Li Yusong's Shock

After wandering for the entire morning, Xia Yan spotted a low-key shop tucked away in a secluded corner of the street.

There were no decorations on the exterior, and the plaque hanging above the entrance bore only a few peculiar symbols: a sword, a hammer, and a dragon.

An ordinary person looking from the outside would have no idea what was being sold inside.

Stepping in, he saw the shop was cluttered; the four tables, the floor, and even the walls were covered in various artifacts, with quite a few even hanging from the ceiling—ranging from swords and shields to bracelets, necklaces, and even skulls.

If a customer couldn't sense the unique fluctuations of soul power radiating from these items, they would certainly mistake this for an ordinary junk shop.

The owner must be a lazy man.

There was no counter in the shop. Directly in front of Xia Yan, to the right of the wall facing the door, a middle-aged man was resting on a rattan chair.

He looked to be in his fifties, with a goatee, a hooked nose, long curly black hair, and square black crystal glasses; just lying there, he exuded an air of cunning.

The cheap rattan chair beneath him had clearly seen better days.

With every movement of his body, it emitted a creaking sound—or perhaps "screaming" would be a more fitting description.

It sounded as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Xia Yan scanned the room and spotted a yellow crystal the size of a human head in the corner to his right. Stepping closer to examine it, he saw thread-like patterns inside the crystal.

There was no need to guess; it could only be the Dragon Whisker Needle.

Xia Yan had come specifically for this.

The power of this thing was simply exaggerated. A level 29 Soul Master could use it to contend with a level 70 Soul Saint; although it was only a sparring match and they wouldn't be going all out, it was enough to demonstrate its immense destructive force.

Furthermore, it only required an injection of soul power to fire, making it convenient, fast, and powerful.

Even if one couldn't aim accurately at a distance, it could still be used to ambush an enemy in close-quarters combat.

Adhering to the principle that one might not use it, but one must possess it, Xia Yan had spent the entire morning searching before finally finding this place.

He picked up the yellow crystal; it was cold and heavy.

"Boss, how much for this?"

Flender slowly opened his eyes and sat up. Through his square black crystal glasses, his old-fox-like gaze swept back and forth over Xia Yan.

He spoke, his voice hoarse and magnetic:

"One hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Xia Yan took one hundred Gold Soul Coins from his storage Soul Tool and piled them onto an empty spot on the table. They were bright and golden, clashing completely with the atmosphere of the entire shop.

It felt like they would have been more fitting if they were all Copper Soul Coins.

Flender said nothing more, his old-fox-like gaze still lingering on Xia Yan, until he walked out of the shop.

Afterward, Flender stood up, completely ignoring the pile of glittering Gold Soul Coins, and walked out the door.

Watching Xia Yan's retreating figure, the corner of his eye, where a lock of curly hair fell beneath his brow, twitched uncontrollably.

Xia Yan found a hotel and checked in.

As expected—or perhaps surprisingly—he did not run into Dai Mubai.

Early the next morning, Xia Yan set off.

The road was easy to find; after exiting the gates of Suotuo City, he followed the main road south. On both sides lay endless fields of golden crops.

It was June, and the wheat would soon be harvested.

He walked until high noon when a small village appeared ahead. As he drew closer, he saw a circle of wooden fencing surrounding it, which clearly showed signs of weathering.

The most severely damaged parts of the fence had turned completely black and rotted away, with only stumps remaining in the dirt.

There were also brand-new sections that looked as if they had just been repaired.

It was impossible to tell how many households were in the village.

At the village entrance, at least a hundred people were gathered—parents with their children—making for a lively scene, while villagers stood watching from a distance.

As one of the two most important cities in the Balak Kingdom, sitting upon the rich and vast Lima Plain, Suotuo City naturally had its own Soul Master Academy.

This time of year was always bustling in Suotuo City, because new students were enrolling, and others were graduating to head toward different cities.

As some left, others arrived, so these parents and children had come, and Xia Yan had come as well.

When Xia Yan walked to the entrance of the village, he saw a somewhat tattered wooden plaque hanging from an archway made of logs. It looked just like the wooden fences, weathered by years of wind and sun.

Carved upon it were five simple green characters: Shrek Academy.

In the bottom right corner of the plaque was the head of a green humanoid monster. It was bright green and grinning; setting aside the fact that it wasn't cute in the slightest, it was actually rather endearing.

Sitting beneath the plaque was an old man dressed in simple grey-brown robes. He was small in stature with a completely white beard, sitting behind a wooden table that had seen at least five years of use. Behind him was nothing but a dirt road and some houses, while before him stood a massive, swarming crowd of parents and children.

Xia Yan watched as

a father brought his child forward, the father straightening his back with pride: "My child is level twenty-one!"

The youth wore an equally proud expression. At around twelve years of age, a soul power of level twenty-one could absolutely be considered a genius in any ordinary academy.

Li Yusong noticed Xia Yan and tilted his head, gesturing toward the wooden box beside him.

The father pulled ten Gold Soul Coins from his bosom and placed them inside.

Li Yusong reached out to touch the youth's palm, and before two seconds had passed, he said, "Not a fit. Next."

The parent and the youth were stunned, thinking they had misheard: "Ah? My child is level twenty-one! He is a genius among geniuses!"

"You yourselves said that anyone over level twenty could enroll!"

Li Yusong replied:

"One must be twelve years old with soul power over level twenty to enroll. He is thirteen; he does not meet the requirements."

The father wore a fawning smile, pulling another Gold Soul Coin from his bosom and hiding it in his palm, intending to slip it quietly to Li Yusong.

Li Yusong interrupted his movement, his expression unchanging: "Next."

The father's face flushed red instantly:

"On what grounds?!"

"These are your own rules! You are just swindling money!"

"Give my money back!"

Having said this, he reached out, intending to flip over the wooden box to retrieve his coins.

Li Yusong's expression turned impatient.

A tyrannical aura exploded outward in an instant. Six Soul Rings—white, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black—appeared simultaneously. The pressure belonging to a six-ringed Soul Emperor forced the entire crowd to tremble.

The noisy village entrance fell into a deathly silence.

It was actually a legendary six-ringed Soul Emperor!

Li Yusong stated: "The rules were stated in advance: twelve years old or younger and above level twenty are the only ones qualified to enroll. Everyone else, go back the way you came."

The father was no longer angry; he turned pale and hurriedly dragged his child away, terrified that Li Yusong might lose his patience.

The monthly subsidy for a level twenty Soul Grand Master was ten Gold Soul Coins; the youth's monthly subsidy was effectively gone.

One after another, four-fifths of the people left, leaving only a sparse dozen or so.

But after being shaken by Li Yusong like that, they all looked at one another, not daring to step forward.

Xia Yan walked up and placed ten Gold Soul Coins into the wooden box.

Li Yusong immediately changed his expression, his smile gentle and his tone filled with anticipation: "Are you here to enroll as well?"

"Come, let me check your bone age first."

This sudden change left everyone completely bewildered. What was going on?

What else could it be? Naturally, it was because Li Yusong had sensed the fluctuations of Xia Yan's soul power.

Good heavens, it was a Soul Elder!

This youth was a bona fide Soul Elder!

Xia Yan extended his hand. As soon as Li Yusong felt his bones, his eyes widened. He jerked his head up, looking at Xia Yan with an expression of utter disbelief.

It was the look one would give a monster.

Eleven years old?!

An eleven-year-old Soul Elder?!

What a damn monster!