Chapter 2
Lin Bai wasn't surprised—he had already anticipated his innate soul power.
"Innate full soul power!"
Su Yuntao's expression turned to one of shock as he stared at Lin Bai with newfound intensity. "Child, do you want to join the Spirit Hall? With your talent, some high-ranking master will surely take you as a disciple."
Lin Bai looked up, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Master Soul Master, is there anyone in the Spirit Hall with a martial spirit like mine?"
Su Yuntao hesitated, then admitted, "As far as I know, no. However, Spirit Hall possesses the most extensive knowledge on martial spirit cultivation in the entire continent. It would undoubtedly help you grow stronger."
Lin Bai shook his head. "Then I won't go."
He had too many abnormalities to risk joining the Spirit Hall. Even without those concerns, he was used to a free life and had no desire to be bound by its rules. He was merely looking for a polite excuse to refuse.
Su Yuntao tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing Lin Bai's firm attitude, he sighed. "If you change your mind, come find me at the Spirit Hall in Notting City. Wait here, I'll write you a Spirit Master Certificate."
He carefully wrote down Lin Bai's martial spirit and innate soul power level, stamped it with Spirit Hall's seal, and handed it over. "Keep this safe. You'll need it if you wish to enroll in a junior academy."
With that, Su Yuntao left the room, explaining Lin Bai's situation to the village chief and hoping he could convince him. But Lin Bai's decision was final—no one could change his mind. After going through the formalities, the village chief left to handle his enrollment, while Lin Bai returned home alone.
Lin Bai's family had once been well-off. His father grew mulberries and raised silkworms, while his mother made a living through sewing and repairs. But after an accident six years ago, their fortunes declined. Over time, Lin Bai had been forced to sell off most of their valuables to survive, leaving behind an empty old house.
He pulled up a chair and sat down, summoning his martial spirit.
Thirteen golden needles floated silently in his palm.
He wasn't yet proficient in the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate, but he had practiced various attack techniques, reaching a passable level of mastery. Holding a golden needle between his fingers, he found that his martial spirit could be used separately, much like ordinary silver needles.
He positioned his middle finger and thumb into a ring, then flicked the needle forward. It shot out and embedded itself two fingers deep into the wooden table.
And that was without using internal force or soul power.
"Its penetration is impressive. It might even pierce steel if I use soul power. Not bad—this is a high-level martial spirit after all. Even if it leans toward healing, its sheer material strength and my techniques give it decent offensive potential."
But Lin Bai wasn't satisfied with just that.
He wasn't bound by the moral codes of a doctor—he had no such noble consciousness. So why deceive himself?
His gaze sharpened as he focused on his martial spirit.
This golden needle was a gift he had received on his fifth birthday. That day, rain had fallen into his eyes, awakening a unique ability—the Eye of Appraisal, which let him see through the secrets of all things.
Golden text flooded his vision.
[Advanced Martial Spirit: Ghost Gate Golden Needle]
— Heals people, animals, and common folk.
Martial Spirit Traits: Sharp, preserves life and energy.Evolves into:
[Ruyi Golden Needle]
— Heals heaven, earth, and all things in the universe.
Traits: Unparalleled sharpness, life and energy, adaptable size.
[Mutation Path: Ruyi Qiankun Spear (Array)]
— Heals all beings, cures all ailments, and fights across all realms.
Traits: Ultimate gold, integration of light and darkness, yin-yang conversion, adaptable form, divine connection through formations.
Endless data scrolled before his eyes, condensing into key information—the Ghost Gate Golden Needle's characteristics and its evolution conditions.
To evolve into the Ruyi Golden Needle, he needed a metallic spiritual object with both sharpness and healing attributes. Favoring one attribute over the other would reduce the success rate.
Lin Bai took a deep breath. "The Ruyi Golden Needle is the peak of my bloodline's potential. Without an advanced martial soul awakening card, my evolution might have been unstable. But now, it's within reach."
"The problem is… I don't recall any metallic immortal grasses in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If I want my martial spirit to evolve, I'll have to rely on my own efforts."
Lin Bai dismissed his martial spirit, unfazed.
Most auxiliary soul masters had limited futures. At least now, he had the hope of transitioning into a combat-focused soul master.
"System, open the shop."
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Unlimited Recharge System: At your service!]
A shimmering panel appeared before him, displaying a dazzling array of products.
The first item that caught his eye was the Pangu Axe, though its image was obscured by dark clouds. Below it was a price filled with an endless row of zeroes.
Lin Bai scoffed. "Hide anything I couldn't afford even if I sold Douluo Star."
The system complied, and a large number of items disappeared from the panel.
"Now filter for anything related to metallic spirit grass and martial spirits."
The selection shrank further, and Lin Bai started browsing.
His brows furrowed. Items unrelated to Douluo Continent were twice as expensive. Even if he saved diligently, there was no way he'd gather enough gold before the system disappeared in a year.
"List items related to martial arts."
After another adjustment, he finally found something useful.
[Martial Spirit Evolution Card] (30% off limited-time offer)
Price: 70,000 gold soul coins.
[Martial Soul Mutation Evolution Card] (120% off limited-time offer)
Price: 1.2 million gold soul coins.
[Twin Spirit Awakening Card] (50% off limited-time offer)
Price: 400,000 gold soul coins.
[Next free refresh in: 29 days at 23:38]
— Spend 10,000 gold soul coins to manually refresh the shop. Discounts range from 10% to 20% off.
Lin Bai let out a dry laugh. "This system really wants money."
"Can I get a loan? I'll pay it back in a year."
The system remained silent. Lin Bai didn't bother arguing with the artificial intelligence. Closing the panel, he leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
How do I make money?
"Opening a medical clinic? No… Healing soul masters already exist. Who would trust a kid?"
Legitimate ways wouldn't cut it. To gather over 200,000 gold soul coins, even at max discounts, was impossible through lawful means.
If he wanted to reach his goal, he had to get creative.