Timeskip: 4 years
Few weeks ago I celebrated my 12th birthday according to my status page. Birthdays aren't celebrated here if you aren't a noble born, which is just an event to form alliance or lick asses of someone more powerful. I don't have someone who I truly care about here except mr.hong who isn't the type to celebrate such things. So there is not point in Celebrating my Birthday.
After some serious conversation with mr.hong I decided to leave the vast sea city. Despite his looks he cares about few individuals from his heart. I'm lucky to be among the few.
The man was trying so hard to not look concerned. Despite the emotional turmoil he kept a straight face. hehe just remembering it make me laugh.
Now I'm in front of the man looking serious as always. He hands me a thick bracelet and says " this should help you along the way".
The bracelet has a simple design, mix of silver alloy and a black gem in the center. The waves design along the edges gives a different charm.
"Aren't soul guiding device rare and expensive, are you sure?".
"Of course it's not for free, whenever you can try helping the homeless and poor in the future. I got it from a homeless man who hadn't eaten in days. From then on I give some coins to poor whenever I go out" replies the old man.
"Trying to act cool before a goodbye old man, I'll do what I can in the future. Maybe some karma will payback with luck".
"You know old man, I've been meaning to ask. Why didn't you ask me to be your disciple?" I ask what's bugging me for years.
"I couldn't, I didn't have the courage" he confess.
I was shocked would be an understatement. The prideful bear said he lacked courage.
looking at my shocked face he chuckled "When you came to me for your first ring hunt I was about to ask you, actually I've been wondering about since I saw to learning your martial arts". "I just thought I couldn't teach you anything that you wouldn't learn on your own, so I gave up on the idea. I would just hold you back. Its good I didn't ask back then."
I don't know what to say " Its good you didn't ask old man. This young master is beyond your teaching capabilities". I say arrogantly hiding my surprise and awkward feelings.
"pftt hahaha 'young master' haha" he laughs imitating my voice and such. I too laugh with him.
"I'm glad this isn't a sad sendoff old man, I'll visit in the future when I'm stronger than you"
"you cheeky brat it's 100 years early for you to beat me" He says angrily.
"You're the closest thing to a family old man, I don't wanna watch you cry" I say, turned around and walked off not looking back.
"..."
The old man didn't say anything until I got on carriage, I then heard a soft whisper 'Take care Tian Di Zun'.
I didn't say anything until the carriage starts moving. After a few breadths I peek out the window a little still not looking at him.
" Its raining heavy today old man hong". I shout to no one in particular.
"what" mr.hong mutters confused and looks up, the sun is still up and the weather is fine. He feels some wetness in his cheek and puts his hand on his face. He is surprised to feel his tears.
he looks towards carriage and laughs a little. He turns around and goes back to work, he is a busy man after all.
scene change:
I jump down from the carriage and look around and see a slightly familiar gate. I pay the coachmen and move toward the gate of nuoding academy in Fasinuo Province of Heaven dou empire. my target if great soul battle arena. That is why I'm in fashinuo province, I intend to visit few familiar places from the story and settle somewhere around.
I visit the staff and subtly inquire about a certain useless master of theories. He wasn't here so I'm certain I'm ahead of cannon.
I leave the academy go to the spirit arena. The registration went smoothly.
I reveal my status as a 2 ring soul grandmaster. Both rings yellow obviously.
3rd POV:
As Tian Dizun stepped into the Great Spirit Arena, his eyes calm. The roaring crowd echoed around him as his first fight in the prestigious arena began.
Across from him stood his opponent—a fierce, tiger-type Spirit Master, muscles rippling under his battle attire, a dangerous glow in his eyes. As tian di zun summoned his martial soul green Sea Serpent, it shimmered as it materialized behind him, exuding an aura of poison and power.
Facing a Tiger-type Spirit Master of rank 28, Tian Di Zun's calm and focused demeanor was the complete opposite of his opponent's feral aggression. As the bell rang, the Tiger Spirit Master lunged forward with ferocious speed, his claws slashing through the air. But Tian Di Zun, a master of martial arts smoothly evaded the attack, his movements as fluid and graceful as water.
Tian had decided to use only basics martial arts and keep it as simple as possible. Its rare for him to get a satisfying fight. All the fights in the vast sea city weren't that helpful beside training with mr.hong.
All soul master in the vast sea city are water soul master. If they fight in land Tian would wipe the floor with them. If they fought on water Tian would still wipe the floor with them, Since his martial soul is also a sea beast and his martial arts get a slight boost due to his innate water/ice affinity.
Ongoing fight with each movement, Tian Di Zun used his opponent's momentum against him, using Aikido-inspired redirects to toss the Tiger Spirit Master off balance. His ground techniques were a thing of beauty quick transitions, sweeps, and submissions locking the Tiger Spirit Master in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu chokehold before the stunned crowd.
But the Tiger was not out yet. With a growl, he powered through, using his first soul skill. "Frenzy" he shouts.
His eyes go red and his physical properties seems to be enhanced. Tian open his sharp eyes, his eyes similar to snake with the slit pupils and a green shade with slimmer of silver in the center making anyone who gazes feel unease.
With his eyes open, now tian can see the amplification brought by 1st soul ring more clearly. His eye's have improved by observing the physical changes he can deduce the boost brought by soul rings. His analyzing capabilities can also observe elemental changes now.
He already possessed his martial soul when the opponent activated his 1st soul ring.
"Hmm around 50% enhancement to speed and strength. There seems to be another mode or part in the skills, likely berserk state with more enhancement and with a great drawback, most likely a cooldown of few days. Its amazing skill from a mere century age ring".
1st POV:
I conclude his 1st ring analysis, Honestly this should be a 1000 year old or more ring skill but it wouldn't have that huge drawbacks with better enhancements in attributes. Lets test him more.
Tian Di Zun's green Sea Serpent spirit radiated, empowering him, He moved at incredible speed and reached his opponent in a blink of an eye. He pulled his fist back and got ready to punch. The tiger reacted quickly and crossed his hands to block.
But Tian isn't simple, he changed his hand's direction at the last moments and struck his face instead. The tiger got dizzy and tian immediately followed a knee strike in the mid-section. The tiger was thrown back 10 meters before he stabilized himself still clutching his abdomen.
"I'll kill you brat!!" he roars and activates his 2nd soul ring.
2nd soul ring 'tiger frenzy', he declares loudly.
I see his state and immediately conclude this too is a empowering type skill in berserk like state. Is he going to follow a berserk path, Berserk type soul skill makes the user in high in power. They want more and many eventually turn into evil spirit master. Judging by his mental state, If he absorbs 3rd and 4th ring with same skill he will likely loose his mind and go on a killing spree.
He quickly runs towards me in four limbs and dodge his attacks with very low margin which makes him even more angry. He roars loudly towards and uses his 1st soul ring again, but this time the hidden enhancement skill. His skin turns slightly red and releases steam in small amount. His body working in overdrive.
This time his speed is truly difficult for me to counter and I start backing off and running around the ring. My clothes are torn in many places. The tiger's nail are quite sharp. His speed is slowing down, I've been counting 53..54..55..and finally his skills goes undone. He is breathing rapidly trying to take more oxygen.
That state seems to last 1 minute giving 100% boost in attack power but the drawback is your mind becomes like an animal attacking on instinct and fast exhaustion.
He is on his last leg. 'sigh'
my second ring activates and I say in a soft voice "freezing poison mist".
I expel large amount of mist from my mouth, whatever the mist touches it starts to freeze and gets poisoned. The tiger martial soul wielder can barely move and gets enveloped in the thick mist.
When the mist clears up, The tiger is unmoved on the ground with numerous frost marks as well as poison in his body.
I leave the arena as the result is declared with my victory. The crowd erupted into wild applause, witnessing the deadly elegance of Tian Di Zun's martial prowess and his victory over a stronger foe.
The fight was more interesting than I though, I saw a remarkable skill and I learned that I became cocky by playing around too much.
I got to my room in a hotel meditate to review my fight today. The mistake I made and how efficiently I could have handled the battle. After a minute I open my eyes. I did good and didn't waste my energy with someone higher level than me.
Instead made my opponent use soul skill rapidly including his hidden card. Aside from my curiosity to his soul rings. I barely did anything unnecessary. Since there is not need to reflect on mistakes, I will rest for now.
The second soul ring came from a venomous ice worm, over 900 years old. It isn't one with powerful bloodline but since it has ice and venom I decided to take it as my soul ring. The worm was obviously suppressed by leviathan when I absorbed its ring. And expected its an amazing skill.
I could've absorbed a 1000 years old but skill is more important to me than its age. I felt the resonance again and I will continue this way even if the age is low in the future.
But the surprise came after that, It had an external soul bone, a torso, lower back spine to be exact. It connects with the tail bone and now I can extend the bone with my martial soul's tail to be longer. Thanks to It I also have a sharp end like a spear.
My level would be higher, I would have likely reached over 30 by now if I wasn't practicing a particular technique.
I am constantly compressing my soul power whenever I'm near a breakthrough. My soul power has become slightly denser than normal. I also consume less soul power whenever I use a skill so its a win-win.
I got the idea from titled douluo breakthrough difficulties. Especially after level 94, after every breakthrough you power gets doubled. some get stuck there for long time with no hope for advancement like Blue lightning tyrant dragon sect leader. He was at 95 for a long time likely having exhausted his potential.
Double strength after a breakthrough sounds good but so is the difficulty to do it. Normal soul power is in gas state, at titled doulou they become thick vapor and eventually liquid. At god it turns into solid forming a divine core of their divinity.
I tried to so with soul manipulation and finally after 1 year I completed making the skill, 'soul compression technique'. I've been compressing my soul power since 2.5 years ago. It will take a little less than 2 years to hunt my 3rd soul ring.
My reason to explore is also because a shocking news spread throughout the land. The young master of the blue lightning tyrant dragon clan has left the sect. A 17 year old young master with a defect martial soul. They likely hid the news of his awakening, but he decided to leave the clan, so they no longer kept it contained.
As I contemplate about future, I doze off after a long journey to give my body a well deserved rest.