Evening.
Xiao Lin and Tang San, after much playful competition, finally entered Nuoding City just before the gates closed.
The two had competed in almost everything—running, long jump, and even several rounds of rock-paper-scissors.
In the end, Xiao Lin won by a slight margin. As for their disguises, Tang San was below, while Xiao Lin was above.
"What an exhilarating competition!"
Xiao Lin grinned proudly as he led Tang San, who had never been to the Martial Soul Hall before, to its entrance.
"Yes, yes..."
Tang San sighed helplessly.
Even with his endurance, he was starting to struggle to keep up with Xiao Lin's challenges.
It was evident how terrifying Xiao Lin's strength was.
No, more accurately, Xiao Lin's first spirit ring had given him an immense boost.
The mere 800-year-old spirit power increase had raised Xiao Lin to level 13, while poor Tang San was only at level 12.
With just this level suppression alone, Tang San had to use various techniques to barely keep up.
Once inside the Martial Soul Hall, Xiao Lin led Tang San straight into its interior.
After a few twists and turns, they went up to the second floor, stopping in front of a plain wooden door.
Xiao Lin knocked on the door and, without hesitation, stepped inside the office of the Nuoding City Martial Soul Hall.
At this moment, the spacious office held only a single elderly man with slightly graying hair. He was sitting at his desk, working on documents. When he saw Xiao Lin and Tang San enter, he merely glanced at them before resuming his work.
"Grandpa Matthew Nuo, I am now a Soul Master!"
Seeing that Matthew Nuo was ignoring him, Xiao Lin immediately threw a "bomb" to get his attention.
"Good evening, Hall Master Matthew Nuo. I am Tang San, Xiao Lin's close friend. I am also here to register as a Soul Master."
Unlike Xiao Lin, upon hearing his first words, Tang San couldn't help but roll his eyes. Then, he politely bowed and greeted Matthew Nuo.
"Xiao Lin, it's already so late..."
Matthew Nuo was indeed startled by Xiao Lin. His hand, which was holding the pen, trembled slightly before he let out a bitter smile.
"Grandpa Matthew Nuo, everyone in the Martial Soul Hall has already gone off duty. Only a few guards are left. How can we register as Soul Masters now?"
Xiao Lin chuckled. He wasn't doing this on purpose, of course.
"Fine, fine. I'll register you both myself."
Matthew Nuo sighed and got up from his seat.
"It's been years since I last personally registered someone as a Soul Master... You two really are something."
He walked over to a filing cabinet beside his desk, pulled out a Soul Master registration form, flipped to about halfway through, and began filling it out.
"Xiao Lin, Martial Soul: Qiu Long Staff. Registered as a Soul Master on July 16. Your spirit ring?"
"A 400-year-old Vajra Bull."
Xiao Lin quickly answered, deliberately lowering the actual age of his spirit ring.
"Alright, 400-year-old Vajra Bull."
"Now, Little San, report your Martial Soul and spirit ring."
Matthew Nuo turned to Tang San with a slight smile after recording Xiao Lin's details.
"Tang San, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Spirit ring: 400-year-old Three-Eyed Salamander."
Matthew Nuo was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
Since when could Blue Silver Grass be cultivated?
Especially for someone of Tang San's age?
However, he quickly recalled Su Yuntao mentioning a Blue Silver Grass spirit master with innate full soul power, and he simply smiled.
After completing the records, Matthew Nuo leisurely returned the registration form to the filing cabinet and then asked:
"Have you two considered joining our Martial Soul Hall?"
"No, we've decided to rely on ourselves."
Xiao Lin leaned back in the office chair and refused without hesitation.
"Why? With your talent, even if you went to the Martial Soul City, you would receive immense training from the Pope's side. Being accepted as a disciple by a Titled Douluo elder is highly possible!"
Matthew Nuo was shocked. He sat in his chair, looking at Xiao Lin and Tang San in disbelief.
"Xiao San, your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. It won't be easy to cultivate. Are you sure you don't want to join the Martial Soul Hall?"
Seeing that Xiao Lin wasn't joking, Matthew Nuo turned to question Tang San.
"No, thank you, Grandpa Matthew Nuo. We still prefer to train on our own because we believe the Martial Soul Hall's theories are too outdated."
Tang San bowed slightly in gratitude and then explained.
"Xiao San is right. I've noticed that the theories of the Martial Soul Hall and even the entire Soul Master world are outdated."
"The most classic example is Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's 'Ten Core Competitiveness of Martial Souls'—some of its principles are simply nonsensical."
"We plan to research our own Martial Souls and find the most suitable spirit rings for ourselves. If we joined the Martial Soul Hall and became disciples of a Titled Douluo, we'd have no say in what spirit rings we could obtain."
"Titled Douluo have a broader perspective than us, but they wouldn't necessarily consider our personal choices."
Xiao Lin shook his head and then gave an example using Su Yuntao's Martial Soul.
In the original timeline, if Su Yuntao hadn't met Xiao Lin, his spirit ring would have been chosen based on Martial Soul Hall and general Soul Master theories.
The Lone Wolf Martial Soul was ordinary, and its combat capability wasn't particularly strong.
According to standard practice, Su Yuntao would have obtained a pack-hunting-type skill, which increases damage when fighting in a group.
However, such skills had low base damage.
Moreover, Su Yuntao usually worked alone, helping villages awaken Martial Souls. Even in group battles, he only participated when assisting in spirit ring hunts.
After befriending Su Yuntao, Xiao Lin recommended a spirit skill more suited for independent combat with stable output.
By sheer luck, Su Yuntao acquired a Howling ability, which not only boosted his attack power but also slightly increased his teammates' strength.
With this skill, Su Yuntao's first spirit ring now had power on par with a typical yellow spirit ring.
Now, whether in solo combat or team fights, he was much stronger than before.
This showcased the difference between the two theories.
Traditional Martial Soul theory dictated that Assault-type Soul Masters should focus on buffing themselves or acquiring powerful attack skills.
Xiao Lin's theory, however, proposed that even Assault-type Soul Masters could choose team-supporting spirit skills.
He prioritized synergy in spirit ring selection rather than rigidly categorizing them into attack or support skills.
Moreover, the Howling ability Xiao Lin recommended for Su Yuntao had significant military applications.
Imagine an army of wolf-type Martial Soul users all using Howling at once—such a scenario would be terrifying.
And this was just one example of how his theory differed from traditional Martial Soul teachings.
If applied to other Soul Master types, the disparity between the two theories would become even greater.
"Ah... If that's the case, I have no choice but to respect your decision. I just hope your theories will one day benefit all Soul Masters."
"Come, I'll take you to collect your monthly Gold Soul Coins."
Seeing Xiao Lin's conviction, Matthew Nuo sighed, then led them out of the office.
From his perspective, Xiao Lin and Tang San refusing to join the Martial Soul Hall wasn't just about theory.
At the very least, he suspected they were planning to become nobles in the future—hence their reluctance to join.
"Oh, right. The Soul Master world respects strength above all. You two must never squander your talent. Also, do you have a place to stay tonight? If not, you're welcome to sleep in the library of the Martial Soul Hall."
"Yes, thank you, Grandpa Matthew Nuo!"
Xiao Lin and Tang San quickly bowed in gratitude.
Though Xiao Lin had stayed in the Martial Soul Hall a few times before, he never took it for granted as his home. Without Matthew Nuo's permission, he would have had to find another place to sleep.
—