Third Soul Ring

At the academy, personal matters and official matters had to be kept separate.

Xiao Han adapted quickly, which pleased Lin Zhiruo. She continued:

"You've all seen that this year's team roster is different from before. We've decided on a Substitute early on, and that is Xiao Han."

Shui Bing'er smiled.

"With Xiao Han's strength, it's really unfair to make him a Substitute."

"Exactly."

Shui Yue'er echoed her.

Lin Zhiruo cut them off. She glanced at Xiao Han and joked:

"You don't need to pity him. It's already good enough that he gets to stay at our girls' academy."

Xiao Han chuckled.

"I don't feel wronged at all. I'm already very happy to be teammates with my sisters. Who cares whether I'm a main member or a Substitute? As a Substitute, I'll be your strongest support."

Everyone laughed at Xiao Han's words.

Lin Zhiruo continued:

"Some of you have trained together before and developed a certain degree of coordination. But several of you come from different classes and aren't familiar with one another yet. So, introduce yourselves first."

"Alright."

As the oldest member of the team, Yu Hairou was the first to step forward and introduce herself:

"Hello, everyone. I'm Yu Hairou. My Martial Soul is the Coral Barracuda, and I'm a level twenty-six attack-type Battle Soul Master."

Gu Qingbo was the second to step up.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Gu Qingbo. My Martial Soul is the Azure Sailfish, and I'm a level twenty-four agility-type Battle Soul Master."

Next was Xue Wu.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Xue Wu. My Martial Soul is Delicate Dance Snow Satin, and I'm a level twenty-seven support-type Battle Soul Master."

Xue Wu had long black hair and snow-white skin. She looked gentle and composed.

She was a year older than Shui Bing'er.

Although Xiao Han had been at the academy for five years, he had rarely seen her.

Support-type Soul Masters had a harder time cultivating than ordinary Soul Masters.

Xiao Han guessed that Xue Wu must have trained very diligently in private. Otherwise, she would not have become one of the best among her peers.

He also knew that Xue Wu not only possessed the ability to alter the weather, but would later be able to join forces with Shui Bing'er to unleash the powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Ice Snow Falling.

Another quiet girl stepped forward.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Shen Liuyu. My Martial Soul is the Enamel Lucky Crocodile, and I'm a level twenty-three attack-type Battle Soul Master."

Shen Liuyu had short aqua-blue hair with straight bangs, making her look very well-behaved.

The next girl to step up was tall and slender. Her long ice-blue hair was tied high, while several fine strands of bangs hung casually along both sides of her cheeks, giving her a crisp and capable air.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Qiu Ruoshui. My Martial Soul is the Green Lotus Smoked Perch, and I'm a level twenty-three attack-type Battle Soul Master."

Shui Bing'er stepped forward next.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Shui Bing'er. My Martial Soul is the Ice Phoenix, and I'm a level twenty-eight control-type Battle Soul Master."

Shui Yue'er followed close behind.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Shui Yue'er. My Martial Soul is the Jade Dolphin, and I'm a level twenty-two agility-type Battle Soul Master."

Once all the girls had introduced themselves, Xiao Han naturally became the last one.

Everyone's eyes fell on Xiao Han at once.

As the only boy at Skywater Academy and the "little security guard" in front of Skywater Academy's girls' dormitory, Xiao Han had long grown accustomed to girls staring directly at him.

He walked forward without the slightest hurry and introduced himself:

"Hello, senior sisters. My name is Xiao Han. My Martial Soul is the True Ice Bow and Arrow, and I'm a level twenty-nine attack-type Battle Soul Master."

Only Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er knew that Xiao Han's Soul Power had reached level twenty-nine.

The other girls were all astonished.

They only knew that Xiao Han possessed Innate Full Soul Power and that his Second Soul Ring had already reached the thousand-year level.

They had never expected the youngest Xiao Han to possess the highest rank.

Lin Zhiruo's gaze swept over them before finally settling on Shui Bing'er.

"Our Skywater Academy Team has always let strength do the talking. Though Bing'er is young, she is steady by nature, capable of considering the bigger picture, and the strongest among your seven main members. She is the unquestionable choice for captain. Bing'er, from now on, you will be the captain."

Everyone turned their eyes toward Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er glanced at Xiao Han. His prediction from two years ago had come true.

"Dean Lin, I'll take on the responsibility of captain. I'll work hard with everyone and strive for even better results."

"Very good. Xue Wu, you'll be vice-captain and assist Bing'er."

"Alright."

Lin Zhiruo nodded in satisfaction.

"Next, I'll give you systematic training to cultivate your coordination. Afterward, I'll also take you into real combat to build up battle experience. From this moment on, you are a whole. Help one another and grow together."

"Understood."

After that, Lin Zhiruo led everyone into training.

Another three or four months passed in the blink of an eye.

During those months, everyone trained together every day. Their coordination steadily improved, and their strength also rose considerably.

One day, after Xiao Han finished cultivating, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I finally broke through to level thirty. But this time, I probably can't take Bing'er with me to the Ice Sealed Forest."

Just a few days earlier, Shui Bing'er had successfully broken through to level twenty-nine.

Judging by Shui Bing'er's cultivation progress, it might take another four months before she broke through to level thirty.

Now that Lin Zhiruo was the team's instructor, she did not have so much time and energy to spend in the Ice Sealed Forest.

Before leaving, Xiao Han went to find Shui Bing'er.

"Bing'er, I'm going to the Ice Sealed Forest. You accompanied me when I hunted Soul Beasts the first two times. It'll feel strange without you this time."

"I want to go with you too, but I've only just broken through to level twenty-nine. I can't waste Dean Lin's time."

"Then next time. When the time comes, I'll go with you."

"Alright."

After saying goodbye to Shui Bing'er, Xiao Han headed for the Far North with Lin Zhiruo.

They rode at full speed the entire way and reached the Ice Sealed Forest in less than half a month.

"Xiao Han, this time we'll try to find a suitable Soul Beast as quickly as possible. Once you obtain your Soul Ring, we'll head back early."

"Alright. Mom, my Third Soul Ring needs to be at least two thousand years old."

"I know."

Although Xiao Han had consumed Whale Rubber, Lin Zhiruo would not let him take reckless risks.

She believed that three thousand years was already the limit for the Third Soul Ring Xiao Han was about to absorb.

The two searched through the Ice Sealed Forest for more than ten days without encountering a suitable Soul Beast.

Their cultivation ages were either too low or too high, exceeding three thousand years.

Lin Zhiruo's objective was clear: only Soul Beasts with cultivation ages between two thousand and three thousand years would do.

That day, as they were walking, Lin Zhiruo suddenly stopped.

"Xiao Han, there's a Soul Beast."

"Where?"

"On that large tree."

Xiao Han followed Lin Zhiruo's gaze.

Several ice-blue birds stood atop a towering tree a hundred meters ahead.

"Mom, are those Ice Rain Swallows?"

"Yes. Two of them have cultivation ages of around three thousand years. We'll take one of them for your Third Soul Ring. They're extremely fast, and their attack power is nothing to underestimate. We need to end this quickly. Protect yourself."

Before Lin Zhiruo had even finished speaking, she shot forward like a streak of blue lightning.

Friends, during this trial period, please come back and follow again after tomorrow's update. Thank you!