A Year Has Passed, a New Round of Red Packets

Interesting.

Ye Xiao secretly chuckled, thinking that although this Little Girl was somewhat spoiled, her competitive spirit was not entirely a bad thing.

He said leisurely, "Oh? You're already a Soul Master? That's indeed not bad. But..." He deliberately paused, watching Ning Rongrong's expectant yet nervous Little Face before slowly continuing, "Unfortunately, I'm already a Soul Grandmaster."

"A... a Soul Grandmaster!" The expression on Ning Rongrong's face instantly froze.

Her beautiful eyes widened round, filled with disbelief.

"H-how is that possible!" Even her voice changed pitch, and her Little Face turned slightly pale. "Y-you're so young. How could you cultivate so quickly? I... I'm the once-in-a-century genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! How could you be so much stronger than me?"

The enormous sense of disparity struck Ning Rongrong in an instant.

She possessed Innate Level Nine Soul Power and took pride in her talent. Within the sect, she had always been surrounded by attention and praised as a genius.

Yet now, a boy who did not look much older than her was telling her that he was already a Soul Grandmaster.

It completely overturned everything she knew.

She felt like a bit of a clown.

The blow she suffered was considerable. Her little head drooped, and she looked somewhat dejected.

Seeing her go from brimming with fighting spirit to a wilted little eggplant in an instant, Ye Xiao felt a little sorry for her.

After all, she was just an innocent Little Girl who had grown up being pampered.

He walked over, reached out, and gently rubbed the top of Ning Rongrong's head. "Don't be so discouraged."

"Everyone has different opportunities and paths. You've only just begun, and you still have a long road ahead of you.

Keep cultivating diligently. Maybe... you really will catch up to me someday?"

Ning Rongrong was still immersed in her disappointment when she suddenly felt a warm touch atop her head, followed by Ye Xiao's encouraging words.

She raised her head and met Ye Xiao's clear, smiling eyes.

There was none of the smugness or mockery she had imagined, only gentleness and goodwill.

Ning Rongrong's cheeks unconsciously flushed slightly.

She suddenly felt that this hateful Bad Egg in front of her did not seem... quite so bad after all. He was even... rather nice.

She pursed her lips and muttered softly, "W-who wants to catch up to you... Bad Egg."

Ye Xiao smiled. "All right, I'll take you to meet the two older sisters."

"Mm."

The days at the academy passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

At the academy, Ye Xiao's growth had been rapid.

He had become a Soul Elder not long ago, and he was now Level 32.

His physical body and Tuantuan's cultivation age had also improved slightly.

As for Ning Rongrong and the other two, their Soul Power had also risen quickly. Ye Lingling was now a Soul Grandmaster as well.

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): Father, Father, a year has passed. The Red Packets have refreshed.]

[Ye Kaining (Third Generation): They've finally refreshed. We still have plenty of good things we haven't given Grandpa.]

[Ye Kaiyang (Third Generation): That's right.]

[Ye Xiao: Thank you, everyone. Without you, I probably wouldn't even be a Soul Master by now, much less the Soul Elder I am today.]

[Ye Chengyue (Fourth Generation): You're embarrassing us.]

[Ye Wanqing (Fourth Generation): Yes.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): Enough nonsense. Let's prepare the things we're giving.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): First is the Ye Family Jade Seal Fusion Skill Compendium. Father is already a Soul Elder now, and the third Spirit Ability is one of the most important abilities of the Jade Seal Martial Soul. It can fuse all kinds of attributes into even more powerful Spirit Abilities.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): But it also has drawbacks. Fusion Skills are tremendously powerful, and if they cannot be controlled properly, they may harm the user. The stronger the Fusion Skill, the greater the consumption. That is why the Fusion Skill Compendium is still necessary. It can save Father a great deal of time developing Fusion Skills.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): I'll send this Red Packet. During this time, I've collected the Fusion Skills from the eras after yours. It's extremely comprehensive.]

[Ye Kaining (Third Generation): No problem.]

[Ye Kaining (Third Generation): Leave the Immortal Herb Eternal Zhen Grass, which evolves the Five Elements Jade Seal into the Eternal Jade Seal, to me.]

[Ye Chengyue (Fourth Generation): At Great Grandfather's rate, he'll soon become a Soul Ancestor. Tuantuan only has a cultivation age of five thousand years right now, so she cannot provide the fourth Spirit Ring. Therefore, the third item needs to be a resource capable of increasing Tuantuan's cultivation age.]

[Ye Yuanling (Third Generation): That's right. Top-grade Spirit Medicine is rather difficult to obtain where Grandpa is.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): I've also thought of the fourth item. Among us, only I possess the Eternal Jade Seal Martial Soul. The Spirit Ability Eternal Fusion consumes an enormous amount of Soul Power, so we also need an Immortal Herb that can increase total Soul Power.]

[Ye Kaiyang (Third Generation): That's easy. I have one here. It can increase it by a full factor of two.]

[Ye Xiao: For the last item, I need something that can conceal Spirit Rings. I haven't dared reveal my Spirit Rings at all this past year. My Spirit Rings will grow even stronger in the future, so until I possess the strength of a Titled Douluo, I think I should keep them hidden.]

[Ye Wanqing (Fourth Generation): That's easy. I have a type of Soul Tool that can conceal them. As long as it isn't a Titled Douluo, no one will be able to see through it. There won't be any Titled Douluo in Heaven Dou City either.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation): There are actually only three. Two are Mother's guards, and the other is Grandfather Dugu. None of them are a problem.]

[Ye Wanqing (Fourth Generation): Leave it to me.]

[Ye Qianxue (Second Generation) sent Ye Xiao a Red Packet.]

[Ye Kaining (Third Generation) sent Ye Xiao a Red Packet.]

[Ye Wanqing (Fourth Generation) sent Ye Xiao a Red Packet.]

[Opened one Red Packet. Obtained one Immortal Grass Eternal Zhen Grass.]

[Opened one Red Packet. Obtained the Ye Family Jade Seal Fusion Skill Compendium.]

[Opened one Red Packet. Obtained Tuantuan Nutritional Meal.]

[Opened one Red Packet. Obtained one Immortal Grass Soul Nourishing Grass.]

[Opened one Red Packet. Obtained the special Soul Tool Hidden Ring.]

Looking at the things his descendants had given him, the corners of Ye Xiao's mouth could not stop rising.

Every single item was extremely useful to him.

Ye Xiao first put on the Hidden Ring.

The three Thousand Year Spirit Rings beneath his feet immediately became two hundred-year Spirit Rings and one Thousand Year Spirit Ring.

Ye Xiao was extremely satisfied.

Afterward, Ye Xiao examined the other rewards.

There was a great deal of Tuantuan Nutritional Meal.

These were not things like Spirit Medicine, but resources specifically meant to increase a Spirit Soul's cultivation age.

It was like the Spirit Ascension Tower from Soul Land III, except the Spirit Ascension Tower required killing Spirit Beasts, while these only needed to be eaten.

Ye Xiao checked the information. These resources were enough to raise Tuantuan to a hundred-thousand-year cultivation age.

It could be said to be extremely impressive.

At one hundred thousand years, she could provide five Spirit Rings.

At two hundred thousand years, six Spirit Rings.

At four hundred thousand years, seven Spirit Rings.

At six hundred thousand years, eight Spirit Rings.

At eight hundred thousand years, nine Spirit Rings.