"Brother Ming, I've gone up four whole levels in Soul Power. Four whole levels!"
Ma Hongjun chuckled and held up a hand, waving four fingers in front of Su Ming. "Four levels! My Soul Power has increased by four whole levels. This is unbelievable. I'm already level 37."
"Good heavens, and I'm only twelve, yet I'm already level 37."
Seeing how happy Ma Hongjun was, Su Ming responded with a smile.
"There are still more than two years before this year's All Continent Soul Master Elite Tournament. Work hard at cultivating during these two years and try to reach Soul Ancestor."
Just then, Dai Mubai finished absorbing the pill's effects. As soon as he woke up, he saw Ma Hongjun showing off.
"Hey, fatty! What are you showing off for?"
Hearing Dai Mubai's voice, Ma Hongjun turned to look at him.
"Hehe, Boss Dai, you've finished absorbing it too. How many levels did you gain?"
Dai Mubai glanced at Ma Hongjun.
"Not as many as you. I only went up two levels. I'm level 43 now."
After speaking, Dai Mubai walked over to Su Ming, punched him lightly in the chest, and cupped his hands in a salute.
"Thanks, Su Ming."
"What are you thanking me for? We're brothers."
"By the way, you and Zhu Zhuqing should be unable to use your Martial Soul Fusion Skill now, right?"
"When we ran into each other in the Star Dou Great Forest, we tried it. We couldn't use it."
"If you could meet her in the Star Dou Great Forest, how did she get out there? Dai Mubai, did you not tell your family about the change to your Martial Soul?"
"I did. After I obtained my third Soul Ring and sensed the change in my Martial Soul, I went straight back to the academy from the Star Dou Great Forest and wrote to my father."
"Afterward, my father and eldest brother both wrote back to me in support. My eldest brother and I were quite close when we were little. He often took me along to play with him. We only grew distant because of the way we compete for the throne."
"My father was even more in favor of it. After all, this method of competing for the throne is meant to choose the strongest."
"As for why Zhuqing came to find me, first, we hadn't had the chance to call off our engagement yet. Second, she'd heard about what happened to me, and she wanted to break free of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill between the Hell Spirit Cat and the Evil-Eyed White Tiger too. So she came to find me."
Hearing Dai Mubai's explanation, Su Ming nodded thoughtfully.
"Fine. Once you've finished absorbing this pill, bring her to see me tonight. I'll help her figure out what kind of Soul Ring would suit her."
Dai Mubai had just thanked Su Ming when they heard someone exclaim, "That feels so good!"
The four of them looked toward the sound. Sure enough, Oscar had finished absorbing the pill's effects. He was the one who had just spoken.
Oscar stood up and stretched mightily, then opened his eyes as if he'd just woken from a nap. "That feels so good!"
Seeing that Oscar was about to say more, Dai Mubai went over, covered his mouth, and pulled him along.
"Keep your voice down. There's still one person who hasn't finished absorbing it."
Oscar looked at Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, who had already finished, then glanced behind him. Sure enough, Zhu Zhuqing was the only one left. He nodded at the others.
Seeing Oscar nod, Dai Mubai let go of his mouth.
Oscar immediately grinned mischievously.
"Boss Dai, I get it, I get it."
Seeing Oscar's expression, Dai Mubai lightly smacked him on the head.
"What the hell do you get? Tell us how many levels you gained!"
Oscar rubbed his head. It didn't hurt, but he still had to act like it did. Then, with a smug look, he said:
"I gained three levels in all. I'm level 35 now. How about that?"
Seeing Oscar show off, Ma Hongjun struck him with a perfectly aimed jab.
"I gained four levels. I'm level 37 now, two levels above you. I'm twelve and you're fourteen—you're two years older than me, too."
"And you're a naturally full-Soul-Power Food-Type Soul Master, yet you're cultivating slower than me, with my nine levels of Innate Soul Power and Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. What's there to show off about?"
At Ma Hongjun's words, Oscar's smiling face immediately fell.
Seeing Oscar's expression change, Ma Hongjun realized he'd gone too far.
Ma Hongjun was just about to apologize when Dean Flender, standing beside him, began to scold him.
"Little Ao, don't listen to Ma Hongjun. Food-Type Soul Masters are naturally slower to cultivate in the early stages. And you're the first Food-Type Soul Master in history to have Innate Full Soul Power. Your future is limitless. It'll definitely be brighter than Ma Hongjun's."
As he spoke, Flender smacked his own disciple, Ma Hongjun, on the back of the head. The blow staggered Ma Hongjun, nearly making him fall over.
"Apologize to Little Ao. Now."
"Little Ao, I'm sorry. What I said just now was a bit harsh. I apologize."
Seeing Ma Hongjun apologize, Su Ming hurried over to comfort Oscar too.
"Little Ao, what Oscar meant was that Food-Type Soul Masters don't have any offensive power, right? I have a solution."
Oscar's fallen expression instantly blossomed into a huge smile. He hurriedly asked Su Ming:
"Su Ming, really?"
"Really. But you'll have to wait until you reach level 60, a Quasi-Soul Emperor. Then, for your Sixth Soul Ring, you can hunt a Mirror Shadow Beast that's over 20,000 years old. Your skill might then let you copy other people's Martial Souls."
"If you eat it yourself, wouldn't that give you fighting power by another means? There's another Soul Beast whose skill could work too: the Silver Hero Beast. If you hunt one, your skill would probably be imprinting. It can imprint other people's Martial Souls, so its effect is the same as the Mirror Shadow Beast's."
Hearing Su Ming explain these two kinds of Soul Beasts, Oscar was immediately full of motivation. He stepped forward and gave Su Ming a tight hug.
"Su Ming, thank you so much!"
After letting go, he glanced at Fatty.
"Hmph, Fatty, I forgive you. Don't say things like that again."
The five of them continued waiting for the others to finish absorbing the pills.
The other two finished absorbing them at about the same time. Zhao Wuji sensed the changes in his Soul Power, saw that everyone else had finished as well, and dragged Flender into the depths of Shrek Academy's forest to spar.
After waking, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes and sensed her Soul Power. It had risen from level 27 to level 30. She then looked at Dai Mubai in front of her.
The other two had just finished absorbing the pills. Dai Mubai noticed and hurried over to Zhu Zhuqing.
When Dai Mubai saw Zhu Zhuqing open her eyes, he held out his hand.
"Zhuqing, you're awake. Looks like you absorbed it well."
Seeing Dai Mubai hold out his hand, Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, but still placed her hand in his.
Dai Mubai took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and pulled her up. Then the two of them walked over to Su Ming. Once they reached him, Dai Mubai said:
"Su Ming, let me properly introduce her. This is Zhu Zhuqing. She's from the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire. Her Martial Soul is the Hell Spirit Cat, and she's my fiancée."
Then he gave Zhu Zhuqing a detailed introduction to Su Ming.
"This is Su Ming. His Martial Soul is Cloud. He's a Soul Ancestor in his forties, and currently the strongest student at Shrek Academy."
Before you continue