Xia Yan explained:
"A Soul Master's Soul Ring absorption limit isn't fixed. In fact, there's no definite limit."
Dai Mubai and the others weren't surprised. Xia Yan had said this before, though they couldn't be sure whether it was true. It was too shocking—it practically overturned years of conclusions from the Soul Master World.
Ma Hongjun nodded seriously:
"Brother Yan said before that those Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul aren't actually accurate..."
He hadn't seen it with his own eyes, but from what he knew of Xia Yan, he trusted him completely.
"False?"
Tang San immediately retorted, "Teacher could never be wrong!"
Ma Hongjun and the others all froze. Teacher?
What did he mean by teacher?
Xia Yan had no choice but to explain again:
"His teacher is Yu Xiaogang, the one who proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul."
Ma Hongjun gave an awkward grin. "Ah, well, you could've said so... I didn't know he was your teacher..."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't care about these little interruptions and continued asking:
"What exactly should I do?"
Xia Yan said, "Eat as much food rich in Soul Power as you can. There's a teacher at the academy named Shao Xin. He's away on urgent business for the next couple of days, but his Martial Soul is Sugar Bean, which is rich in nutrients and Soul Power. You can eat more of those. As for training, any reasonable method is fine, as long as it doesn't harm your body."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded solemnly:
"I understand."
Tang San, meanwhile, was furious. How dare Xia Yan insult his teacher right in front of him!
His teacher had spent thirty years studying Martial Soul Theory and was older than Xia Yan. What gave Xia Yan the right to say he was wrong?
Zhu Zhuqing asked Xia Yan again:
"Then did you also absorb an Over-Limit Soul Ring?"
At that, even Tang San and Xiao Wu looked over.
Xia Yan nodded:
"Yes. My Third Soul Ring was two thousand five hundred years old, well above the one thousand seven hundred years most people believe is the limit."
It was actually three thousand years old.
But saying three thousand years would've sounded too outrageous. No one could possibly reach that limit at present. His constitution was linked to his contracted Soul Beasts—the stronger they were, the stronger he became.
And right now, the Datura Snake and the others were all Soul Beasts of two or three thousand years.
The increase they brought him was astonishing.
Ordinary people couldn't achieve the same thing no matter how they trained.
Zhu Zhuqing covered her mouth in disbelief. "Two thousand five hundred years?!"
"C-can I see that Soul Ring?"
Xia Yan summoned his Third Soul Ring. In the forest beneath the moon, it shone with a pure purple light.
Everyone couldn't help but look over.
Zhu Zhuqing studied it closely. The Soul Ring really was much richer in color than an ordinary Third Soul Ring. It even glowed like a Fourth Soul Ring!
When Tang San saw Xia Yan's Soul Ring,
his first instinct was disbelief. It was too absurd—how could anyone have succeeded?!
But Xia Yan's displayed strength was too great for him to deny it...
No. Impossible. His teacher couldn't be wrong!
He clenched his fist. There had to be some other reason! His teacher couldn't be wrong!
Oh! I understand now!
He must have some other way of getting stronger, but he's hiding it and using this unfalsifiable excuse to fool everyone!
Damn Xia Yan, I almost fell for it!
Tang San stared at Xia Yan in secret,
seething with anger. How dare he drive a wedge between him and his teacher!
He also felt deeply ashamed.
For a moment just now, he'd actually believed Xia Yan was telling the truth. For a moment, he'd really doubted his own teacher.
Zhu Zhuqing asked again:
"Then what kind of training do you usually do, and what do you eat?"
Xia Yan didn't hide anything:
"Soul Beast meat, spirit fruits, Sugar Beans, and things like that. As for training, just ordinary training, except for one thing..."
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes sharpened at once:
"What?"
Xia Yan said, "Training after your Soul Power is depleted helps you improve faster than training while it's full. To take in more of the world's energy, your body keeps converting more Soul Power from your drained meridians to relieve fatigue. It also strengthens your meridians more effectively."
It was as if Zhu Zhuqing had discovered a whole new world. Her beautiful eyes blinked:
"So that's how it works..."
As for Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others, Xia Yan had told them this long ago. He trained that way himself, too.
Tang San, meanwhile, had no interest in it,
because his teacher had never said anything like that.
As Zhu Zhuqing fell into thought, the atmosphere sank into silence once again.
Ma Hongjun looked from side to side. No one was saying anything, and even Tang San was frowning.
Wanting to liven things up, he sidled over to Dai Mubai with a mischievous grin:
"Boss Dai, wanna go..."
But he hadn't expected Dai Mubai to react as if he'd touched something filthy, his face full of disgust:
"Don't say anything stupid, Fatty. I'm not going, and I won't go."
As he spoke, his eyes darted around.
Ma Hongjun froze, thinking he'd misheard. "Boss, what's wrong with you?"
"Isn't that your favorite place?"
"I haven't even finished, and you already know what I was going to say. And you're still saying you're not going?"
We went together just seven or eight days ago!
Dai Mubai's face darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about? I've never been!"
At the same time, he couldn't help glancing at Zhu Zhuqing.
But Zhu Zhuqing didn't react at all.
She didn't care whether he went or not.
He was furious.
Ma Hongjun scratched his head in confusion, his little chubby hand soft and pudgy.
"Boss, didn't I see you go the night before last? What's wrong? Did those sisters upset you?"
"Come on, just pick someone else..."
Dai Mubai couldn't take it anymore and glared at him:
"Shut up, you fat bastard!"
"I've never been!"
Ma Hongjun had no idea what was wrong with Dai Mubai.
What was Boss Dai even saying? He was the one who went most often. Why was he saying this now?
He stared at Dai Mubai in bewilderment. Dai Mubai's eyes darted around, and he looked completely baffled.
Ma Hongjun really couldn't make heads or tails of it,
so he turned to Oscar:
"Xiao Ao, are you going?"
"Let's go together."
Oscar shut his eyes in exasperation and turned away.
He'd already had a bad feeling and had hoped Ma Hongjun wouldn't call on him. But sure enough, he was dragged into it:
"Fatty, don't talk nonsense. When have I ever been to a place like that?"
Ma Hongjun looked as if he'd just heard something earth-shattering. He could hardly believe his ears:
"Didn't you say last time that the place I recommended was a great experience?!"
"No, what's with you guys today?"
Oscar's face darkened, and he looked at Ma Hongjun with disgust.
"Go, go, go? Go where?!"
"If you want to go, go by yourself. I've never been."
Ma Hongjun stepped back, eyes wide as if he were looking at monsters:
"Who are you?!"
"You're not Boss Dai and Xiao Ao. Who are you really?!"
Dai Mubai's face was so dark he looked ready to strangle Ma Hongjun:
"Shut up!"
He suppressed his anger:
"I said I've never been, so I've never been!"
He secretly glanced at Zhu Zhuqing again. She couldn't have cared less about anything he did. She was only thinking seriously about how to get stronger. This was the first time she'd ever heard of this theory,
but Xia Yan had said it,
and she would never doubt him.
Dai Mubai's face darkened even further.
Ma Hongjun looked at Oscar again, but Oscar turned away too.
He said helplessly:
"Fine, then. If you're not going, I'll go by myself."
By the time they returned to Shrek, it was already late at night.
Ma Hongjun hurried off,
while Dai Mubai and Oscar returned to their dormitory without a word and quickly turned out the lights.
Under the moonlight, three dark figures unexpectedly met outside the village.
They all froze,
then set off together.
Before you continue