Showing Might

In the end, Yu Xiaogang gave Tang San a strict ultimatum: he was forbidden from challenging Xia Yan!

Otherwise, he would sever their master-disciple relationship!

Tang San was puzzled as to why his teacher had suddenly become so serious, even furious, especially since he had already sworn an oath.

Yet, he still gave Yu Xiaogang his word.

However, in his heart, he still intended to cultivate diligently, defeat Xia Yan, and give his teacher a surprise!

Hmph, I possess the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand, countless hidden weapons of the Tang Sect, and my teacher's meticulous cultivation,

What do I have to fear from Xia Yan!

Yu Xiaogang finally breathed a sigh of relief; this life of his had been preserved.

In the days that followed, Tang San did not approach Xia Yan to improve their relationship as he had promised; instead, he cultivated even harder.

Every day after class, he would go straight to training.

He even found an apprenticeship at a blacksmith shop, diligently forging hidden weapons out of scrap metal.

As they spent time together, the relationship between Tang San and the work-study students also improved; after all, they were still young, and relationships changed quickly.

Plus, Tang San truly possessed the strength to back it up.

As for the regular students, no one dared to bully the work-study students anymore, because the work-study students had three major backers.

The second-largest backer was Xiao Wu, the big sister; she would teach anyone who dared to mess with the work-study students a lesson.

She was invincible among the regular students.

The third-largest backer was Tang San; he enjoyed the feeling of being admired, and naturally, he was willing to stand up for the work-study students.

With his poisonous Blue Silver Grass, whoever he bound would be poisoned; no one dared to provoke him.

The number one backer, naturally, was Xia Yan.

He was the only one who had only made a move in public once, yet he was the backer the regular students feared the most.

Ever since that day, everyone would fearfully dodge out of his way whenever they saw him.

He was also the one who appeared the least; aside from regular classes, he was rarely seen.

Xiao Wu also formally apologized to Tang San for badmouthing Yu Xiaogang behind his back; after all, she had been in the wrong.

Her mother had told her that one must apologize when they are wrong, otherwise, they wouldn't be a good Xiao Wu.

Tang San graciously accepted the apology.

After a brief conflict, everything seemed to be changing for the better.

Ten months later.

Inside the first floor of the tower.

"Can you squeeze out a little more?"

Xia Yan pressed down on the Datura Snake's head, kneading and squeezing, attempting to extract just a bit more venom.

The Datura Snake shook its head, its fangs clinking against the celadon porcelain bottle filled with venom, producing a dull sound.

Those ruby-like eyes revealed the exhaustion of being drained dry:

"Sss-sss~"

There's none left, there really isn't a single drop left...

For the past ten months, its venom sac had never been full; its venom was extracted every so often, leaving it feeling so empty... so empty...

Xia Yan encouraged the Datura Snake: "Good job, you've been great. We can earn another two Gold Soul Coins, and I'll buy you some meat to eat later."

He gently stroked its head with his palm.

The Datura Snake hissed comfortably, its tail swaying back and forth.

It still didn't understand what earning money was, or why one had to buy food when hungry instead of just eating it directly.

But as long as Xia Yan was happy, it was happy.

Xia Yan stroked the snake scales, knowing the Datura Snake had done its best, but he still needed more Gold Soul Coins.

Currently, he earned a steady three or three-and-a-half Gold Soul Coins per month.

Although a single Gold Soul Coin was enough for an ordinary family of three to live on for half a year, for Xia Yan, it could only be described as just enough.

The earning power of a soul master and an ordinary person was different, and the cost of living was worlds apart.

To cultivate, he had to eat various foods rich in soul power daily, buy Whale Rubber, purchase spiritual fruits, and take medicinal baths together with the Datura Snake...

The Datura Snake also needed to eat food as rich in soul power as possible.

Eating food rich in soul power allowed one to cultivate much faster.

Whale Rubber can enhance physical constitution and toughen meridians, which means the meridians can accommodate a greater flow of soul power simultaneously, leading to faster cultivation.

Medicinal baths can alleviate fatigue, accelerate the recovery of the body and soul power, and compensate for the physical deficiencies caused by past periods of food and clothing scarcity...

Yet all of this must be covered by a budget of at most three and a half Gold Soul Coins, so one can imagine that Xia Yan's current financial situation is not exactly ideal.

It looks like a lot of income, but it simply doesn't last.

He currently has only one Silver Soul Coin and one hundred and twelve Copper Soul Coins in his pocket.

Hmm...

He has to find a way to make money again...

Gathering herbs, hunting, acting as a middleman, making medicine... going to the Great Soul Arena.

That's it, he can only go to the Great Soul Arena.

The types of soul battles are diverse, and it is a sport beloved by the masses of the Douluo Continent.

Whether one is an ordinary person or a soul master, anyone who wants to enter the arena to fight can do so; the lower the win rate and the higher the risk, the more one might potentially win in the end.

Of course, there are also more people beaten to death on the spot.

Great Soul Arenas only exist in major cities; Notting City is merely a small city, so it certainly doesn't have one, but it definitely has a smaller soul arena.

After selling the venom, Xia Yan arrived at a soul arena on the west side of Notting City. Relying on nearly a year of hard training and the improvements in physique and physical strength brought by the Datura Snake, he defeated four opponents in a row, earning eleven Gold Soul Coins.

The rules follow a progressive system.

He defeated one and received half a Gold Soul Coin.

He defeated two and received one and a half Gold Soul Coins.

He defeated three and received five Gold Soul Coins.

He defeated four and received eleven Gold Soul Coins.

The increment of Gold Soul Coins is not fixed; it adjusts according to the strength of the enemies faced.

By the fourth match, Xia Yan felt the pressure and estimated that he would have to use a soul skill for the fifth, so he stopped fighting.

This impressive record shocked the entire arena; to be able to sweep four opponents at such a young age, his future is promising!

The soul arena wanted to sign him for long-term combat, but he refused.

For him, earning money is for the sake of cultivation, not the other way around.

After buying his supplies and on his way back to Notting Academy, Xia Yan saw four men and two women of varying heights surrounding a pink figure beside a small stall.

"This is her stall, by what right are you seizing it!"

"Seizing? This is ours!"

"You are shameless! This auntie has been setting up here for five years, by what right are you taking it away?!"

Beside the stall, there was also a frail middle-aged woman, nervous and at a loss, her hands hovering in the air, not knowing what to do.

The oldest among the six, a man in his thirties who was also the leader, walked out shaking his head.

He was obese, his face greasy, and his short hair looked as if it had been oiled and combed neatly. The corners of his mouth curled up smugly:

"Little sister, your words really make big brother sad..."

"Bang!"

"Ah!!"

Before the middle-aged man could finish his sentence, Xia Yan delivered a whip kick, snapping his right leg, while simultaneously crushing the forearm of the man to his right and violently dragging him to the ground.

At the same time, he charged toward the two men and two women who were backing away in fear.

He pulled out a long staff propped against the stall and slammed it into the calves, faces, and backs of the four.

In an instant, all six were wailing in agony.

The entire street was shocked into silence.

Xia Yan stepped on the middle-aged man's mouth to ensure he couldn't wail, leaned his upper body down, and stared into those fearful eyes:

"I don't care who you are. If I see you threatening anyone in this area, any stall owner, I will make you understand that today was just a small lesson. If you retaliate against this stall owner in private and I find out, or if she suddenly disappears one day, I will definitely assume that it is your doing."

"Do you understand?"

He applied pressure with his foot, grinding it into the man's mouth.