Li Luo saw Tang San's meaningful glance and understood what he meant. He nodded, indicating that Tang San could demonstrate his Soul Skills to the Notting Dean.
Li Luo had no energy to pay attention to Tang San right now, because as Tang San obtained a Soul Ring and advanced to Soul Grandmaster, Li Luo himself had also received a boon in return.
The bottleneck in Li Luo's Soul Power loosened, and he broke through from level 22 to level 23. At the same time, he felt that the age of the Soul Ring representing Tang San had increased once again.
It was probably around two thousand years. In other words, after Tang San absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring and advanced to Soul Grandmaster, his body's limit could now accommodate the energy contained in a two-thousand-year Soul Ring. It had practically doubled.
The changes the Thousand-Year Soul Ring brought to Tang San's Martial Soul, along with the benefits it brought him personally, were immeasurable.
With Li Luo's permission, Tang San showed the Notting Dean his second Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Tang San first used the Blue Silver King to bind the Notting Dean.
"Second Soul Skill, Blue Silver Parasitism."
The Notting Dean was soon covered in Blue Silver King vines. He tried to tear them off, only to find that even with his Soul Ancestor strength, he couldn't easily break Tang San's Blue Silver King.
"It seems Azure Vine greatly strengthens the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Just considering its toughness, even I have to put in some effort to struggle free."
The Notting Dean lavished praise on Tang San's Blue Silver King Martial Soul.
"There's more, Dean."
"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Creation."
A blue-green glow appeared around the Notting Dean, and the Blue Silver King vines wrapped around him began to grow faint.
Tang San's first Soul Skill could convert the Soul Power contained in the Blue Silver King into life force and use it to heal a target.
If he used his second Soul Skill to assist his first, he could heal someone quickly and efficiently.
Tang San summoned several Blue Silver vines and bound them around an ordinary hundred-year-old tree not far away, their roots burrowing into the soil.
His Blue Silver King could absorb nutrients from the soil, plants, and animals, turning them into Soul Power and life force for himself.
This wasn't a trait possessed by the Blue Silver King or even the Blue Silver Emperor, but one that had emerged after Li Luo's Prismatic Evolution.
Now that Azure Vine had granted him the Parasitism Soul Skill, Tang San could attack when advancing and defend when retreating. He could rapidly help his teammates recover from injuries and restore their Soul Power, or absorb his opponents' Soul Power to replenish his own.
Using a healing Soul Skill across a level gap on a Soul Ancestor consumed a great deal of Soul Power. But Tang San was now in the Star Dou Great Forest, where energy available for absorption was practically inexhaustible. With its help, he quickly recovered the Soul Power he had just expended.
They had achieved their goal for this trip. The Star Dou Great Forest was simply too dangerous to stay in for long, so Li Luo and the others found a carriage to Nuoding City and hurried back to the academy.
On the carriage, the Notting Dean discussed graduation with Li Luo and Tang San.
"Li Luo, Tang San, you're already Soul Grandmasters. I've taught for many years, but I've never seen children as gifted as you."
"Even though you've only just started your second year, I'd love for you to stay at Notting Academy."
"But I know the academy can't really offer you anything more. You're at the golden age for cultivation, and a little place like Notting Academy shouldn't hold back your growth."
"Li Luo, Tang San, have you two considered graduating?"
The Notting Dean was reluctant to part with two genius students like Li Luo and Tang San. And if they followed the usual course and stayed until their sixth year, graduating as Soul Elders or even Soul Ancestors would benefit him even more.
Having two Soul Elders graduate from a beginner Soul Master Academy sounded impressive.
After all, the usual graduation standard for an advanced Soul Master Academy was only Soul Elder.
But the Notting Dean was a good man. He didn't want geniuses like Li Luo and Tang San to waste four years of their lives in a little place like Nuoding City.
Besides, he was already fifty, and only had a few years left before retirement. He no longer had the drive of a young man, nor any desire to climb higher.
With his Soul Ancestor strength, he was practically second to none in the little city of Nuoding. Even the city lord, an imperial baron, had to show him some respect.
"You're already Soul Grandmasters. To be honest, Notting Academy can't do much more for you."
"If you want to attend an intermediate academy, I can write you each a letter of recommendation."
The Notting Dean looked at Li Luo and Tang San, waiting for their reply.
After hearing the Notting Dean's words, Tang San didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Li Luo, seeking his opinion.
Whatever Li Luo wanted was what he wanted. Tang San would always be loyal to Li Luo's commands.
Li Luo thought it over and agreed that there was little point in staying at Notting Academy. But he didn't want to study at another Soul Master Academy either, since there was no point in that now.
Still, Li Luo accepted the Notting Dean's kind offer.
After the three of them returned to Notting Academy, Li Luo and Tang San went to find Xiao Wu and told her they planned to graduate and leave.
As soon as Xiao Wu heard, she insisted on leaving with Li Luo and Tang San.
The three went to the Notting Dean's office. Only then did the Notting Dean learn that the academy had another genius student in Xiao Wu. Seeing that Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu were together, he cheerfully prepared three graduation certificates and letters of recommendation.
Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu thanked him and were just about to leave the dean's office when an unwelcome guest came looking for them.
"Creak!"
The office door swung open without warning. The visitor didn't even have the courtesy to knock.
The man who entered wore a shabby scholar's robe. His beard was unkempt, and he had a close-cropped haircut. It was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
Somehow, Yu Xiaogang had learned that the Notting Dean had taken Li Luo and Tang San away from Notting Academy. He guessed that they had reached level twenty and were preparing to advance to Soul Grandmaster.
Yu Xiaogang had not given up on taking Li Luo and Tang San as his disciples. He figured that, with their talent, they would choose to graduate from Notting Academy once they became Soul Grandmasters.
Afraid he would never find them again after they left, he had waited anxiously for two and a half days. When he learned that the Notting Dean had returned to Notting Academy with Li Luo and Tang San, he hurried straight to the dean's office.
To be fair, Yu Xiaogang had arrived at just the right moment. If he had been even a step later, Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu would have left Notting Academy, and he would never have found them again.
"You're here too?"
Yu Xiaogang stared at Li Luo and Tang San in surprise. His gaze quickly fell on the graduation certificates and letters of recommendation in their hands.
"You're graduating?"
Li Luo and Tang San ignored Yu Xiaogang, took Xiao Wu by the hand, and started to go around him and leave.
"Wait!"
Yu Xiaogang stepped in front of Li Luo.
"What is it, Master Yu Xiaogang?"
Li Luo looked calmly at Yu Xiaogang and challenged him, placing special emphasis on the word "Master."