Wind Chasing Lightning

Fang Qingshan said, transferring the chicken leg from his own plate to Duan Fan's bowl, "This is also something you can understand. It's mainly because right now, you are simply too important to Spirit Hall."

"Compared to your future, an Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament doesn't count for anything at all."

"If you participate in this tournament, you will definitely attract massive attention."

"Your second soul ring is already a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and your fourth soul ring is even a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Casually tossing out either of these two things could cause a sensation throughout the soul master world."

"Especially your age. You are only nine years old now yet you have already reached the Soul Ancestor rank, and even possess forty-seventh-rank soul power. Letting this information out is enough to shock the entire continent."

"As long as you enter the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, even if it's just your name submitted on the roster, it will be enough to make you the center of attention."

"An astonishing genius like you is one of a kind in this world, but not everyone hopes that you can exist."

Saying this, Fang Qingshan shook his head and let out a soft sigh, "I clearly knew all this, yet I still asked you if you were interested in joining the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. It seems my brain has also turned muddled."

"It must be influenced by your younger sister, Fang Qian."

Fang Qian rolled her eyes, then continued to focus wholeheartedly on eating her meal.

After dinner, Fang Qingshan went back home.

Duan Fan escorted Fang Qian back to her dormitory, then immediately returned to his own quarters.

As soon as he entered his dorm, Duan Fan didn't rush to draw the latest firearm blueprints, but instead immediately continued observing Tang San's current situation.

Dinner time was neither long nor short. Once Tang San's soul power level broke through, it was impossible for him to remain in a state of meditation the entire time.

Sure enough, as line after line of text surfaced, Tang San had already finished cultivating and had already found Yu Xiaogang, sharing the good news that his soul power level had reached rank twenty with him.

Yu Xiaogang felt happy for him, and then formulated a plan for Tang San to acquire his second soul ring.

"Tomorrow morning I will take you to set off for the Soul Hunting Forest, and find a suitable soul beast there to serve as your second soul ring."

"My strength might not be enough, so by then we will probably still need the Notting Academy principal to make a move."

"Go eat your dinner first. Once you finish eating, I will take you to find your principal."

Tang San naturally agreed readily, "Alright, many thanks, Grandmaster!"

Through nearly three years of getting along, the relationship between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had already become that of both teacher and friend, yet not quite master and disciple.

Tang San's trust in Yu Xiaogang's professional competence could be described as extremely profound.

It was worth mentioning that Tang San still hadn't formally taken Yu Xiaogang as his master.

It was mainly because the shadow cast upon Tang San by Ding Xiulun, the deacon of the Notting City Spirit Branch Hall, was simply too deep.

During this period Yu Xiaogang had also hinted at Tang San to take him as master, but Tang San remained indifferent to this, and even kept a distance from Yu Xiaogang for a period of time.

Knowing full well that this couldn't be forced at the moment, Yu Xiaogang ultimately could only bury the thought of taking Tang San as his disciple deep within his heart.

Seeing the dialogue between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, the corners of Duan Fan's mouth unconsciously curved into a subtle arc.

With Yu Xiaogang around, there's completely no need to worry about manipulating Tang San's second soul ring matter!

Three days later.

Soul Hunting Forest.

The trees in the Soul Hunting Forest were much denser than imagined. Towering arbors blocked the sky completely, leaving only a few sparse beams of light leaking through the gaps in the leaves to cast mottled patches of light upon the ground.

There was a damp, earthy musk in the forest, mixed with the scent of rotting dead leaves, and occasionally the chirping of unknown insects could be heard emerging from the dark corners.

Tang San's group of three was steadily advancing through the forest.

Yu Xiaogang was at the very back, Tang San walked in the middle, and Gong Shengyuan walked in the very front with a sickle resting on his shoulder, its blade gleaming with a cold light.

Gong Shengyuan was a middle-aged man around fifty years old, with ordinary attire and a very ordinary appearance.

Yet the four soul rings on his body clearly displayed the extraordinary nature of his status.

White, yellow, purple, purple.

Although it wasn't the optimal soul ring combination, it was still solid, genuine Soul Ancestor strength.

As the principal of Notting Academy, upon learning that the soul power level of the student Tang San in the academy had reached rank twenty and needed to acquire a second soul ring, Gong Shengyuan had agreed without hesitation to lend a hand.

At this moment the three of them were walking inward along a faintly visible path. Their speed wasn't fast, and as they walked they kept watch on the movements all around.

Along the way they encountered a few soul beasts, including two Gale Wolves just over a hundred years old, and a Savage Bull under a hundred years old.

Gong Shengyuan glanced at them from afar, scaring those soul beasts away directly with his Soul Ancestor aura.

Walking and stopping like this, about a day and a half's time passed.

The three arrived at an area dense with vines, and Gong Shengyuan suddenly stopped, pointing to a spot not far ahead.

An dark purple vine was entwined around a dead tree over there, its vine body covered in dense, fine barbs as it slowly wriggled.

Judging by its age, it was probably around three hundred years.

Gong Shengyuan sized it up and said, "This Ghost Vine looks alright. At three hundred years, it should be just about enough to serve as Tang San's second soul ring."

Tang San also felt it was suitable and nodded.

Yet just as Gong Shengyuan prepared to step forward and make a move, Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, "The Ghost Vine is indeed quite suited for Blue Silver Grass, but a three-year-old age limit is still too low. Let's look around some more. If we truly can't find a suitable soul beast, it won't be too late to come back and find it."

Gong Shengyuan glanced at Yu Xiaogang and didn't retort. He hoisted his sickle back onto his shoulder and continued walking forward.

Walking for another stretch, the light in the forest grew slightly dimmer, and the surroundings were abnormally quiet.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead, followed by a low hiss.

The three of them stopped in their tracks simultaneously.

Gong Shengyuan tightened his grip on the sickle and looked toward the direction whence the sound came.

The bushes seemed to be parted by something, and immediately a long snake with a completely dark green body quickly crawled out.

Its size wasn't considered too large, yet it was still over three meters long, its entire body covered in fine, dense scales. Its eyes were dark red, and it seemed to sense Gong Shengyuan's Soul Ancestor aura, preparing to crawl away in another direction.

Yu Xiaogang's eyes instantly lit up, and he lowered his voice to say, "Mandala Snake, around three hundred and fifty years. Xiao San, this one suits you."

Gong Shengyuan frowned, "The Mandala Snake is a beast-type soul beast, while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is the plant system. Can a plant-system martial soul absorb the soul ring of a beast-type soul beast? Will that work?"

Yu Xiaogang didn't hesitate in the slightest and replied directly, "It will work! The toxicity of the Mandala Snake will merge into the Blue Silver Grass, giving the Blue Silver Grass paralyzing and toxic effects, which will be of great benefit to Tang San."

"Moreover, the Mandala Snake itself is renowned for its toughness. Absorbing its soul ring can also enhance the toughness of the Blue Silver Grass, something that plant-type soul beasts of the same category cannot provide."

Having said this, Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San, "Xiao San, you decide for yourself. There might be a certain amount of risk involved."

Tang San was silent for a moment, looked at the Mandala Snake hissing toward this side, and finally nodded, "Alright, let's go with it."

Seeing Tang San agree, Gong Shengyuan didn't waste any breath. Exerting force through the soles of his feet, his entire figure darted out.

The sickle drew an arc in mid-air, precisely hacking down at the critical seven-inch spot of the Mandala Snake.

The Mandala Snake was hacked so that it flipped onto the ground, its body twisting violently a few times while its tail snapped two small trees, but it quickly went limp, leaving only slight spasms.

Gong Shengyuan retreated two steps and jerked his chin toward Tang San, "Go ahead."

Tang San pulled a dagger from his waist and approached the Mandala Snake.

The snake was still wriggling slightly, but it no longer had the strength to resist.

Tang San squatted down, aiming his dagger right at the snake's critical seven-inch spot and plunging it down. The snake's body tightened rigidly for a moment, and then completely stopped moving.

A ring of yellow soul ring slowly rose from beneath the snake's body, hovering in front of Tang San.

Yu Xiaogang said, "Xiao San, absorb it quickly. Principal Gong and I are here to guard you."

Tang San nodded, put away his dagger, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and guided his soul power toward that ring of soul ring, beginning the absorption.

Spirit Hall Academy.

Duan Fan's dormitory.

Duan Fan, who had just taken out paper and pen and prepared to draw firearm parts, suddenly paused his body, his eyes instantly turning bright.

[Modification successful! Tang San's second soul ring has changed, and his growth will slow down!]
[Acquired reward: Wind Chasing Lightning; Modification times *1!]