Sparring with Tang San

By the time they returned to the academy, the dormitory area was already lit with lanterns.

Wang Sheng sat on the stone steps by the entrance, munching on a steamed bun. When he saw the two return, he grinned. "Eldest, you're back pretty late."

At that, Xiao Wu raised her chin and patted Xu Yuan's shoulder with a put-on air of maturity. "Of course! When I, Sister Xiao Wu, go shopping, how could I come back that early?"

The three of them entered the dormitory together and headed for their beds.

The other children in the dormitory were tidying up, getting ready to rest.

Tang San sat on his bed, reading by the light of an oil lamp. His pages were densely covered in notes; clearly, he was taking his reading very seriously.

Hearing the commotion, Tang San looked up. His gaze lingered on Xu Yuan for a moment before quickly returning to the page, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing its edge.

For some reason, seeing Xiao Wu and Xu Yuan so close made him feel terribly irritable.

Xiao Wu took off her shoes, crawled beneath Xu Yuan's blanket, and poked her head out. "Xu Yuan, hurry up and get in so you can rest."

The others looked at Xu Yuan with envy, making him feel terribly awkward.

Xu Yuan took off his shoes and coat, then climbed under the blanket.

As soon as he lay down, he felt Xiao Wu shift toward the wall to make as much room for him as she could.

Xu Yuan could feel the eyes around him—some curious, some envious, and Wang Sheng's particularly meaningful stare. It made him feel ill at ease.

In the blink of an eye, a week passed.

Tang San and Yu Xiaogang returned to school from the Soul Hunting Forest.

Yu Xiaogang climbed down from the carriage and said to Tang San, "Xiao San, you can go find that Xu Yuan and have a spar with him."

He was now absolutely confident that Tang San would crush Xu Yuan.

Without his guidance, Xu Yuan was nothing but a good-for-nothing!

"I understand, Teacher." Tang San nodded to show that he understood.

Tang San didn't think he would lose. After all, he had the Tang Sect Secret Arts, and he had a Soul Skill. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way he could lose to Xu Yuan.

When Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San's muted reaction, he gave a cold snort. "What? You still think he has a chance? The man won't even take a teacher as his master—what kind of judgment could he have? His Blue Silver Grass has, at most, a Ten-Year Soul Ring. One Entanglement from you will leave him unable to move!"

Tang San didn't reply, only nodding to show he understood.

"Go on. Let him see what a huge loss it was to pass me up." Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a push, his eyes filled with unquestionable expectation.

He could hardly wait to see Xu Yuan's regret after his defeat.

Tang San took a deep breath and turned toward the dormitory area.

The hubbub of the dormitories gradually grew clearer. From a distance, he spotted Xu Yuan sitting on the stone steps.

Xiao Wu crouched beside him, holding a foxtail grass stem and occasionally waving it in front of Xu Yuan's face. He laughed and batted it away.

"Xu Yuan." Tang San stopped, his voice breaking the peaceful moment.

Xu Yuan looked at Tang San. "What's up? Is something wrong?"

Tang San's gaze settled on Xu Yuan as he slowly spoke. "Teacher said we should have a spar."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the noise around them dropped at once. A few students passing by stopped and looked over curiously.

Xiao Wu immediately stood up and stepped in front of Xu Yuan, frowning. "Tang San, you just got back and you're already looking for trouble? What did Xu Yuan ever do to you?"

Xu Yuan caught Xiao Wu by the arm, signaling her to calm down. He rose from the steps and dusted himself off. "A spar? Sure. But we stop once someone gets the upper hand?"

"Of course." Tang San nodded and stepped aside, clearing the way to the training field. "Let's go over there. There's not enough room here."

Xu Yuan agreed and set off first.

Xiao Wu followed behind him, fuming and muttering, "There's no reward for winning, and if you lose, Yu Xiaogang will laugh at you. Why even fight him..."

Wang Sheng appeared from who-knows-where and sidled up to Xiao Wu, speaking in a low voice. "Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San absorbed a Soul Ring, so Xu Yuan..."

"Xu Yuan definitely won't lose!" Xiao Wu cut him off, chin held high, though her eyes stayed fixed on Xu Yuan's back, a trace of worry in them.

Before long, a crowd had gathered around the training field. They had heard Tang San returned after absorbing a Soul Ring and would be sparring, so they had come to watch the excitement.

Yu Xiaogang strolled over as well, hands behind his back, and stood at the edge of the crowd with a confident smile playing on his lips.

At the center of the training field, the two faced each other.

Tang San stood with his feet slightly apart as Soul Power quietly surged through him. A yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring slowly appeared beneath his feet.

A wave of sharp intakes of breath rose from the crowd at the sight of Tang San's Soul Ring.

A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!

It was the first time a work-study student at Notting Academy had absorbed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring!

After all, the first Soul Ring work-study students usually absorbed was a Ten-Year Soul Ring.

A Hundred-Year Soul Ring?

That was nothing but a pipe dream. To get one, you had to pay the school; otherwise, the school would never help you hunt a Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

"Xu Yuan, watch out for his Soul Skill!" Xiao Wu called nervously from the sidelines.

Xu Yuan gave a slight nod and simply rolled his wrist.

He didn't plan to reveal the Tang Sect Secret Arts in this spar.

"Let's begin."

Tang San gave a low shout, and the light of his Hundred-Year Soul Ring suddenly blazed brighter.

"First Soul Skill, Entanglement!"

As Tang San spoke, dozens of strands of Blue Silver Grass shot out like nimble snakes, hurtling toward Xu Yuan's limbs.

The students around them couldn't help crying out. They were sure Xu Yuan was going to lose this time.

At the edge of the crowd, Yu Xiaogang's smile deepened.

As far as he was concerned, Xu Yuan had no Soul Skill. Faced with this move, he had no choice but to be tied up.

Xu Yuan stood motionless, as though intimidated by the Blue Silver Grass's imposing rush.

Everyone thought he was too scared to move. Even Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her heart in her throat.

Just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to reach Xu Yuan, he leaped backward and dodged it.

The instant the yellow Soul Ring beneath Xu Yuan's feet lit up, the entire field fell into deathly silence.

A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!

Another Hundred-Year Soul Ring!

"H-how is that possible?" Wang Sheng gaped, and the foxtail grass stem in his hand fell to the ground. "Xu Yuan... he absorbed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring too? And he's a Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master?"

Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then erupted into a cheer ten times louder than before. "Xu Yuan! You have a Soul Skill too! I knew you were the best!"

The smile on Yu Xiaogang's face instantly froze. He stared at the Soul Ring beneath Xu Yuan's feet, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white. "No... this is impossible! How could a work-study student absorb a Hundred-Year Soul Ring? And keep it secret from everyone?!"

Tang San's pupils contracted sharply, and he was utterly stunned.

He had always thought Xu Yuan had yet to absorb a Soul Ring. He hadn't expected Xu Yuan not only to have one, but to have a Hundred-Year Soul Ring of the same rank as his own.

In that instant, Tang San realized he was in trouble.

"First Soul Skill, Life Entanglement."