NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 50: The First Soul Skill
Even the four little ones playing in Ling's courtyard, along with Zhang Xiaoyu and Ling He who watched over them while tending to their own work, had no idea. Just a few meters underground, their brother, son, nephew had already broken through the barriers that had confined the Ling and Zhang families for generations, ready to usher in a new chapter for the Ling family lineage.
It was evening when Ling Xiaoshan returned from the fields with Zhang Lei, and Zhang Dahe also came back carrying a basketful of fish. Their grandparents and maternal grandparents all brought baskets of vegetables.
With the Ling family raising domesticated wild animals like pheasants, rabbits, and boars, Zhang Xiaoyu and Ling He busied themselves with preparing the evening meal — slaughtering chickens, skinning rabbits, and adding smoked pork that hung from the kitchen rafters. This meal was even more sumptuous than lunch, leaving everyone with grease-covered mouths and round bellies.
The next morning, at dawn, Ling Yi took Zhang Lei to the old forest north of the village, accompanied by Ah Huang and Meow Meow.
"First Soul Skill: Vibrant Life!"
Under the iron birch tree, Ling Yi held his martial spirit, the "Blue Silver Grass," and softly spoke the name of his first soul skill.
As the words left his lips, a soft, blue-green light flickered on his "Blue Silver Grass" martial spirit. Also flickering was the bright yellow soul ring around Ling Yi's feet.
He felt the soul power within him spontaneously follow an inexplicable path, completing the cycle almost instantly. It flowed into the martial spirit, the "Blue Silver Grass," in his right hand and transformed into a vibrant, life-filled energy. With a thought, Ling Yi willed the energy to become a pale green light that shot towards Zhang Lei, standing two steps away.
At that moment, Zhang Lei was so shocked by what unfolded before him that he was completely dumbfounded, unable to react as the pale green light hit him.
But soon, the comfort flooding his body snapped Zhang Lei back to his senses. As he relished the sensation of being enveloped in warmth, akin to soaking in a hot spring, he widened his eyes, staring at Ling Yi in astonishment:
“Ah Yi! You... you... you’ve become... a Soul Master—!!??”
Due to his shock, Zhang Lei's voice took on a shriller pitch.
“Ah~” Ling Yi nodded, his right hand holding the Blue Silver Grass martial spirit. Underneath him, the brilliant yellow soul ring circled and swirled, making his whole being seem to shimmer with light.
The gentle green glow only persisted for about seven to eight breaths before dissipating as the vibrant energy within the Blue Silver Grass was spent.
Just as Zhang Lei was about to speak, Ling Yi raised his left hand to signal him. Zhang Lei, respecting his cue, suppressed his curiosity, stood quietly, and waited in silence.
At this moment, Ling Yi was reflecting on the sensations he experienced while using his first soul skill.
Throughout the process, he was fully focused, channeling his spiritual power, harnessing the vibrant energy. Through this, Ling Yi could perceive the myriad changes in Zhang Lei's body as it was bathed in the life-giving energy.
A few minutes later, having reviewed all the details, Ling Yi finally spoke, unable to contain Zhang Lei's eager anticipation:
“Lei, can you tell me how it felt to be enveloped by my first soul skill?”
“First soul skill~” Zhang Lei muttered softly to himself, before looking up with a face full of admiration, longing, and aspiration at Ling Yi:
“Ah Yi, you truly have become a Soul Master!”
Ling Yi didn't rush Zhang Lei upon witnessing his reaction; instead, he nodded with a smile and sighed, "Yes, finally a Soul Master—"
Zhang Lei, equally moved: "Ah Yi, when that light shone on me, it felt so comfortable. First, it was like this forest, and the air I breathed carried a sweet fragrance..."
"And then~" Zhang Lei continued, retracing his thoughts, "it felt as if my body was like parched earth in a field, and the green light was water. My body transformed little by little, like rich mud dredged from the bottom of a fish pond..."
"It was like soaking in a hot bath, though the green light was refreshingly cool, not warm."
Ling Yi listened intently to Zhang Lei's simple, candid portrayal, contemplating its core insights.
"Hmm?" Zhang Lei paused, rolling up his left sleeve and lifting his waist's hem.
Upon seeing, he exclaimed, "Hey? Ah Yi, my injury... it's healed—"
Ling Yi's face instantly reflected concern as he asked, "Injury?"
Seeing Ling Yi's concern, Zhang Lei explained, "It's nothing. A few days back, while plowing the fields, I accidentally wrenched my back after digging up a dirt-mound snake..."
Pointing to his arm, Zhang Lei added, "And here, on my arm, I got pricked by a catfish spine while digging for lotus roots in my dad's fish pond the other day…"
Ling Yi observed the wound, noticing it had completely healed, leaving only a white scar the size of a pea. He recalled the previous gathering of vibrant energy in that location, understanding it was accelerating the recovery process.
Simultaneously, Ling Yi paid attention and found that the vibrant energy primarily accumulated around Zhang Lei’s lower back, arms, calves, and other areas.
These were locations Ling Yi was very familiar with.
Because they were essentially the power points when performing the 'Three Farmer Forms' and the 'Basic Body Strengthening Tactics'!
Evidently, years of practicing the 'Three Farmer Forms' and the 'Basic Body Strengthening Tactics' had not only strengthened and enhanced these areas of muscle but also inevitably led to signs of wear and tear.
Next, Ling Yi calculated the soul power consumption within his body, and then, at intervals, applied the 'First Soul Skill: Thriving Vitality' to Zhang Lei three times.
During these sessions, Zhang Lei was made to perform the Hoeing Style, Scything Style, and Axe Swinging Style from the 'Three Farmer Forms'.
As expected by Ling Yi, whenever Zhang Lei's body showed signs of wear, the vibrant energy generated by the soul skill would naturally gather to repair and heal, showcasing its passive healing effect.
After verifying the soul skill's effects on the human body, Ling Yi instructed Zhang Lei to practice the Hoeing Style several more times while the soul skill's enhancement buff was still active.
In truth, within the 'Three Farmer Forms', Zhang Lei excelled most in the Hoeing Style, deriving the greatest benefit from it.
Ling Yi leaned against the "Iron Birch" tree, eyes closed in a restful slumber, instantly entering a state of profound sleep.
A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, looking completely revitalized. Both his mental state and soul power had fully recovered to their peak.
Although he had used his first soul skill sparingly earlier, it had still consumed about a third of his soul power. Yet now, in just a matter of minutes, Ling Yi had replenished that expended power completely, and there was even a faint increase in his soul power limit.
As Ling Yi got up, he noticed Zhang Lei nearby on an open patch of ground, wielding his "Hoe" spirit and standing guard over their prey.
There lay three wild rabbits, four pheasants, and a half-grown muntjac, all hunted earlier by Ah Huang and Meow Meow within a four or five-mile radius.
The four pheasants had their necks broken and were lifeless, destined to serve as lunch soon. Out of the three rabbits, one lay with its head tilted motionlessly, while the other two, though better off, had bloody bone fractures evident on their front and hind legs.
The final animal, the half-grown muntjac, bore the least injury, having just a deep cut inflicted by a sharp blade on its hind hooves, which had already stopped bleeding thanks to its own licking.
Now was the moment to once again verify the effectiveness of his first soul skill in healing injuries. Ling Yi also wanted to explore whether, beyond converting his own soul power into revitalizing energy, he could draw on the life force from his surroundings, particularly the abundant "Blue Silver Grass."
Chapter End.
(End of Chapter)
