[System Status Update]
Martial Soul: Black Turtle
Talent: Turtle Longevity
Lifespan: 500 years
Soul Power: Level 13 (Rank 1 Soul Master)
Soul Skill: Defense (Passive: Counter-Damage Critical Hit Lv.1, Turtle Shell Enhancement Lv.1)
Equipment: Thornmail, Defensive Statikk Shiv
Counter-Damage Rate: 100%
Critical Hit Rate: 50%
Huang Wei's eyes scanned the updated information, and his expression shifted rapidly—confusion, then surprise, then absolute delight.
Three levels in one go?! My defense skyrocketed!
According to the system data, he should now be able to block attacks from Soul Elders. The specifics would require testing, of course, but the theory was solid.
And for Soul Masters and above? Their damage would be weakened by both his turtle shell and the Thornmail's effects, then reflected back as a percentage of the original attack.
They'd literally be beating themselves up. Perfect.
A slow grin spread across his face. This is going to be fun.
Bibi Dong watched Huang Wei's expression cycle through a dozen different emotions in rapid succession, and something like concern flickered across her features.
Did something go wrong during the absorption? Is he... brain-damaged?
"Little Wei? Little Wei!" she called out, her voice sharp with worry.
The sound jolted Huang Wei back to reality. He blinked rapidly and refocused on her. "Teacher? What's wrong?"
Bibi Dong studied him with an odd expression. "Are you alright?"
Huang Wei realized how strange he must have looked, staring off into space with his face contorting. He quickly shook his head. "Teacher, I'm fine! Completely fine!"
"What is your first soul skill?" Bibi Dong asked, curiosity replacing her concern.
"Defense," Huang Wei answered simply.
Bibi Dong waited. When nothing more came, she blinked. "That's... it? Just 'Defense'?"
"Yep. That's all." Huang Wei's eyes suddenly gleamed with mischief. "Hey, Teacher—how about you try attacking me using Great Soul Master-level power? I want to test the limits!"
His soul skills weren't actually granted by the soul beast itself. The Thornmail Turtle had merely served as a key to unlock his breakthrough—a shackle to break through the level threshold. It had no other real purpose, which meant any turtle-type soul beast would have worked just fine.
But Bibi Dong didn't know that. And Huang Wei wasn't about to explain the system's mechanics just yet.
"Very well."
Bibi Dong nodded, her expression shifting to something more serious.
Two soul rings rose from the ground, circling her body—both yellow, the mark of a Great Soul Master. Her martial soul activated, and a spectral spider materialized around her form.
It was ugly—grotesque and radiating pure malevolence.
The aura made Huang Wei's spine tingle with instinctive dread.
Okay, that's creepy as hell.
He immediately entered defensive mode. His first soul ring lit up, and the turtle shell encasing him became more solid, more real—the emerald glow intensifying.
Bibi Dong gathered soul power—precisely level twenty—and activated her first soul skill. Her strike shot forward like a viper—
BANG!
The impact reverberated through the clearing.
But the turtle shell held. More than held—it nullified the attack completely, as if it had hit an immovable object.
At the same instant, Bibi Dong gasped.
Electric current crackled across her body—Statikk Shiv's effect—and paralysis locked her muscles. A sharp, searing pain exploded through her torso, completely bypassing her soul power defenses.
Her eyes went wide. What—?!
Despite being a Titled Douluo, her physical body itself was relatively fragile—a common weakness among soul masters who focused on cultivation rather than body tempering.
And that weakness had just been exploited.
Bibi Dong's expression changed drastically. Her remaining seven soul rings erupted into existence—two purple, four black, one red—nine rings total, blazing with overwhelming power. The aura of a Titled Douluo flooded the area like a tidal wave.
She channeled soul power in a desperate burst, fighting against the lingering counter-damage effects until finally neutralizing them.
But even then, a tingling aftershock remained in her body, refusing to fade completely.
Meanwhile, Huang Wei stood inside his turtle shell, completely unharmed. He blinked innocently at the sight of Bibi Dong's nine soul rings floating magnificently around her.
Two yellow, two purple, four black, one red... Wow. She really went all out there.
Judging by her slightly disheveled appearance, she'd definitely felt that counterattack.
Huang Wei suppressed a laugh. Physical durability is the weakness of most soul masters on the Douluo Continent. Even combat-oriented or defensive martial soul users aren't immune.
He adopted his most innocent expression. "Teacher, how do you feel?"
Bibi Dong forced herself to appear calm, smoothing her robes with practiced grace. "Your defense is... exceptional. How do you feel?"
Huang Wei scratched his head sheepishly. "Honestly? I didn't feel anything at all."
"..."
Bibi Dong's eye twitched.
Nothing. He felt NOTHING.
The boy's defense was absolutely abnormal. Not only did it reflect damage, but how could a level twenty attack—even with just her first soul skill—cause her, a Titled Douluo, such intense pain?
The answer, of course, was the critical hit effect. But she didn't know that.
The most terrifying part? Thornmail's counter-damage ignored level differences entirely.
Even if a god attacked him, they'd still take 100% reflected damage.
"Teacher," Huang Wei said brightly, "want to try level thirty power? I want to see where my defensive limits really are!"
His tone was so earnest, so eager.
Bibi Dong's expression froze.
He wants me to hit him HARDER?
She'd just used her first soul skill at level twenty and nearly doubled over from the backlash. If she increased to level thirty... wouldn't the counter-effect be even more intense?
But her curiosity warred with her self-preservation instincts. And as his teacher, she should help him understand his capabilities...
She sighed. "...Fine."
This time, she activated her third soul ring, raising her power output to level thirty.
Then—hesitantly—she reduced it slightly. Just a bit. For safety.
No need to go overboard. Just enough to test...
She gathered the soul power and struck toward Huang Wei's turtle shell again.
There's no other way. The only method to hurt him is to break through that shell first.
Chapter 10: I Can Level Up By Soaking in Water
Having learned from the first attempt, Bibi Dong this time formed layers of soul power protection both inside and outside her body—defensive barriers meant to insulate her from any backlash.
BANG!
Her attack connected—
ZZZZZT!
Electricity arced across her body instantly. The paralysis struck again, somehow ignoring her soul power defenses entirely, attacking her physical form directly.
"Ah—!"
A sharp cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. Searing pain radiated through her body—more intense than before.
She gritted her teeth and stumbled backward, her legs trembling slightly.
It's even WORSE than the first time!
Meanwhile, Huang Wei felt... something. A faint sensation passing through his defenses—not quite pain, more like pressure. Discomfort at most.
So Soul Master isn't my limit, he analyzed calmly. I can be hurt by that level, but as long as my opponent is strong enough, they'll hurt themselves even more through the reflection.
What Huang Wei didn't realize was that Bibi Dong had suffered another critical hit—50% chance, and she'd hit the unlucky number twice in a row.
If she weren't a Titled Douluo with monstrous reserves of vitality and soul power, she'd be flat on the ground right now.
If that had been a Soul Elder attacking me instead, Huang Wei mused, they'd probably be crippled or seriously injured. I could just walk up with a knife and finish them off.
The mental image was darkly amusing.
Bibi Dong immediately channeled more soul power to suppress the lingering effects, finally managing to neutralize the pain. Sweat beaded on her forehead—an extremely rare sight for someone of her status.
If Yue Guan or Gui Mei saw this, they'd be absolutely shocked.
She took a shaky breath, staring at Huang Wei with genuine disbelief.
A Soul Elder's attack... and this child—a mere level thirteen, first-rank Soul Master—resisted it so easily?
"Do you still feel nothing?" she asked, her voice strained.
Huang Wei, not wanting to completely demoralize his teacher, shook his head carefully. "This time, I felt something hit me. It hurt a little bit."
"..."
Bibi Dong's expression went completely flat.
'A little bit,' he says. While looking perfectly fine.
I'd have been better off if he'd said nothing at all.
"Teacher, want to go again?" Huang Wei asked, eyes sparkling with innocent enthusiasm.
"Absolutely not." Bibi Dong raised one hand, cutting off that line of thought immediately. "Your defense is already monstrously strong. Any Soul Elder attempting to break through your shell would inflict catastrophic self-damage—the stronger their attack, the worse their injuries."
She paused, collecting herself. "Below Soul Elder rank, you're essentially invincible. Against Soul Elders themselves, you still have sufficient resistance. And as you continue training at Spirit Hall, your cultivation will increase, which means your defense will only grow stronger."
I'm the one who'll suffer if we keep testing. No thank you.
Huang Wei shifted topics. "Teacher, could you have someone craft some high-quality longswords for me?"
Bibi Dong's eyebrows rose. "What do you need those for?"
"Well," Huang Wei explained logically, "my defense is incredibly strong, but my offensive power is basically nonexistent. So my strategy is to let enemies attack me until they exhaust themselves or hurt themselves too badly to continue resisting. Then I'll walk up and finish them off properly."
A flicker of approval lit Bibi Dong's eyes. Practical. Ruthless. Efficient.
"That's an excellent tactical approach. When we return to headquarters, I'll have the finest weaponsmiths forge several longswords for you."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Huang Wei beamed.
"We're master and disciple now. There's no need for such formality between us." Bibi Dong's expression softened genuinely. "Now that you've obtained your first soul ring, it's time to return to headquarters—Wuhun City."
"Okay!"
They departed the Star Dou Forest swiftly, boarding the luxurious carriage once more.
The vehicle turned north and began the journey toward Spirit Hall's true seat of power.
Huang Wei settled into his seat, watching the scenery blur past the window, his mind already racing with possibilities.
Wuhun City. The heart of Spirit Hall. My new home.
Time flowed like water, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Within those three short days, news had spread throughout Wuhun City like wildfire—Pope Bibi Dong had accepted a new disciple. A male disciple, no less.
And not just any disciple—this child possessed innate full soul power.
The exact nature of his martial soul remained a mystery to outsiders, known only to a select few within Spirit Hall's upper echelons.
Tiandou Empire—Prince's Chambers
In the heart of the Tiandou royal palace, within chambers befitting imperial status, a figure sat reading correspondence by lamplight.
Qian Renxue—disguised flawlessly as Prince Xue Qinghe—held the intelligence report with slender fingers, golden eyes scanning the contents with hawk-like intensity.
So that woman accepted a boy as her disciple.
Her lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Innate full soul power? Hmph. That's nothing compared to me. I have innate level twenty soul power—and a god-level Seraph martial soul."
Though her words dripped with disdain, a faint sourness twisted in her chest. She couldn't help but feel the sting of... what? Jealousy? Resentment?
No. I don't care what she does.
Her eyes continued down the page. "Innate soul power... Black Turtle... defensive-type..."
The moment she finished reading, Qian Renxue stood and walked to a brazier. Without ceremony, she held the letter over the flames, watching as fire consumed the paper until only ash remained.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Elsewhere in Wuhun City
Three young figures moved through the streets with purpose, their Spirit Hall uniforms marking them as elite.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan—the so-called Golden Generation—had just completed their latest mission and were returning to headquarters. But the conversation dominating their thoughts wasn't about their success.
"A new junior disciple under His Holiness," Hu Liena mused aloud, her voice carrying that distinctive husky quality that somehow made even casual words sound alluring. "I'm quite curious about this little brother of mine~"
A predatory gleam entered her eyes. Finally, someone beneath me in the hierarchy. Time to assert my authority as senior sister.
Yan, clad in flame-colored armor, spoke up. "The Black Turtle with innate full soul power—defensive-type, right? Think His Holiness will add him to our team?"
Xie Yue, whose silver armor bore red lunar patterns that matched his crimson hair, glanced at his sister. "We're the Golden Generation, after all. According to the intelligence, this kid is only six years old."
"Whatever Teacher decides, I'll follow." Hu Liena waved one hand dismissively. "But still—innate full soul power, defensive turtle-type... his qualifications must be exceptional, or Teacher wouldn't have accepted him."
Though I wasn't born with full soul power myself, she thought with a twinge of envy. My dear little junior brother has that advantage over me. Well then—as his caring senior sister, I'll need to... properly guide him. Discipline him. Maybe bully him just a little.
A wicked smile bloomed across her face.
Xie Yue and Yan, who'd known Hu Liena for years, caught that expression and simultaneously shuddered.
That poor bastard, they thought in unison. He has no idea what's coming.
They didn't dare cross Bibi Dong's authority themselves. But Hu Liena? She was also Bibi Dong's disciple—and this new kid's senior sister. She could get away with things they never could.
May the heavens have mercy on him.
Huang Wei's Courtyard—That Same Morning
In a luxurious pavilion estate assigned to him by Bibi Dong, Huang Wei rose early to the attentive service of several young maids.
They dressed him, prepared his breakfast, attended to his every need with practiced efficiency.
This is the life, he thought contentedly, savoring each bite of his meal.
Then—a sudden chill ran down his spine.
He froze mid-chew, glancing around suspiciously. What was that? There's no cold wind... so why did I just get the creeps?
Shaking off the odd sensation, he set down his chopsticks. "I'm going swimming."
"Yes, Young Master! We'll prepare everything at once!"
Over the past three days, Huang Wei had discovered something incredible through the system: his fastest cultivation method involved soaking in water.
Black Turtles loved water. It was their natural element.
The more water available—the deeper, the wider, the more abundant—the faster his cultivation progressed. Just by submerging himself, he absorbed ambient energy at an accelerated rate.
In only three days, he'd broken through from level thirteen to level fourteen.
When he'd excitedly reported this to Bibi Dong, she'd been simultaneously amazed and exasperated.
She'd originally wanted to relocate him to a residence beside one of Wuhun City's larger lakes. But Huang Wei had refused—he didn't want to leave the safety and comfort of Spirit Hall headquarters. Here, under Bibi Dong's protection, he could live completely carefree.
So Bibi Dong had done the next best thing: she'd ordered workers to excavate all the unused vacant land surrounding his courtyard and convert it into an enormous artificial lake. The project would take half a month to complete.
Until then, Huang Wei made do with the smaller ornamental pool in his courtyard garden.
But the water wasn't his only source of power. Sunlight—absorbing solar energy—also contributed to his growth. Even ambient spiritual particles in the air gradually strengthened him.
At this rate, I'll hit level fifteen in just a few more days.
The potential issue of unstable foundations from rapid cultivation? Completely irrelevant for a Black Turtle. His martial soul's inherent nature solved that problem automatically.
Life is good.