Finally reached Level 3. That puts me on the same level as Tang Wulin.
Early the next morning, Nan Fusheng opened his eyes. He had cultivated through the entire night. Of course, the real reason for his breakthrough was the rapid digestion of his potion.
As the potion digested, it caused his soul power to circulate rapidly. While Nan Fusheng didn't fully understand the mechanics, he knew that potion digestion enhanced not only his physical constitution but also his spiritual foundation.
At the same time, his soul power was being driven to cultivate at a speed dozens of times faster than normal, essentially giving him a temporary accelerated cultivation buff.
And as expected, during school hours, Tang Wulin kept sneaking sympathetic glances at him. Even his mother, Lang Yue, invited him over after school to play with Na'er.
Nan Fusheng agreed politely, but he had no plans to visit often. All he needed was to get familiar enough with Na'er's face. No matter how much goodwill he built, it could never compete with the natural affinity Na'er had toward Tang Wulin, thanks to the Golden Dragon King bloodline sealed inside him.
Besides, Yin and Tang Hao were another problem altogether. There was no doubt that the budding relationship between Tang Wulin and Na'er had their fingerprints all over it.
That was probably a safety measure—ensuring that once Na'er regained her memory and discovered the Golden Dragon King's power in Tang Wulin, she wouldn't attack him right away.
Thus, Nan Fusheng's daily routine continued: training, refining his "roleplaying methods," and occasionally helping Tang Wulin "fight bullies."
After all, Na'er—during her martial soul awakening—was shown to have no martial soul at all, meaning she could only attend the ordinary class. That also made her a prime target.
Her stunning appearance provoked jealousy among the girls and attracted unwanted attention from boys. From time to time, people would bother her. Fortunately, those from the ordinary class had no soul power, so they weren't difficult to handle.
Time passed quietly...
Three years later...
"Dad! Mom! I did it! I saved enough money!"
Tang Wulin burst through the front door, his excitement practically overflowing.
In the house next door, Nan Fusheng heard the shout and smiled faintly.
"So, you've finally reached Level 10? Not a wasted year of waiting."
Over the past three years, Nan Fusheng had grown taller, standing over 1.4 meters now, slightly above average for his age. His build was lean and balanced, neither thin nor bulky. And as he matured, his features grew even more handsome.
His dark, obsidian eyes gave off a surprising depth, leaving a deep impression on others.
In truth, Nan Fusheng had been capable of obtaining a soul spirit a year ago, but he had held off.
Why? Because his innate soul power was only Level 1. Rapid progress wasn't expected. But more importantly, he had been waiting for Tang Wulin.
Reaching Level 10 before graduating from the elementary academy would earn you a letter of recommendation, making admission into an intermediate academy far easier.
But Nan Fusheng wasn't sure if those letters were handed out based on fixed quotas. If they weren't, that could become a problem.
Waiting a year to become a Soul Master? That was tolerable. He could still train in the meantime—it just wouldn't be as fast as after becoming an official Soul Master.
But attending Eastsea Intermediate Academy was non-negotiable.
That was where the future Shrek Seven Devils, Wu Zhangkong, and even Gu Yue, a vessel of the Silver Dragon King, would appear—each one a potential resource he couldn't afford to miss.
In the past three years, once his soul power hit Level 10, Nan Fusheng began focusing entirely on his Roleplaying Path. He had now advanced to Sequence 5: Dream Stealer.
As a Dream Stealer, he could:
Steal others' dreams and ideals.
Take away memories.
Interrupt someone's intentions just before they act, causing a brief blank-out.
However, at this stage, he couldn't yet store stolen thoughts. He could only replace the original person and act out the thought himself.
"Time to get my soul spirit tomorrow."
The Spirit Transmission Tower had existed for over ten thousand years. Its significance to soul masters—and its revolutionary development of artificial soul spirits—had elevated it into one of the most powerful organizations on the continent.
Even a city as small as Aolai City had a branch. It stood in the city center—a modest three-story tower, which was the lowest grade of branch tower. In medium-sized cities, they were seven stories tall, while the largest cities had thirteen-story towers.
The main headquarters of the Spirit Transmission Tower stood in Shrek City. Renovated and expanded across generations, it had reached a staggering eighty-one stories, making it the most magnificent structure on the entire Douluo Continent.
Even though the one before Nan Fusheng was only three stories high, it was still the largest building in Aolai City. Everyone knew of it, but few had ever stepped inside.
When Nan Fusheng arrived, the tower's front gate was already open, but barely anyone was there.
After all, only soul masters had reason to visit this place. And in a small town like Aolai, soul masters were extremely rare.
The tower was octagonal, with eight directions and three floors. The interior was wide and spacious, its floor paved with marble engraved with the Spirit Transmission Tower's emblem.
Multiple doors lined the edges, leading who-knew-where. At the front was a counter where a spirit transmission master in gray robes sat.
Seeing Nan Fusheng enter, the master stood up and looked over at him.
"Hello there, little one. What brings you here?"
"Hello, Sir Spirit Master. I'm here to purchase a soul spirit. My soul power has reached Level 10," Nan Fusheng replied politely.
Hearing that, the man's friendly demeanor grew even warmer.
"Did you bring the money?"
"Yes, I did."
"What type of soul spirit are you looking to purchase?" the spirit master asked.
"I'd like to buy a random draw soul spirit."
At that, the man's enthusiasm visibly faded. He frowned slightly.
"A random draw… Well, you might get a 10-year soul spirit, or maybe even a 100-year one. But the type isn't guaranteed. It might not be compatible with your martial soul at all."
"Some people try their luck this way to save money. But I wouldn't recommend it. It's much safer to select a 10-year white soul spirit that suits your martial soul. It will benefit you more in the long run."
"The random draw can give you a century-old soul spirit… but you also risk drawing a defective one. You're still young, child. I suggest you talk to your parents before making this decision."
Nan Fusheng shook his head slowly.
"I don't have a father. And my mother… her mind hasn't been well for some time. I need to leave some money to take care of her. Thirty thousand federal coins is all we can afford."
"So I can only try my luck. Maybe Heaven will bless me with a good soul spirit."
The Spirit Master looked at him for a long moment. His expression softened.
What a mature child…