This village was located not far from the coastline, surrounded by a dense forest. Most of the houses were wooden single-story buildings, looking like an ordinary small fishing village.
Water Wuhen landed in front of the only remaining thin and weak youth on the scene, looking at the ragged-clothed boy before him with some surprise, and said, "Why didn't you run?"
"Because I'm not afraid!" the boy replied forcefully.
Water Wuhen continued, "Not afraid? But if it were truly a soul beast, what would you do?"
"If it really is a soul beast, with such a powerful aura, what can ordinary people like us do? Maybe after it eats me, it won't attack the other villagers anymore," the thin boy answered.
Hearing this, Water Wuhen glanced at the boy with some surprise. At such a young age, he already had this level of awareness?
Then, Water Wuhen nodded slightly. "I have a question. Where is this place, and is there a nearby sea chart?"
"Respected Soul Master sir, this place is called Wuyan Island. As for sea charts, I don't have any. Most people on the island probably don't either," the boy replied.
Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Water Wuhen's eyes. It seemed he would have to map the area himself again.
Then, Water Wuhen took out a Gold Soul Coin from his storage pouch and tossed it to the boy. "This Gold Soul Coin is your reward."
Do not underestimate just a single Gold Soul Coin. For a thin eleven- or twelve-year-old boy from a remote place, it was already a huge sum.
Although in terms of purchasing power one Gold Soul Coin was equivalent to a little over a thousand yuan from his previous life, on the Douluo Continent it represented several months of income for ordinary people. Many families could not even save one Gold Soul Coin in an entire year.
This also showed the attitude of the Spirit Hall toward Soul Masters. As long as one broke through level 10 and became a true Soul Master, they could receive a monthly subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin. As their rank increased, the subsidy would also increase, reaching up to one hundred Gold Soul Coins per month.
It was no wonder most Soul Masters were willing to join the Spirit Hall. Compared to those so-called sects, which were essentially family-based forces, the Spirit Hall—with its non-exclusionary policies and clear promotion paths—was indeed a better choice.
If it weren't for Water Wuhen's own Martial Soul being Articuno, giving him a cheat-like advantage and many secrets, and allowing him faster solo progress, he would most likely have also chosen to join the Spirit Hall.
However, after receiving the Gold Soul Coin, the thin boy handed it back to Water Wuhen under his surprised gaze.
"Respected Soul Master sir, I don't want money. I want to learn some real abilities from you—even books would be fine."
When he said this, the boy's eyes were filled with longing. He knew that the Soul Master in front of him, whose depths he could not see through, might be his only chance in life to change his fate.
Water Wuhen paused, then glanced at the boy and said, "Most of my abilities are related to Soul Masters. You don't have any soul power—how could you learn them?"
Normally, without revealing one's Martial Soul and Soul Rings, it was extremely difficult for other Soul Masters to judge someone's exact level. Even Title Douluo would find it extremely difficult to see through a Soul King in a non-combat state.
But Water Wuhen's spiritual power was far beyond his peers—possibly even surpassing most Title Douluo. So with just a glance, he could see through the boy's condition.
He was just an ordinary person with no innate soul power. Even if he obtained more Soul Master books, what would be the point? Would he try to create another Yu Xiaogang?
As for knowledge from his previous life, that was even more impossible. The Douluo Continent was a completely different world, where the very origin of the world was constructed from elemental forces. Even Water Wuhen could only use his past knowledge as reference when creating soul skills, let alone teach it to others.
"Alright, just keep that Gold Soul Coin."
Water Wuhen pushed the coin back toward the boy, then slowly walked toward the center of the island.
Since he had already asked what he needed, there was no reason to stay here any longer.
Watching Water Wuhen's departing figure, the boy's eyes flashed with unwillingness, but he soon let out a long sigh.
He had experienced such rejection many times already—he was used to it.
After all, lacking soul power meant one could not cultivate. It was an unbreakable rule.
"Jixiang, are you alright?"
At this moment, a middle-aged man poked his head out from a nearby house and asked softly.
Jixiang shook his head, then handed the Gold Soul Coin to the man. "This was a reward from that Soul Master sir. I don't need it. Uncle, please keep it. Next time a merchant ship passes by, use it to buy something that can improve everyone's living conditions."
After saying that, Jixiang prepared to return to his small wooden house.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned back to the middle-aged man who was still filled with joy.
"By the way, Uncle, do you have a sea chart of this area?"
Meanwhile, Water Wuhen had already arrived at a mountain in the center of the island.
"Go."
With a flick of his finger, dozens of drill-shaped ice spikes shot into the rock. In a short time, they carved out a cave with a two-room-one-living-room structure.
Arriving at the main bedroom, Water Wuhen rested for a moment. After recovering his mental energy, he took out a section of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's corpse from his storage soul tool.
Although with his current level and physical strength, the side effects of his Martial Soul true body would only cause weakness for three to four days, he could not relax his cultivation during this period.
And since there was not enough ice elemental energy here, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's corpse naturally became his target.
Looking at the corpse emitting faint cold air, Water Wuhen stroked his chin. "This Nine-Ninety-Nine-Thousand-Year soul beast ice silkworm… should be edible, right?"
Ice silkworms were among the lowest-tier food in the soul beast world; many soul beasts preyed on them.
Although the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was somewhat special, its effect should be even better.
Just as Water Wuhen condensed an ice-blue blade, preparing to cut a piece from the corpse, he suddenly paused.
"Why do I need to eat it?"
With my current control over the Ice Law, I can directly extract and refine the energy inside it. After all, what remains in this corpse is most likely the essence of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow.
Thinking of this, Water Wuhen retracted the ice blade. With a thought, his spiritual power spread out, fully enveloping the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's corpse.
In the next moment, strands of ice-blue mixed with white dense energy slowly floated out and gathered in the air.
They quickly condensed into a small sphere of ice-blue with white patterns.
At first, it was only the size of a mung bean. Then it grew to the size of a soybean, continuing to expand.
About fifteen minutes later, the sphere reached its limit, emitting a faint blue glow. A refreshing fragrance that invigorated the spirit filled the cave.
Seeing this, Water Wuhen grabbed the unknown pill-like sphere and swallowed it directly.
Instantly, strands of icy energy spread throughout his body, finally rushing into his brain. But in the next moment, it was completely refined in an instant!
His eyes lit up as he looked at the remaining Tianmeng Ice Silkworm corpse. "Good stuff. Not only is the energy gentle, it also nourishes the body and spiritual power."
From his earlier experience, this energy sphere contained not only residual Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow energy, but also the vast life force and spiritual energy of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm itself.
After being digested by the silkworm and refined a second time by him, the energy had become extremely gentle—an absolute treasure for Soul Master cultivation.
Without hesitation, Water Wuhen immediately repeated the process, extracting more energy pills from the corpse.
Time passed quietly. When the last piece of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's corpse was refined, the surroundings were filled with jade bottles containing these energy pills.
Water Wuhen looked at his creation with satisfaction. After fully consuming the corpse, he had refined a total of 1,081 energy pills. Based on his earlier consumption, this was enough for him to reach Title Douluo level.
"Since it comes from a 990,000-year ice silkworm and can nourish the soul, I'll call it the Ice Soul Spirit Pill."
Water Wuhen said calmly.
With a wave of his hand, he stored all the Ice Soul Spirit Pills into his storage soul tool and turned his gaze to the remains of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
Only a white jade-like, crystalline shell was left behind.
Water Wuhen stepped forward and forcefully tugged at it, only to be surprised that its toughness far exceeded his expectations.
It was even stronger than when the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was alive. If it had possessed this level of defense back then, his attacks might not have been able to break through at all.
Seeing this strange situation, Water Wuhen muttered, "So weak when alive, but stronger after death… I don't get it."
Just as he was thinking about how to deal with the remains, a voice suddenly came from outside the cave.
"Is the Soul Master sir here?"
Seeing someone arrive, Water Wuhen waved his hand and stored the remains into his soul tool, then flashed out of the cave.
It was the thin boy from before.
Water Wuhen frowned slightly, but since he was not someone who looked down on ordinary people, he only said calmly, "What is it?"
"Respected Soul Master sir, this is the sea chart you requested."
Jixiang bowed deeply as he handed over the sea chart.
In fact, there had been no sea chart on the island originally. Jixiang had spent an entire day asking every villager who had ever gone to sea before finally compiling one himself.
Water Wuhen took the sea chart and glanced at it. After comparing it with the chart given by Zi Zhenzhu, he quickly confirmed his location.
He nodded slightly and put the map down. "What reward do you want?"
Hearing this, Jixiang immediately knelt down on both knees. "I beg the Soul Master sir to fulfill my earlier request—please teach me something I can rely on to survive."
"You want to become a Soul Master, don't you?"
Water Wuhen saw through his thoughts immediately and shook his head. "If you were a Soul Master, I could teach you something. But your innate soul power is zero. With zero innate soul power, you cannot become a Soul Master."
Hearing this, Jixiang's face turned pale. "Even someone as powerful as you cannot do anything? Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I am willing to try!"
"I have never heard of anyone with zero innate soul power who can step onto the path of cultivation," Water Wuhen said calmly.
He was not lying. He had heard of people gaining great fortune later in life and increasing their talent, but never someone with zero innate soul power breaking into cultivation.
Perhaps such a case existed—but if it did, the conditions would be extremely harsh.
Then Water Wuhen sighed. "Give up. Even if there is something that can help you become a Soul Master, you cannot afford it now."
But Jixiang seemed to misunderstand something. Hope ignited in his eyes again.
"Sir Soul Master, I still have something I can offer you!"
He quickly took out a black stone from his medical kit.
In Water Wuhen's puzzled gaze, Jixiang said, "This is called whale glue. Medical texts say it has aphrodisiac effects, but from my observation, after people use it, their physical condition improves significantly."
"Later, I experimented on myself and found that in addition to those effects, it can also improve physical strength."
"Whale glue can improve physical strength?"
Water Wuhen stroked his chin, as if considering its authenticity.
If what this boy said was true, then it was indeed valuable.
After all, he had discovered that the year a Soul Master could absorb a Soul Ring was related to physical strength. If whale glue could improve it, it might even increase Soul Ring absorption limits.
As Water Wuhen fell into thought, Jixiang became extremely nervous.
But as if fate was on his side, after a moment of consideration, Water Wuhen said:
"If what you say is true, then it is indeed useful to me. Very well, I will test it first. If it is confirmed to be real, I can grant you an opportunity."