Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 8 Soul Master Registration
The setting sun gilded the cobblestones of Notting College. Feng Yao walked briskly back to his dorm. A gentle breeze blew, and the Fuxi sword on his waist swayed gently, his pale yellow spirit ring looming in the twilight.

Turning a corner, a commotion came from the distance. Xiao Wu, accompanied by a few part-time students, stopped a few freshmen. Her pink dress was particularly eye-catching in the sunset, and her signature scorpion braid swayed gently with her movements.

"New here, do you understand the academy's rules?" Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, acting like a big sister. "What about the monthly protection fee?"

Feng Yao wanted to take a detour, but was spotted by the sharp-eyed Xiao Wu.

"Hey! The guy who plays the piano!" Xiao Wu jumped in his way and held out her hand. "Where's your protection fee?"

Feng Yao couldn't help but smile as he watched the "little bully" pretending to be fierce. He casually took out a gold coin from his purse and flicked it with his fingertips, causing the coin to draw a graceful arc in the air.

Xiao Wu quickly caught the gold coin, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Piano player, you are still very generous!"

Feng Yao's gesture of giving money was smooth and fluid, as if he was already accustomed to it. Before he could say anything, Xiao Wu had already skipped away, her scorpion braid swinging happily behind her.

Feng Yao smiled and shook his head as he watched Xiao Wu's departing figure. In his eyes, this little girl, the incarnation of a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, was ultimately just a playful child. A single gold coin could save him trouble and buy him peace of mind. Why not?
Not far away, Tang San came out from the shade of the tree, looking at the scene with a frown.

"Xiao San!" Xiao Wu saw Tang San and immediately ran over excitedly.

Seeing Xiao Wu's cheerful figure, Tang San's frown relaxed unconsciously: "Are you collecting protection money again? Just tell me what you want."

"Hey, Xiao San, don't worry about it!" Xiao Wu pulled Tang San's sleeve and shook it, "That piano player is very rich! Come on, I'll take you shopping tomorrow!"

Tang San shook his head helplessly: "Xiao Wu, promise me that you will not go to Feng Yao to collect protection money in the future."

"Why? He is so rich and doesn't care about this little money." Xiao Wu pouted, looking puzzled.

"I always feel like there's something wrong with him." Tang San lowered his voice, "Other students would be unhappy if they were charged protection money, but he doesn't care at all. I'm afraid he has other intentions."

Xiao Wu waved her hands nonchalantly: "You think too much! I'm the big sister of Notting College, I don't get this money for free!"

Tang San stared at the direction where Feng Yao was going, a hint of dark jealousy flashed in his dark eyes: "In short, it's definitely right to stay away from him."

"Okay, okay, got it!" Xiao Wu responded in a drawn-out tone, pulling Tang San towards the cafeteria.

The next morning, Feng Yao finished his breakfast and headed for the Notting City Spirit Hall. The sun was rising, its golden light shone upon the majestic dome of the Spirit Hall, anointing the august building with a sacred aura.

The purpose of this trip was ostensibly to obtain a Spirit Level certification, but in reality, it had a deeper meaning. Although Feng Yao didn't lack the Spirit Master subsidy, he still wanted to leave a record of himself in the Spirit Hall.

Feng Yao didn't know where his future would go, and registering as a soul master was just a signal he sent out.

As a person who has received modern education, Feng Yao still recognizes the power of the Spirit Hall more.

From Feng Yao's perspective, the Spirit Hall is undoubtedly more progressive. The ruling class of the empire is a mixture of nobles and sect soul masters. If the Spirit Hall unifies the continent, then the ruling class will become all soul masters.

The expansion of the ruling class's scope reflects, to a certain extent, the advanced nature of its rule. Of course, in this world with extraordinary power, the strong still have the power to break the rules.

The only thing Feng Yao is uncertain about is whether he has the ability to change the ending of the original work.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Feng Yao whispered to himself and stepped forward.

"Stop, kid. This is the Spirit Hall. You can't barge in." The guard at the door stretched out his hand to block the way.

Feng Yao smiled slightly and said calmly: "Hello, I am a student of Notting Soul Master Academy. My teacher asked me to assess my martial soul level." As he spoke, he turned his palm upwards, and the "Fuxi" guqin slowly emerged, and a bright yellow century-old soul ring rose up.

"Hundred-year soul ring!" The guard looked at Feng Yao with surprise in his eyes, and his attitude immediately became respectful. "Please come in and go to the reception hall on the first floor to find Master Ma Xiunuo."

"Thank you." Feng Yao bowed slightly politely and responded.

The Spirit Hall's interior was spacious, its decoration simple yet solemn. Following the staff's guidance, Feng Yao soon met Master Ma Xiunuo—a white-haired old man with two shining Spirit Master badges pinned to his chest.

The test went smoothly. When the crystal ball lit up with a dazzling light, Mashunuo announced in surprise: "Level 11! Child, are you willing to join the Spirit Hall? We are here..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Master," Feng Yao interrupted politely, "but I still want to complete my studies at Notting College first."

Feng Yao quickly received a gold soul coin and turned to leave. He knew that from today on, his name had officially been entered into the Spirit Hall's archives. This move might play an unexpected role at a critical moment in the future.

Before he had walked far, Feng Yao heard a familiar sound of playfulness.

"Xiao San, look! There are candied haws over there!" Xiao Wu's clear voice was particularly loud on the street.

Feng Yao turned around, following the sound, to see Xiao Wu tugging at Tang San's sleeve, excitedly pointing at the street vendors. Tang San wore a helpless smile, but his eyes accidentally met Feng Yao's. Their gazes briefly met in mid-air, and Tang San's smile froze.

The brand new Spirit Master's Notebook in Feng Yao's hand shimmered in the sunlight, and Tang San's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. Xiao Wu was concentrating on chewing a candied haws, not noticing the subtle atmosphere between them.

"Classmate Feng, congratulations on your breakthrough." Tang San's voice seemed extremely calm.

Feng Yao raised the corner of his lips slightly: "Thank you."

It was then that Xiao Wu noticed Feng Yao, and her eyes lit up: "Not bad, piano player, you've also made a breakthrough? Do you want to spar with me?"

Feng Yao smiled and shook his head, saying, "Sister Xiao Wu, you are the big sister of Notting Academy. I can't beat you. You also know that I play the piano, so let classmate Tang accompany you to spar."

Hearing Feng Yao's flattery, Xiao Wu proudly raised her chin and nodded, saying, "Indeed, in the entire Notting Academy, only Xiao San can fight me." Feng Yao looked at the two of them, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes, "I still have to practice the piano, so I won't disturb your private time."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Xiao Wu's face turned red instantly, and even the tips of her ears turned pink.

Before Xiao Wu could react, Feng Yao had already turned and left. Tang San watched his retreating figure, his brows unconsciously furrowed. He had never imagined that this young man who played the zither all day could cultivate at such an astonishing speed!
"Could it be that the resonance of the piano music back then was not a coincidence?" Tang San thought to himself, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Twenty-Four Bridges on the Moonlit Night at his waist.

"Xiao San, let's go." Xiao Wu tugged at his sleeve, the blush on her face still lingering.

"Well, let's go." Tang San came back to his senses, but still couldn't help looking back in the direction where Feng Yao disappeared.

After returning to the academy, Tang San went straight to Yu Xiaogang's study. When he pushed the door open, Yu Xiaogang was buried in a pile of ancient books, and the aroma of tea filled the room.

"Teacher, there is something I need to report to you." Tang San's voice was a little hurried.

Yu Xiaogang raised his head and saw his beloved disciple's serious expression, frowning slightly: "What happened?"

"Feng Yao, he has broken through to level ten." Tang San said solemnly, "I saw him receive the Soul Master's Notebook from the Spirit Hall with my own eyes."

"Reaching level ten in one year?" Yu Xiaogang stood up suddenly, slamming the teacup in his hand onto the table with a clang, splashing the tea all over the books on the table. He didn't bother to wipe it off, his brows knitted into a deep frown. "Are you sure you read that correctly?"

Tang San nodded solemnly: "The Soul Master's Notes issued by the Spirit Hall will never be fake."

Yu Xiaogang paced back and forth in his study, his leather shoes tapping rapidly on the floor. He suddenly stopped, turned around, and pulled out a file from the bookshelf—it was the Feng Yao file he had retrieved from the Academic Affairs Office.

"Innate Soul Power Level 4." Yu Xiaogang tapped his fingers lightly on the paper, thinking to himself, "According to common sense, Innate Soul Power Level 4 can only be raised to Level 8 in a year." He looked out the window thoughtfully, "Besides, I often see him in the cafeteria, and I have never seen him practicing hard."

"To reach level ten in a year, your innate soul power should be at level six. If you try hard enough, you should be able to reach level five, but if you're at level four, it's basically impossible to break through to level ten in a year without a fortuitous encounter."

The study fell into a brief silence. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on Yu Xiaogang's face.

"Unless..." Yu Xiaogang suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing, "his innate soul power test was wrong, or..." He paused, his voice lowered, "what happened back then was not a coincidence."

Tang San nodded upon hearing this and said slowly: "Teacher, I guess so too."

"It seems I really underestimated this kid." Yu Xiaogang slowly sat back in his chair, his slender fingers crossed before his chin, his eyes behind his glasses gleaming with thought. "He can guide others into deep meditation with the sound of the zither."

Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his eyes to look at Tang San, and said in a low voice: "Xiao San, how has your relationship with Feng Yao been over the past year?"

Tang San shook his head slightly, a flicker of impatience between his brows. He was usually either forging hidden weapons in the blacksmith shop or practicing the Tang Sect's unique skills. How could he have the time to pay attention to a zither player? Furthermore, Feng Yao's nonchalant demeanor always made him feel inexplicably unhappy.

Yu Xiaogang sighed softly when he saw this, with a hint of regret in his eyes. If Feng Yao had listened to his advice and chosen the auxiliary system, perhaps
"That's all." He waved his hand, regaining the confident demeanor of a theoretical master. "Even though his training speed is extraordinary, he's destined to go nowhere on the path of aggressive attack. Every spirit ring is extremely important to a spirit master, but he hasn't been able to maximize the auxiliary properties of the zither sound." A cold light flashed in Yu Xiaogang's pupils. "Without the support of spirit skills, as time goes by, this ability will soon reach a bottleneck, or even disappear."

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San with satisfaction: "In comparison, Xiao San, your progress in cultivation is already quite astonishing."

"Teacher, you are too kind." Tang San lowered his head slightly, his tone respectful and humble.

Yu Xiaogang put down his teacup, his gaze behind his glasses gentle and profound. "Don't be so modest in front of your master. Those with exceptional talent often become lazy due to early success, just like Xiao Wu." He paused, his voice growing more serious. "But you are different. You are so diligent and hardworking at such a young age. Even among soul masters with innate full soul power, your progress can be considered outstanding."

The sunlight from the window filtered through the gauze curtains, casting dappled shadows between the master and disciple. Yu Xiaogang slowly stood up, his bony hand gently pressing on Tang San's shoulder. "I only hope you can always maintain this character and seize the golden period of soul master cultivation."

Tang San raised his eyes, met his teacher's earnest gaze, and nodded solemnly: "Disciple will remember this."

"Go ahead." Yu Xiaogang withdrew his hand, a hint of relief curling up at the corner of his mouth. He watched Tang San's departing back, his slightly hunched figure casting a long shadow in the sunlight. It was as if he had seen the future rising star of the spirit master world.

After the door gently closed, Yu Xiaogang returned to his desk. He stroked the rim of his teacup, a flicker of distress in his cloudy eyes. Among the notebooks spread out on the table, the research materials on "Twin Martial Spirits" rustled softly in the breeze.

On the other side, Feng Yao sat cross-legged on his bed, slowly calling out "Fuxi" and the bright yellow soul ring slowly rose.

Feng Yao lightly swept across the strings, and the bright yellow first soul ring instantly lit up, "First soul skill, soul power amplification."

In just a moment, Feng Yao felt the soul power in his body surge. Feeling the power in his body, Feng Yao couldn't help but mutter: "It seems that the degree of adaptation is not bad, about a 50% increase."

Perhaps many people would think that this increase is very small, but in fact, soul power is different from other attributes. In actual combat, it cannot be regarded as just the blue bar of the game character. This is why the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda can still be called the world's number one auxiliary martial spirit even though it has only seven soul rings. That is because various attributes always affect each other in battle.

Before choosing the soul ring, Feng Yao also thought carefully for a long time. Starting from the essence of the soul ring, the soul ring is a part of the bloodline power of the soul beast. Feng Yao also understood the process of the soul master absorbing the soul ring as the soul master using the bloodline power of the soul beast to strengthen himself.

Since it's an external force, there's the issue of adaptation. The original novel features numerous examples of this, such as Dai Mubai's third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation. Within half an hour of transformation, it doubles resistance to abnormal states, as well as attack, defense, and strength. Such a soul skill is extremely rare for ordinary soul masters, as it's the result of years of extensive testing by the Xingluo Imperial Family.

From the perspective of bloodline, it can also be understood that the closer the absorbed soul beast bloodline is to the soul master's bloodline strength, the stronger the soul skill effect will be.

If you want to improve the effect of the soul ring, you have to absorb the soul ring produced by the same soul beast again, so that the bloodline power will gradually converge in the process of continuous improvement.

Feng Yao wants the soul power amplification skill, so he must choose a soul beast with huge soul power and a single ability, and the soul bamboo just meets these conditions.

Now that he has his first soul ring, Feng Yao has also begun to work on improving the intensity of his cultivation.

Soon, bursts of piano music rang out from Feng Yao's room.

There are a lot of trivial things to do during the Qingming Festival, and the update time is irregular. I would like to apologize to the viewers here.

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(End of this chapter)