For Nan Fusheng, though he's familiar with the general plot of the Douluo saga, he's far from mastering all the details.
When he first read the novel, he only skimmed through it—so many intricacies still elude him.
For example, the full extent of Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline enhancement, or how it suppresses dragon-type Martial Souls or beast spirits—he only has a vague impression. He knows Tang Wulin's bloodline is powerful enough to suppress all dragon bloodlines except the Silver Dragon King, but beyond that... he's not entirely sure.
That's why today he held back—intentionally letting things slide to observe Tang Wulin's strength and limit. With his ability to steal consciousness, they could have ended the match quickly. At the start, when Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng attacked Xie Xie, he could have stolen both their awareness and disabled them. Instead, he only took Zhang Yangzi's so that Wei Xiaofeng had a chance to rescue him.
When the Fusion Martial Soul Technique was triggered later, he could have stolen both of their awarenesses—even though that was absurd—but his instinct told him he could.
He allowed the attack on Xie Xie to proceed to provoke Tang Wulin, and that risk paid off. The outcome... was absurd.
After fusion, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi—both Soul Grandmasters—were effectively Soul Emperor-level threats. But Tang Wulin, a mere first-ring student, brutally defeated them both: one ended with broken legs, the other with a broken arm. Terrifying.
These battles also helped Nan Fusheng realize his flaws. First: his physique. Yes, right now he's physically superior to his peers—but for the future? Not guaranteed. His strength mostly stems from magical elixir enhancements, not natural talent. His Martial Soul isn't a powerful beast spirit; though he's technically a mage, he still has a warrior's spirit.
Secondly, his offensive abilities are insufficient. These wins have mostly relied on stealing opponents' awareness. That works for academy duels, but in a real battlefield's chaotic environment, relying solely on that skill could backfire.
Considering only his visible powers, if he chose to fight Wu Zhangkong head-on—using Yuan Fortress and his three Uniqueness abilities—victory would be no problem.
Why target Wu Zhangkong? Because he's the strongest Soul Master Nan has seen so far.
However, such methods come at a heavy mental cost. He wouldn't use those powerful abilities lightly.
He can afford to delay building offensive power—soul tools can bridge the gap, and future elixir upgrades will boost things naturally. But what he truly envies... is Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King core.
Regaining his composure, Nan Fusheng slapped his cheek and settled into meditation, reaching a state of ego-loss serenity.
When he finally surfaced at dawn... He'd reached Soul Power Level 17.
"What sort of Soul Skill will my second spirit bring?"
He unlocked his hand and clenched his fist.
His spirit differs from others—perhaps because it's imperfect or overshadowed by his will. Unlike normal spirits, it doesn't grant multiple Soul Rings, even with improved cultivation.
This implies he will need to absorb nine spirits throughout his journey.
"It's still workable—like ancient times, a Soul Master seals each new level by hunting spirit beasts. Plus, a soulless spirit means less chaos, more peace."
He glanced at his roommates—Wang Ba and the others were still asleep. Ever since he retrieved the Time Worms from them, their drive to cultivate had slowly faded.
"I'm still a good guy," he mused.
"I planted those worms to push them to train hard. Otherwise, with their personalities, they'd have quit after a few days."
Feeling self-congratulatory, he walked out of the dorm. Passing the field, he spotted... a creepy follower? No—it was Xie Xie!
Xie Xie still had bandages on both arms, standing there with a half-grin, staring ahead.
Following his gaze, Nan Fusheng saw Tang Wulin running alongside an unfamiliar senior girl.
She was around fourteen or fifteen—a tall figure, wearing pink sportswear highlighting an attractive form, porcelain-white skin, long blue hair tied in a neat high ponytail, with a white towel draped around her neck.
Her features were delicate, the eyes wide and sparkling. In the glow of the rising sun, she shimmered like a golden apparition.
Tang Wulin jogged beside her. After finishing their laps, he stopped to gaze at her figure for a long moment, frozen in thought.
Then... the shadowy follower—no, Xie Xie—snappped him out of it, pointing out:
She's Ouyang Zixin, the first-rank campus beauty of the Intermediate Division.
Nan Fusheng didn't join their chatter—he continued to the cafeteria. At this point, filling his stomach was top priority.
He murmured to himself:
"If Xie Xie's behavior could count as stalking... then what am I? The stalker of the stalker?"
He shook his head, clearing those wandering thoughts, and any lingering guilt at having manipulated Xie Xie melted away. That is—assuming he ever truly felt guilty in the first place.