Martial World

“This is the soul talent test…” Lin Ming thought, as he was presently standing in front of the large stone tablet. This stone tablet was similar to the one used to measure strength but with one small change, the color was different. The stone tablet to measure strength was a deep obsidian black, but this stone tablet to measure soul force was actually red, a deep crimson red that was somewhat like fresh blood.

Lin Ming was a junior of the Lin Family, and had his soul talent and martial talent grade measured as soon as he was born, and both were at medium third-grade. This talent level was decent; if Lin Ming were born in the Lin Family then he would have been worthy to raise and cultivate, but it was a pity that he had been born in the branch family. This medium third grade soul talent and martial talent was insufficient to make him an exception that was directly added into the line of male family direct descendants.

To a child, between soul talent and martial talent, the cultivation of martial talent was more important, as it directly related to that child’s future achievements as a martial artist.

As for soul talent, that was negligible. This sort of talent was mainly related to occupations that needed soul force, such as inscription masters, refiners, apothecaries, alchemists, and so forth. Generally speaking, only an outstanding soul talent, such as a superior fourth grade of fifth grade would be worthy of having massive amounts of money spent by the family to raise into an inscription master, apothecary, or other niche occupations. A decent soul talent and below would be completely neglected.

Lin Ming knew this, that soul talent was completely useless in the Physical Transformation Stage. It would gradually become more useful after one reached Xiantian and began to cultivate their soul.

In Sky Fortune Kingdom, the majority of low level martial artists and warriors would not use their soul force at all.

However some of those who broke through the Pulse Condensation Period might begin to practice inscription. They would then learn soul law formulas, begin to condense their soul force, and become able to see certain things, such as the flow of true essence in treasures and would then be able to define and understand their weaknesses.

Elder Sun suspected that Lin Ming was a genius talent at soul force because of this, and brought him here to examine.

“Although you already said that you had your soul talent measured by your family, I think it might be good to measure again just in case. This sort of soul talent things is usually neglected and most of the time is a formality. Coupled with the fact that stone tablets aren’t necessarily accurate, there might be a mistake in the measurement.

As Elder Sun said this, he placed a small true essence stone in the center of the stone tablet. Although it looked somewhat similar, the cost of this small stone was much higher. This small true essence stone was actually a lavish consumable.

Lin Ming placed his hand on the stone tablet and felt the array activate with a flash. In the vast ocean of his mind he suddenly saw countless phantasmal images, a kaleidoscope of world images, and felt a tingling sensation in his innermost soul. This sort of feeling continued for several dozen breaths of time until he heard Elder Sun say, “Measured.”

Lin Ming opened his eyes and looked. He saw that the light beam of the stone pillar had risen to the fourth position and overflowed by about one-third. Primary fourth-grade talent?

Lin Ming looked a bit listless. He knew that his own soul talent had been measured at medium third-grade, how could it have randomly increased by so much?

It was just as Elder Sun said, was it a mistake when he had his soul talent measured before?

…

A sudden thought suddenly rose in Lin Ming’s mind.

Is it possible that this talent change was related to the Magic Cube?

Was it because he had swallowed that soul fragment, that his own soul talent had risen from medium third-grade to primary fourth-grade?

Lin Ming didn’t know anything about souls, but there was one thing he clearly knew. In the entirety of Sky Spill Continent’s knowledge, talent was immutable and unchangeable. This was a fact!

Regardless of if they cultivated their martial talent or soul talent, it would never change again after birth. There were no rare material in the world that could change one’s talent.

As for the memories that he had absorbed, they also did not contain any knowledge of any way this could be possible. But because the memories were incomplete, Lin Ming did not dare to affirm this as truth.

Was it possible that his soul talent had been measured incorrectly at birth? If swallowing souls could increase one’s soul talent grade, then if those powerful elders of the Realm of the Gods might do so, then would everyone be sixth, seventh, or eighth-grade talents?

As Lin Ming thought this, he subconsciously traced his own chest where he could feel the Magic Cube. After the last time that he swallowed and absorbed a soul fragment, Lin Ming had been unable to enter the dreamland of the Magic Cube again.

Although he did not entertain any hope, if he did have a future opportunity to absorb a soul fragment again, then he would have to measure his soul talent to see if there was no growth.

Elder Sun naturally did not know these circumstances of Lin Ming, and he frowned as he looked at the results of the stone tablet. This primary fourth-grade talent left him feeling unsatisfied.

He originally had a little bit of hope that Lin Ming was a rare soul force talent genius, such as fifth-grade, or even the legendary sixth-grade.

If that was the case then Lin Ming would be sent to study inscription, alchemy, and no amount of effort or resources would be spared to raise them. When that time came, then the Seven Profound Martial House would be able to raise and cultivate Qin Xingxuan and Lin Ming, two genius martial soul talents, and their Seven Profound Martial House would obtain accolades and praise from the main sect. They might even have some hope to obtain precious medicines or elixirs. But now that small hope was dashed.

Elder Sun shook his head and sighed lightly with one small breath. He said to Lin Ming, “Come, I will lead you to receive your rewards.”

….

“These are the Crimson Gold Dragon Marrow Pill and the Golden Snake Scarlet Pill?”

As he returned to his housing at the Seven Profound Martial House, Lin Ming looked at the two pills in the box on the table. His mood was inevitably excited. The harvest this time was just too great!

Of these two pills, one was refined from the marrow of a Crimson Gold Dragon and the other with the hundred year old gallbladder of a Golden Scarlet Snake. The Crimson Gold Dragon was a vicious beast of the fourth-grade. Even a Houtian expert would not even be a match for one. As for the hundred year old Golden Scarlet Snake, although it was a third-level vicious beast, it lived at the apex of third-level vicious beasts and was also extremely scarce and correspondingly extremely rare.

These two precious pills were objects that had no market price, they could just not be purchased in the entirety of the Sky Fortune Kingdom. Even the Royal Family would be startled and moved by these!

“If I take these two pills, then my strength would increase by leaps and bounds, but…taking such a precious pill like this directly is too much of a waste. The memories of the elder had not only inscription techniques to increase the strength of treasures, but also to increase the effect of pills. He had studied them and learnt the inscription symbol to double the effect of a pill. He would just have to apply it to the pill and then take it…

The Realm of the Gods had unsurpassed inheritances and legacies. Regardless of whether it was Body Transformation, skills of martial arts or weapons, every skill and array had already been developed to the peak of possibility. It was not something that anything or anyone on the entirety the Sky Spill Continent could compare with, and the inscription techniques were also the same.

Inscription techniques in the Realm of the Gods were divided into four general categories; object inscription, medicinal inscription, body inscription, and soul inscription.

Object inscriptions were placed on rare treasure; it was the most simple and obvious.

Medicinal inscriptions were inscriptions for pills, elixirs, and other medicines; it would increase their effect or eliminate their side effects.

Body inscriptions were inscriptions that were placed on the body. It required absolute knowledge and attainments in inscription to use, and could increase the speed of cultivation and practice of a martial artist, and even their combat prowess.

Soul inscriptions were inscriptions of the soul. These techniques belonged to the absolute highest boundary and pinnacle realm of inscription techniques. Even the elder’s memories of soul inscription were blank, perhaps they were incomplete, or perhaps he had no experience with them at all.

Sky Fortune Kingdom’s inscription techniques were limited to object inscription. The overwhelming number of inscription masters had never given much thought to the idea that inscriptions could also be used in other places.

With Lin Ming’s current skill, there was no need for him to even think about body inscription or soul inscription, much less try to attempt them. Medicinal inscription might be possible with more study, but first of all Lin Ming had been busy these days with his martial arts cultivation, and thus didn’t have enough time to practice, and second of all, Lin Ming did not have enough money to buy materials so he had shelved that idea for future reference.

But now he had managed to obtain the Crimson Gold Dragon Marrow Pill and the Golden Snake Scarlet Pill. These two pills were miracle medicines; if he could earnestly study his inscription techniques then he would be able to greatly increase their efficacy.

Suddenly Lin Ming heard a knock on his door sound out like lightning. If not for the fact that the Seven Profound Martial House’s door quality was very good, Lin Ming suspected that it might even be smashed apart!