Chapter 10: Side Effect

Early Morning before the sun even rises Xiao Ran was already awake and began his early routine before heading out in a nearby forest.

"I guess this should be fine."

Xiao Ran muttered as he runs in the deepest part of the forest before stopping in nearby waterfall with many big rocky rocks.

A yellow ring suddenly light up around Xiao Ran as he released his martial soul and began training.

"Tsk I can only use my first spirit ring in only 5 minutes as my body still can't handle the electric current flowing through my body after equipping. "

Xiao Ran muttered while laying on the ground while many shattered rocks could be seen around him.

After a few minutes Xiao Ran sits up and slowly showed his two spirit rings hovering around him.

"It's been a year since I had obtained this spirit soul yet I can't figure out it's ability did I really had a misfortune and fuse with a defective soul spirit. "

Xiao Ran was quite depressed as he knows that Spirit ring have an ability no matter how trashy it is yet his never worked no matter what he do.

"Anyway I should take a bath here first before heading back. "

Xiao Ran stood up and quickly took a bath in the waterfall and thankfully he always keeps an extra clothes in his bag.

After an hour Xiao Ran returns to the Academy and surprisingly saw Tang Wulin excited.

"Hey Wulin Good Morning, Why are you excited this morning?"

Tang Wulin looks around before noticing Xiao Ran which he quickly took run towards him.

"Hey guess what! I think I finally had a breakthrough."

Tang Wulin excitedly replied which instantly made Xiao Ran quiet for a moment.

"Oh Congrats Wulin told you that this day would come and I'm quite excited to see our classmates reaction after knowing you had a breakthrough. Anyway let's go find Teacher Lin Ximeng to have you take the soul power test. "

Xiao Ran happily smiled along with Tang Wulin before headed to class.

Tang Wulin told Teacher Lin Ximeng about his feeling which surprised everyone and was then taken to undergo the soul power test. The apparatus displayed that his soul power had indeed reached rank 10.

Tang Wulin was the seventh student in his class to break through. After stepping through the threshold of the 10th rank, he had become a true Soul Master and had taken his first step on this road.

"Tang Wulin, have your family quickly take you to the Spirit Pagoda to buy a spirit soul. Once you've fused with a spirit soul, you'll be a Soul Master. Official Soul Masters are able to receive a stipend of 1000 Federal Coins every month. That should be enough for your tuition fees at an intermediate academy." Lin Ximeng urged him.

Tang Wulin nodded in excitement. "I already have enough money to buy a spirit soul, Teacher Lin. I'll go buy one tomorrow."

Lin Ximeng nodded with a smile. "Good. I'll request a leave of absence for you tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck in obtaining a satisfactory spirit soul."

"Thank you, teacher."

Tang Wulin was elated, step by step he was moving closer to his dream.

After the class Xiao Ran and Tang Wulin began discussing while waiting for Na'er to approach them.

"Wulin do you even have enough money to buy a spirit soul? If I remember correctly you need to have a million or a hundred thousand before you can choose the spirit soul you want."

Xiao Ran explained which stunned Tang Wulin as he knew that he only had 30,000 federation coin.

" Huh? But my father told me that I only need to have 30,000 and I could buy a spirit soul. "

Tang Wulin quickly said as he was frightened by the astronomical coins.

" Hmm I guess you can buy a spirit soul with 30,000 yet it would be a like lottery as you would have a spirit soul by drawing a slot just like I did. "

Tang Wulin didn't speak for a while as he was getting depressed that the money he earned for three years would just be enough for him to have a soul spirit that would be randomly draw before noticing something.

"Wait you got your spirit soul by a random draw?"

Tang Wulin hastily asked.

"Oh? did I never mention it to you before that my first spirit soul was drawn by random and I got a defective spirit soul. Also the Soul Master even told me I could have another try but I didn't as I know that I would be indebted to the Soul Master and besides I think it was fate for me to have it. "

Xiao Ran spoke gently before looking at Tang Wulin who lowered his head.

" Anyway I can lend you some money if you want? I also have earned coins in these past three years."

Which got Tang Wulin's attention and looked at Xiao Ran doubtfully.

"Of course I do. Don't you wander how I always have money? I'll tell you a secret which no one knows about actually I am secretly a superstar."

Which got Tang Wulin laugh for a few minutes before finally smiling and looks at Xiao Ran.

"Thanks but I don't need it. I guess I'll also have fate decide for my first spirit soul and no matter if I'll have a defective spirit soul or have a ten years old spirit soul it doesn't change a fact that I will be the Strongest Soul Master in the future just like Tang San. "

Tang Wulin declared while Xiao Ran got momentarily stunned as he saw an image overlapping Tang Wulin.

"Haha then don't keep me waiting as you need to defeat me before you'll be hailed as the strongest in the future."

Xiao Ran also boldly declared and before they can continue further suddenly a young girl rush out and hugged Xiao Ran.

"Hey Na'er are you ok?"

Xiao Ran quickly asked as Tang Wulin also gazed worriedly yet Na'er didn't speak much and nods her head.

Xiao Ran and Tang Wulin could only helplessly look at each other and having similar cases in the past Xiao Ran quickly carried Na'er like a princess which made the latter blush a little before adjusting her hand and eventually hugged Xiao Ran's neck.

Along the way Tang Wulin and Xiao Ran never attempts to talk with each other and this continue until they Reach Tang Wulin's house.

Xiao Ran puts down Na'er slowly in the ground and finally Na'er let go but she still didn't talk much. Even after they we're having dinner Na'er wasn't eating that much which got everyone worried except for Xiao Ran as he just sighed and already knows where this is heading.

Na'er raised her head and looked at everyone before slowly turning her head to Xiao Ran, revealing clear purple eyes which now displayed a fantastic splendor. "Big brother Wulin and brother Ran can you take me to play on the beach after we eat?"

Tang Wulin turned to look at Tang Ziran.

"Go ahead. Just don't come back too late." Tang Ziran smiled. Although Glorybound City was called a city, it was actually just a very large village. There weren't any city walls. The commoner's district where Tang Wulin's family lived in was exceptionally close to the beach.

It only took a ten minute walk from their home to the beach.

This beach couldn't be considered pretty as it lacked fine sand. Rather, it was filled with rough, gravel-like sand and shells. Legends said that due to humanity's excessive hunting of the ocean's soul beasts, they had attracted the wrath of nature.

The moonlight this night was just as beautiful as the night before as it glittered pure white, like snow. Stars as brilliant as gems were embedded into the canopy of the sky, which complemented the splendor of the moon.

The ocean reflected the radiance of the moon and stars in the sky, as waves constantly surged forth. The sounds of crashing waves and seabirds filled the air, addingextraordinary vitality to this image of the starry sky above the ocean.

Na'er looked out towards the ocean, then looked up towards the stars. "There sure are a lot of stars tonight, big brother!"