Testing the Power of the First Soul Skill on a 600-Year Ghost Vine

Four hours later!

Su Chen opened his eyes, which shimmered with golden-red light. After a while, the glow gradually faded.

Seeing that he had awakened, Gao Lu hurriedly called out, "Chen, now that you're awake, come eat some meat. This Blazing Pheasant smells incredible when roasted."

They had only eaten a little dry rations last night, and they had not eaten anything at all this morning.

As Su Chen inhaled the enticing aroma, his stomach promptly rumbled.

"I'm coming."

He tore off a drumstick from the roast chicken and began wolfing it down, his mouth glistening with grease. It was so delicious that he almost wanted to chew up the bones and swallow them too.

Gao Lu ate with equal delight.

"Even as the academy headmaster, I don't usually get to eat hundred-year soul beast meat more than a few times. Today, I'm benefiting from you."

Su Chen smiled gratefully.

"You're joking, Headmaster. Without you, I couldn't have killed this hundred-year soul beast on my own."

He truly was a good headmaster. He had helped Su Chen hunt a hundred-year soul beast without even asking what skill Su Chen had gained.

Soul skills were a Soul Master's secret. This showed Gao Lu's respect for Su Chen.

After the two had eaten their fill, plenty of roast chicken remained.

Gao Lu divided the remaining roast chicken into two portions and wrapped them up, keeping one for himself and handing the other to Su Chen.

"Let's go, Chen. Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous. We shouldn't stay long."

Su Chen answered and followed Gao Lu while carrying the roast chicken.

"Okay, Headmaster."

Ten minutes later, they had not yet left Soul Hunting Forest when Su Chen suddenly stopped.

Gao Lu looked over in confusion. "What is it, Chen?"

Su Chen looked into the distance, where a vicious-looking vine coiled around a large tree. The vine was covered in barbs that gleamed faintly, clearly carrying deadly poison.

"Headmaster, I want to test the power of my first soul skill. Once I return to the academy, there won't be anywhere for me to test it."

Following Su Chen's gaze, Gao Lu's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's a Ghost Vine. It looks about six hundred years old. Ordinary Soul Grandmasters would become fertilizer for it if they were caught by its vines. You can test your skill, but be careful."

Su Chen set down the roast chicken in his hands, his eyes flickering. This six-hundred-year Ghost Vine should be Tang San's second Soul Ring.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had absorbed so many Soul Rings, but the Ghost Vine Soul Ring was probably the most suitable one he had absorbed.

How could that be allowed?

If Tang San wanted to absorb animal Soul Rings with a plant Martial Soul, then he might as well carry that through to the end. Today, Su Chen would destroy the Ghost Vine ahead of time.

Martial Soul Possession!

Su Chen let out a low shout as golden-red flames swept forth.

His black hair was dyed golden-red, and rising currents of heat made it drift as though it were burning with flames.

Molten-gold light flowed through his eyes.

A pair of golden-red flaming wings spread from his back, lifting his body into the air.

Gao Lu's mouth fell open. Even most bird-type Martial Soul users needed to reach three rings before gaining the ability to fly.

Only truly top-tier bird-type Martial Souls could grant flight from the very beginning.

"What kind of monster has come to our Nuoding Academy?!"

Su Chen beat his wings and soared forward, streaking toward the Ghost Vine entwined around the tree like a golden-red flash.

Golden Crow Rainbow Flight was originally one of the fastest abilities in the world!

Su Chen's current speed even surpassed that of many Soul Elders.

He possessed both the strength and offensive power of an assault-type Soul Master, as well as the speed and reflexes of an agility-type Soul Master.

He was more than capable of ruling among those of the same rank, with no equal!

Golden Crow Radiant Sun!

This was Su Chen's first soul skill. It compressed the Golden Crow True Flame within his body, increasing his strength and attack power by fifty percent. Once compressed, the Golden Crow True Flame also gained a fifty percent increase in both destructive power and attack range when it erupted.

The Ghost Vine sensed danger, and its vines lashed out like massive serpents.

But before they could truly reach Su Chen's body, the blazing Golden Crow True Flame burned the incoming vines into charcoal.

Boom!

Su Chen drove a fist into the Ghost Vine's trunk, which was as thick as an adult's thigh. The compressed Golden Crow True Flame erupted like a volcanic explosion and swept outward.

Within only a few breaths, the entire Ghost Vine and the tree it had wrapped around were ignited, turning into a massive torch.

Su Chen beat his wings and swiftly flew backward.

He watched as the Ghost Vine writhed wildly in the flames before quickly carbonizing into a pile of charcoal and crumbling into black ash across the ground.

A yellow Soul Ring floated out along with it.

Gao Lu's eyes gleamed as he loudly praised him.

"Excellent! Even taking into account that fire restrains plants, the power of your first soul skill surpasses a Soul Grandmaster's second soul skill."

"With a top-tier Martial Soul paired with the most suitable Soul Ring, Chen, ordinary Soul Grandmasters won't be your match."

Of course!

The Blazing Pheasant's Soul Ring was eight hundred years old!

Ordinary Soul Grandmasters would not even dare absorb an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring as their second ring.

Su Chen had only dared to absorb an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring because of various factors.

Retracting his Martial Soul, Su Chen picked up the wrapped roast chicken and no longer looked at the Ghost Vine that had become a pile of charcoal.

Now Tang San could only choose a different second Soul Ring. Su Chen wondered whether he would choose a spider-type Soul Ring or a snake-type Soul Ring.

"Thank you for making this possible, Headmaster. Otherwise, I couldn't have absorbed such a good Soul Ring. Headmaster, we can leave now."

Gao Lu nodded. They did not stop again along the way. After leaving Soul Hunting Forest, they hired a carriage and returned to Notting City.

As soon as they entered the city, Su Chen and Gao Lu parted ways.

Su Chen was going to the Spirit Hall Branch to register. As a Soul Master, he could receive a subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin every month.

There was no reason to leave free money unclaimed. Su Chen had no intention of missing out.

Spirit Hall Branch!

As soon as Su Chen arrived, Su Yuntao warmly received him. Su Chen was important to his future promotion and raise.

When Su Yuntao asked why he had come, Su Chen said he was there to register as a Soul Master.

Su Yuntao took him to Master Ma Xiunuo's office, where Ma Xiunuo personally tested his Soul Power.

Blue light flared from the crystal ball, and the number 13 floated out.

Su Chen's Soul Power was currently level 13, though he knew he was actually at the peak of level 13.

As long as he was given a few days to fully adjust to the first Soul Ring he had absorbed, breaking through to level 14 Soul Power would happen naturally.

This surprised Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo somewhat, but they were not overly shocked. A boy named Tang San had previously come to register as a Soul Master, and his Soul Power had also tested at level 13.

Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo did not ask further questions, and Su Chen was happy not to have to make up excuses.

After completing his registration, he received his very first Gold Soul Coin.

Su Chen happily returned to Nuoding Academy.

However, his good mood did not last long.

It was ruined by the news he received.

That little bastard Tang San had led a group of work-study students to bully Su Chen's underlings on the back mountain.

Xiao Chenyu had offered Su Chen a fifteen-hundred-year Whale Rubber. He was a legitimate underling Su Chen had taken in.

"Damn it, Tang San! You dare beat up my underlings? No matter what, I'll make sure you pay for it today!"