In Douluo Continent, his martial soul mutated into Blue Silver Grass.

Chapter 153 The Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies Begins

He would spend time studying soul tools, but his main focus was still on cultivation. Given the current situation on the continent, breaking through to the Title Douluo level was more practical.

In battles between high-level Soul Masters, strength is still the most important factor. Similarly, in the research of Soul Tools, the stronger the Soul Tool, the more powerful the Soul Tool can be.

Lin Hai has now solved the most difficult introductory problem in soul tools. The rest is much simpler than the introductory one. After all, there is no inheritance at this time, so you can only find a way to get started on your own.

Soul tools, simply put, are man-made devices that use soul power as their driving energy.

The Douluo Universe possesses a special energy called "Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi." This primordial energy is fundamental to the Douluo Universe's existence; there is no place in the Douluo Universe that is devoid of it. Soul Masters cultivate by absorbing this primordial energy, and they refer to this absorbed and accumulated primordial energy as "Soul Power."

Soul power has replaced other types of energy; to release other energies, soul power must be used as a catalyst. Man-made purely mechanical structures are not naturally generated and do not possess soul power. Therefore, they can be eroded and destroyed by external soul power, rendering them completely unusable.

In reality, the kinetic energy of a gun bullet comes from the gunpowder explosion. In the Douluo Continent, a purely mechanical gun is inherently unstable, and the bullet's kinetic energy comes from the power contained within the gunpowder. However, the Douluo Continent is an alternate world with unique energies. Purely mechanical firearms would be affected by the unique energy of the Douluo Continent, making barrel explosions inevitable. This is a conflict of energy.

Lin Hai's modified soul-guided pistol combines firearm principles with a soul-guided array. By condensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which is what soul masters call soul power, it can launch a laser-like soul power attack.

Lin Hai had a relatively clear understanding of soul tools, which enabled him to replicate the soul tool technology from the current Douluo Continent and modify and upgrade it.

Lin Hai had a guess. The earliest soul tools were created in the hands of religious priests in ancient times.

To more easily spread their faith and make money among their own kind, some priests built enormous wooden statues, which were then controlled by soul masters using their soul power. Later, spirit jade (solidified primordial energy of heaven and earth) was discovered, and some craftsmen developed a technique to carve soul power patterns of specific specifications and intensities on spirit jade to draw out the primordial energy within. Combined with suitable metals and gemstones, they could create soul guides for various functions.

At that time, most soul tools were flashy but impractical toys, with almost no real use. This led to the Douluo people's impression of soul tools as "decorative vases." Fortunately, some of the technology has been passed down, and some soul tools have been collected by major clans. Needless to say, those that have flowed into the market are the most typical example, such as Tang San's "Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon".

The quantity of spirit jade in the Douluo Continent is extremely limited, making it impossible to support research into soul tools. Therefore, the soul tool school gradually declined in the Douluo Continent, with only major powers and families having personnel dedicated to its research, and even these soul tools tended to be auxiliary in nature. The most outstanding contribution of the ancient soul tool school is the "soul tool array." From the gold soul cards at auctions to the protective arrays of soul master sects, these arrays, constructed with soul power patterns, possess unique soul power fields that are ubiquitous.

Lin Hai did not simply refer to the storage soul tool to replicate the "soul guidance array".

Next, let's talk about the soul tools of the Sun and Moon Continent. Lin Hai's inspiration for creating soul tools.

Soul tools from the Sun and Moon Continent are made by inscribing soul guidance arrays on metals and gemstones and using their properties as a base. They were invented by the humans of the Sun and Moon Continent, hence the name. For low-level Sun and Moon soul tools, using rare metals and gemstones is not a strict requirement, but using ordinary materials will greatly increase the requirements for the manufacturing process and drastically reduce the lifespan.

The Sun and Moon Soul Tools possess exceptional performance, but their drawbacks are also significant, with their hidden dangers far outweighing their advantages. However, for the people of Sun and Moon, researching and using these Soul Tools was the best option under the circumstances. The Sun and Moon Continent boasts the richest mineral resources of all continents, and the shallow mineral layers make them easily accessible to Soul Beasts, potentially leading to mutations.

Therefore, the spirit beasts of the Sun Moon Continent are exceptionally powerful compared to those of other continents, even giving rise to many species that cannot be dealt with using conventional methods. The humans of the Sun Moon Continent have the weakest bloodline among the four continents, and powerful spirit masters are rare. Because conventional spirit cultivation cannot keep up with the demand, the people of the Sun Moon Continent have turned to pursuing spirit guidance technology.

Because rare metals are abundant and easy to mine in the Sun and Moon region, the Sun and Moon people's soul tool development naturally revolves around the technology of utilizing rare metals. It can be said that the Sun and Moon soul tools operate entirely based on the special effects of rare metals themselves. Once they were separated from the diverse range of rare metals, the Sun and Moon people's soul tool technology, and the entire social system built around it, would immediately collapse.

All Sun and Moon Soul Tools were originally invented for use by Soul Masters. Thousands of years of research on the Sun and Moon Continent have been devoted to this, which has resulted in the limited application of Soul Tools. The stronger the Soul Tool, the stronger the Soul Master required to use it. Sun and Moon Soul Tools are based on "rare metals," and the Soul Guidance Arrays inscribed on them are only to further stimulate their characteristics and guide energy flow. They cannot generate Soul Power on their own and must be infused with Soul Power by a Soul Master or a Soul Power Injector to be used.

After learning the soul guidance array of the ancient soul guidance devices from Douluo Continent, Lin Hai began to research soul guidance weapons by referring to the soul guidance device manufacturing methods of Sun Moon Continent.

Rare metals need to be found in the forest, and blueprints also need to be drawn.

The creation of soul tools is not simple. For example, a simple blade can be greatly enhanced if a soul guidance array is engraved on it. This is especially useful for most soul masters who do not have a weapon soul but want to use a martial soul.

Lin Hai carried Lin Jiayue all the way to Meng Shu's office.

"Pigeon~, I want to eat cake!"

"Okay, I'll make it for you tonight. Bird-shaped or bear-shaped?"

"Little bear~" Lin Jiayue cheered.

"Have you been behaving well lately?"

"Yes, I follow my mom obediently every day, and my dad also makes me little toys."

"And Sister Yan, Sister Ran, and Sister Lin took me out to play, and the other brothers gave me lots of gifts too!" The little guy was excited when he talked about something he was happy about, and he waved his hands and feet.

"Grandpa Meng, Grandpa Du, and Grandma all like me very much!"

"My little sister is the cutest." Lin Hai smiled gently and patted Lin Jiayue's little head.

"Hehehe!"

A short while later, Lin Hai carried Lin Jiayue to Meng Shu's office.

Lin Hai pushed open the door, and there were Dugu Bo and Meng Shu sitting inside, seemingly talking about something.

"Grandpa Meng, Grandpa Du!"

"Oh my, our little darling has come to see Grandpa!"

Lin Jiayue swayed as she got off Lin Hai, and Lin Hai put her down as well.

The little guy ran over with his tiny, bouncy steps.

However, this little guy knew how to share his affections equally, giving hugs to both Dugu Bo and Meng Shu. Hmm, clinging to their coattails.

At such a young age, she already knew how to suck up to powerful people.

In the end, Dugu Bo prevailed, picking Lin Jiayue up in his arms and teasing the little one, making her very happy.

Meng Shu looked regretful; he had been beaten to it.

"Please sit down!"

"Old Poison Ghost has told me everything about you. This is nothing to us Soul Masters."

"But this is a different story for those in power."

"You replicated the soul tool technology and developed an offensive soul tool."

"If such weapons and equipment fell into the hands of low-level Soul Masters in the Empire, it would undoubtedly affect the outcome of a war."

"If this kind of soul tool gets out, your family will be in danger. We can't protect them every single moment."

"Teacher, don't worry, I had already predicted this outcome."

"I've considered this."

"Okay, as long as you know what you're doing."

"It's been half a year, and you haven't found out a single clue?"

"Hmm? Elders."

"Young Master, I'm so sorry, there's really too little information. Although we've found some clues about him based on his photo, they're not connected, and we need more time to continue searching."

Lin Hai's appearance changed very little, and he didn't go to many cities. Qian Renxue's investigation was also conducted in private.

"Alright! Keep up the good work and find him."

"Yes, young master."

Time passed quietly, and the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament ushered in its grand ceremony.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Soul Master Tournament is the most magnificent and grand martial soul competition in the soul master world, jointly organized by the royal families of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, with the assistance of the Spirit Hall. The strength of the participants in this tournament is second only to the Spirit Hall Elite Selection Tournament.

Although it was said that the Spirit Hall assisted in the event, as the Spirit Hall grew larger and larger, it became more like the organizer, since the final rounds of the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Spirit Master Tournament were held in Spirit City.

In the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Soul Master Tournament, there are several rules that must be followed. First, participating academies must send students under the age of twenty-five, and each academy must maintain a minimum of seven participants per match. Second, the purpose of the competition is friendly sparring, and injuries to opponents must be avoided as much as possible.

Deaths are strictly prohibited during the competition. If an opponent is killed, the participating academy will not only bear the corresponding losses, but will also be expelled from the Soul Master Competition. The severity of the punishment makes many advanced Soul Master academies dare not cross the line.

The fundamental purpose of the Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition, jointly organized by the two great empires and the Spirit Hall, was not to pit the various academies against each other in a life-or-death struggle, but rather to select and recruit the best talents. The Spirit Hall and some kingdoms within the two great empires shared the same intention.

The students who can represent the major advanced soul master academies in the competition are all elites and leaders in their respective academies, and they will be the future of the soul master world.

Training a Soul Master is incredibly difficult; the number of Soul Masters across the entire continent has never exceeded six figures, let alone one hundred thousand. While prohibiting the killing of opponents presents a constraint, it also serves as a form of protection for you Soul Masters.

Besides these two hard rules, there are some more standardized rules, all based on the premise of fairness.

For example, during the competition, no drugs or food made by non-food and non-healing Soul Masters may be used. Only food or healing Soul Masters on the field have the right to replenish their teammates.

In other words, if a team wants to obtain supplies on the arena, a support-type Soul Master must occupy one of the spots. This prevents teams with food-type Soul Masters from cheating.

In addition, there is a rule that no weapon other than a martial spirit can be used.

Between the two great empires, the total number of advanced soul master academies is approximately one hundred. Each academy has one quota for the competition, and each of the two empires has one official advanced soul master academy, occupying two quotas. For example, the Heaven Dou Empire has the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, a directly affiliated martial soul academy, but those not affiliated with the Star Luo Empire are somewhat inferior.

The quota for these two official advanced soul master academies is divided into a main team and a vice-team. The main team will directly advance to the final round. This is also a guarantee of face for the royal families of the two great empires. The vice-team will participate in the preliminary rounds with soul master teams from other academies. The vice-team is just for show, to give face to the nobles.

The preliminary rounds will be held in separate zones. In the Heaven Dou Empire, with Heaven Dou City as the center, all advanced Soul Master academies within the Heaven Dou Empire that do not belong to other kingdoms or duchies will participate in the preliminary rounds in the Heaven Dou City zone.

The advanced soul master academies of each kingdom and duchy hold preliminary rounds according to their respective kingdoms. The Heaven Dou Empire consists of four kingdoms and one duchy.

In other words, including the Heaven Dou City division, the Heaven Dou Empire will have a total of six preliminary divisions. Apart from the team that has already qualified for the finals, these six divisions will compete for fifteen spots in the competition.

Among them, the Heaven Dou City division, due to its numerous advanced Soul Master academies and its direct imperial control, will have five qualifying slots. The other four kingdoms and one duchy will each have two qualifying slots per division. The Star Luo Empire's situation is almost identical to that of the Heaven Dou Empire.

In other words, thirty Soul Master teams will advance to the next stage through the preliminary rounds. All thirty teams will participate in the finals. The finals will be held at the Spirit Hall, but there will be a qualifying round before the finals.

The so-called qualifying rounds are actually a ranking tournament for the teams that have already made it to the finals. The order of appearance in the finals is determined by the ranking order.

The qualifying rounds and the promotion rounds have different formats. The qualifying rounds will be conducted in a team battle format, using a single round-robin system. The team with the highest winning points from each qualifying region will advance to the promotion rounds. The promotion rounds, however, will be conducted in a special way.

I don't want to talk much.

(End of this chapter)