Notting Dean was a Soul Ancestor, after all. Killing a four-hundred-year Datura Snake was naturally no effort at all.
The Datura Snake was cut cleanly in half and fell to the ground, unable to move.
But Notting Dean's strike hadn't killed it outright. The snake's head was still writhing on the ground; it wasn't completely dead yet.
Notting Dean cautiously approached the Datura Snake, now severed in two, wary of its desperate final counterattack.
The Datura Snake's venom was potent. Even a Soul Ancestor wouldn't fare well after being bitten.
"This Datura Snake is four meters long and over four hundred years old. Based on its age alone, it could serve as Tang San's Soul Ring."
Notting Dean examined the Datura Snake and made his judgment.
"But Datura Snakes are known for their venom, which clashes with Blue Silver Grass's attributes. Absorbing its Soul Ring would be counterproductive. Let's keep going and look for another suitable Soul Beast."
Li Luo and Tang San followed behind Notting Dean, continuing deeper into the forest. After walking quite a distance, they finally spotted a Soul Beast that suited Tang San perfectly.
"It's a Begonia Flower—and a yellow, six-leaf Begonia Flower at that. We're really lucky to have found a suitable Soul Beast for Tang San so quickly."
"Begonia Flowers are Soul Beasts with a pure life attribute. They have almost no offensive power, but their healing abilities are unbelievably strong."
"A yellow Begonia Flower represents a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. For every additional hundred years of age, it grows another leaf."
"This one has a full six leaves, which means it's six hundred years old."
Notting Dean hesitated, then looked toward Tang San.
"A six-hundred-year-old Begonia Flower. Its Soul Power is gentle, but that's still too old. It might be suitable as a Second Soul Ring, but absorbing it as a First Soul Ring could be dangerous!"
"Ah! If only it had one fewer leaf—a five-hundred-year-old Begonia Flower. With Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power talent, he might be able to absorb it."
Notting Dean didn't have the Spirit Hall records that Yu Xiaogang had, so he hadn't fixed the maximum age for a First Soul Ring at 423 years. He had always judged how old a Soul Ring someone could absorb based on the Soul Master's overall qualities.
Notting Dean clearly had a bias in favor of Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power, so he believed Tang San might even be able to absorb a five-hundred-year Soul Ring.
As Notting Dean hesitated, Tang San stepped forward on his own.
"Dean, let me try. I believe I can absorb this Begonia Flower's Soul Ring."
Tang San stepped forward confidently, but Notting Dean objected.
"No. This Begonia Flower is too old. If you force yourself to absorb it, there's a very real risk your body will explode."
"Dean, let Xiao San try. I think he can do it too. After all, he has Innate Full Soul Power. You can't judge him by the standards of an ordinary Soul Master."
Li Luo spoke up in support of Tang San.
Of course, Li Luo wasn't blindly trusting Tang San. He was certain Tang San would be able to absorb this Soul Ring without a problem.
Why was Li Luo so sure?
It was because his First Soul Ring had been formed when the Prism Ball captured Tang San. The age of the Soul Ring it formed depended on the captured person's strength, and it would grow as that person grew stronger.
When Li Luo's Soul Ring first formed, it was six hundred years old.
But it had now grown to seven hundred years old, which was why Li Luo was confident Tang San could absorb a six-hundred-year Soul Ring.
Of course, Li Luo could also use his Martial Soul to enhance Tang San with his First Soul Ring, transforming him into Prism Tang San.
At this thought, Li Luo summoned his Martial Soul, the Prism Ball, and the first Hundred-Year Soul Ring rose around him.
Notting Dean wasn't surprised to see that Li Luo had already obtained a First Soul Ring, and that it was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring.
Li Luo had shown it off earlier when the gatekeeper gave him a hard time. As the dean, Notting Dean naturally knew about it.
"My Martial Soul is a support-type Martial Soul. I can enhance Xiao San. With my enhancement, Xiao San should be able to absorb it more easily."
Hearing that Li Luo could enhance Tang San, Notting Dean finally felt comfortable letting him absorb the six-hundred-year Begonia Flower Soul Ring.
Notting Dean approached the Begonia Flower and casually killed a chameleon-like Soul Beast hidden beside it. A Hundred-Year Soul Ring appeared above the Chameleon Lizard's corpse.
"Because Begonia Flowers have no offensive power and can heal injuries, other Soul Beasts generally don't attack them. Instead, other Soul Beasts often guard the area around them."
"All right, I've cleared away the Soul Beast guarding the Begonia Flower. Tang San, you can kill it now and absorb its Soul Ring."
Notting Dean took out a dagger and handed it to Tang San. Tang San accepted it and slashed at the Begonia Flower's stem.
The dagger was sharp and cut straight through the Begonia Flower, but the flower was tenaciously alive and didn't die at once.
Tang San struck it several more times. At last, the Begonia Flower died, and a deep-yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring emerged above its remains.
"All right, Tang San. Absorb it here. I'll keep watch for you."
Notting Dean scattered some powder around to drive away snakes and insects, then stood quietly beside Tang San to guard him.
Li Luo tossed his Prism Ball above Tang San. The Prism Ball shot out a beam of multicolored light that enveloped him.
"Come forth, Haji San!"
The First Soul Ring around Li Luo shimmered.
Tang San's hair turned a mix of iridescent blue and black.
After feeling Li Luo's enhancement, Tang San sat cross-legged, circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and guided the Soul Ring with his Soul Power. The Begonia Flower's Soul Ring settled around him.
With Li Luo's enhancement and Notting Dean keeping watch, Tang San absorbed the Soul Ring without much trouble.
About two and a half hours later, the deep-yellow Soul Ring had completely merged into Tang San's body.
He had succeeded.
Tang San's eyelids twitched twice. Then he slowly opened his eyes and stood up.
His Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, appeared of its own accord, while a deep-yellow Soul Ring slowly pulsed around him.
At that moment, a line of information flashed through Li Luo's mind.
[Captured Spirit: Tang San, Level 14]
The Soul Power within Li Luo also grew, and his Soul Power Level broke through to level fifteen.
A six-hundred-year Soul Ring, combined with the Soul Power he'd accumulated while stuck at level ten, let Tang San break through by four levels. Tang San's increase in strength also returned two levels' worth of Soul Power to Li Luo, his master.
Since Li Luo had recalled his Martial Soul, he couldn't see the changes to his Soul Ring for the moment.
But he could feel that the First Soul Ring representing Tang San had probably reached the nine-hundred-year mark.
That meant that after Tang San absorbed his First Soul Ring and reached level fourteen, the limit of his physical constitution had also risen to nine hundred years.
To keep Notting Dean from becoming suspicious, Li Luo didn't release his Soul Ring right away to inspect it.
He didn't want the fact that his Soul Rings could increase in age to be exposed so soon.
Now that Tang San had obtained a Soul Ring, the three of them had accomplished what they'd come for.
So, led by Notting Dean, they left the Soul Hunting Forest and returned to Notting Academy.