In the time that followed, Gu Xuan cultivated peacefully within the academy. When he wasn't training, he spent time with Ye Lingling, further deepening their relationship.
Thanks to Ye Lingling's guidance, Gu Miao managed to step out of the shadow of her past timidity and low self-esteem. Although she still addressed Ye Lingling as Mistress, the latter treated her more like a younger sister.
Osler, perhaps truly believing he had found his one true love, stopped his Playboy antics entirely and spent his days orbiting around Gu Miao. Eventually, Gu Miao could no longer stand it and begged her Master to throw the "sticky plaster" far away. Gu Xuan, who had initially planned not to interfere, finally gave Osler a beating and warned him to stop harassing her. To Gu Xuan's surprise, Osler refused to give up, thick-skinnedly following her every day as if he had truly turned over a new leaf.
During this period, Xue Qinghe occasionally visited to strengthen her bond with Gu Xuan. The Mixed Yuan Pill he had gifted her provided immense help, rapidly boosting her strength as she approached the Rank 70 Soul Saint threshold. Gu Xuan maintained a facade of cooperation toward her recruitment efforts, leaving the final outcome for the future.
Aside from this, Gu Xuan occasionally observed Shrek Academy. Since they were now right on his doorstep, it was only prudent to stay informed. However, things remained quiet. Having let go of Xiao Wu, Tang San was now inseparable from Meng Yiran, their relationship warming up at a rapid pace.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed. Only six months remained before the Continental Elite Tournament.
Over the year, Gu Xuan's strength improved steadily, breaking through from the mid-stage of Rank 46 to Rank 50. Averaging one rank every three months, his cultivation speed was jaw-dropping. Now, he only needed a soul ring to officially become a Soul King. Because he consistently absorbed rings far beyond his level, it was difficult for the Clan to prepare a suitable fifth ring in advance, meaning he would have to head back to the Star Duo Forest personally.
The rest of the Emperor Team saw significant growth as well, gaining an average of three ranks each. Yu Tianheng rose from Rank 44 to Rank 47. Shi Mo reached Rank 46, while Osler, Yu Feng, and Shi Mo all climbed from Rank 42 to Rank 45. Ye Lingling remained the highest-ranked member besides Gu Xuan, reaching Rank 48 and closing in on the Rank 50 mark.
Gu Miao also progressed. Within five months, she broke through Rank 20 and reached Rank 21 after obtaining her ring. In the subsequent seven months, under Gu Xuan's specialized tutelage, she reached Rank 25. Gaining four ranks in seven months meant she was rising at a rate of roughly one rank every two months—a testament to Gu Xuan's resources and her own iron will. Over the year, she absorbed three pieces of thousand-year Whale Glue, supplementing her previous lack of foundation. Gu Xuan hadn't given her a Mixed Yuan Pill yet, as she needed to fully digest her current strength first.
Through Gu Miao's growth, Gu Xuan discovered something unique: Soul Masters whose bodies had mutated due to Martial Soul variation possessed physical qualities superior to normal humans, almost resembling a hybrid of a human and a soul beast. Soul beasts cultivated slowly but possessed physical strength far exceeding humans, which was why they were often stronger at the same level. These "beast-men" possessed both the cultivation talent of a human and the physical resilience of a beast.
However, there was a drawback. These Soul Masters could only absorb soul rings from creatures of the same origin. For example, Gu Miao could only absorb rings from feline-type soul beasts, or at a stretch, tigers, lions, or leopards. Only a feline ring would perfectly harmonize with her; others would result in defects unless the quality was exceptionally high.
On the flip side, because of her physical changes, Gu Miao's cultivation speed in the mimicked environment was much faster than even Osler's, likely due to her body manifesting the traits of her Martial Soul. Seeing that the pros outweighed the cons, Gu Xuan began wondering if he could cultivate a group of such Soul Masters. Their potential seemed far greater than that of an average human.
He didn't just have the idea; he acted on it. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan lacked neither manpower nor resources. After explaining the potential benefits to Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Leader agreed to implement the plan. Six months later, the Clan had gathered over twenty "beast-men" like Gu Miao. The youngest had just awakened their Martial Soul, while the oldest was ten. Gu Xuan even settled those who were too old to cultivate within the Clan's grounds.
Gu Xuan established a separate branch for them called the Zodiac Hall. He selected twelve of the most talented individuals for primary cultivation, as resources were finite. Once these twelve showed results, Ning Fengzhi would be more willing to invest heavily. Those too old to be core members served as minor deacons to assist the others. Having all been rejected and sold by society, they shared a deep bond and looked out for one another.
The name "Zodiac Hall" was chosen because the top twelve talents happened to have Martial Souls corresponding to the twelve zodiac animals. Gu Xuan was shocked to find that among these outcasts, the lowest innate soul power was Rank 7, and the highest was Rank 8.5. He couldn't help but wonder if the people of the Douluo Continent were fools—even if their bodies were different, such talent made for incredible combatants.
His theory was proven correct. Reports from the scouts Ning Fengzhi sent out revealed that several "beast-men" out in the world had reached the Soul Emperor level or higher. They were elite enforcers for various powers, possessing combat strength rarely matched at their level. The only reason they weren't more common was the difficulty of finding the specific soul rings required for their advancement. Finding hundred-year rings was easy, but thousand-year and ten-thousand-year rings of a specific lineage required both immense luck and strength to acquire.
(End of Chapter)
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