Choosing the Second Spirit Ring

Xiao Xian cultivated until the cafeteria opened that evening before opening his eyes.

Wang Sheng had been standing outside the entrance to Second Dormitory for quite a while. He waited until Xiao Xian finished cultivating before knocking and coming in, saying he wanted to treat him to a meal as thanks.

"No need."

Xiao Xian waved him off.

With Master around, he never had to buy food himself.

After signaling for Wang Sheng to head to the cafeteria on his own,

Xiao Xian climbed the stairs to the sixth floor.

Master was already waiting for him in the dormitory.

His dinner consisted of a roast chicken and a steaming pot of White Radish meat soup.

Xiao Jue's meal was still chicken drumsticks and several chunks of unidentified meat, presumably from some kind of sub-dragon spirit beast.

Xiao Jue had mutated from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit and needed more draconic bloodline to make up for its deficiencies. Dietary supplements could naturally have some effect as well.

"..."

After dinner, he chatted briefly with Master.

Xiao Xian had Xiao Jue remain in Master's dormitory to cultivate.

He himself returned to Second Dormitory and began his nighttime meditation.

After all, he could not exactly have Xiao Jue stay in the dormitory all night with its spirit ring on display.

A Martial Soul being able to cultivate on its own was still rather shocking.

Although Master's status could shield him from plenty of unnecessary trouble,

there was ultimately no need to expose it.

According to the research he and Master had conducted,

as long as Xiao Xian himself got sufficient rest,

his Martial Soul could meditate for quite a long time without becoming tired.

Coupled with ample sub-dragon spirit beast meat and Medicinal Baths,

his Soul Power had risen remarkably quickly during the Spirit Scholar stage before Level 10.

But after reaching the Spirit Master stage, it had begun to lose momentum.

Perhaps it was because Xiao Jue's draconic bloodline had been strengthened by its First Spirit Ring, the Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine,

giving it some degree of resistance.

It could no longer rapidly compensate for its innate talent and raise its Soul Power by consuming sub-dragon spirit beast meat and then having Xiao Jue refine it, at least not with ordinary century-old or low-grade millennium sub-dragon spirit beasts.

At their current pace, even if he and Xiao Jue cultivated desperately, they could at most gain two levels a year, perhaps even less.

Though compared to others with Innate Half-Level Soul Power, his cultivation speed was already sky-high,

according to the original story, Tang San had gone from Level 13 to Level 16 and a half—a full three and a half levels—in just one year.

He still had a long way to go.

Inside the dormitory,

Xiao Xian strictly followed the conclusions he and Master had reached, cultivating for only half the night.

Then he flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jue still lay in Master's dormitory, meditating with its eyes half-closed as its yellow spirit ring gently floated around it.

Master had bought it a large, soft cushion. It was fairly comfortable.

"..."

Like every other night,

Master tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

In truth, after seeing Xiao Xian use his Martial Soul's self-cultivation in conjunction with his own cultivation to multiply his cultivation speed severalfold,

he had secretly summoned Luo San Pao and attempted to replicate it.

Unfortunately,

perhaps because Luo San Pao was too old, or perhaps for some other reason, he had failed.

Just now, he had made his routine attempt.

As expected, he had failed again.

"Alas..."

Master let out a faint sigh.

There were no useless Martial Souls, only useless Spirit Masters.

Then what did that make him?

Had he never witnessed the light, he naturally could have endured it.

After all, with Innate Half-Level Soul Power, he had still cultivated to Level 29. He could be considered outstanding among his peers.

But Xiao Xian's example...

No!

Master's eyes flickered.

Just as Xiao Xian himself had told him,

it was not that he, Yu Xiaogang, was useless. It was that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had failed to recognize the unique nature of an external Beast Martial Soul from the very beginning.

Raising him the wrong way could only lead to the wrong result.

He, Yu Xiaogang, was destined to have no hope.

But Xiao Xian could absolutely prove to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan that an external Beast Martial Soul, even with merely Innate Half-Level Soul Power, was in no way inferior to a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with Innate Full Soul Power!

So long as every spirit ring added was from a light-type sub-dragon!

One day, Xiao Jue would ultimately transform into a true Light Holy Dragon!

Yu Xiaogang turned his head to look at Xiao Jue, which was still meditating atop the cushion, and a strange gleam flashed through his eyes.

He would nurture Xiao Xian with everything he had.

He would prove everything to the clan!

Besides, they were running a little short on sub-dragon spirit beast meat. It was time to ask old Flender to send some more over, preferably of a higher age.

If Xiao Xian had known that the words he usually used to fool and brainwash Yu Xiaogang had successfully taken effect, he surely would have been greatly gratified.

Unfortunately, he did not know, and could only continue influencing him subtly and continue fooling him.

Early the next morning, Xiao Xian slowly woke up.

School had not started yet, and there were still no classes. He had slept well.

But even if there were classes, it was not time for them yet.

Nuoding Academy only had two classes a day, both in the morning.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Tang San should arrive today."

Xiao Xian lay flat on his bed, quietly mulling it over.

He had read quite a few fanfictions in his previous life and remembered it clearly.

Master would return from outside the academy and encounter Tang San being harassed by the gate guard.

After that, Tang San would take Master as his teacher, successfully enroll, meet Wang Sheng and have a fight with him. Then Wang Sheng would even plan to treat Tang San and Xiao Wu to lunch.

"In other words, it should be around noon."

"According to the plan, I can't let Tang San meet Master so quickly this time..."

"At the very least, I need to delay it for two days..."

Xiao Xian considered it briefly and decided it would probably work. He directly summoned Xiao Jue back.

After obtaining his First Spirit Ring, he could instantly summon his Martial Soul back from within fifty meters. Any farther than that would not work.

A flash of purple light appeared, and his Soul Power grew by another wisp.

Xiao Xian meditated for several cycles before fully bringing it under control.

"..."

After getting up and washing,

Xiao Xian climbed to the sixth floor again and headed for Master's dormitory.

Along the way, he ran into several teachers, all of whom smiled and took the initiative to greet him.

Xiao Xian grinned back at each of them like a child.

At the academy, he was more or less "half a genius," and had even reached the graduation standard.

Still, those smiles were probably also out of consideration for the Dean of Nuoding Academy.

After all, the Dean had helped him hunt his First Spirit Ring.

Knock, knock—!

"Teacher."

"Come in."

Xiao Xian pushed open the door and entered.

Master had long since risen and was seated at his desk.

Three steaming meat buns and a bowl of soy milk had already been laid out on the desk.

That meant Xiao Jue had already eaten.

Otherwise, there should have been seven large meat buns and two bowls of soy milk.

"..."

After breakfast,

Xiao Xian did not wait for Master to arrange that day's theory lesson and instead took the initiative. "Teacher, have you considered my Second Spirit Ring?"

Master froze, then fell silent.

Xiao Xian's Second Spirit Ring was a troublesome matter.

The spirit skill granted by his First Spirit Ring, "Sunlight," had no combat power whatsoever.

Although Xiao Xian himself had a way to solve that problem,

if his Second Spirit Ring, like his First, was chosen to increase cultivation speed...

then whether the issue of combat power could be solved just as fortunately was hard to say.

Spirit Masters underwent a period of rapid growth before the age of thirty.

If they could break through to Level 30 and become a Soul Elder before twenty, their future prospects would be limitless...

If not,

they might end up like him, stuck at Level 29 for the rest of their lives.

"It does need some careful consideration..." Master's brows gradually furrowed as he murmured.

"Then, Teacher, why don't you think it over first? I'll take Xiao Jue out for some exercise and help it slim back down. It's too fat right now, and it's affecting its combat power." Xiao Xian seized the opportunity.

Master looked at Xiao Xian in surprise.

A moment later, he seemed to have misunderstood something.

A stiff, awkward smile appeared on his face as he waved a hand.

"Go on, go on."

Xiao Xian slipped away at lightning speed, tossing back one sentence. "I'll bring your lunch back for you!"

Staring at the dormitory door as it closed once again, Master silently thought,

Theory was still too dull. He was only a seven-year-old child, after all. Taking a day off was not a bad thing.

Then he got up by himself and quickly began searching through the bookshelf behind him.