Hearing this, Director Su first froze for a moment, then said with a look of understanding,
"You're right. You're already a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, so you meet Notting Academy's graduation requirements.
And with your talent, you shouldn't be staying in a little place like Notting City anyway. You should go out and make your mark on a bigger stage!
All right, I approve your request. Ling Yun—no, classmate Ling Yun, congratulations on officially graduating from our academy!
I also hope you'll make a name for yourself in the Soul Master World soon and leave a bold, brilliant mark in the history books!"
"Thank you, Director Su. I'm also grateful for all the guidance and care you've given me over the past two and a half years!"
Ling Yun bowed deeply, then took his leave. But just then, Director Su suddenly called out to him.
"Wait a moment!"
As he spoke, Director Su took a heavy little cloth pouch from his desk drawer. The clink of metal came from inside.
After pressing the pouch into Ling Yun's hand, Director Su smiled. "There are a hundred Gold Soul Coins in here. Keep them. If you want to become a powerful Soul Master, you can't do it without enough money."
"Director Su, this is far too much!" Ling Yun said in surprise. A hundred Gold Soul Coins was no small sum.
He was just about to hand the pouch back when Director Su waved him off with a smile. "It's nothing. A hundred Gold Soul Coins don't amount to much to me. Just keep them."
"Then thank you, Director Su!" Ling Yun didn't refuse again. He really did need the Gold Soul Coins.
"I'm off, Director Su. I'll come visit you often."
"Mm. I wish you a safe journey!"
After saying goodbye to Director Su, Ling Yun turned and left Notting Academy. But before he'd even reached the gate, he saw Tang San and Xiao Wu walking toward him, with Yu Xiaogang behind them.
Just like before, Yu Xiaogang still wore that gloomy, corpse-like expression, as if everyone owed him a million.
Fortunately, because of their earlier wager, Yu Xiaogang hadn't come to bother him over the past two years.
Seeing Ling Yun, Tang San took the initiative to greet him with a smile. "Ling Yun, are you going out to eat?"
Ling Yun shook his head. "No, I've already applied to Director Su for graduation. If all goes well, today will be the last time you see me.
Who knows when we'll meet again after this?"
"What? You've already applied to graduate?"
Tang San froze for a moment, feeling a little unwilling to accept it. Over the past two and a half years, he'd challenged Ling Yun more than a dozen times, but he'd never won once.
Now that Ling Yun had graduated, there was no way Tang San could defeat him anytime soon.
"You haven't even been enrolled for three years. Why apply to graduate so early?"
Xiao Wu scratched her head in confusion, then glanced at Tang San beside her and grinned mischievously. "Don't tell me you heard that Xiao San became a Soul Grandmaster, got scared you couldn't beat him, and decided to slink away?"
"Scared? Heh, you think I'd be scared of Tang San? That's ridiculous!"
Ling Yun laughed casually, then released his Martial Soul. One yellow and one purple Soul Ring appeared in succession, with the purple Second Soul Ring gleaming especially brightly.
Master Ma Xiunuo and the others already knew he had a Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring, so he wasn't worried about more people learning that it was a thousand-year ring.
Sure enough, when Tang San and the others saw the Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring beneath his feet, they all looked stunned.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened especially dramatically. Clutching his head, he muttered in disbelief,
"A Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! According to my theories, a Second Soul Ring can only reach seven hundred years at most. How could it possibly surpass a thousand years..."
"You've actually become a Soul Grandmaster, and your Soul Power has reached level twenty-four?" Tang San said incredulously.
All this time, thanks to the Mysterious Heaven Skill, his Soul Power had always been a cut above Ling Yun's. He hadn't expected Ling Yun to overtake him.
Now Ling Yun was far ahead of him in both cultivation and strength.
"Mm. I was lucky this time and absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, which boosted my Soul Power a lot. All right, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. Maybe we'll meet again someday."
As he spoke, Ling Yun started to leave Notting Academy, but Tang San stopped him.
"Wait, Ling Yun. Have another match with me. I want to see just how strong you are now!"
"I can, but if you lose this time, you'll have to give me ten Gold Soul Coins."
Ling Yun agreed. He wasn't about to pass up any chance to make money. But before Tang San could say anything, Xiao Wu beside him couldn't help complaining.
"Ten Gold Soul Coins? Why not just rob us? And when Xiao San lost to you before, he only had to give you one Gold Soul Coin. Why'd you raise the price?"
"It's simple. We're both Soul Grandmasters now, so it's reasonable for me to raise my price, right? Anyway, if you're willing to give me ten Gold Soul Coins, I'll have a match with you. If not, forget it."
After a pause, Ling Yun looked at Xiao Wu and added, "And since we're classmates, I'll let you and Tang San fight me together. If you lose, you only have to give me ten Gold Soul Coins. So, do you dare?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Xiao Wu agreed at once. "Xiao San, we'll take him on together. We'll beat him so badly he won't know which way is up!"
"This... all right."
Tang San hesitated. He'd thought that two against one was a little unfair, but then he considered that he might not be Ling Yun's match and agreed.
"Good. Then let's head to the woods behind the school."
With that, Ling Yun headed for the school's woods. Tang San and the others followed close behind, and Yu Xiaogang came along too. He was curious to see just how strong Ling Yun had become after absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
When they reached the woods, Ling Yun released his Martial Soul first and announced his level.
"Ling Yun. You already know my Martial Soul. Level twenty-four control-type Battle Soul Master. Please, instruct me."
"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level twenty-three control-type Battle Soul Master!"
"Xiao Wu. Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit. Level twenty-two assault-type Battle Soul Master!"
Tang San and Xiao Wu released their Martial Souls as well. Then Tang San shouted, "The first to strike has the advantage! Xiao Wu, go! Don't let Ling Yun use his Second Soul Skill!"
He didn't know what Ling Yun's Second Soul Skill was, but a skill produced by a thousand-year Soul Ring was sure to be powerful.
"No problem."
Xiao Wu replied, then pushed off hard with both legs. Her body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. In the blink of an eye, she crossed thirty meters and charged straight at Ling Yun, then swung into a spinning kick aimed at his waist.
"Heh, this is easy!"
Ling Yun didn't use a Soul Skill. Instead, he thrust out both hands and caught Xiao Wu's kicking right leg. He even gave her leg a discreet little grope.
"What? You actually caught my flying kick?"
Xiao Wu stared at him in shock. She'd challenged Ling Yun before, but back then he hadn't dared take her punches and kicks head-on without transforming.
That was because Xiao Wu had a Beast Martial Soul, and after Martial Soul Possession, her physical abilities were far superior to Ling Yun's.
But now, after taking Whale Rubber, Ling Yun's physical strength had increased considerably. He wasn't afraid of Xiao Wu's punches and kicks anymore. After catching her flying kick, he flung her far away.
At the same time, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass came rushing toward him.
"First Soul Skill: Entangle!"
"Heh, I still have a road to travel, so I won't play with you two. Five Spirits Power, transform!"
Before the words had even faded, the Second Soul Ring beneath Ling Yun's feet suddenly lit up. In an instant, he transformed into a Flame Crane and soared into the sky, releasing a blazing inferno that burned the incoming Blue Silver Grass to ashes.
Before you continue