Sisi's Heart Stirs, Ma Xiunuo's Shock

"I came with Xiao San to officially register as Soul Masters," Li Yue explained to Su Yuntao.

"That makes sense. One of you has Innate Full Soul Power, and the other has innate eighth-rank Soul Power. Once you attach a soul ring, you'll be Soul Masters," Su Yuntao said in realization.

Then he suddenly sensed something was off and widened his eyes. "Wait, you said you're here to register as a Soul Master too? It's only been a few months. How did you break through to rank ten already?"

"Mm, I cultivate relatively quickly." Li Yue's expression was utterly certain, his gaze equally resolute.

It was as though he had not held anything back—though he clearly had Innate Full Soul Power yet pretended to have innate eighth-rank Soul Power during the test—and had truly cultivated this quickly.

In truth, he was not exactly lying. Blue Silver Grass was a weed that grew everywhere, so every place was a mimetic environment for him. Compared with others, his cultivation speed would indeed be a little faster.

"Yuntao, whose noble family do these children belong to? Aren't you going to introduce them to me?"

When Sisi heard Su Yuntao mention Innate Full Soul Power and innate eighth-rank Soul Power, her eyes lit up. She thought this might be the opportunity she had been desperately waiting for.

She had always rejected Su Yuntao's confessions because she simply did not think much of him.

How could a mere rank twenty-six Soul Grandmaster possibly be worthy of her? Like Su Yuntao, she was also a Soul Grandmaster, and at rank twenty-seven, she was even one rank above him.

But Soul Elders stronger than her looked down on her in turn.

One had to know that rank thirty was a hurdle for most Soul Masters. Once they crossed it, the world opened before them, and they would be granted noble status.

If they failed to cross it before the age of twenty, they would never cross it in their lives. Thus, Soul Elders were extremely rare; there were not even many in Nuoding City.

Unfortunately, Sisi had already passed twenty without breaking through to rank thirty. She would likely remain this way for the rest of her life.

But she was unwilling to simply marry a Soul Grandmaster of equal standing. The children before her might be her only chance.

"Sisi, these are the two children I told you about. Li Yue has innate eighth-rank Soul Power, and his martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. Tang San has Innate Full Soul Power, and his martial soul is Fire Stick. Unfortunately, Tang San didn't agree to join Spirit Hall. Never mind that—I'll take them to Master Ma Xiunuo."

Su Yuntao sighed regretfully. If Tang San had agreed to join Spirit Hall, perhaps he could have earned a promotion through the merit of discovering talent. Then Sisi might even have accepted his confession.

"Yuntao, I'll take them there for you." Sisi's eyes lit up when she heard about the two children.

She had heard about them from Su Yuntao and knew they had been discovered in a small village. They probably did not have much money. Wasn't this her opportunity?

The boy's martial soul was the useless Blue Silver Grass, yet he possessed innate eighth-rank Soul Power, cultivated quickly, and was good-looking as well.

The girl had Innate Full Soul Power, and although his martial soul was the utterly ordinary Fire Stick, it possessed combat ability and could be cultivated as a Battle Spirit Master. With Innate Full Soul Power, his future was bound to be limitless.

"That's too much trouble for you, Sisi." Su Yuntao was flattered beyond measure. When had he ever received such treatment? Could it be that Sisi had changed her mind and wanted to be with him?

But after speaking, Sisi ignored Su Yuntao. Instead, she crouched down with an affectionate smile and looked at Li Yue and Tang San. "Big Sister Sisi can take you there."

Li Yue looked at Sisi. This fairly pretty older sister had a completely different attitude from the original story. So this was what showing one's true colors meant.

Tang San watched Sisi warily, feeling that she had ill intentions. Smiling so cheerfully, she did not seem like a good person at all.

Sisi took Li Yue and Tang San's hands and led them to the reception hall where Master Ma Xiunuo was.

"Be careful of the stairs, little ones," Sisi said thoughtfully as she led them up the staircase to the second floor of Spirit Hall and knocked on the room's door.

"It's Sisi, isn't it? Come in." Ma Xiunuo knew it was Sisi the moment he heard her. That rash Su Yuntao always barged in without knocking, nearly frightening the wits out of an old man like him.

Sisi pushed open the door and entered, where she saw an elderly Soul Master. "Master Ma Xiunuo, these two children are here for advancement assessment. I brought them over."

"Greetings, Master Ma Xiunuo." Li Yue thought that even villains were this polite, so he could not afford to embarrass himself. He greeted him, and Tang San followed suit.

"Hello, children." Hearing the two children's clear voices, Ma Xiunuo turned his gaze toward Li Yue and Tang San, greatly surprised. Such young children had come for advancement assessment?

Still, he had no doubts about Sisi's words. Unlike Su Yuntao, she was not so reckless that she would get even something like this wrong.

Without saying much else, he rose from his chair. "Come, I'll take you over."

Ma Xiunuo led Li Yue and Tang San to Spirit Hall's advancement assessment room. Sisi did not leave either, instead following beside them to continue observing the children's talent.

After giving them a few explanations, Ma Xiunuo took out a crystal ball and began the assessment. "Children, one at a time. First, display your martial soul and release your soul ring. Then we'll test your Soul Power."

"Xiao San, you go first." Li Yue let Tang San undergo the assessment first. He could take his time; the one who appeared later was usually the protagonist.

"Master Ma Xiunuo, I'm Tang San. My martial soul is Fire Stick." Tang San stepped forward at his words, raised his right hand, and released his Soul Power.

An exquisite Fire Stick solidified in his hand. Fine snake scales covered the dark green staff's surface, along with faint crimson patterns.

Compared to the shabby Fire Stick from before, it looked far better after absorbing a soul ring, and its appearance had become much more sinister. Anyone afraid of snakes would have their scalp tingle at the sight of it.

A bright yellow hundred-year soul ring appeared beside Tang San, pulsing up and down around him.

"Fire Stick? You call this Fire Stick?" Ma Xiunuo stared at Tang San's Fire Stick martial soul in astonishment. A staff of such quality was actually called Fire Stick? Calling it Snake Staff would have been more fitting.

He also recalled the two children Su Yuntao had told him about—one with Fire Stick and one with Blue Silver Grass. They were probably these two.

Only after seeing Tang San's yellow hundred-year soul ring did he understand. "No wonder. Your first soul ring is actually a hundred-year soul ring. You must have encountered an excellent teacher at Nuoding Academy."

From Li Yue and Tang San's school uniforms, Ma Xiunuo recognized them as Nuoding Academy students.

"Now, let's test your Soul Power." Ma Xiunuo picked up the crystal ball and came before Tang San. This child had absorbed a hundred-year soul ring, so after advancing, he should have gained another rank.

Unlike the blue crystal ball used for newly awakened children, this one was yellow and could test higher levels of Soul Power.

Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball, and it immediately lit up with yellow light.

"This is... rank thirteen Soul Power!" Ma Xiunuo looked at Tang San excitedly. This child's future was limitless. It would be even better if he could join Spirit Hall.