Only after Li Ping'an used his healing Soul Skill did Tang San slowly regain consciousness.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Xiaogang sitting beside him, looking concerned. "Xiao San, you're awake? How are you feeling?"
The sight of Yu Xiaogang's face startled Tang San so badly that he nearly used one of the Hidden Weapons he'd spent the past year making.
"Teacher, I'm fine!"
Tang San looked around, trying to avoid Yu Xiaogang's gaze while figuring out where he was.
Earlier, after being struck by Yu Xiaogang's Soul Skill, even Yu Xiaogang had looked rather handsome to him.
Now that he was awake, he felt nauseated and sick to his stomach. He didn't dare look at Yu Xiaogang's face for long.
"Teacher, where are we?" Tang San asked.
Seeing that Tang San really was all right, Yu Xiaogang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If anything happened to Tang San, his plan to use him to make a name for himself across the world would go up in smoke.
"Xiao San, this is a clinic!"
"A clinic?"
Tang San circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill and sensed his own condition. He discovered that the injuries caused by his earlier cultivation deviation had already healed.
Yu Xiaogang had spent a year with Tang San, so he naturally knew what Tang San was thinking.
"Xiao San, this is the healing-type Soul Master who treated you. He healed your injuries with his Soul Skill."
Tang San understood. He looked at Li Ping'an, somewhat surprised.
"He's so young. Could he be like me, with Innate Full Soul Power?"
"Thank you for your help!" Tang San sat up and offered his thanks.
Seeing that Tang San hadn't recognized him made Li Ping'an even more confident in his disguise.
"No need. Your teacher paid for the treatment. I was just doing a job for money!"
With that, Li Ping'an went to collect his share of the day's earnings and then clocked out.
Now that Tang San was awake, he could circulate the Mysterious Heaven Skill to heal himself. There was no need for Li Ping'an to waste his energy.
After Li Ping'an had walked away, Yu Xiaogang sighed. He hadn't expected to misjudge someone so badly today.
"Xiao San, as a Soul Master, sometimes you need to rely on the strength of a group!"
"If you had a healing-type Soul Master as a companion, it would help you a great deal on the path ahead!" Yu Xiaogang reminded him.
Tang San thought it over and nodded. "Teacher, I understand."
After changing his clothes and removing his disguise, Li Ping'an returned to Notting Academy.
He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, cultivating Soul Power and sensing the changes that had come with his breakthrough.
My cultivation speed seems quite a bit faster than before! Li Ping'an thought.
He was confident that from now on, even without the system, he wouldn't end up like Yu Xiaogang, stuck at level twenty-nine and unable to advance.
It seemed absorbing the Nine-Heart Begonia Soul Ring had been the right choice. But he was probably the only one who could get a Soul Ring like that.
This kind of plant Soul Beast had all but vanished from the continent. No one else could find one.
Six months later, at the back hill.
Li Ping'an was learning a new Self-Created Soul Skill from Xiao Wu.
The Soul Skill involved the use of mental power. Xiao Wu had gained insight into it through her second Soul Skill, Charm.
Since Xiao Wu didn't need to cultivate Soul Power, she had plenty of energy to spend researching Self-Created Soul Skills.
And unlike Feng Xiaotian, she wouldn't neglect her Soul Power cultivation by researching Self-Created Soul Skills.
"How was it? I'm amazing, right?" Xiao Wu waited for Li Ping'an's assessment.
"Impressive! You really are the boss of Notting Academy!" Li Ping'an gave her a thumbs-up.
Xiao Wu's Soul Skill allowed him to use mental attacks, too.
It shared the same roots as Xiao Wu's Charm skill, though it wasn't as effective. But it had an advantage.
Even if it didn't do much against an opponent with far greater Soul Power, it wouldn't backfire.
Unlike when Xiao Wu used her Charm Soul Skill on Zhao Wuji and knocked herself unconscious.
"What do you think I should call this Soul Skill?" Xiao Wu asked.
"You created it, so you should name it!"
"Then I'll call it Charm Fist!"
Xiao Wu picked a name on the spot. She had developed this Soul Skill from her own Charm Soul Skill, so she named it after that.
Just as long as she doesn't call it Haodong Fist! Li Ping'an thought.
Li Ping'an quietly used the system to raise Xiao Wu's favorability toward him by one point.
[Congratulations, Host. The child of destiny's favorability toward you has increased by 1!] [Current favorability: 30. Reward received: Soul Power +2 levels!]
"My favorability finally went up again!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she hurried to claim her reward.
Her Soul Power rose from level twenty-four to level twenty-six.
At eight years old, level twenty-five was already exceedingly rare among human Soul Masters.
Aside from those with Innate Soul Power at level twenty, no one could surpass her.
Xiao Wu sneaked a glance at Li Ping'an and thought, Li Ping'an is really hard to win over!
I wonder what kind of person he likes. Am I not pretty enough? Xiao Wu felt a little down.
She had thought she could easily get Li Ping'an wrapped around her finger, but she hadn't expected it to be so difficult.
But the system's rewards were tempting. They let her grow stronger much faster, and she couldn't bear to give them up.
Xiao Wu hadn't forgotten that a Titled Douluo was still lurking in the shadows, watching her.
Li Ping'an had benefited, too. By sharing Xiao Wu's system reward, his Soul Power rose from level fourteen to level fifteen.
Over the past six months, Tang San hadn't been much help. He'd only provided a reward of one level of Soul Power.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, had brought him two levels of Soul Power. His own cultivation had raised it by only about one level.
"Xiao Wu, the academy will be on break again soon, and I'm going home for a while. What are you planning to do?"
"Home?" Xiao Wu suddenly felt envious.
But she'd already made plans for the break.
"Li Ping'an, I've broken through to level twenty. I'm planning to go to the Star Dou Great Forest during the break to hunt a Soul Beast and absorb its Soul Ring!"
As she spoke, Xiao Wu winked at Li Ping'an.
She had told only Li Ping'an that she'd become a Soul Grandmaster.
To everyone else, she'd kept her strength hidden, pretending to be a Soul Master with just over ten levels of Soul Power.
She had decided to reveal that she'd reached level twenty because Tang San had also broken through and was preparing to hunt a Soul Beast.
A thought crossed Xiao Wu's mind, and she decided to trick Tang San into going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Soul Beast.
She could go there along the way and see if there was a chance to slip back into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Hmph, that despicable Titled Douluo. I'll have Da Ming and Er Ming deal with him then. Let's see how he hides! Xiao Wu thought.
"The Star Dou Great Forest? Be careful, then!" Li Ping'an played along.
Li Ping'an knew exactly what Xiao Wu was thinking. In fact, he had slowly guided her toward this plan himself.
If Tang San and Xiao Wu both went to the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Hao would probably sneak after them, too.
That would give Li Ping'an the perfect chance to go to that cave and steal the Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone.
Before you continue