Breakthrough: Fourteenth-Level Soul Power, First Soul Skill [Thunder Hell Strangulation]!

"Phew..."

A moment later, Meng Chen's eyelids twitched as he slowly opened his eyes. A flicker of dark purple lightning flashed through his pupils, and he parted his lips to exhale a breath of slightly scorching foul air.

"Success."

Meng Chen murmured softly as he carefully sensed his soul power. He had already broken through the tenth-level threshold.

The soul power contained within the Thunder Jiao soul ring had raised his cultivation by another three levels after he reached level eleven, bringing him to level fourteen!

Meng Chen summoned his martial soul again. Thunder Hell Vine had undergone considerable changes: its color had deepened, its vines had become as thick as pythons, and fine scales had appeared across their surfaces, greatly improving their toughness.

The lightning power released by Thunder Hell Vine had also become stronger and denser, its intensity increasing by more than double.

A purple soul ring floated around him, gleaming with a gorgeous violet light.

The soul skill granted by his first soul ring was called [Thunder Hell Strangulation], a soul skill that combined control with sustained damage.

Once activated, Thunder Hell Vine's speed, strength, and toughness would rise dramatically, while its lightning attribute received a 100% boost.

Then, with lightning speed, it would coil around the enemy, constrict tightly, and release lightning power that continuously eroded, burned, and paralyzed them, cutting off the circulation of their soul power.

Meng Chen was quite satisfied with this soul skill.

After all, it was only his first soul skill. Having so many effects was already impressive.

Meng Chen rose and stretched, immediately feeling that his clothes had become a little tight.

Looking down, he saw that the clothes which had once fit him perfectly were now snug.

His body had grown a little taller and sturdier after being tempered by the soul ring's energy.

Meng Chen said helplessly, "Looks like I'll need to prepare a few larger sets of clothes in the future."

They were a little tight, but they did not hinder his movement.

Meng Chen did not linger in Star Dou Great Forest. Taking advantage of the night, he quickly withdrew under Ye Xishui's guidance.

However, when Meng Chen returned along the same route, he discovered that the carriage he had abandoned was still beside the main road. Even the black horse was still waiting by it.

When the black horse saw Meng Chen, it hurriedly ran toward him and blocked his way.

Meng Chen stared at it in surprise. "Why are you still here?"

"Neigh..." The black horse shook its head.

Although Meng Chen could not understand horse speech, it seemed that the black horse was unwilling to leave.

"So you didn't want to go, and deliberately waited here for me?"

The black horse tilted its head. It could not understand human speech either.

Still, it thought Meng Chen was a good child. Not only had he set it free, but he had also fed it.

It wanted to follow him.

Seeing this, Meng Chen reached out and stroked the black horse's head.

Since it did not want to leave and had waited so long for him, he might as well take it in.

Once he returned to Xiahe Village, he could leave it there.

Meng Chen reharnessed the black horse to the carriage and patted it. Guided by Meng Chen, the black horse pulled the carriage back onto the main road...

Two days later.

Xiahe Village. The carriage stopped at the village entrance.

Meng Chen jumped down from the carriage and headed toward the village chief's home.

It happened to be noon, and the old village chief's family was having lunch. When the old village chief saw Meng Chen at the door, he was overjoyed and quickly called out to him.

"Chen, you're back! Have you eaten?"

"I have, Grandpa Village Chief."

Then Meng Chen took out a small cloth pouch from the Bone Dragon Ring. It was the very pouch the old village chief had given him before.

The old village chief looked at the Bone Dragon Ring. Surprise appeared on his aged face as he recognized it as a storage soul tool.

He had lived for so many years and traveled far and wide in his youth, so he still possessed this much knowledge.

"Grandpa Village Chief, here. This is a small token of my appreciation."

Meng Chen handed the pouch to the old village chief. After taking it and opening it, the old village chief found it stuffed full of Gold Soul Coins—at least a hundred of them.

Meng Chen had withdrawn these Gold Soul Coins using the Gold Soul Card Ye Cixin had given him, taking out a total of one thousand coins.

The old village chief was stunned.

"Chen, where did you get all these Gold Soul Coins? Take them back. Grandpa can't accept them!"

As he spoke, the old village chief tried to stuff the pouch back into Meng Chen's hands, but Meng Chen nimbly dodged.

"Grandpa Village Chief, please accept them. Consider it my repayment to the village, and thank you for gathering my living expenses before."

The old village chief clutched the pouch and said anxiously, "Chen, this is too much. Grandpa really can't accept it."

"You should accept it. Also, I've broken through to become a Soul Master!"

Afraid that the old village chief would insist on returning the pouch, Meng Chen tossed out those words and ran off in a flash.

The old village chief had difficulty moving. His cloudy eyes watched Meng Chen's disappearing figure as he gripped the pouch even tighter, his gaze filled with gratification and countless emotions.

"It's good that you've become a Soul Master, good that you've become a Soul Master. Our Xiahe Village finally has someone who'll make something of himself. Good... good..."

After leaving the village chief's home, Meng Chen found Uncle Dalin and told him that he had acquired a carriage. However, since he needed to attend school, he hoped Uncle Dalin could help look after the horse.

Uncle Dalin agreed without hesitation.

Meng Chen was not asking Uncle Dalin to care for it for nothing. He would pay him two Gold Soul Coins a year, covering both Big Black's lodging and food.

Uncle Dalin repeatedly shook his head. "Chen, that's far too much. You only pay two Silver Soul Coins to stay at Notting Academy for a semester. It's just a horse—how could it possibly cost two Gold Soul Coins?"

"Just take the two Gold Soul Coins, Uncle Dalin." Meng Chen forcibly stuffed the two Gold Soul Coins into Uncle Dalin's hands.

During the years before he awakened his memories from his previous life, the village chief and Uncle Dalin's family had taken great care of him.

Now that he had the means, he would help Uncle Dalin's family however he could.

Unable to argue with Meng Chen, Uncle Dalin ultimately accepted the two Gold Soul Coins.

"Uncle Dalin, please take me back to Notting Academy, then drive the carriage back."

"Alright. I'll take you back right away."

Uncle Dalin nodded and followed Meng Chen to the village entrance.

When Big Black saw Meng Chen, it neighed twice at him. Meng Chen patted it, then pointed toward Uncle Dalin.

"Big Black, I'm going back to school. You'll live in Xiahe Village from now on. Uncle Dalin will take care of you."

Big Black seemed to understand, though not entirely.

Uncle Dalin also stroked Big Black, a trace of delight appearing in his eyes. "A fine horse."

Meng Chen climbed into the carriage, and Uncle Dalin drove Big Black back to Notting City and Notting Academy.

"Goodbye, Uncle Dalin. Goodbye, Big Black."

After jumping down from the carriage, Meng Chen waved farewell to Big Black and Uncle Dalin before turning and walking into the academy.

Before long, another carriage stopped outside the academy gates. One large and one small figure helped each other down.

They were none other than Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, who had also returned from hunting a soul beast.

However, Yu Xiaogang's stiff face was utterly bloodless and pale, as though he were on the verge of death.

Looking at Tang San, who was supporting him, Yu Xiaogang felt both gratified and delighted.

He had thought obtaining a soul ring for Tang San would be a simple matter, and had even decided on their target soul beast.

A ten-year Solitary Bamboo. It was tough, lacking in attack power but possessing decent defense, making it quite suitable for Blue Silver Grass.

But what he had not expected was for a Mandala Snake to suddenly appear along the way.

Fortunately, his skills had been superior. He had severely wounded the Mandala Snake and given Tang San the chance to kill it.

Tang San had not disappointed him either. He absorbed the Mandala Snake's soul ring and became a Soul Master.

Yu Xiaogang thought of Meng Chen again and snorted inwardly.

Without a master whose theory was unrivaled like him to help hunt a soul ring, that arrogant brat could probably only obtain a ten-year soul ring.

What did he have to compare with Tang San?

"Little San, when you meet that Meng Chen tomorrow, it'll be your time to shine," Yu Xiaogang instructed Tang San weakly.

He wanted Meng Chen to understand the difference between having a famous teacher and having no teacher at all.

Tang San nodded at those words, intense anticipation filling his eyes.

He looked forward to seeing Meng Chen's miserable state after being utterly crushed by him, and to Xiao Wu returning to his side.

Tang San thought to himself, Meng Chen, I've already obtained a hundred-year soul ring, and it came from a Mandala Snake more than four hundred years old. I've broken the convention for plant martial souls.

You're only arrogant and overbearing, disrespecting your elders because you have an innate full soul power mutated martial soul. Then I'll show you just how great the gap between us is under Master's guidance!