First Soul Ring, Six Hundred Years! Yu Xiaogang Seethed!

However, Xia Yuan's Blue Silver Grass, fused with the Golden Sacred Dragon Origin, seemed to exert some sort of suppressive effect on the Rock Leaf Dragon, slowing its struggles by several degrees.

Next, Xia Yuan gripped his spear and drove it forcefully into the Rock Leaf Dragon's already wounded neck.

Pfft!

The spear pierced through the scales on the Rock Leaf Dragon's neck and sank deeply inside.

To ensure that the Rock Leaf Dragon was completely killed, Xia Yuan used his full strength in this strike and even thrust another spear into it!

The Rock Leaf Dragon let out a miserable roar. Its enormous body convulsed violently several times before finally crashing to the ground.

A bright yellow ring slowly rose above the Rock Leaf Dragon's body.

Without hesitation, Xia Yuan immediately sat cross-legged. His Soul Power surged as he drew the Soul Ring toward himself.

As the Rock Leaf Dragon's Soul Ring approached, Xia Yuan felt a pressure descend upon him.

"No, this is a six-hundred-year Rock Leaf Dragon!" Dean of Notting's expression changed.

The criteria for judging a Rock Leaf Dragon's cultivation had never been particularly precise. Moreover, Xia Yuan had helped Dean of Notting during the battle, so it had not been especially difficult. Thus, he had assumed this Rock Leaf Dragon was only five hundred years old.

Now that everything had ended and the Soul Ring had appeared, he finally sensed that the Soul Ring produced by this Rock Leaf Dragon had a lifespan of six hundred years.

Dean of Notting immediately looked at Xia Yuan with some concern.

Though it had been Xia Yuan's own choice, if an accident truly happened, it would be no small matter.

Yet after the Soul Ring settled onto the Blue Silver Grass in his right palm, Xia Yuan no longer felt that pressure.

But in the next instant, a vast surge of energy rushed directly into his body.

The faint golden dragon-scale patterns on Xia Yuan's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul seemed to become a little clearer.

Right after that, Xia Yuan felt as though some kind of restraint had shattered, like the exhilaration of taking flight.

Perhaps the Golden Sacred Dragon Origin had strengthened Xia Yuan's physique somewhat after merging with him. Or perhaps gaining one percent of Tang Hao's power had also strengthened his body to accommodate it.

In any case, despite the Soul Ring being six hundred years old, the absorption process went far more smoothly than Xia Yuan had expected.

When Xia Yuan opened his eyes again, the sky had already grown dim.

He raised his right hand, and Blue Silver Grass surged from his palm. At the same time, a deep yellow Soul Ring slowly rose beneath his feet.

Hmm... it has become tougher, and its vitality seems stronger as well. Xia Yuan silently pondered.

"I really didn't expect you to succeed. How do you feel?" Dean of Notting, who had been guarding Xia Yuan nearby the entire time, asked.

"I feel great right now." Xia Yuan smiled as he sensed the abundant Soul Power within his body.

After absorbing the Soul Ring, his Soul Power Level was not eleven—it was fourteen.

In the original story, Tang San reached Soul Power Level thirteen after absorbing the Mandala Snake Soul Ring.

The Soul Ring Xia Yuan had absorbed was six hundred years old, so being one level above Tang San was perfectly reasonable.

Dean of Notting did not ask what soul skill Xia Yuan had gained.

Among Soul Masters, asking about another Soul Master's soul skill was a major taboo unless they were extremely close.

Soon, the two left Soul Hunting Forest and returned to Notting City.

But Xia Yuan never expected Yu Xiaogang to be standing at the entrance of Notting Academy.

It looked as though he had come specifically for him.

What does that flat-top want now?

Xia Yuan felt puzzled.

"Old friend, you've worked hard. Leave him to me from here on out." Yu Xiaogang looked at Dean of Notting.

Seeing that it was his friend Yu Xiaogang, Dean of Notting nodded and left.

Only Xia Yuan and Yu Xiaogang remained.

"Xia Yuan, what Soul Ring did you absorb? Lone Bamboo?"

The moment Dean of Notting left, Yu Xiaogang immediately questioned Xia Yuan.

"Why should I tell you?" Xia Yuan frowned and started walking away.

This flat-top was far too full of himself. Xia Yuan had humiliated him like that before, yet he still thought Xia Yuan would answer his questions?

"Wait!" Yu Xiaogang tried to grab Xia Yuan, but grasped only empty air.

He hurriedly shouted, "I have investigated six hundred and forty-seven people whose Martial Souls were Blue Silver Grass. Only sixteen of them possessed Soul Power, and not a single one of them exceeded level one."

"You possess Innate Full Soul Power. With such outstanding talent, if I do not guide you, your future will only end in failure!"

Xia Yuan turned around. "Grandmaster, I know of you—the genius who failed to break through level thirty even after reaching fifty."

Yu Xiaogang had just begun to feel pleased with himself when, after a moment of stunned silence, he realized Xia Yuan was not praising him at all.

Before Yu Xiaogang could say anything, Xia Yuan continued, "You are the laughingstock of the Soul Master world, a clown who calls himself a theoretical grandmaster despite not even reaching Soul Elder yourself."

"You only have your eye on me because I possess Innate Full Soul Power and can serve as a better test subject for your theories."

"If you truly are a theoretical grandmaster, why have you been unable to break through to Soul Elder yourself?"

"I heard that you often preach to others that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. So which kind of useless trash are you?"

Xia Yuan fired off one line after another without giving Yu Xiaogang any time to react, then turned and left.

Yu Xiaogang had been left speechless. After standing there in a daze for a moment, he watched Xia Yuan's departing back as his face gradually flushed crimson.

"What does a country bumpkin like you know!"

"You are wasting your talent like this. You will regret it one day! Mark my words!"

But just as Xia Yuan had said, Yu Xiaogang was nothing more than a clown.

Giving him any more face would be far too disrespectful to himself.

Yu Xiaogang panted heavily and slowly calmed his anger.

"No, I cannot be angry. Anger will lower this grandmaster's wisdom!"

"Hmph! Xia Yuan, just you wait!"

"Xiao San has Twin Martial Souls, and he is that man's son. So what if you possess Innate Full Soul Power?"

"You only have one useless Martial Soul. Who can you possibly surpass?"

Meanwhile, Xia Yuan did not enter Notting Academy right away. Instead, he headed for the Spirit Hall Branch in Notting City.

Now that he was a Soul Master, he could receive a monthly subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin. For him at present, that was no small sum.

In a city like Notting City, the Spirit Hall Branch was the lowest-ranked branch.

Even so, the Spirit Hall Branch building was still quite imposing.

The process of becoming a registered Soul Master with Spirit Hall was not complicated.

Xia Yuan could directly sense his own Soul Power Level, so there was no need to test it with a crystal ball. He merely displayed his Soul Ring and received his own Soul Master badge.

Next, Xia Yuan needed to use Empty Handed on Xiao Wu and Tang San to see whether he could obtain anything good.

When the first school year ended, Tang Hao would come to Notting Academy to find Yu Xiaogang.

Before then, Tang Hao would not leave Holy Soul Village.