Thief, Yu Xiaogang

"The first Soul Ring could not exceed this limit. Otherwise, the only outcome would be bursting apart and dying." Yu Xiaogang walked in.

Yuri came back to his senses, suppressing his doubts about why Yu Xiaogang was here. He looked at Bai Ye and said, "Don't you know the Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls?"

After saying that, he seemed to think of something and added, "Right, you only reported in today. It's normal that you don't know."

Then Yuri began giving Bai Ye a simple introduction to the Ten Core Theories, while Yu Xiaogang stood to one side with his head held proudly high.

"So, your first Soul Ring cannot exceed 423 years." Yu Xiaogang said.

Bai Ye did not care. He did not know where his own limit lay, but merely from the fact that Tang San could effortlessly cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he knew that 423 years was absolutely not his limit.

A Millennium Soul Ring might not be impossible to attempt.

"How did you obtain data precise enough to specify 423 years?" Bai Ye demanded.

Without even thinking, Yu Xiaogang blurted out, "Of course, it came from materials obtained through Spirit Hall. Over the past century, quite a few self-righteous geniuses believed they were one-in-ten-thousand unique existences, so they tried absorbing Soul Rings beyond that limit. Some even attempted to attract Millennium Soul Rings like you. But their endings were miserable. In the end, they all became fallen geniuses."

Bai Ye stared at Yu Xiaogang and said, "If that is the case, why did you claim this material as your own? It was clearly provided by Spirit Hall, yet you treated it as your own achievement and included it in the Ten Core Theories. I have reason to suspect that your other theories were stolen as well."

Yu Xiaogang froze for a moment, then his face turned livid.

Clearly, Bai Ye's words had struck right at the heart of the matter.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang fall silent, Yuri looked at him in surprise as well. Instinctively, he believed Bai Ye was right, and for a moment, he felt ashamed to call Yu Xiaogang his friend.

Yu Xiaogang realized something was wrong and wanted to refute him, but Bai Ye's questions came raining down upon him.

"I believe you when you say the first Soul Ring can only be around four hundred years at most. But do you yourself believe data precise enough to say 423 years? Does that mean a 424-year Soul Ring cannot be absorbed? If 424 years works, then does 425 years not work?"

"I think you not only stole the data, but altered it yourself!"

Yu Xiaogang flew into a rage, then grew even angrier, but in the end, he did not say a word. He had no idea how to refute this six-year-old child standing before him.

Yuri understood the truth now. He looked at Yu Xiaogang with icy eyes and said, "I never expected you to be this kind of person!"

He did not call him Grandmaster, nor did he call him Xiaogang.

"Starting tomorrow, you must attend classes. You can't keep freeloading!"

Yu Xiaogang's expression was ugly, as though he had swallowed a dead fly. He did not respond.

He had been idle for so many years. Making him teach classes on schedule was even more unbearable than killing him.

Besides, he still had to guide his final disciple.

So, he immediately changed the subject.

Yu Xiaogang forced himself to meet Yuri's icy gaze and said, "Tomorrow, I'm taking Tang San out to hunt Soul Beasts."

After saying that, unable to stay any longer, he lifted his foot to leave.

However, Yuri stopped him.

"Wait."

Yu Xiaogang turned around.

Yuri sighed. After all, they had been friends for so many years, and hunting Soul Beasts was full of danger. He could not bear to let Yu Xiaogang take Tang San alone.

Besides, even if Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was a useless Martial Soul, he still possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

Furthermore, Yu Xiaogang had not accepted any disciples during all his years at the academy, yet he had accepted Tang San today. That definitely meant Tang San had something extraordinary about him.

With that in mind, Yuri was even less willing to let anything happen to Tang San.

After all, since Tang San had enrolled in the academy, he was Yuri's student. As the headmaster, Yuri naturally had to take responsibility.

"I was planning to take this child out to hunt Soul Beasts as well. Since that's the case, we'll all go together tomorrow." Yuri said.

Yu Xiaogang instinctively refused. "I refuse!"

Yuri said coldly, "Aren't you going to consider your disciple?"

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang froze. Tang Hao's words from not long ago instantly surfaced in his mind.

"Remember this: no matter when, Tang San is my son."

If something truly happened to Tang San, then as his teacher, Yu Xiaogang would not be able to escape blame. If Tang Hao killed him in a fit of rage, he would die for nothing.

Then he would never be able to prove himself again.

"I agree!" Yu Xiaogang said, then left without looking back.

After Yu Xiaogang left, Yuri looked at Bai Ye with satisfaction. If not for Bai Ye, he would never have known Yu Xiaogang was that kind of person.

But when he thought of Bai Ye's intention to absorb a Millennium Soul Ring as his first Soul Ring, his head began to ache.

Theoretically, if 423 years could be absorbed, then 424 years should be fine. If 424 years was fine, then 425 years should be fine.

Following that logic, not only would 1,000 years be fine—even 100,000 years would be fine.

But the reality was that no one could absorb a Millennium Soul Ring as their first ring.

"A Millennium First Ring is too dangerous. I can't let you absorb one. You can try a five-hundred-year Soul Ring." Yuri said.

Bai Ye shook his head. "Headmaster, I understand your good intentions, but what if it isn't dangerous for me?"

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked, confused.

Bai Ye explained his idea. Normally, the third Soul Ring was the millennium-level one. In other words, as long as his physical strength was comparable to someone at level thirty who had yet to obtain their Soul Ring, he could absorb a Millennium Soul Ring.

"You mean..." Yuri's eyes lit up as a bold guess formed in his heart.

"That's right. I think my physical strength is enough." Bai Ye nodded. "However, you'll need to test me before we can be sure."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuri immediately came before Bai Ye to test him.

The test was simple: strength and resistance to injury.

Yuri possessed a tool-type Martial Soul and was a level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder. His Soul Ring configuration was white, yellow, yellow.

His third Soul Ring was over nine hundred years old.

Very soon, the test was complete. Yuri looked at Bai Ye excitedly, overjoyed in his heart.

"Could it be that Notting Academy is going to produce a genius Soul Master with a Millennium First Ring?"

Bai Ye was delighted as well. A Millennium First Soul Ring was no longer a problem!

However, Yuri quickly calmed down.

"Millennium Soul Beasts are difficult to kill, but that isn't a major problem. At worst, I'll ask the city lord and the branch hall master of Spirit Hall to act together." Yuri thought to himself, then made his decision and informed Bai Ye.

And that was exactly what Bai Ye wanted.

He would use the headmaster's connections and resources to handle his own affairs.

"Alright! Then let's go now." Yuri acted decisively and took Bai Ye to visit them one by one.

The city lord of Notting City, Xiao Chenyu's father, was named Xiao Huo.

He was a level thirty-eight Battle Soul Elder. His Martial Soul was a wolf, and his Soul Ring configuration was the same as Yuri's.

Upon hearing Bai Ye and Yuri's plan, his first thought was that the two were joking. But after conducting the test, he was utterly shocked and readily agreed, hoping to form a good relationship.

After all, Notting City could not contain a great dragon like Bai Ye. Building a good relationship with him could not possibly be wrong.

When they visited the branch hall master of Spirit Hall's Notting City Branch Hall, the man's reaction was much the same as Xiao Huo's.

Although he was also a Soul Elder, he was stronger: level thirty-nine, with the optimal Soul Ring configuration of yellow, yellow, purple.

His test was more accurate than Yuri's and Xiao Huo's.

"A Millennium First Ring is no problem!"

"Child, are you willing to join Spirit Hall?"