Taking a Break and Returning to the Village

Before long, the academy break arrived, and it was time to go home.

Just like in the original story, Xiao Wu was coming along on the way back to Saint Soul Village, so there were three of them.

The three set out early in the morning. Su Ming summoned his Martial Soul and used his First Soul Skill. Although he and Tang San didn't get along, they were from the same village, so Su Ming still let both of them use his First Soul Skill.

Each of them stood on a cloud beneath their feet, flying at great speed. Tang San and Xiao Wu raced each other up ahead, while Su Ming followed behind at an unhurried pace.

Of course, all the things Su Ming had bought were stored in the ring on his hand. He had created this Soul Tool ring with the Creation Furnace.

Since there was no telling when he'd next return to the village, Su Ming had gone out of his way while Soul Hunting to kill dozens of ten-year Soul Beasts with good meat, including Black Boars and Mountain Antelopes. He planned to treat everyone in Saint Soul Village to a grand feast.

After flying for half an hour, the three split up at the village entrance. Su Ming flew straight to Grandpa Jack's house.

When he spotted the village chief's house in the distance, Su Ming gradually slowed down, then called out loudly.

"Grandpa Jack, I'm back!"

After he called twice, Grandpa Jack finally came out. As soon as he appeared, Su Ming flew over to the door and landed.

Old Jack heard someone calling him. The moment he recognized Su Ming's voice, he knew the boy had returned for the break, and hurried outside. The instant he stepped out, he was met with a hug.

"Oh, Su Ming's back! Easy, easy! These old bones of Grandpa Jack's are about to fall apart from your hug!"

Su Ming let go and grinned. "Hmph, not at all. I was hugging you really gently."

Old Jack released him and gave him a careful once-over, smiling as he said,

"Good! Good! Good! You've grown taller and sturdier. Come on, let's go inside."

The two went inside, and Su Ming briefly told Grandpa Jack about the past year. Naturally, he left out the dangerous parts about hunting Soul Beasts.

Then he took out the medal issued by the Spirit Hall and showed it to Grandpa Jack.

Meanwhile, when Tang San brought Xiao Wu home, Tang Hao was nowhere to be seen. All they found was a letter he'd left behind.

When Su Ming felt they'd talked enough, with two hours until lunch, he said to Grandpa Jack,

"Grandpa Jack, I brought back the meat from dozens of Soul Beasts. It's enough to feed the whole village. Where do you think we should eat, with so many people?"

Old Jack thought it over and didn't fuss. "Let's do it on the main road in the middle of the village, by the Spirit Hall."

"Sounds good. I'll go notify everyone. Grandpa Jack, you head over and gather them first."

Su Ming summoned his Martial Soul, rode his cloud outside, and flew around the village, using Soul Power to amplify his voice as he called out to everyone.

After making a loop around the village, he saw the villagers heading toward the center with bowls and chopsticks in hand. Su Ming flew over too, then, in front of everyone, took out more than a dozen Black Boars and more than a dozen Mountain Antelopes. He also brought out a huge iron pot and set it up. The rest was no longer his concern.

Su Ming spent the rest of the break in the village with Old Jack, enjoying himself. After all, once the break was over, he'd be heading to Suotuo City, and there was no telling when he'd next see everyone.

The break passed in the blink of an eye.

On the way back to the academy, the three of them flew on clouds again.

Su Ming and the others had just reached the academy entrance and dismissed their Martial Souls when someone came rushing over and stopped in front of him.

"Brother Ming!"

Su Ming took one look. Who else could it be but Wang Sheng?

"Alright, since you've been waiting here for me, come with me. We'll arrange for you to graduate early."

After parting ways with Tang San and Xiao Wu, Su Ming took Wang Sheng straight to the new student registration office in the teaching building. Director Su was there, after all.

The two knocked and went inside. Hearing the door open, Director Su looked up and saw two familiar faces. He greeted them,

"Well, look at that—it's Su Ming and Wang Sheng. What brings you two to the new student registration office? Do you need something?"

"That's right, Director Su. I've already obtained my First Soul Ring, and I want to graduate early and go to an intermediate academy. Wang Sheng wants to go with me, so we can look out for each other."

"We came to ask about the procedure."

"I see. You'll need the principal's approval to graduate early. You know where the principal's office is, don't you? If not, Wang Sheng does, so have him show you. Go talk to the principal."

"Then thank you, Director Su."

After thanking him, the two headed to the principal's office.

The conversation went much the same way. After hearing them out, the principal agreed to let Su Ming graduate early. He also asked whether Su Ming had an intermediate academy in mind. If not, he could recommend a few.

Su Ming hurriedly said he already had one in mind. Hearing that, the principal said no more.

By the time they left the principal's office, half an hour had passed. They'd received their graduation certificates, though the certificates were hardly necessary.

The two left the academy. Su Ming looked back at the place where he'd spent more than half a year. "Goodbye." Then he summoned his Martial Soul and flew off without looking back.

During the break, Su Ming had also considered how to make Wang Sheng's War Tiger Martial Soul evolve in a simple, fast, and obvious way.

Wang Sheng's War Tiger Martial Soul currently had no Attribute enhancement.

In the end, Su Ming decided to steer it toward the Fire Attribute and choose a Crimson Flame Tiger for his First Soul Ring. As it happened, there were Crimson Flame Tigers in the Soul Hunting Forest near Suotuo City.

The two traveled by flying and walking. After an entire afternoon on the road, they finally arrived.

Along the way, Su Ming had told Wang Sheng what Soul Beast they were targeting for his First Soul Ring.

He'd also explained why he was helping him hunt a Soul Ring: it was an experiment to see whether a Martial Soul could evolve by obtaining a suitably matched Soul Ring.

However, he made it clear that even if the experiment failed, Wang Sheng wouldn't be harmed.

After an entire afternoon on the road, the two were mentally exhausted, even though they'd spent most of it flying. After booking rooms at a hotel in Soul Hunting Town, they quickly fell asleep.

Early the next morning, they got up and spent the whole morning asking around. Confident in his flying ability, Su Ming joined a reputable Soul Hunting team.

Of course, during the break, Su Ming had also prepared a secret weapon, just in case.

After paying the fee, they headed in that very afternoon, their target already clear: a Crimson Flame Tiger deeper in the forest.

They were lucky. Near evening, they found a Crimson Flame Tiger that was around three hundred years old. After a fierce fight, they successfully took it down.

Seeing the Crimson Flame Tiger fall, Wang Sheng flushed with excitement. He dropped to his knees and knocked his head against the ground in front of Su Ming.

The Soul Hunting team had seen this sort of thing before, but their faces were still full of envy.

After all, most of the team's First Soul Rings were ten-year white ones. They'd seen people helped to hunt hundred-year First Soul Rings a few times before, but they still couldn't help feeling envious.

When Su Ming saw Wang Sheng bow his head to him, he hurriedly helped him up and pulled him aside. In a low voice, he said, "After you absorb the Soul Ring, don't show your Martial Soul yet. Wait until we get back."

Wang Sheng nodded firmly, walked over to the Crimson Flame Tiger, and finished it off with a single strike. Then he began absorbing the Soul Ring.

When the Soul Ring appeared above the Crimson Flame Tiger's corpse, Su Ming walked over and put the body away in his Soul Tool. He also took out a strange-looking staff and began keeping watch.