If I'd Known You Were Coming Back...

The sun shone brightly, a gentle breeze brushed against their faces, and the weather was perfect.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy had no classes today. It was a day off.

Most students whose homes were nearby had gone back, but Xiao Chenyu was not among them.

His father, the city lord, had personally instructed him not to keep running home during breaks!

He should visit that mysterious young master, get closer to him, and build a good relationship.

His father, the city lord, had not been stingy either, giving Xiao Chenyu one thousand Gold Soul Coins as "expenses."

"Brother Xiao, you still need to work hard at your cultivation!"

Zhu Rong said to Xiao Chenyu, who lay on the ground looking utterly lifeless.

Xiao Chenyu was simply too weak!

Zhu Rong had not even needed to summon his martial soul. With barely any effort, he had knocked him to the ground.

Absorbing soul rings and Soul Bones could strengthen a Soul Master's physique. The more powerful the soul ring or Soul Bone, the better the effect.

Of course, the Soul Master had to be able to withstand the baptism of soul power. Otherwise, there was only one outcome: their body would explode and they would die!

Each increase in Soul Power Level also slightly improved all of a Soul Master's attributes.

Zhu Rong was now level 16, while Xiao Chenyu was level 11. The gap was not that great.

Yet their combat strength was worlds apart.

Xiao Chenyu shook his head, then nodded, saying dejectedly:

"Yeah, I still need to train properly."

Was the gap between him and a top genius really this huge?

Zhu Rong had not even summoned his martial soul, yet he had knocked him down in just a few moves. Throughout the entire fight, he had been completely unable to fight back...

"Sigh, if I hadn't wanted to give my father and big brother a surprise, I wouldn't have ended up absorbing a ten-year soul ring."

"My strength wouldn't be this weak now..."

After reaching level 10, Xiao Chenyu had secretly hired mercenaries to take him hunting for a soul ring, hoping to surprise the Lord of Nuoding City and his elder brother.

That was when Zhu Rong and Tang Hao had gone to obtain their soul rings—that Young Master Xiao...

He had spent a fortune, only to obtain a ten-year soul ring.

Zhu Rong extended a hand and pulled Xiao Chenyu up from the ground. "Alright, stop moping. Let's go eat. I'm treating today."

Beating Xiao Chenyu up had earned him 100 Gold Soul Coins. Treating him to a meal was only proper.

Xiao Chenyu's talent was not much better than Su Yuntao's.

Without some great opportunity in this life, it would be difficult for him to break through to Soul King. Soul Ancestor was practically his limit.

On the Douluo Continent, without a powerful bloodline, a powerful martial soul, and high Innate Soul Power, it was almost impossible to become strong.

Even the Evil Soul Masters in Douluo II were divided by rank.

Without a powerful martial soul or bloodline, even becoming an Evil Soul Master would not make one the strongest.

That showed just how important one's innate talent was.

Xiao Chenyu nodded, and some of the dejection on his face faded. He said:

"Brother Zhu Rong is right. No matter how great heaven and earth are, eating comes first. Come on, let's eat first."

As he spoke, Xiao Chenyu seemed to recall something. After pausing, he continued:

"But brother, don't you dare pay the bill. Your elder brother here isn't short on money! I'm treating!"

Zhu Rong: ...

Did people on the Douluo Continent also fight over paying the bill?

Would I say, "No, I'm treating," and then you would say, "If you won't let your elder brother treat you, then you're looking down on me..."

Ridiculous!

Just then, a pale-faced, panicked "rabbit" darted out from nearby. She looked as though she had been badly frightened.

She was muttering:

"Too terrifying, it's really too terrifying. Tang San actually... he actually ate... blegh~"

Zhu Rong: ...

Xiao Chenyu: ...

"Blegh..." x2

Zhu Rong and Xiao Chenyu exchanged a glance. The moment they thought of Tang San eating that thing, all desire to eat vanished instantly.

The panicked Xiao Wu spotted Zhu Rong and Xiao Chenyu and seemed to have found family. She hurried over and said:

"Zhu Rong, Xiao Chenyu, you're here. Let me tell you, I just saw Tang San, he was..."

"Stop! Don't say it! We already know..."

Zhu Rong hurriedly shouted, his body instinctively taking several steps back.

It was too horrifying—right when they were about to eat, Xiao Wu had told them about such a terrifying "incident."

Did Tang San really eat it?

Zhu Rong thought to himself.

Xiao Wu had yet to pull herself free from her "recollection." Only after Zhu Rong shouted at her did she come back to her senses.

Tang San's appearance just now had been far too terrifying. Even a slightly intelligent soul beast would never eat that kind of thing, yet he, a human child, actually...

Thanks to Xiao Wu's interruption, Zhu Rong had lost all appetite. He turned to Xiao Chenyu and said:

"Brother Xiao, how about we forget it? Let's go back and cultivate instead."

"Forget it, forget it. Cultivating is better..."

Xiao Chenyu shook his head as well. He had no appetite either.

The moment he thought of that kid with the Blue Silver Grass martial soul... he lost his appetite completely.

"Zhu Rong, Xiao Chenyu, what were you planning to do? Why did you decide not to go the moment I arrived?"

Having recovered her senses, Xiao Wu asked with a baffled expression.

"We were planning to..."

Xiao Chenyu had just begun to explain when he found himself unable to continue.

We were planning to eat. It would have been fine if you'd simply come along, but you had to bring up an incident like that...

Who could still have an appetite?

"Forget it. Brother Zhu Rong, you two can chat. I'll head back to the dormitory to cultivate first. We'll arrange something next time..."

Xiao Chenyu waved his hand and spoke dejectedly.

"Alright, next time."

What could Zhu Rong say? They definitely would not be eating today.

Fortunately, Xiao Wu had not brought this up while he was actually eating!

Xiao Chenyu left in a hurry, his back looking somewhat desolate...

"Zhu Rong, what's wrong with you two?"

After Xiao Chenyu left, Xiao Wu moved closer, blinking at Zhu Rong as she asked in confusion.

Zhu Rong rolled his eyes at Xiao Wu and said:

"If you were about to eat carrots, and then Tang San suddenly appeared in front of you eating that thing you mentioned... would you still be in the mood?"

Zhu Rong knew that Xiao Wu had taken leave to "hunt for a soul ring."

He just had not expected Xiao Wu to return so quickly.

If she was going to pretend, she should at least have made it believable.

The nearest Soul Hunting Forest to Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was a full four hundred li away. Even traveling there by carriage took more than a day.

Yet Xiao Wu had returned in two days...

There and back, even without counting the time needed to search for a soul beast and absorb the soul ring, it would still take nearly two and a half days.

After hearing Zhu Rong's words, Xiao Wu merely thought about it for a moment before dry-heaving.

Zhu Rong's analogy had been spot-on. Xiao Wu instantly understood why Zhu Rong and Xiao Chenyu had reacted that way.

If it were her, she would not be able to eat either...

After a while, Xiao Wu seemed to have forgotten what had happened earlier and said to Zhu Rong:

"Zhu Rong, I've successfully obtained my soul ring and become a Soul Master!"

With her hands on her hips, Xiao Wu spoke with a proud, smug look.

"I knew you were back..."