Beyond the Optimal Soul Ring Configuration

Five years had passed since Tang San became Fang Yuan's disciple.

Over those five years, Fang Yuan had devoted great care to this disciple of his.

Tang San had not only learned knowledge and techniques related to Soul Master cultivation from his teacher, but many other things as well.

For example, his teacher's miraculous combat skills.

In his previous life, Tang San had been an outer disciple of the Tang Sect. Over thirty years of life, he had encountered no small number of experts from both the inner and outer sects, as well as Tang Sect elders.

Yet after becoming Fang Yuan's disciple, Tang San was astonished to discover that his teacher's martial arts surpassed any expert he had seen in his previous life.

Even the Tang Sect's foremost experts—the sect master and those elders—would certainly be no match for his teacher in hand-to-hand combat, provided concealed weapons were excluded.

This filled Tang San with immense admiration.

His teacher's knowledge was as boundless as the sea and as awe-inspiring as towering mountains, earning Tang San's utmost respect and affection.

Moreover, his teacher never withheld anything from his disciple. After five years of study, Tang San's hand-to-hand skills had surpassed those of his previous life by an unimaginable margin.

Against this young bully before him, Tang San could even drive him back with just one arm, so long as neither side used their Martial Soul.

"Kid, I really underestimated you," Dai Mubai said coldly. "But now, I'm going to get serious. If you admit defeat and get out now, it's not too late."

Naturally, those words did not frighten Tang San. His gaze was steady. "Enough nonsense. Make your move."

Dai Mubai stared coldly at the boy before him. After a long while, he suddenly shouted, "White Tiger, possess me!"

A layer of pale light burst from his body. Dai Mubai's frame abruptly swelled, nearly tearing apart his clothes.

His golden hair turned black and white, while his palms doubled in size, almost becoming a pair of savage tiger claws.

Three Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet in succession—two yellow and one purple. As the rings revolved, surging soul power roiled like crashing waves.

The years of Soul Rings a Soul Master could absorb were a matter of great importance. While one's soul power and body were still weak, the first two Soul Rings could generally only be at the hundred-year level. Only after reaching Rank 30 could one attempt to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring.

Thus, two yellow and one purple was known as the optimal Soul Ring configuration.

As the three Soul Rings appeared, a hint of pride surfaced on Dai Mubai's face. He declared in a majestic voice:

"Dai Mubai, White Tiger Martial Soul, Rank 37 Battle Soul Elder!"

At his age, possessing Rank 37 soul power and the optimal Soul Ring configuration was undoubtedly an impressive achievement.

The other party's Martial Soul possession exerted considerable pressure on Tang San.

Once Battle Soul Masters possessed their Martial Souls, they could practically be called humanoid beasts. The pressure they gave off increased exponentially.

Seeing this, Tang San released his own Martial Soul to contend with him.

A clump of blue-green grass leaves sprouted from Tang San's palm. They appeared slender, yet brimmed with vigorous life.

As soul power poured into them, the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand expanded. In an instant, it transformed into arm-thick vines that spread throughout the area around Tang San.

Tang San's Martial Soul surprised Dai Mubai somewhat. If he had not seen wrong, this person's Martial Soul was actually Blue Silver Grass?

Could the useless Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul even be cultivated?

However, before Dai Mubai had recovered from his previous shock, the Soul Rings rising from beneath Tang San's feet sent him into shock once more.

One yellow and one purple Soul Ring rose beneath Tang San's feet, slowly circling his body.

"Tang San, Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, Rank 30 Tool Soul Grandmaster."

"Y-Your Soul Rings..." Dai Mubai's eyes widened, disbelief filling his double-pupiled gaze.

Rank 30, with one yellow and one purple Soul Ring? His second Soul Ring was already thousand-year level?

How was that possible?

Dai Mubai felt as though his entire worldview had been overturned.

He had absorbed a third Soul Ring himself, so he naturally knew how difficult it was to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring. If he had tried to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring at Rank 20, there would have been only one outcome: his body exploding to death.

Yet the boy before him possessed genuine Soul Rings. His second Soul Ring truly was at the thousand-year level. How could that be possible?

For a moment, Dai Mubai's heart churned, and he even began to doubt the talent he had always been so proud of.

He looked at Tang San. The dagger-like claws on his tiger paws flickered uncertainly, but his fighting spirit gradually faded.

The person before him clearly had no simple background. To absorb a thousand-year Soul Beast's Soul Ring at Rank 20 required both exceptional talent and a powerful backing.

Was he really going to make an enemy of this person over a hotel room?

Though Dai Mubai had a fiery temper and little patience, he was still willing to calm down and think carefully when facing someone strong enough to earn his recognition.

As his fighting spirit gradually subsided, the tiger claws on Dai Mubai's hands slowly retracted as well.

He pointed at Tang San. "You're not bad. When you get to Shrek Academy, I'll properly teach you a lesson."

With that, he turned and beckoned to the twin girls who had hidden off to one side.

Behind him, Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of confusion in the other's eyes.

Tang San withdrew his Martial Soul and asked, "Shrek Academy? What is that?"

Dai Mubai's steps halted as he walked outside with the girls in his arms.

He turned around and stared at Tang San and Xiao Wu in surprise. "You don't know about Shrek Academy? Aren't you here to register?

"You're joking, right? Around twelve years old, with soul power above Rank 20—if you're not here to register at Shrek Academy, then what else could you be here for?"

Tang San furrowed his brow slightly, just about to explain when Xiao Wu could not help speaking first.

"Oh, so anyone who's twelve and Rank 20 has to register at this Shrek Academy? Not even Spirit Hall has that much clout. We've never even heard of this Shrek Academy. Where does it get the nerve to act so high and mighty?"

Dai Mubai's tone made her uncomfortable, as though anyone with decent talent was automatically considered part of Shrek Academy.

Xiao Wu was not particularly good-tempered toward strangers to begin with. On top of that, this young bully had tried to seize their room the moment they met. Naturally, she had no favorable impression of him, and immediately lashed out.

Dai Mubai's face turned green, then white. They had only just stopped fighting, so it was not easy for him to lose his temper again now.

Already ill-tempered, his expression grew increasingly ugly under Xiao Wu's barrage, as though he were about to burst from holding it in.

After a long while, he still could not come up with anything to say. He could only snort coldly and leave the hotel lobby with the twins in his arms.

Inside the hotel, Xiao Wu curled her lips. "What a pain. A perfectly good day has been ruined. Having my mood spoiled by such a debauched, spoiled young brute is truly infuriating."

As she spoke, she turned to look at the hotel counter. Now that the two sides had stopped fighting, the manager and waiter cautiously poked their heads out from behind it.