Yu Xiaogang. Under this rigorous regime, Yu Xiaogang, once frail, visibly grew stronger.
"Now you have a strength of 2,000 jin remarkable," Yu Yuan mused as he examined his son's condition. "Ye Wen was right; your mutated martial soul contains a profound bloodline. Most soul masters only reach about 1,200 jin of strength. I can see now that I haven't paid enough attention to you, Xiaogang."
Exhausted, Yu Xiaogang could only respond with a weary smile. Though his bookish nature made it difficult to endure such grueling physical training, he gritted his teeth and persevered to maximize his compatibility with his third spirit ring.
"It's time, Xiaogang. This 1,900 year old Radiant Winged Dragon is an ideal fit for your third spirit ring."
Taking the knife from his father, Yu Xiaogang killed the restrained spirit beast, then began absorbing the ring. The Radiant Winged Dragon, a light attribute pseudo dragon soul beast with a sleek, platinum appearance, bore a striking resemblance to the prehistoric Pterosaur. Though not an ultimate soul beast, it was rare due to its light attribute, making it an ideal choice.
As the ring settled over Luo San Pao, Yu Yuan watched with intense anticipation. Luo San Pao's previously goofy expression twisted in visible discomfort, emitting pained grunts. This spirit ring's strength matched Yu Xiaogang's physical limits, causing significant strain. An hour passed before Yu Xiaogang, soaked in sweat, finally relaxed. Overjoyed, he inspected Luo San Pao.
"Third Soul Skill: Radiant Dragon Cleave!" he cried, excitement filling his voice. "It's no longer just gas attacks. Master Ye Wen was absolutely right San Pao's attribute was light based all along. I've been absorbing the wrong rings this whole time."
Luo San Pao had undergone a noticeable transformation. Its frame had grown to the size of a hog, with several golden dragon scales now adorning its long ears and a pair of small wings emerging from its back, though these looked quite delicate.
Satisfied, Yu Yuan nodded approvingly, though he decided against making a big announcement after all, it was merely a breakthrough to Soul Elder. However, Yu Xiaogang, eager for acknowledgment, flaunted his newfound status throughout the clan, openly criticizing the soul masters responsible for his previous rings, even calling them incompetent for causing his years long bottleneck.
Though most of the clan held Yu Xiaogang in low regard, they dared not voice their opinions, as he was, after all, the son of the clan's pillar. However, naïve and intoxicated with his newfound status, Yu Xiaogang mistook their silence for acquiescence and continued his boasting. Irritated with him, some clan members eventually leaked information about his breakthrough.
At this time, almost every city on the continent had access to Ye Wen's three books. On the Origin of Martial Souls was already a sacred text among many soul masters, but most were hesitant to fully embrace its principles without a successful case to refer to. However, when they learned that Yu Xiaogang had finally broken through thanks to Ye Wen's guidance, practically every soul master became convinced of its value.
Soon, however, a major obstacle emerged: how to determine a martial soul's innate attributes. For high and top tier martial souls, the inherent attributes were often obvious, so these practitioners could pursue compatible spirit rings. According to Ye Wen's theory, wolves should seek wolf spirit beasts, bears should seek bear spirit beasts, and so forth. Rather than striving for extraordinary abilities, they were to prioritize advancing their martial soul's innate essence, thereby allowing future generations to surpass ordinary soul masters from the outset.
Yu Yuan hadn't anticipated the commotion Yu Xiaogang's behavior would cause, but to improve his clan's reputation, he disclosed Ye Wen's soul attribute tester a device that had little use within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, where thunder was the sole attribute. With Yu Xiaogang's missteps proving tiresome, Yu Yuan decided to impose a harsh training regime on him, forcing him into isolation to refine his temperament.
"Come on! I just broke through to Soul Elder can't I get a break?" Yu Xiaogang protested, though his cries went unheeded.
Unaware that Yu Yuan had inadvertently boosted his reputation once again, Ye Wen focused on preparing his academy for opening day. When representatives from the two empires and Spirit Hall approached him regarding the soul attribute tester, he immediately understood the situation. The device itself was hardly complex, simply a copper disk embedded with metals responsive to different attributes. When infused with soul power, the corresponding metal would react, indicating the martial soul's attribute.
Ye Wen readily provided them with the tester's design, earning their trust as he shared it freely without hesitation. Pleased by his honesty, each faction returned to their domains to distribute the new tool. With the design freely accessible, prices for certain metals skyrocketed, and blacksmith guilds were soon overwhelmed.
(End of Chapter)
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