Douluo Dalu: My Martial Soul is VENOM

Looking at his first soul ring, which was dark purple with hints of black on the edges, Man An thought,

"Is this ring nearing the 10,000-year limit? Whatever, as long as I benefit from it. But I need to figure out what kind of soul beast I killed… I'll think about it after reaching Tiandou City."

He swung through the air using Venom's webbing, quickly leaving the Sunset Jungle. As he landed on the road leading to a nearby town, he noticed multiple gazes directed at him.

Man An stopped. Venom took over, transforming his body into a sleek, agile 2-meter-tall form—perfect for escaping if needed.

"Hahaha, good senses, boy. Now, hand over everything you have!"

Three middle-aged men, all burly in build, stepped out from behind the trees, laughing loudly.

Venom remained silent, having already assessed their strength. One was a three-ring Soul Master, while the other two had only two rings, all of them possessing a ten-year-old soul ring as their first.

The moment they stepped within his ten-meter range, three webs shot out, hitting them in the chest and pulling them toward him. As they collided, Venom leaped high into the air, causing the three men to crash into each other.

Looking down, he saw them awkwardly tangled together, their faces inches apart as if they were kissing. Disgusted, he fired a few more webs to restrain them before swinging away.

---

One Week Later – Tiandou City

After gathering information about Tiandou Royal Academy, Man An stood at its entrance.

"Hey! Who are you? Only academy teachers, students, and personnel are allowed inside. Get lost, kid!" one of the guards yelled.

"Uncle, I'm here to apply for admission," Man An said politely.

The two guards exchanged glances before one of them nodded and headed inside. A few moments later, he returned with a well-dressed man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

"So, you want admission?" the man asked, his hands behind his back. "Then show me your worth. I'm in a good mood today, so don't waste my time."

Man An nodded. Venom took over, growing into a towering 3-meter form, with his purple soul ring appearing out of thin air. But before he could say anything, an overwhelming pressure bore down on him—the coercion of a Soul King.

"What a fraud! Do you think we're fools?" the man sneered. "You expect us to believe that a first soul ring can be purple? We're well aware of soul bones that can alter the appearance of soul rings and attack auras. Get out!"

His six soul rings hovered around him, exuding authority.

Man An realized this was a huge misunderstanding—no one in this world had ever obtained a purple first soul ring, so they wouldn't believe him.

Still, he was surprised to learn that soul bones capable of altering soul ring appearances actually existed. He had only seen such things in fanfiction.

Without arguing, he turned and walked away.

---

Later, at Tiandou City's Gates

An hour later, Man An arrived at the city gates and paid ten gold coins to enter.

"Looks like I need to create a proper Soul Master identity. If not, I'll have to pay an entrance fee every time I visit a city."

He wasn't too concerned about money. After selling different grades of chocolate, he had amassed several thousand gold coins.

Normal chocolate: 10 copper coins

Low-grade chocolate: 1 silver coin

Medium-grade chocolate: 1 gold coin

High-grade chocolate: Not for sale yet, as his cocoa farm hadn't matured enough.

As he walked through the bustling streets, he spotted an advertisement for Blue Tyrant Academy.

"Liu Erlong, that love-struck fool. I need to prevent Shrek from merging with this academy… but how? As for the Yin-Yang Pond, I'll think about that later."

After asking for directions, he made his way toward Blue Tyrant Academy.

---

Blue Tyrant Academy

Half an hour later, Man An stood before the academy gates, impressed by the sheer size of the city.

"Stop. What's your business here?" a guard asked.

"I want to apply for admission," Man An replied, a little irritated at being stopped again.

"Admissions start in three months," the guard informed him.

Man An smirked. "I'm strong enough. Why not let one of your teachers come out? If I can defeat him, I should be admitted."

Venom took over, transforming into his 3-meter form. The beastly aura radiating from him sent both guards running inside. Moments later, a middle-aged man emerged, flanked by the two frightened guards.

"Who dares cause trouble at our academy?" the man demanded.

"I want to enroll—either as a student or a teacher," Venom replied.

The man scoffed. "Hah! Arrogance has its limits." His martial soul, a Rhinoceros, appeared as five soul rings hovered around him.

"Then let's begin," Venom said, firing webs at the Rhino Soul Master's feet.

Surprised by the attack's speed, the man ignored it and tried to move forward, thinking the webs would break. But to his shock, they were elastic and held firm. Just as he prepared to use his soul skill, another web struck his chest, yanking him off balance.

He stumbled forward and crashed to the ground.

"Enough!" the man roared, activating his fourth soul ring. His possessed form expanded, growing to 3 meters tall—the same height as Venom. The pressure shattered the webs on his legs.

"Third Soul Ring—Charge!" he bellowed, his speed increasing with each step.

"Fifth Soul Ring—Gravity Pressure!" He unleashed a powerful force, slowing Venom's movements.

In response, Venom shrank to 2 meters, boosting his agility. The moment the Rhino Soul Master was within range, Venom dodged to the side and fired another web, using his first soul ring's enhanced effect.

The strengthened web was five times more powerful than before. As the Rhino Soul Master stepped into it, his legs became bound. Unable to stop his momentum, he tripped and fell, smashing face-first into the ground.

"Want to continue?" Venom asked, licking his teeth with his long tongue.

The Rhino Soul Master clenched his fists but didn't move.

"Enough," a voice interrupted. An old man approached, his eyes calm yet authoritative. "You can become a teacher, but you must pass our dean's test first. As for enrolling as a student, your power is already on par with a Soul Emperor."

Venom turned to the newcomer. "And you are?"

"I'm the academy's head teacher. Follow me," the old man instructed.

Venom noticed the Rhino Soul Master standing up, dusting off his clothes. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he didn't act on it.

After walking through the academy grounds, familiarizing himself with the layout, they stopped near a forest.

"You'll find the dean ahead," the head teacher said. "Tell her I recommended you." Without another word, he turned and left.

"Got it," Venom replied, still in his possessed form.

Neither of the two teachers had seen Man An's human form, so they assumed he was a middle-aged man. They dismissed the guards' claims that he was a child.

Venom fired a web and swung forward, disappearing into the trees. The head teacher watched and sighed.

"The world is full of wonders I've yet to see…"

---

Near the Dean's House

Perched on a tall tree, Venom observed the wooden house near an artificial lake. From inside, the sound of a sad song reached his sharp ears.

"What a pitiful woman," he muttered. "That bastard first tried to seduce one woman, failed, then manipulated Liu Erlong's emotions. He knew she was his cousin but kept it hidden, making her fall madly in love with him. Blind devotion to an illusion… what a tragedy."

Just then, a cold voice came from behind him.

"Did you just call me a love-struck fool with big breasts and no brain?"

Venom stiffened.

Shit.