Hearing the surrounding students and teachers marvel at his hundred-year Soul Ring, Tang San revealed a satisfied look. His risky absorption of the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring had not been in vain.
But when he heard them disparage the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, Tang San snorted angrily to himself.
Hmph! A bunch of short-sighted fools. So what if it's Blue Silver Grass? I can still defeat Meng Chen's mutated Martial Soul!
Seeing that Meng Chen had yet to reveal his Martial Soul, Tang San assumed he had been frightened by his hundred-year Soul Ring and mockingly spoke up.
"Meng Chen, aren't you going to reveal your Martial Soul? Don't tell me you haven't even obtained a Soul Ring yet? Or is your Soul Ring's quality too low to show?"
Meng Chen glanced at Tang San's hundred-year Soul Ring and said calmly, "No. I'm waiting for you to finish showing off, so it'll feel even better when I slap your face later."
At that, Tang San sneered. "Heh... slap my face? With what? That Martial Soul and Soul Ring you don't even dare reveal, or—"
Before he could finish, thunder rumbled, and a flash of purple light appeared before everyone's eyes. It was incomparably magnificent, eclipsing the yellow glow of Tang San's Soul Ring.
The students and teachers instantly widened their eyes, their faces filled with disbelief.
Yu Xiaogang, who was hiding at the back, rubbed his eyes repeatedly, suspecting that he had seen wrong.
The Millennium Soul Ring radiating purple light revolved around Meng Chen. The Thunder Hell Vine was as thick as a python, swaying gracefully as purple lightning flickered across it and an aura of destruction spread through the air.
"You were right. I'll use my Soul Ring." Meng Chen pointed at his own Soul Ring.
Looking at the purple Soul Ring Meng Chen had revealed, Tang San's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with astonishment.
A purple Soul Ring! Meng Chen's Soul Ring was actually a Millennium Soul Ring!
How was that possible?!
Hadn't the teacher said that a first Soul Ring could not exceed four hundred and twenty-three years? Why could Meng Chen absorb a Millennium Soul Ring?!
"Impossible! How could any Soul Master's first Soul Ring reach a thousand years?! Absolutely impossible! This doesn't conform to my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul!"
Before Tang San could question him, Yu Xiaogang in the crowd roared at Meng Chen, his eyes bloodshot.
Quite a few people turned to look at Yu Xiaogang. He was panting like a bull, his stiff face full of disbelief.
He did not believe it, and he would never believe it, that someone could possess a Millennium Soul Ring while only being a one-ring Soul Master.
Even if such a person existed, that genius should have been cultivated by him, Yu Xiaogang.
Why did Meng Chen, some country bumpkin, get to have a Millennium Soul Ring as his first Soul Ring?!
Seeing Yu Xiaogang so agitated, the people around him quickly moved away, afraid that his heart would burst from excitement and spray blood all over them.
The other students and teachers stared at that Millennium Soul Ring. After a brief silence, deafening cries of shock erupted.
"A Millennium Soul Ring! Didn't they say the first ring couldn't exceed four hundred years? Why is his Soul Ring a thousand years? Is that even reasonable?!"
"Forget whether it's reasonable or not—he's simply a monster!"
"This is hilarious. Tang San absorbed a hundred-year Soul Ring and thought he was so amazing. Then Meng Chen casually pulled out a Millennium Soul Ring. That slap in the face is loud as hell."
"Say no more. His first Soul Ring is already a thousand years—how terrifying will he be in the future? I declare Meng Chen my idol!"
"I only came to watch the excitement, but I never expected such a huge surprise..."
Hearing the surrounding discussions and mockery, Tang San's face turned green, then purple.
The hundred-year Soul Ring he had used to show off was completely crushed by Meng Chen's Millennium Soul Ring. It was nothing.
Thinking of Meng Chen's words—letting him finish showing off before slapping his face—
Tang San felt as if he had been slapped several times, each one louder and more painful than the last!
He gritted his teeth and swept his gaze over everyone's expressions before finally settling on Yu Xiaogang, whose eyes were bloodshot as he panted heavily. A trace of resentment flashed through Tang San's eyes.
Tang San looked at Meng Chen again and snorted coldly. "Hmph, so what if it's a Millennium Soul Ring? A Soul Master battle isn't judged solely by Soul Ring quality."
"Meng Chen, today I'll teach you a lesson. Without sufficient experience and theoretical support, even if you had a 100,000-year Soul Ring, you still wouldn't be my opponent!"
At those words, Yu Xiaogang nodded along and spoke in support of Tang San.
"That's right, Meng Chen. So what if you luckily absorbed a Millennium Soul Ring? Without sufficient theoretical support, do you even know how to use it properly?"
Meng Chen looked at the two stubborn fools, then merely raised a hand and curled a finger at Tang San, urging him to attack.
"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Hurry up and finish this. I still need to eat. The cafeteria has pork knuckles today, and if I'm late, they'll be gone."
"You!" Tang San glared at Meng Chen in fury.
At a time like this, he was still thinking about food. He simply did not take Tang San seriously at all!
"Fine, fine, fine! You're in a hurry to eat, are you? I'll grant your wish right now!"
Seeing that the Soul Master battle was about to begin, the onlookers consciously retreated several steps, clearing space for Meng Chen and Tang San.
Tang San shifted his feet lightly, ready at any moment to activate Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and evade Meng Chen's Soul Skill.
"First Soul Skill: Binding!"
At the same time, his first Soul Ring immediately lit up. More than a dozen blue vines rapidly emerged from the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, slithering over the ground like Mandala Snakes.
Seeing Tang San use his Soul Skill, Yu Xiaogang immediately began introducing the origins of Tang San's Soul Ring.
"Little San's Soul Ring came from a Mandala Snake that was nearly four hundred years old. Surely I don't need to explain how terrifying a Mandala Snake is."
"Not only is his Blue Silver Grass exceptionally tough, it also possesses the Mandala Snake's venom. Once it binds you, even a Soul Grandmaster cannot immediately break free!"
Everyone was greatly astonished upon hearing this.
After all, Blue Silver Grass was a plant Martial Soul and generally only absorbed plant Soul Beasts. Cases like Tang San's, using an animal Soul Beast as a Soul Ring, were almost unheard of.
Those who had originally believed Meng Chen would certainly win now felt that he might be in danger. After all, Tang San's Soul Skill contained the Mandala Snake's deadly venom!
Just as everyone around him was sweating for Meng Chen, his first Soul Ring also lit up. Purple radiance shone brilliantly, accentuating his calm face.
In the next instant, more than a dozen Thunder Hell Vines extended from his hand.
They were like savage Thunder Jiao baring their fangs and claws, lightning flickering around them. They were more imposing and fiercer, more than twice as thick as the blue vines Tang San had released!
"So thick! So big!" A female teacher covered her mouth and cried out, unconsciously squeezing her legs together.
Tang San had not expected Meng Chen's Mutated Thunder Vine to be even thicker than his Blue Silver Grass. He immediately controlled the Blue Silver Grass, trying to slip past those Thunder Hell Vines.
Yet the Thunder Hell Vines unleashed a burst of violent lightning that ravaged everything within ten meters. The Blue Silver Grass could not resist at all; every strand was electrocuted into charcoal and scattered into nothingness.
Tang San's face turned pale. With the destruction of the Blue Silver Grass, over half the Soul Power in his body was also consumed.
But before Tang San could release more Blue Silver Grass, the Thunder Hell Vines launched another attack at him.
"You want to catch me? Watch my Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track."
Tang San smiled disdainfully and was just about to use Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track when the Thunder Hell Vines suddenly accelerated, moving as fast as lightning.
Before Tang San's astonished eyes, the Thunder Hell Vines wrapped around him in an instant, too swift to guard against. His limbs were pulled apart as the vines gradually tightened.
It had happened too quickly. In merely three or four seconds, before anyone could react, Tang San had already been captured and lost all ability to resist.
Seeing Tang San defeated in an instant, Yu Xiaogang was horrified. The other students and teachers also fell silent, and the entire training ground became still.
But soon, Meng Chen's voice rang out, echoing in everyone's ears.
"Is this the Soul Skill displayed by a Mandala Snake Soul Ring that's nearly four hundred years old? It's pretty average. Why do I feel like the Soul Skill granted by my fifteen-hundred-year Azure-Scaled Thunder Flood Dragon Soul Ring is a little stronger..."
Before you continue