Watching the Match

After checking out all the newly unlocked features, Zhang Yang exited the [Forging Bench] page and opened the [Soul Ring Age Enhancement Function] interface.

His level had gone up, after all, so the ages of his Soul Rings should have increased by a hundred years or so as well.

Once he entered the [Soul Ring Age Enhancement Function] interface, Zhang Yang focused his mind on his third ring to inspect its details.

But the moment the information appeared, Zhang Yang was startled.

"Third Soul Ring:"

"Age: 2,281 years."

"Source: Molten Heart Stone-Throwing Ape."

"Can be enhanced by: 5,219 years."

"5,219? My third Soul Ring can actually be enhanced by over 5,000 years!" Zhang Yang could hardly believe it.

He could scarcely trust his own eyes.

At 7,500 years, that figure was even beyond the limit of most Soul Masters' fourth Soul Rings.

It sounded unbelievable, but in fact, it made perfect sense.

Although this Soul Bone appeared to be merely a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone,

it was a torso bone, the most precious of the six types of Soul Bone, and the one that provided the greatest boost to physical fitness.

So Zhang Yang's physical fitness had naturally improved enormously, and the upper limit of the Soul Ring age he could absorb had risen accordingly.

Moreover, as Zhang Yang grew older and his Soul Power increased, the boost the Soul Bone gave him would only become stronger.

At just eight years old and level 32, Zhang Yang was already physically strong enough to absorb a 7,500-year Soul Ring.

It was easy to imagine that by the time he reached level 40, his physical fitness would be good enough to try absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

By then, Zhang Yang would become the first Soul Master in history to possess a Ten Thousand Year fourth ring.

Even Tang San would have to settle for second place, picking up Zhang Yang's leftovers.

After going over all the updates, Zhang Yang browsed around the system for a while longer. Only after confirming that he hadn't missed anything did he hurry back into the game.

"I can't put it off any longer. The new season's high-drop-rate bonus is still active, so I'd better get into a dungeon and rake in the loot."

Zhang Yang quickly equipped himself and entered the game.

In this game, nothing could be allowed to go to waste—not big red equipment, and not Haf Coins.

Spirit Hall Academy Arena.

Zhang Yang entered through the north gate and followed the viewing passage up to the stands. He soon spotted Xie Yue and the others sitting in the front row, in the middle.

"Senior, senior sister." After greeting them, Zhang Yang sat down beside Xie Yue.

"You're here." Xie Yue nodded, while Hu Liena waved to Zhang Yang with greater enthusiasm.

"Good thing you weren't late today. The match is about to start," Yan said, patting Zhang Yang on the shoulder from the row behind.

"Yeah. There's a show to watch—I'd never be late for that." Zhang Yang folded his arms, his words brimming with schadenfreude.

Soon, two teams of young people dressed in Spirit Hall Academy's senior division uniforms entered the center of the arena.

The fourteen Soul Masters stood facing one another in the middle of the field, while an academy instructor served as referee.

"Harvey, Xiao Yu isn't your puppet. She has her own thoughts, and no one else has the right to meddle in any decision she makes," said a plain-looking male Soul Master with a buzz cut.

"Enough talk. Let's settle it with our fists," replied a young Soul Master with half-long blond hair and a wickedly arrogant expression.

"I'll restate the rules. No killing blows, no receiving assistance from other Soul Masters before the match, and no weapons other than your Martial Souls. Is that clear?" The referee looked at both team captains.

When they nodded, the referee gestured for the teams to move back. "Both teams, retreat thirty meters."

There would normally have been a pre-match handshake to show that they were schoolmates and that friendship came before competition.

But seeing how hostile the two sides were, the referee decided to be flexible.

With space between them, both teams followed the referee's instructions and activated their Martial Souls at the same time.

In the space of a breath, forty-four Soul Rings lit up across the arena. Yellow and purple light spread in every direction, creating a truly spectacular sight.

Zhang Yang nodded from the stands. The students really were worthy of Spirit Hall Academy: every Soul Master on the field was at least a three-ring Soul Elder.

The two who had just traded words were the team captains, and each was a Soul Ancestor with four Soul Rings—"yellow, yellow, purple, purple."

The two teams' surging battle intent, accompanied by the Soul Power released as they summoned their Martial Souls, clashed fiercely in the middle of the arena.

Even from the stands, Zhang Yang could smell the thick scent of gunpowder in the air.

"Academy representative team selection match: Harvey Team versus Shao Kang Team. Begin!"

At the referee's announcement, Harvey, with the Howling Moon Wolf Martial Soul Possessed, immediately charged toward the opposing team. His teammates followed their captain without hesitation.

Shao Kang Team reacted just as quickly. Shao Kang charged at the enemy alongside his teammates, holding his hammer Martial Soul, while six yellow beams of light followed close behind them.

Zhang Yang looked over and spotted a long-haired girl wielding a staff-type Martial Soul.

"That's the female Soul Master?" Zhang Yang turned to Xie Yue and asked.

"That's right. She's the heroine of this story."

Xie Yue nodded. "The seniors say Harvey has been pursuing Qiao Yu for a long time, but Qiao Yu likes Shao Kang, a classmate of hers."

"Qiao Yu joined Shao Kang's team early for this selection match, but Harvey kept pestering her."

"Later, Harvey even went to Shao Kang and demanded that he kick Qiao Yu off his team. Shao Kang refused."

"That's how the two of them became enemies."

"Harvey even declared that if he ran into Shao Kang in the arena, he'd cripple both his hands and make sure he could never be a Soul Master again."

"Who would've thought they'd run into each other after all?"

As Xie Yue laid out the whole story, Zhang Yang kept an eye on the match while happily enjoying the drama.

Hu Liena, beside him, snorted in annoyance. "Hmph. Harvey actually announced in public that he'd cripple a fellow student. He's asking for trouble."

Zhang Yang looked at Xie Yue. "He's certainly arrogant, but won't the academy do anything about it?"

Xie Yue shook his head. "I heard the senior division instructors already warned Harvey, but he doesn't seem to have taken it to heart."

"He's got some nerve." Zhang Yang turned back to the arena.

The fight was now at a stalemate, with the three-ring Soul Elders on both sides already locked in combat.

The two captains had just exchanged their first blows.

As an agility-type Soul Master, Harvey kept using his speed to catch Shao Kang off guard.

Shao Kang, meanwhile, watched Harvey's attacks, waiting for a chance to hit him with a devastating blow.

Of course, Zhang Yang wasn't especially interested in watching a pair of rookies trade blows.

What interested him was seeing how a seven-person team coordinated their Soul Skills in battle, and how Soul Masters of different types controlled the pace.

After all, Zhang Yang would definitely need to put together a seven-person team to venture into dungeons and haul in loot.

What Martial Souls should his other six teammates have? How should he arrange the lineup? How should he give orders?

Those were all things Zhang Yang needed to learn.

He couldn't rely on Xie Yue to lead him everywhere, whether in the real world or in dungeons.

Soon, Shao Kang unleashed his fourth Soul Skill with immense force. Harvey was a step too slow to dodge and took the attack full on.

Harvey flew out of the arena, spitting blood. The match finally ended with Shao Kang Team's victory.

The referee called an end to the match. A healing-type Soul Master outside the arena cast a healing Soul Skill, while several staff members hoisted Harvey onto a stretcher and rushed him toward the nearby infirmary.

The other injured students received healing Soul Skills as well.

With over a hundred people watching from the stands, the support-type Soul Master named Xiao Yu approached Shao Kang with dainty steps and spoke to him softly, asking how he was.

She also raised her hands slightly, as if ready to support Shao Kang at any moment.

Shao Kang clutched his chest and panted heavily, occasionally replying to Xiao Yu.

Before long, Xiao Yu seemed to have persuaded him. Shao Kang draped an arm over her shoulder, and she gripped his arm with one hand and wrapped the other around his waist.

Supporting each other, the two walked down from the arena one step at a time.

Watching them, Yan felt a stirring in his heart.

At that moment, he really wanted to fight alongside Hu Liena in a battle for honor.

It was the finest catalyst for feelings in the world.

Unfortunately...

Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, Zhang Yang finally stood and said with some regret, "That's so nice. They can fight openly and honorably, but we can't take part in this competition."

To enter the academy representative team selection, a team needed "at least seven official members" and "at least one Soul Ancestor above level 41."

Xie Yue Squad met neither requirement, so they weren't even eligible to register.

"Next time, then." Xie Yue looked down at the arena. "When it comes, I'll let the whole continent see the strength of Spirit Hall's new generation."

"Five years from now..." Zhang Yang calculated his cultivation progress. A smile as silly as Uluru's spread across his face. "Then I really have something to look forward to."