Restraining Relationship

Ye Lan ignored Xiao Wu's shouts and headed toward the academy gate.

It had to be said that powerful Control System Soul Masters had a very obvious restraining effect on Agility System Soul Masters.

Once they were controlled, the Agility System's speed and uncanny close-combat abilities could no longer be brought into play.

As for the relationships of restraint among Soul Masters, Ye Lan had his own understanding.

The Control System restrained the Agility System, the Agility System restrained the Strength System, and the Strength System restrained the Control System. The three mutually restrained one another.

Ye Lan had played plenty of games in his previous life. They could also be categorized into warriors, tanks, mages, marksmen, and supports.

The restraining relationships among those five categories were somewhat different. Of course, such relationships were not absolute; they varied from person to person and depended on the strength of one's Martial Soul.

But generally speaking, the Control System could limit the Agility System's greatest advantage—its speed. The Agility System could use its speed to leave the Strength System unable to exert its power, while the Strength System could rely on its own strength to break through the Control System's restraints. That was how Ye Lan saw it.

As for Yu Xiaogang's claim that the Blue Silver Grass Control System could restrain everything and only feared Fire System Soul Masters—

Even though Ye Lan possessed the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, he did not agree with it.

Ye Lan could only attribute this theory of Control System invincibility to Yu Xiaogang boasting that his disciple was invincible beneath the heavens.

If the Control System truly restrained everything, Tang San, who possessed a fire-immune Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul, would not have needed to rely on other abilities to fight everything.

In the later stages, Tang San still relied entirely on the strength-based Clear Sky Hammer and the strength-based Sea God Trident.

If the Control System were invincible, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass would not have lost to Dai Mobai.

Although Dai Mobai had held an advantage in Soul Power Level at the time, if Yu Xiaogang's claim that the Control System restrained everything were true, Tang San should at least have been able to draw with Dai Mobai.

As for Xiao Wu, Ye Lan had no particular thoughts about her.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast rebuilding itself as a human would be treated as a human by Ye Lan.

Although this person possessed a coveted Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone and Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, Ye Lan would not kill a little girl carrying such treasures merely for those treasures.

Secondly, Ye Lan and Xiao Wu were not currently enemies. If they became enemies in the future, then Ye Lan would no longer care about Xiao Wu's human identity.

Lastly, Xiao Wu had already caught Tang Hao's attention. If Ye Lan were to become enemies with Tang San and Xiao Wu someday, he would also have to take Tang Hao into consideration.

Although Ye Lan would not kill for Soul Rings or Soul Bones, he still disliked troublemaker Xiao Wu.

It had nothing to do with whether Xiao Wu was human or not. Ye Lan simply disliked people who caused trouble for no reason.

Pulling his thoughts back, Ye Lan had already arrived at the Martial Soul Branch Hall in Nuoding City.

Su Yuntao was not in the Spirit Hall, so Ye Lan went to find Hall Master Ma Xiunuo himself.

Ma Xiunuo looked at the dark-golden-haired young man before him. He did not recognize Ye Lan for the moment and assumed he was a Soul Master from elsewhere.

"Hall Master Ma Xiunuo, I've come to the Spirit Hall to have my Soul Power measured and receive a Soul Master badge." Ye Lan looked at Ma Xiunuo, who sat behind his desk.

Ma Xiunuo was familiar with nearly all the Soul Masters around Nuoding City. Puzzled, he said, "You're not a Soul Master from Nuoding City, are you? I don't think I've ever seen you, child. I'm eighty-three this year. You can just call me Grandpa Ma Xiunuo."

Ye Lan smiled. "Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, I'm Xiao Lan!"

"!!! How did Xiao Lan change so much? What Soul Ring did you absorb?" Ma Xiunuo was shocked by Ye Lan's transformation.

"I absorbed a four-hundred-year Sun-Chasing Incineration Tree Soul Ring, and my Blue Silver Grass evolved because of it." A deep yellow Soul Ring of nearly seven hundred years slowly rose around Ye Lan. A verdant vine emerged in his hand, its green leaves gleaming with golden radiance.

Ma Xiunuo looked at the Blue Silver Grass in Ye Lan's hand, astonished by its transformation.

"This... is this really that tiny Blue Silver Grass? Xiao Lan, your Blue Silver Grass is much thicker than the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul of that Innate Soul Power level-ten student at Nuoding Academy!" Ma Xiunuo muttered.

"It was extremely compatible with the Sun-Chasing Incineration Tree. Since they were both Plant System Soul Beasts, such a great transformation was only natural," Ye Lan explained.

"A four-hundred-year Soul Ring is close to the limit for a first Soul Ring. It's understandable that the Blue Silver Grass changed so much."

"I never expected you and Su Yuntao to find a Sun-Chasing Incineration Tree. This kind of Soul Beast is very rare nowadays!"

"Xiao Lan, your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass with Innate Soul Power level three, yet you reached level 10 several years earlier than an ordinary Soul Master with Innate Soul Power level three. That shows just how diligent you are. I think you have a good temperament. Would you like to join the Spirit Hall? I can report directly to the Spirit Hall and have you join Spirit Hall Academy." Ma Xiunuo's appreciation for talent was stirred.

"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, I've already planned out my cultivation path. I'll be going to Vast Sea City for the next few years, so I can't join the Spirit Hall for the time being." Ye Lan held his head, looking regretful.

Ma Xiunuo found it quite regrettable and said, "I'll report the mutation of your Blue Silver Grass to the Martial Soul Main Hall first and have it put on record. When you wish to join the Spirit Hall in the future, the procedures will be more convenient."

"Come with me, Xiao Lan. I'll take you to the Martial Soul laboratory to test your Soul Power." After saying that, Ma Xiunuo led Ye Lan toward the enclosed room for Soul Power testing.

Before long, Ye Lan's Soul Power Level had been measured.

Just as Ye Lan had sensed, his Soul Power was level 11.

Ma Xiunuo then issued Ye Lan a Soul Master badge.

"Here, this is your Soul Master badge. From now on, you can go to the nearest Spirit Hall to collect Gold Soul Coins—one per month. Once you become a Soul Grandmaster, your allowance will rise to ten Gold Soul Coins per month."

Ye Lan looked at the glittering gold Soul Master badge in his palm. Two thorny vines were engraved crossing each other on it, while the words "Ye Lan" were engraved on the back.

After five years of cultivation, Ye Lan had finally become one of the Douluo People's upper class!

As long as he had this badge, Ye Lan would not starve to death even if he loafed around—a so-called iron rice bowl in another world.

Of course, that was assuming the Spirit Hall was not destroyed in the future.

After bidding Ma Xiunuo farewell, Ye Lan headed directly for Nuoding City's eastern gate.

When he arrived at the city gate, a middle-aged man noticed the Soul Master badge on the Blond Youth's chest. He hurried over to Ye Lan and respectfully asked, "Lord Soul Master, do you need a carriage?"

"Sure, no need to call me sir, coachman," Ye Lan said.

Afterward, Ye Lan rode in the coachman's carriage and arrived smoothly at Harvest Village.

After giving the coachman fifty Copper Soul Coins, Ye Lan removed the Soul Master badge from his chest.

Stepping down from the carriage and entering Harvest Village, he looked out at the endless golden rice stalks.

It was a golden sea, the wind stirring wave after wave of yellow.

The familiar scent of the fields filled his nose. Rarely feeling so relaxed, Ye Lan strolled along the ridges between the fields where he had trained as a child.

Some villagers of Harvest Village noticed Ye Lan and curiously sized up the young man with light golden hair.

The villagers of Harvest Village failed to recognize Ye Lan, so he took the initiative to greet them. "Aunt Chen, Aunt Huang, Uncle Wang, I'm Xiao Lan from Village Chief Tom's family."

Only then did everyone react. "So it's Xiao Lan! We heard you went to Nuoding Academy to study. You must be close to graduating, right?"

"Oh my, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so much! How come you've changed so much in just one year? Iron Girl in the village still can't stop thinking about you."