Second Soul Ring

She remained in the cauldron for quite a while longer, until Jiang E Li began to wonder whether the witch was trying to boil a frog in warm water. Only then did light finally shine into the cauldron again.

Dan Hong leaned over the rim and smiled. "You can come out now."

More than half the water still remained in the cauldron. Nan Li was soaked through, sweat and medicinal liquid running down her cheeks from her hair.

The cauldron was enormous. Nan Li gripped its rim with both hands and leaped up. Her Companion Domain spread out, flames wrapping around her body. Whether it was the water on Nan Li herself or the water she had brought out of the cauldron, all of it evaporated in an instant.

Nan Li picked up the clothes on the ground.

Dan Hong looked at the hemispherical domain surrounded by flames, somewhat surprised. "I can't see what's happening inside?"

Although she cultivated slowly, she was still a Soul King. Nan Li had not even obtained her Second Soul Ring, yet a single domain could block a Soul King's perception?

The Third Elder landed on the ground and replied, "Under the effects of Nan Li's domain, the flames have almost completely turned white. As the progenitor of our bloodline, the Vermilion Bird's flames exert bloodline suppression over our clan. With my Soul Power, I can barely glimpse the situation within the domain, but the Li Fire clinging to its exterior blocks my vision."

Nan Li finally climbed out of the cauldron. After taking a moment to adjust, she used the flames of her Martial Soul to burn away the excess moisture. She dismissed her domain and said to the Third Elder, "I've recovered around sixty to seventy percent. It won't affect my cultivation for the time being."

Part of that sixty to seventy percent was thanks to Jiang E Li's help, while the rest was Dan Hong's contribution. Being able to recover about half of it in one go already left Nan Li quite satisfied.

"Only sixty to seventy percent?" Dan Hong had merely been modest when she said she could repair part of the damage. Given her talent in alchemy, along with all her years of hard work and effort, Dan Hong had believed this treatment should completely heal Nan Li's soul.

However, Dan Hong had overlooked one thing: Nan Li's original Spirit Power was exceptionally strong. Although the Snow Lotus she had found possessed the Spirit Attribute, its spiritual strength was still nowhere near comparable to Nan Li's Spirit Power.

Looks like I'll have to keep searching for medicinal herbs. Dan Hong thought to herself.

Nan Li sensed the state of her body, adjusted her breathing for a moment, then signaled to the Third Elder. "I think my current condition is sufficient to condense my Second Soul Ring."

The Third Elder nodded in agreement. "Nuoding City is crowded and full of prying eyes. This place is rich in fire attribute energy and rarely visited, making it perfect for you to condense a Soul Ring."

Although the area was sealed off layer upon layer by the domain, flames, and a Titled Douluo's Soul Power and Spirit Power, the Third Elder and Dan Hong still did not dare let down their guard in the slightest.

Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Soul Beast Nan Li, the second Soul Ring condensation began. Even with one prior experience, Jiang E Li still broke into a cold sweat within the Sea of Consciousness.

Nan Li did not restrain herself simply because the Third Elder and Dan Hong were present. By the time everything settled, the faint light of dawn had already become the noonday sun.

The purple Soul Ring beneath Nan Li's feet announced the result of this attempt.

"Oh my, little A'li, not bad." Dan Hong landed beside Nan Li, risked getting hit to pinch her cheek, then lightly spun away to the side.

"So, what level is your Soul Power now?" Dan Hong asked from the side, as if she had not just made a move.

Nan Li gave her a blank look and replied, "Level twenty-four."

"Only level twenty-four? Are you sure?" Dan Hong confirmed again and again. "When I condensed my Second Soul Ring, my Soul Ring of over two thousand four hundred years raised my Soul Power by four levels. How did yours..."

Nan Li's Second Soul Ring was clearly older than Dan Hong's two-thousand-four-hundred-year Soul Ring.

Nan Li shook her head without speaking. Her First Soul Ring, which was over eight hundred years old, had raised her Soul Power by nearly five levels. The acquisition of her Second Soul Ring had been delayed by half a year, so logically, there should have been accumulated Soul Power as well. How could it...

"A five-thousand-year Soul Ring? That shouldn't be possible."

"What?! Five thousand years?!" The Third Elder roared on the spot.

This time, both Dan Hong and Nan Li were startled by him.

Dan Hong shot Nan Li a look that said, Look at how pathetic he is.

Nan Li laughed without holding back.

Under the two women's firm demands, the Third Elder gave up on the idea of directly taking them back and let Nan Li and Dan Hong fly back at their leisure.

By the time Nan Li returned to Nuoding City, three days had passed since she had left the academy.

It was worth mentioning that Dan Hong did not leave. Instead, she stayed in Nuoding City with the Third Elder.

Winter passed and spring arrived. Before long, Nan Li's second school year at Nuoding Academy had also ended, and she went to the Principal's Office to apply to skip grades.

"Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy has never had a precedent for skipping grades across such a large gap... but given your Soul Power cultivation, it isn't impossible." The Old Principal adjusted his glasses and smiled kindly.

It was not that he did not know Nan Li had already met the graduation requirements for a Primary Soul Master Academy when she enrolled. However, children with such talent generally came from extraordinary backgrounds, so the Old Principal had turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed it.

Now that Nan Li had come to handle her grade-skipping application, the Old Principal knew that her connection with Nuoding Academy was nearing its end. Skipping grades meant nothing more than graduating early and preparing to leave this place. That made sense. How could a young genius like her waste her time in such a remote little place?

Ever since the people from Spirit Hall had first come looking for Nan Li, the Old Principal had clearly understood that this was not where Nan Li belonged.

Eagles soared through the vast skies, while lions and tigers returned to the mountains and forests.

Since she had other plans, the Old Principal naturally would not stand in her way. Besides, with his abilities—and those of a Primary Soul Master Academy—he could not have stopped her anyway.

The process went smoothly. When the new term began, Nan Li entered the class where the sixth-year students studied.

"Big Sister Nan Li." Xiao Chen Yu had graduated last year, but some of his underlings were still studying here. Upon seeing Nan Li, they lined up properly and greeted her.

Nan Li smiled and told them to return to their seats.

Nan Li ignored the cautious, probing gazes. After all, there was a simpler way to deal with them.

After the morning classes ended, the underlings said they wanted to treat Nan Li to a meal to celebrate her skipping ahead into the sixth year.

Surrounded by a chattering crowd, Nan Li finally understood why Xiao Wu liked being the boss. She spoke with amused helplessness, "All right, since I'm the one who skipped grades, naturally I should be the one treating you to a meal."

Flying Soul Masters were still rare. To accommodate the children's pace, Nan Li unusually did not fly directly to the cafeteria. As they strolled along the road, Nan Li could feel several gazes occasionally sizing her up.

It would have been fine if it were merely curiosity, but someone just had to court death.

After the group came out of the cafeteria, Nan Li watched her classmates leave, then casually clapped her hands. Her scarlet eyes gleamed beneath the sunlight.

"How much longer are you planning to follow me?"

"Get out!"