Duel

After Xiao Chenyu and the others left, Xiao Wu looked at Lin Qing in confusion. "Lin Qing, what was that all about?"

"I don't know. Maybe my Spirit Ring scared them," Lin Qing said.

"Wang Sheng, you all go do your thing. Xiao Wu and I will stay here for a while," Lin Qing said.

"Alright, Boss. Sister Xiao Wu, we'll be going then!"

With that, Wang Sheng and the others left the back mountain.

Once Wang Sheng's group had left, Xiao Wu could no longer contain her curiosity. "Lin Qing, I've been wanting to ask this for a while. How many years was your first Spirit Ring, exactly? Why do I feel like your first Spirit Ring is already close to a thousand years?"

"My first Spirit Ring came from an Azure Water Dragon Crocodile that was over eight hundred years old." Fortunately, Lin Qing had seriously studied Soul Beast knowledge over the past few days, allowing him to learn the name of the Soul Beast that had provided his first Spirit Ring.

"Over eight hundred years! Didn't they say a Soul Master's first Spirit Ring could only withstand a four-hundred-year Spirit Ring?" Xiao Wu asked.

"How many years was your first Spirit Ring?" Rather than explain right away, Lin Qing first asked about Xiao Wu's first Spirit Ring.

"Hehe, my first Spirit Ring was nearly six hundred years old. Impressive, right?" Speaking of her own Spirit Ring, Xiao Wu proudly planted her hands on her hips.

Her first Spirit Ring was nearly six hundred years old—over a hundred years higher than in the original work. Did my appearance cause a butterfly effect? Xiao Wu condensed a Spirit Ring beyond the limit. Lin Qing thought.

"Didn't you also absorb a Limit-Exceeding Spirit Ring? Why are you asking me?" Lin Qing said helplessly.

"Well... ah! My situation was special! Just tell me, okay?" Xiao Wu wrapped both hands around Lin Qing's right arm and shook it as she coquettishly pleaded.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Just stop shaking me first." Lin Qing could not handle Xiao Wu acting cute like this.

"Xiao Wu, what do you think is required for a Soul Master to absorb a high-year Spirit Ring?" Lin Qing asked.

"Physical fitness."

"Correct. No matter what age a Spirit Ring is, as long as one's physical fitness meets the standard, one already has the prerequisite for absorbing a high-year Spirit Ring."

"The reason I say it gives one the conditions to absorb it, rather than saying that meeting the physical standard means one can absorb it, is because Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old possess basic intelligence. As a result, Soul Masters suffer spiritual shock when absorbing Spirit Rings over ten thousand years old."

"Therefore, for Spirit Rings under a thousand years, one only needs a body strong enough to withstand the Spirit Ring's violent energy to absorb a Spirit Ring of the corresponding age. But after ten thousand years, both spiritual power and physical fitness must meet the standard," Lin Qing said.

"I know all that. I want to know how you absorbed such a high-year Spirit Ring. Or rather, how did you improve your physical fitness?" Xiao Wu asked.

"My case is special. Right after I awakened my Martial Soul, my body was transformed by it. My physical fitness directly increased three or four times during that transformation, and it keeps getting stronger every moment."

"What! How could there be such a cheating Martial Soul!" This was Xiao Wu's first time hearing of such a Martial Soul. Over the tens of thousands of years she had lived, she had seen quite a few Soul Masters, and those Soul Masters had all sorts of strange Martial Souls. Yet not a single one was as abnormal as Lin Qing's Martial Soul.

Increasing physical fitness three or fourfold was already outrageous, but it even continued to improve every moment. What kind of divine Martial Soul was that?

"Still, I know a few methods to improve physical fitness. Perhaps I can help you gain a thousand-year second ring someday," Lin Qing said.

"Really?"

"Of course. Have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"Then there you have it."

As he spoke, Lin Qing returned to Dorm Seven with Xiao Wu.

Upon returning to Dorm Seven, the moment they opened the door, they heard a provocative voice. "Lin Qing, I've already obtained my first Spirit Ring. Come with me to the Dueling Platform for a match. This time, I'll defeat you before the entire school!"

"Who did I think it was? You scared me for a moment. So it's Third Brother? What, do you think getting a Spirit Ring means you can defeat me now?" Lin Qing said disdainfully.

"Could it be that you don't dare accept the challenge?" Tang San sneered.

"Tang San, has anyone ever told you that your provocation is childish?"

"Who cares whether it's childish? As long as it works—and works well—that's enough!"

"You're right. As long as it works, that's enough. I accept your challenge. Let's go to the Dueling Platform."

With that, Lin Qing, who had only just returned, turned around and left again, heading for Nuoding Academy's Dueling Platform.

As its name implied, the Dueling Platform was a place for Soul Masters to spar. Every academy had to have at least one Dueling Platform; it was standard equipment. Each use of the Dueling Platform required an application, so after the application was submitted, news of Lin Qing and Tang San's duel spread throughout Nuoding Academy.

"Boss Xiao, who is this Tang San? He's got some nerve, challenging Big Brother Lin." Clearly, after Xiao Chenyu left Lin Qing's group, he had harshly lectured his subordinates and made them fully understand Lin Qing's terrifying strength.

"As far as I know, Tang San is some country bumpkin from a little village. He even took that academy master who loafs around and waits to die as his teacher. He was probably infected by that master's inability to recognize his own strength and status. He actually dared to challenge Big Brother Lin so recklessly. But Big Brother Lin has such a good temper that he even accepted Tang San's challenge," Xiao Chenyu analyzed.

"This is Nuoding Academy's first soul duel of the year. Let us welcome both sides!" A teacher shouted through a Soul Tool amplifier. "First, the challenger: this year's new work-study student, Tang San."

"What? A work-study student? A work-study student actually dared to issue a soul duel?"

"I heard the one he challenged is Big Brother Lin, Nuoding Academy's real boss—the man even Boss Xiao bowed his head to. This guy really doesn't know the meaning of death."

Amid the crowd's discussions, the teacher spoke again. "Next, the challenged party: Lin Qing, also a work-study student!"

"What?! A work-study student? Big Brother Lin is also a work-study student!"

Other than the few who had caused trouble with Xiao Chenyu that day and the work-study students, all the other students were shocked by Lin Qing's identity.

"Both sides, please state your names, Martial Souls, and levels, then summon your Martial Souls," the teacher said.

"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Thirteenth-level control-type one-ring Battle Soul Master." A confident smile appeared on Tang San's lips. He raised his right hand, and an ugly blue vine grew from his palm. Two leaves sprouted from the vine's tip, while numerous barbs covered its body, as though they could easily pierce human skin.

Immediately afterward, a yellow Spirit Ring rose from beneath Tang San's feet and settled around his body.

"A Hundred-Year Spirit Ring! It's actually a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring!"

At the sight of Tang San's Hundred-Year Spirit Ring, every student was shocked.