Douluo: I Can Choose My Own Soul Skills

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Ye Lan ignored Xiao Wu's shouting and made his way toward the academy gates.

There was no denying it—a powerful control-type soul master could truly suppress an agility-type soul master with ease.

As long as the opponent was immobilized, the agility-type's speed and elusive close-combat techniques became useless.

Ye Lan had his own understanding when it came to the counter relationships between soul master types.

Control types restrain agility types.

Agility types suppress power types.

Power types overpower control types.

The three classes counter each other in a cycle.

In his previous life, Ye Lan had played many games and knew of another five-way classification: warrior, tank, mage, marksman, and support.

Those categories followed different counter dynamics. Of course, none of these relationships were absolute—they varied based on the person, martial spirit, and individual strength.

Still, Ye Lan believed that, in general:

Control-types neutralize the speed advantage of agility-types.

Agility-types rely on speed to render power-types ineffective.

Power-types use raw strength to break free from control.

As for Yu Xiaogang's claim that Blue Silver Grass, as a control-type, "counters everything" except fire-type soul masters—

Even though Ye Lan himself possessed the Blue Silver Grass martial spirit, he didn't agree with that so-called 'control-type supremacy' theory.

In his view, that was just Yu Xiaogang exaggerating his own disciple's talent.

If control-types really were invincible, then even with the fire-immunity of the evolved Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San wouldn't have needed other weapons or spirits.

Yet, in the later stages of the story, Tang San relied heavily on the power-type Clear Sky Hammer and the divine-class Sea God Trident.

If control-types were truly unmatched, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass wouldn't have lost to Dai Mubai.

Even though Dai Mubai had a soul power level advantage during that match, if Yu Xiaogang's theory about control-types defeating everything were true, Tang San should've at least tied.

As for Xiao Wu, Ye Lan didn't have any strong opinions.

She was a 100,000-year-old soul beast reborn as a human, but Ye Lan chose to treat her as a human.

True, she carried the immensely valuable 100,000-year soul bone and soul ring. But Ye Lan wasn't the type to kill a young girl just to steal her treasures.

Besides, he and Xiao Wu weren't enemies.

If that changed in the future, then Ye Lan wouldn't hesitate to treat her as a foe—human or not.

Also, since Tang Hao already had his eye on Xiao Wu, any future conflict with her or Tang San would mean Ye Lan would have to factor in the threat of Tang Hao.

Although he wouldn't kill for a soul ring or soul bone, Ye Lan still found Xiao Wu extremely annoying.

This had nothing to do with her being a soul beast—it was simply because Ye Lan disliked people who caused trouble for no reason.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Ye Lan soon arrived at the Nuoding City Branch Hall of the Spirit Hall.

Su Yuntao wasn't there, so Ye Lan directly approached Branch Hall Master Ma Xiu Nuo.

When Ma Xiu Nuo saw the dark golden-haired youth standing before him, he didn't recognize him and assumed he was a soul master from out of town.

"Branch Master Ma Xiu Nuo, I'm here to measure my soul power and collect my soul master badge," Ye Lan said, looking calmly at the man seated at the desk.

Ma Xiu Nuo had a good grasp of the local soul masters in and around Nuoding City. He frowned and replied,

"You're not a local soul master, are you? I don't recall seeing you before. I'm already eighty-three years old. Just call me Grandpa Ma Xiu Nuo."

Ye Lan smiled.

"Grandpa Ma Xiu Nuo, I'm Xiao Lan!"

"!!! Xiao Lan? How did you change so much? What kind of soul ring did you absorb?" Ma Xiu Nuo was completely stunned by the transformation.

"I absorbed a 400-year Sunburn Ash Tree soul ring. My Blue Silver Grass evolved because of it," Ye Lan replied as a nearly 700-year-old deep yellow soul ring rose beneath his feet. A green vine emerged in his hand, its leaves shimmering with golden light.

Ma Xiu Nuo stared at the vine, visibly astonished.

"This is... this used to be that puny Blue Silver Grass? Your version is way thicker than the Blue Silver Grass that innate full-soul-power kid from the academy has!" he muttered.

"The compatibility with the Sunburn Ash Tree was incredible," Ye Lan explained. "They're both plant-type soul beasts, so this level of transformation is expected."

"A 400-year soul ring is near the limit of a first ring. This kind of evolution makes sense in that case."

"I can't believe you and Su Yuntao actually found a Sunburn Ash Tree. That kind of soul beast is extremely rare nowadays!"

"Xiao Lan, your Blue Silver Grass only had innate soul power of level 3, yet you reached level 10 several years earlier than most kids with the same start. That shows you've worked incredibly hard.

You have the right temperament. How about joining the Spirit Hall? I can submit a report right away and recommend you for enrollment in the Spirit Academy."

Ma Xiu Nuo's eyes lit up with genuine admiration—he had developed a strong desire to nurture this rare talent.

"Grandpa Ma Xiu Nuo, I've already planned my cultivation path. For the next few years, I'll be heading to Hanhai City, so I won't be able to join the Spirit Hall for now," Ye Lan said, rubbing his head with a look of regret.

Ma Xiu Nuo sighed in disappointment and replied, "That's a pity. I'll report the variation in your Blue Silver Grass to the main Spirit Hall for documentation. That way, if you decide to join in the future, the process will be easier."

"Come with me, Xiao Lan. I'll take you to the Spirit Laboratory to measure your soul power," Ma Xiu Nuo said, leading Ye Lan into a sealed chamber for soul power testing.

Not long after, the test was complete.

Just as Ye Lan had sensed, his soul power had reached level 11.

Ma Xiu Nuo then presented Ye Lan with a Soul Master badge.

"Here. This is your official Soul Master badge. From now on, you can visit the nearest Spirit Hall to collect one gold soul coin each month. Once you reach Grand Soul Master level, your monthly stipend will increase to ten gold soul coins."

Ye Lan stared at the glittering badge in his palm. Two crossed thorny vines were engraved on the front, and on the back, the characters for "Ye Lan" were etched.

After five long years of cultivation, Ye Lan had finally become one of Douluo Continent's soul masters—an upper-class citizen.

With this badge, even if Ye Lan slacked off in the future, he'd never starve—his golden ticket in this otherworld.

Well, unless the Spirit Hall was someday destroyed, of course.

After bidding farewell to Ma Xiu Nuo, Ye Lan headed directly toward the eastern gate of Nuoding City.

At the city gate, a middle-aged man noticed the golden-haired youth's Soul Master badge and quickly stepped forward respectfully.

"Honored Soul Master, do you need a carriage?"

"Sure. No need to call me 'Honored One,' just 'carriage driver' is fine," Ye Lan replied casually.

Soon, Ye Lan rode the carriage smoothly to Harvest Village.

After paying the coachman fifty copper soul coins, Ye Lan took off his Soul Master badge from his chest.

Stepping down, he gazed at the endless fields of golden rice stalks.

It was like a golden sea, with waves of yellow rolling gently in the wind.

The air was filled with the familiar scent of the countryside. Ye Lan, for once, allowed himself to relax, strolling along the winding fields where he used to train as a child.

Some villagers in Harvest Village noticed him and curiously eyed the young man with light golden hair.

They didn't recognize him right away—until Ye Lan greeted them first:

"Aunt Chen, Aunt Huang, Uncle Wang—I'm Xiao Lan, from Grandpa Tom's house."

Only then did the villagers react in surprise.

"Oh! It's Xiao Lan! We heard you went to study at Nuoding Academy—are you about to graduate?"

"Wow, look at you! All grown up in the blink of an eye. How did you change so much in just a year? You know, Iron Girl from the village still hasn't stopped thinking about you!"

(End of Chapter)