Douluo Dalu: Path of Power

"Phew!"

As dusk settled, Beixuan exhaled a deep breath of impure air. With the help of the Sun and Moon Divine Art, he had finally refined his soul power to become purer, fully converting it into true Sun-Moon Qi.

Beixuan sprinted down the hillside toward home. With his newly strengthened and purified soul power, his speed had nearly doubled compared to before.

The exhilarating sensation of moving like the wind filled him with joy.

However, upon reaching home, he was met with the complete opposite energy—Ma Hongjun stood before him, his face contorted in misery.

At that moment, Ma Hongjun was holding a horse stance, drenched in sweat, while beside him stood the stern-faced Yulin.

"Yulin, Hongjun, what's going on here?"

The moment Ma Hongjun saw Beixuan return, it was as if he had seen his savior. He cried out, "Brother Xuan, you're finally back! Please save me! I had just finished packing my things and was taking an afternoon nap when this old man yanked me out of bed without a word and drilled me the entire afternoon. When I tried to resist, he beat me up!"

"Shut up! Lower your stance! Keep it steady until the sun sets!" Yulin roared. "As a soul master, physical training is absolutely crucial. You're already struggling at this level? Back when I was the commander of the Bixie Imperial Guard, those little brats under me wouldn't stop training until they were half-dead from exhaustion!"

Beixuan couldn't help but sweat nervously. He quickly understood the situation—since he had decided to take Ma Hongjun along on his journey, the chubby boy had inevitably become Yulin's student as well.

But Ma Hongjun had always been a lazy one. How could he possibly endure Yulin's intense training?

In reality, this kind of training was necessary. It was true that a soul master's physique naturally improved with the advancement of soul power and soul ring absorption. But the same was true for their opponents! If an enemy had soul power and soul rings on par with theirs, what reason was there to assume they would be physically weaker?

To dominate battles against equally matched opponents—or even defeat stronger foes—rigorous postnatal training was essential.

Even the Grandmaster understood this principle. That was why, back at Shrek Academy, he had arranged physical endurance training such as running laps for the Shrek Seven Devils.

Of course, incorporating endurance training into cultivation and making endurance training the sole focus were two completely different things.

Ma Hongjun's affinity was fire, much like one of the common attributes of the Bixie Clan. Excluding the secret techniques of the royal bloodline, the standard Bixie martial techniques were undoubtedly part of Yulin's training regimen.

Beixuan chuckled. "Haha, Hongjun, just bear with it. I was planning to introduce you two, but I suppose you've already gotten acquainted. This is Uncle Yulin, the senior who helped me awaken my martial soul. He's incredibly powerful. He'll first help us obtain our first soul rings and then guide us in our cultivation."

Yulin nodded and turned to Ma Hongjun. "That's right. Now, kid, don't slack off. Once we're done with physical training, I'll teach you the method of meditation. You won't be getting any sleep tonight."

Beixuan sighed helplessly. Yulin, the old veteran, always had a way of making things sound questionable. He probably meant using meditation to replace sleep—a technique that dedicated soul masters often employed to maximize their cultivation time.

However, Yulin didn't seem inclined to teach Ma Hongjun any high-level techniques—at most, he would provide a meditation method slightly superior to the common ones on the continent.

Beixuan agreed with this approach.

Firstly, it would prevent Ma Hongjun from developing an entitled mindset where he expected everything to be handed to him. Secondly, too much generosity could lead to resentment when expectations weren't met. If Ma Hongjun started to believe he was naturally entitled to everything they gave him, it could become a problem. The day they stopped giving, he might even turn against them.

Countless stories featured arrogant young masters and spoiled noble brats who became unbearable precisely because they had been coddled.

Proper guidance was crucial. Rather than handing over everything for free, it was better to reward Ma Hongjun for achievements. This way, he would stay motivated and understand that nothing in life comes without effort.

As Ma Hongjun stared in despair, Yulin effortlessly lifted him and carried him toward his home.

This kid was at the peak of innate Level 9—just a step away from full innate soul power. At this rate of cultivation, he would break through to Level 10 in no time. That way, he and Beixuan could obtain their first soul rings together, saving them the trouble of making an extra trip.

After that, Yulin planned to find them a high-ranking soul master academy where they could access resources and specialized training grounds.

As for establishing a faction of their own—that would have to wait until after graduation.

Without sufficient strength, everything else was just empty talk.

When Beixuan returned home, his grandfather had already gone to bed after a long day of work. Beixuan quietly pulled up his blanket without waking him. Though their departure was imminent, he knew his grandfather was a straightforward man who didn't need sentimental farewells.

Besides, it wasn't like they wouldn't see each other again—he would return once he had grown stronger.

The next morning, Beixuan carried the luggage his grandfather had prepared for him and stepped out of the house. His grandfather was still asleep. The old man rarely slept in, so it was obvious he had done so intentionally—to avoid the pain of farewell.

Outside, Yulin and Ma Hongjun were already waiting.

Beixuan smiled. "Let's go. First, we'll head to the nearby Soul Hunting Forest to obtain my first soul ring."

"Brother Xuan, aren't you going to say goodbye to your grandfather?" Ma Hongjun asked.

Beixuan waved his hand dismissively. "No need. My grandfather and I aren't the sentimental type. Once I'm strong enough, I'll return to bring him with me."

Hearing this, Ma Hongjun didn't press the matter further. He simply followed Beixuan, leaving behind the village where they had spent their childhood.

Shortly after they left, a bespectacled soul master happened to pass through the village. However, nothing significant occurred—he merely bought some rations before departing.

This man was none other than Flender, who, in the original story, was fated to become Ma Hongjun's teacher. But since Beixuan had taken Ma Hongjun away, their master-disciple bond had never formed.

Nightfire Village was extremely remote, so it took Beixuan and his group several days of travel before they finally reached the nearest Soul Hunting Forest.

This wasn't the same forest where Tang San had obtained his first soul ring, as this one was located in the Balak Kingdom, far from Nuoding Academy.

Of course, all Soul Hunting Forests were under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Hall, requiring an official permit to enter.

But Yulin didn't need one. Due to his past association with Spirit Hall—and his status as a Title Douluo—he possessed a special token personally granted by Qian Xunji when he was still alive.

The token bore engravings of a sword, a hammer, a dragon, a chrysanthemum, and an incomplete humanoid figure. Compared to the legendary Pope's Token—also known as the Heaven Dou Six Emblem Token—it was only missing one symbol.

The White Gold Bishops of Spirit Hall wielded tokens of this very rank.

With such a token in hand, Yulin could enter and exit the Soul Hunting Forest freely.