Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Mysterious Heavy Ruler

Chapter 5 One Year

……

one year later.

Inside Xiao Yi's dormitory.

"Pop!"

A soft sound broke the morning's tranquility.

"I'm at level eighteen now," Xiao Yi muttered.

Since his falling out with the master a year ago, Xiao Yi has been attending classes during the day and cultivating at night. This fulfilling life has allowed him to advance four levels in a year.

"I don't know how Tang San cultivated. He was born with full soul power and only reached level 29 after six years. At that rate, I could reach level 30 by the time I'm eleven."

Winter has arrived, and school is on holiday. After packing his things, he went home.

After returning home, he first went to pay respects to his mother, told her about the events of the past year, and then went home.

It was evening at Xiao Yi's home.

"Xiao Yi, is your school on holiday?"

Xiao Yi pushed open the door and saw Uncle Zhang. After inviting him into the house, he said, "Yes, Uncle Zhang, I went to pay my respects to my mother first before coming back."

Xiao Yi then told Uncle Zhang about the events of the past year and his current cultivation level, including the fact that the master wanted to take him as a disciple.

"I've heard of that 'master.' He's just a fame-seeker. It's a good thing you didn't become his disciple, or your life would be ruined!"

"Xiao Yi, you said you're level 18 now? It looks like it won't be long before you get your second soul ring," Uncle Zhang said to Xiao Yi.

"Hmm, about six months," Xiao Yi said softly.

"Alright, let me know when you reach level 20, and Uncle Zhang will take you to get a soul ring."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang."

After their conversation, Uncle Zhang went home, while Xiao Yi planned to go to the blacksmith's shop to forge an iron man to practice lifting heavy objects with ease and light objects with heavy ones, so as to unleash the maximum power of the Xuan Heavy Ruler.

The blacksmith shop wasn't far from his home, about the same distance from Notting College.

He arrived at the blacksmith's shop a quarter of an hour later.

Nottingham City only has this one blacksmith shop, so business is booming.

The furnace inside the blacksmith's shop was burning, making it warm in winter.

Xiao Yi waited in line for a while. When it was his turn, the blacksmith shop owner saw that he was a child and said, "Little friend, this is a blacksmith shop. If you want to buy something, you should have your adult come."

Xiao Yi was taken aback for a moment, then took out his Soul Master badge and showed it to him, saying, "Uncle, I am a Soul Master, and I want to buy something for myself."

The shop owner suddenly realized what was going on and said to Xiao Yi, "My name is Shi San, I'm the owner here. You can call me Uncle Shi. What would you like to buy?"

"I want to buy those iron figures, made of refined iron, the kind that's larger in the front and smaller in the back, in four different weights: 500 jin, 800 jin, 1000 jin, and 1500 jin," Xiao Yi said to Shi San. (The Xuan Heavy Ruler starts at 300 jin, increasing by 50 jin for each level, and by 500 jin for each additional soul ring.)

"I see, little friend. These will cost you 1,000 gold soul coins."

Shi San did the calculations and gave him a reasonable price.

"If you want it, come pick it up in half a month after you pay."

Xiao Yi took out a thousand gold soul coins from his soul tool, handed them to the blacksmith, and went home.

Two weeks later.

"Uncle Shi, is my stuff ready? I've come to get it."

"Hey, I was just talking about you, and here you are. These are your things."

Xiao Yi looked and saw four iron figures neatly arranged against the wall, each one quite heavy.

Xiao Yi picked up the 200-pound iron man and tried swinging it. He felt the weight was just right, nodded in satisfaction, and put the iron man into his soul tool.

"Uncle Shi, I'll take it and leave now."

After Xiao Yi finished speaking, he went home to practice.

"Let's start by swinging 500 jin without carrying a martial spirit."

Xiao Yi took out a 500-pound iron man from his soul tool, then put away his martial soul and began to swing the iron man.

A month passed in this way. Two hours of training every day allowed him to easily swing a 500-pound iron man without carrying a martial spirit. The next stage was to swing an 800-pound iron man with agility while carrying a martial spirit.

Before he knew it, the new school year was approaching. He first went to the school to get a day student certificate so he could cultivate his soul power at home, because he didn't want his cultivation rhythm to be disrupted.

Six months later.

"I'm level 20 now, time to go find Uncle Zhang," Xiao Yi thought to himself.

Since he started attending school as a day student and was no longer bothered by the trivialities of school life, he found that he had more time to cultivate. Now he can swing a 1,000-pound iron man when carrying his martial spirit, and he can easily swing a 1,500-pound iron man when not carrying his martial spirit.

Xiao Yi soon arrived at Uncle Zhang's house.

"Xiao Yi, you're here. You've broken through to level 20, haven't you? You usually don't come looking for me. Speaking of which, your martial spirit is really amazing. I didn't even know you were level 20 until you told me." Zhang Ping teased Xiao Yi as he came to see him.

By the way, Zhang Ping has obtained some kind of opportunity this year, perhaps a medicinal herb, or perhaps he obtained a suitable soul bone and reached the Soul Emperor level. When he helped Xiao Yi obtain his first soul ring, he was level 58, and now he is level 62. In this era, he can be considered to be able to protect himself.

"Well, I plan to ask for leave from the academy and then obtain my second spirit ring."

"Okay, go ahead then, I'll wait for you at home."

Xiao Yi went to the school and explained that he needed to take a few days off to obtain a spirit ring. The principal approved it without hesitation.

After giving his approval, the principal exclaimed, "What terrifying talent! Reaching level 20 at only seven and a half years old!"

Just as Xiao Yi was about to leave after getting his leave slip, Grandmaster, who was about to talk to the principal, also heard the news that Xiao Yi had broken through to level 20 and pushed open the door to enter.

Then, the master excitedly grabbed Xiao Yi's shoulder and said to him, "A seven-and-a-half-year-old Great Soul Master! Are you sure you don't want to become my disciple? I can use my theories to train you into a Title Douluo!"

"Master, could you please let me go?" Xiao Yi was speechless. How could there be such a person who wanted to take on a disciple just because they saw someone with talent?

"Sorry, I got too excited. Have you decided which spirit beast to hunt? I've been studying your spirit beast for the past year, and I recommend the Earth Violent Bear, the Earth Dragon Porcupine, the Vajra Tiger..." The master introduced them to Xiao Yi with a fanatical expression.

"I have my own ideas, Master, there's no need for you to trouble yourself," Xiao Yi said to the master with a cold and indifferent expression.

The master's expression changed, and he was no longer as enthusiastic as before.

"Damn it! Why is it that both of us have mutated martial souls, but his is so much better, while mine is just a pig? This isn't fair! Just you wait! I will definitely use my wisdom and theories to prove that I'm not a piece of trash!"

The master felt resentful, thinking that he was being dragged down by his martial soul, unaware that it was his own incompetence that caused the martial soul to mutate.

After arguing with the master, Xiao Yi left the school and went straight to Uncle Zhang's house.

"Uncle Zhang, I've got my leave approved. We can set off tomorrow or the day after."

"Okay, got it. Prepare everything you need for the Soul Hunt, we'll set off the day after tomorrow."

...

(End of this chapter)