It's Time to Leave! This Place Is Not Suitable for Lingering!

The light in the forest was much dimmer than when they had arrived. The jungle canopy obscured most of the sky, with only a few golden rays of sunset leaking through the gaps to land on the piles of fallen leaves, looking like shattered gold scattered across the ground.

As Tang San walked, he suddenly slowed his pace, waiting for Huang Fei to walk beside him.

"What do you think of my second soul ring?" he asked.

Huang Fei thought for a moment and gave an objective evaluation: "Not bad. Eight hundred and twenty years, same-origin soul beast, life attribute, three vines. The direction is correct, and the foundation is solid. Keep it up."

Hearing this, Tang San felt that Huang Fei's tone was somewhat like a teacher grading homework. But then again, the fact that he had asked Huang Fei this question meant he trusted Huang Fei's judgment, and Huang Fei's willingness to provide an evaluation showed that he truly cared about the matter.

"What about you?" Tang San suddenly asked. "Your first soul ring..."

He still felt a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. After all, he had broken through to level twenty and obtained his second soul ring, while looking at Huang Fei's Soul Power Level, which he knew to be thirteen, he figured the other boy must be feeling uncomfortable. Facing someone who was walking ahead of him, the other person might be feeling a bit bitter.

"No rush." Huang Fei shook his head, his tone as indifferent as if he were speaking of something that had nothing to do with him. "I have my own plans for my affairs."

Tang San glanced at him, nodded, and did not ask again.

When they walked out of the Soul Hunting Forest, the sky had already turned completely dark. In the distance, Nuoding City lit up with scattered lights, like a glowing ribbon stretched across the horizon.

Yu Xiaogang stood at the forest entrance waiting for them, the moonlight shining on him, stretching his shadow long and thin.

"Let's go, back we go." His voice was as steady as ever, but there was a trace of exhaustion in his tone that even he hadn't noticed.

Three people, three pairs of feet, stepped along the path under the moonlight, walking step by step toward Nuoding City.

It was already late at night when they returned to Dormitory Seven.

Tang San collapsed and fell asleep instantly; the fusion of his second soul ring had consumed a massive amount of his energy, and he had slumped onto his bed without even taking off his shoes.

Huang Fei covered him with a quilt, then sat on his own bed, not sleeping.

He was waiting.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, that cold notification sound rang in his mind right on cue.

"Ding--Detected that target Tang San has obtained his second soul ring: Life Ancient Vine, 820 years. Host has triggered the reward mechanism--Generating corresponding rewards..."

"Generation complete. Congratulations to the host for obtaining your second soul ring: Life Ancient Vine, 1640 years. Soul ring level: Millennium (Purple). Soul skill: Multiple Entangle (Enhanced Version)."

"Claim now?"

Huang Fei closed his eyes and whispered in his heart: Claim.

Warm energy surged from his dantian, dense and heavy just like last time, like a river rushing through his body.

But this time, the sensation was more intense than before. A 1640-year soul ring contained twice the energy of an 820-year one, and the impact on his body was also twice as great.

His meridians were stretched and filled, every acupuncture point glowing.

His foundation of level thirty Soul Power showed its value at this moment.

Without the physical strength of level thirty, for a six-year-old child to absorb a soul ring over sixteen hundred years old—even if it were only a century-level one—would be enough to burst their meridians.

But Huang Fei could handle it.

Level twenty Soul Power carried an 860-year soul ring; level thirty Soul Power carried a 1640-year soul ring.

The things the system gave were always exactly at the limit of his endurance, not a fraction more, nor a fraction less.

The fusion process lasted about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Huang Fei opened his eyes and raised his right hand.

Blue Silver Grass emerged from his palm.

The ink-green stems were exactly the same as Tang San's.

No, looking closely, the color was deeper than Tang San's—not ink-green, but a deep emerald green bordering on black.

The diameter of the stems was twice that of Tang San's, the leaves were thicker and wider, and the luster on the surface was not jade-like, but metallic.

His Blue Silver Grass didn't look like grass anymore; it looked more like a work of art woven from some kind of metal wire.

Six vines extended from his palm simultaneously.

Three more than Tang San.

But he tested the control precision in his mind.

Tang San needed to use his consciousness to control the movement direction and attack angle of each of the three vines separately, but for him, the six vines were like six fingers—they moved however he wanted them to move, without needing to deliberately allocate his attention.

This was the gap between 1640 years and 820 years.

This was the gap in control precision.

Tang San's three vines were "three independent weapons," while his six vines were "an extension of his body"—they were not the same concept at all.

Huang Fei retracted the Blue Silver Grass, lay back on the bed, rested his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling.

He wasn't as happy as he had been last time.

It wasn't because the reward wasn't good.

A 1640-year second soul ring was an inconceivable existence across the entire continent, higher in age than the fourth soul rings of many Soul Ancestor level experts.

He was happy, of course, but after the joy faded, a realistic problem lay before him.

This soul ring must not be exposed.

A first soul ring of one hundred and twenty years could be disguised; one could simply say, "I just had bad luck."

But a second soul ring of one thousand six hundred and forty years—that is purple.

A century-level soul ring is yellow, while a one thousand six hundred and forty-year soul ring is purple; the difference is immediately apparent from the color alone.

He cannot explain it.

The teachers at Notting Academy are not fools.

The people from Martial Soul Hall are not fools.

Yu Xiaogang is certainly no fool.

If he continues to stay at Notting Academy, there will come a day when he is forced to use his soul skills in front of others.

During a spar with Xiao Wu, during an academy assessment, or in some other unavoidable situation.

When that time comes, the age of his soul rings will be noticed.

It is not about showing off; it is about survival.

A six-year-old child with a first soul ring of one thousand six hundred and forty years?

No, that's wrong—the first soul ring is eight hundred and sixty years, and the second is one thousand six hundred and forty years—but others won't care which ring it is; they will only see a Soul Grand Master-level child possessing two soul rings that far exceed standard age limits.

Once this information spreads, Martial Soul Hall will come for him, the major sects will come for him, and even those reclusive Title Douluo will come for him.

He does not want that kind of attention.

What he has always wanted was never to stand in the spotlight and be gawked at by others.

He wants leisure, freedom, to not have to look at anyone else's expression, to sleep in as late as he wants, to eat whatever he wants, and to go wherever he wants.

Tang San can stand in the spotlight; that is his destiny.

Tang San is a person born to stand at the center of the stage; he is not afraid of being watched, not afraid of being talked about, and even enjoys the feeling of being "looked up to."

But Huang Fei is not.