With two hard-working laborers giving it their all, capitalist Lu Xian had smoothly raised his cultivation to level 22.
Even his Soul Rings had transformed into two hundred-year Yellow Soul Rings.
He had already figured out how his Martial Soul worked. Every time he reached a level-ten bottleneck, the first object he touched after releasing his Martial Soul would transform into a Soul Skill.
At first, his Soul Rings had also been Ten-Year Soul Rings, white and almost transparent.
From here on, he had no intention of lingering at the academy.
He knew Tang Hao was hiding in some dark corner of Nuoding City, constantly watching Tang San.
His son's behavior was so abnormal that Tang Hao would surely look for an explanation among the people around him.
Although Lu Xian had never dealt with Tang San, his rocket-like rise in cultivation would sooner or later attract Tang Hao's attention.
After thinking it over, Lu Xian decided it would be best to leave Notting Academy early.
After all, he could use the Broom to assign Tang San assessment tasks from afar.
He could also receive the feedback from Tang San's cultivation and the rewards the system issued after he completed his assessments.
There was no need for Lu Xian to stay by Tang San's side every moment.
Lu Xian's final academic year at the academy began its countdown. Students with talent like his barely drew any attention from the school.
He could stay if he wanted to help with odd jobs around the school. If he didn't, then Lu Xian had nothing more to do with the academy.
He completed the graduation formalities ahead of time.
Without the slightest reluctance, Lu Xian left the town where he had lived for six years.
He headed in the direction of Suotuo City.
After leaving the city and traveling dozens of kilometers, Lu Xian finally confirmed that no one was following him.
"First Soul Skill: Magic Broom."
Lu Xian straddled the Broom, then controlled it to fly toward the Balak Kingdom.
The Broom was not only the vessel for Tang San's God Trial, but also the First Soul Skill Lu Xian could use. He got to experience the thrill of being Harry Potter, too.
"Riding my beloved little Broom, it'll never get stuck in traffic!"
Lu Xian's departure didn't stir up the slightest ripple at Notting Academy.
With the first year of classes over, many work-study students planned to go home for the summer vacation.
Tang San, who was in the middle of a God Trial, was no exception. The dutiful son, worried about Tang Hao, also planned to go home and visit.
He only hoped that no assessment would be triggered during that time. Otherwise, the villagers of Holy Soul Village would surely suffer, too.
Nearby, the Little Rabbit watched Tang San pack his things, her face bright with delight.
At last, she could claim the entire bed for herself.
After sharing a bed for a year, the Little Rabbit seriously suspected that Tang San often kicked her in the butt after she fell asleep.
Otherwise, there was no way she could have fallen out of bed dozens of times in her sleep that year, landing flat on her face.
Yet during the midday breaks when Tang San wasn't around, nothing like that ever happened.
Although the Little Rabbit was certain Tang San was up to no good, she couldn't produce any evidence.
Now that this God of Misfortune was going home for a few months, she could finally enjoy some peace and quiet.
"Xiao Wu, aren't you going home?"
"Me? I don't have a home to go back to. I'll stay at the academy. Sister Xiao Wu will take care of the cleaning for these two months, and when you come back, you can carry on cleaning for another year."
Hearing the Little Rabbit say she had nowhere to go, Tang San's eyes flickered with sympathy.
Then, for some reason, a strange impulse took hold of him, and he blurted out an invitation:
"How about you come back to Holy Soul Village with me?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Tang San regretted them. He cursed himself for having so much useless sympathy.
Fortunately, the Little Rabbit immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum. She had finally gotten a chance to escape the God of Misfortune for a while. She wasn't about to follow him and get herself dragged into trouble again!
"No, no, there's no need. Sister Xiao Wu will be just fine here at the academy. Go and come back quickly. See you!"
After saying that, the Little Rabbit seemed afraid Tang San would refuse and dashed out of the dormitory in a flash.
Tang San watched her retreating figure. He felt relieved, but for some reason, a little disappointed, too.
He shook his head, picked up his packed bundle, and walked out of the academy.
That evening, in the faculty dormitory.
Gangzi was still studying the Plague God mark on his forehead.
He hadn't noticed that a figure cloaked in black had appeared in the room.
It wasn't until a glimpse in the mirror caught his eye that Yu Xiaogang turned around in terror.
"Y-you are...?"
"Come to think of it, it's been more than twenty years since we last met, hasn't it, Grandmaster?"
As Tang Hao spoke, he pulled down the brim of his hat, revealing a face weathered by the years.
Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted. Although he had long guessed that Tang San's identity had something to do with Tang Hao, when Tang Hao actually appeared before him, he still couldn't help feeling stirred.
"You're Haotian..."
"Enough. Let's not bring up the past."
"I came here this time not only to entrust Xiao San to you, but also to ask you something."
Yu Xiaogang swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, then cupped his hands.
"Your Excellency, please ask."
A trace of worry crossed Tang Hao's face, and his cracked lips parted slightly.
"Why has Xiao San been acting so strangely lately?"
At that, a flicker of understanding passed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes. He had more or less guessed why his disciple's behavior was so different from before.
The black Broom on Tang San's forehead proved it, too.
"Your Excellency, have you ever heard of the gods?"
At the word "gods," Tang Hao immediately clenched his fists. How could he not know that gods existed?
"Hmph. They're nothing but humans with greater strength, creatures with power but no divinity."
The Angel God stood behind Spirit Hall, so Tang Hao had no fondness for gods.
But what Yu Xiaogang told him next sent Tang Hao into a frenzy.
"Ah, I suspect Xiao San has been chosen by a god. Those strange actions of his are probably related to a trial."
"What did you say?"
Tang Hao vanished from where he stood and appeared before Yu Xiaogang the next instant. He gripped Gangzi's shoulder, his hand trembling.
The pain in his shoulder made Yu Xiaogang furrow his brows. He was only a newly advanced Soul Elder. How could he withstand that kind of pressure?
"Y-Your Excellency..."
Tang Hao seemed to realize he was gripping too hard and eased his hold a little.
"Do you know what you're saying?"
"Your Excellency, I say this because I've been chosen by a god, too."
"Have you noticed that my behavior has been strange lately as well?"
As soon as Tang Hao heard that Yu Xiaogang had been chosen, the gods' standing in his mind plummeted.
What kind of decent god would choose someone like him?
But that impression soon changed again.
"Your Excellency, try checking my cultivation."
At Yu Xiaogang's eager, proud expression, Tang Hao furrowed his brows slightly and spread out his spiritual power, enveloping him.
"Hmm? You've broken through level 30?"
It was an undisputed fact that Yu Xiaogang could never break through level 29. When Tang San had first become his disciple, Tang Hao had checked him as well, and he had indeed been level 29.
But now, Yu Xiaogang had actually broken through level 30 and become a Quasi-Soul Elder.
"Is it related to the gods?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled and pointed to the purple-green cloud-shaped mark on his forehead.
"That's right, Your Excellency. This is the mark of the God Trial."
"After completing a trial, your Soul Power and Soul Ring age will both increase."
"The fact that Xiao San reached level 16 in a year must also be related to his God Trial."
Before you continue