Secret Technique

Upon arriving at the Advanced Academy, Yan discovered that the freedom here far exceeded what he had enjoyed at the Junior Academy.

Aside from completing certain required courses, most of the remaining time could be freely arranged, so long as students maintained their cultivation progress.

However, all resources here had to be earned through one's own efforts, such as the Top-tier Mimicry Training Room and all kinds of cultivation resources.

One had to go through various battles and earn points before qualifying for access to the top-tier Mimicry Training Room and its training time.

The Advanced Academy had no specific graduation deadline, but students could remain only until the age of twenty-five at most.

Because twenty-five was the maximum age for young Soul Masters eligible to participate in the Continental Soul Master Tournament.

After turning twenty-five, no matter how high one's cultivation or how great one's talent, one would graduate directly and take up posts at the various Sub-Halls and main halls of Spirit Hall, or join Spirit Hall's Exclusive Soul Master Corps.

At present, the strongest student in the Advanced Soul Master Academy had only just broken through to Soul Ancestor. For Yan, such a level posed no pressure at all in battle.

Over the course of a year, Yan's cultivation steadily improved, rising from level twenty-three to level twenty-seven.

Although his Martial Artist strength remained at the fourth rank of Apprentice, both his punching power and overall strength had advanced further, and he was getting closer and closer to the fifth rank of Apprentice.

During that year, Spirit Hall also assigned a Soul Saint-level deacon with gravity-type soul skills to assist Yan's training.

Not only that, Yan had forged a full set of weighted equipment from extremely dense metal and wore it year-round while cultivating.

After breaking through to Soul Grandmaster, Xie Yue and Hu Liena also entered the Advanced Academy and were assigned to the same class as Yan.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena had always possessed exceptional talent. They swiftly adapted to life at the Advanced Academy and cultivated just as diligently. Apart from Yan, their Soul Power Levels rose the fastest.

At an exclusive training ground fully equipped with facilities on the back mountain of the Advanced Academy, Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena were cultivating when a burly figure approached from afar and soon entered the training ground.

It was Resak, the Thunderstorm Bear Martial Saint, and also the cultivation instructor Spirit Hall had assigned to Xie Yue and Yan when they first arrived at Spirit Hall.

Now that the three had gathered at the Advanced Academy, Spirit Hall simply had Resak come to the Advanced Academy to guide their cultivation once more.

Seeing Resak arrive at the training ground, the three stopped what they were doing and stepped forward to salute him. "Teacher Resak."

Resak nodded in return.

The three straightened up. Before Resak could speak, Xie Yue took the lead. "Teacher Resak, has Spirit Hall issued another new mission?"

After three years of cultivation, the three had proven their talent. Without question, they stood alone at the top among the younger generation.

Thus, Spirit Hall no longer concealed the importance it placed on them.

The other members of the Advanced Academy's Core Class received their missions from the school, while the three of them received missions directly from Spirit Hall, with Resak delivering them and supervising their completion.

"Xie Yue, don't be so impatient."

Resak chuckled. "Spirit Hall has indeed issued a mission."

Resak looked at Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena. "First, there is a joint mission for the three of you.

"Your cultivation speed is beyond question. You broke through to Soul Grandmaster in just three years, and two of you have soul ring configurations that exceed the normal limits, with a hundred-year soul ring and a thousand-year soul ring.

"Such a soul ring configuration has never appeared in the history of the Soul Master World. Yet your current cultivation is not high within the Soul Master World, which undoubtedly makes this extremely dangerous.

"Therefore, His Holiness the Pope ordered the two elders, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, to consult the cultivation records left by Spirit Hall's powerful predecessors and create a Hidden Soul Ring Secret Technique tailored specifically for you."

"Hide soul rings?"

Xie Yue and Hu Liena were puzzled.

Yan's heart stirred. There had been descriptions of similar secret techniques in the original work.

For example, Sword Douluo Chen Xin's soul rings did not float behind him like those of other Soul Masters, but were embedded within his Seven Kill Sword.

Such a technique was more of a flashy display in most cases, but for Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena now, it was highly practical.

Resak did not keep them in suspense and introduced the Hidden Soul Ring Secret Technique to the three.

As expected, after hearing the effects of the Hidden Soul Ring Secret Technique, all three revealed delighted expressions.

Especially Xie Yue and Hu Liena.

They did not possess Yan's strength. They were merely genuine Soul Grandmasters. If they truly encountered high-level Soul Masters coveting the method by which they had acquired soul rings beyond the usual limits, they would have little power to resist.

Therefore, the two of them needed this secret technique even more than Yan did.

"Elder Chrysanthemum Douluo said that if you can master this secret technique within a month, each of you will receive three thousand-year Whale Rubbers."

Ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber was the finest among Whale Rubber and was not easily obtained. Thousand-year Whale Rubber was somewhat easier to acquire than ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber, but Spirit Hall did not possess a particularly large supply of it either.

Even Hu Liena usually used Whale Rubber that was only a hundred years old. Aside from Bibi Dong's special rewards, she rarely had access to thousand-year Whale Rubber.

All three had used Whale Rubber for cultivation before and naturally knew the powerful effects of thousand-year Whale Rubber. Naturally, they all wanted to obtain it.

Thus, under Resak's guidance, the three began cultivating it intensely.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

At the training ground, Yan sat cross-legged, flames covering his body as the Flame Overlord possessed him.

Yet behind him were not the first and second thousand-year soul rings that would overturn ordinary Soul Masters' understanding.

Instead, around Yan's left wrist, amid the dense blazing flames, two slender purple phantoms appeared like bracelets around his wrist.

With a sweep of flames, however, they quickly vanished again, impossible to see clearly.

Yan opened his eyes and raised his left hand to look at his wrist. Under the flames he deliberately controlled to cover it, the slender soul ring phantoms could not be seen at all. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

Once he added a wristguard afterward, he would be able to completely prevent others from investigating them.

Putting away the Flame Overlord Martial Soul, he looked toward Xie Yue and Hu Liena. Their soul rings still floated behind them, but they had already begun to shrink. Presumably, after some more time, they would successfully master the secret technique.

Yan rose to his feet, found Resak, and informed him that he had succeeded in cultivating it.

"Not bad, Yan. The thousand-year Whale Rubber can be delivered tomorrow."

Resak said, "Perfect. Your next mission can begin as well."

"Teacher, what mission is it?"

Yan asked.

"It is a Soul Master wanted mission."