The Key to a New Era

"Of course I came to Plant Academy because my Martial Soul is a plant Martial Soul.

"Don't be fooled by my high Soul Power Level. I'm just a frail support-type Soul Master."

I could kill you with one punch, but I really am just a support-type Soul Master.

Now that he had arrived at Plant Advanced Soul Master Academy, Jin Yang no longer wanted to hide his First Soul Skill.

He had been thinking about it before he went to sleep, too.

In the end, he had decided to reveal it. If Plant Academy intended to train him, it would come out sooner or later anyway.

Better sooner than later.

After all, he couldn't avoid training with everyone else.

So before going to sleep, he had deliberately upgraded his first two Soul Rings to Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

Three purple Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet and spiraled upward, hovering around his waist.

Jiang Yan rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"What the hell! How is that possible?!" Jiang Yan cried.

He instinctively backed away a few steps, then couldn't help moving closer for a better look.

"You! How did you do that?! You have three Thousand-Year Soul Rings!"

Jiang Yan couldn't calm down at all.

An ordinary Soul Master could never have three Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

Even with a third Soul Ring, absorbing one that was too old could easily make a Soul Master explode and die.

Three Thousand-Year Soul Rings were beyond imagining.

"And you're still alive? This is unbelievable."

Jiang Yan stared at Jin Yang as though he were a monster, his face full of astonishment.

Jin Yang's three Soul Rings had shattered everything people on Douluo Continent knew about Soul Rings.

"Wait. I've discovered your Soul Rings' secret. You aren't going to kill me to keep me quiet, are you?" Terror suddenly crossed Jiang Yan's face. He waved both hands in front of himself to keep Jin Yang back, afraid Jin Yang would kill him.

"You're overthinking it! Why would I kill you? My Soul Rings are this old because of my First Soul Skill."

Jin Yang stayed where he was and spoke helplessly.

"What? So that's it?" Disappointment filled Jiang Yan's face.

"Hold on. What exactly are you disappointed about?"

Jin Yang gave him a strange look.

"Wait, did you just say you have three Thousand-Year Soul Rings because of your First Soul Skill?"

Jiang Yan suddenly caught on and asked in a rush.

"That's right. My First Soul Skill can permanently increase a Soul Ring's age. My First Soul Ring and Second Soul Ring were originally just Hundred-Year Soul Rings, but now they're both Thousand-Year Soul Rings."

"A Soul Skill like that exists? That's practically a divine skill!"

Jiang Yan felt his entire understanding of the world being remade.

He had never imagined a Soul Skill could permanently increase the age of a Soul Ring.

"God! You're my god!" Jiang Yan threw himself against Jin Yang's leg and clung to it.

"I want nothing else in this life, big brother. Please turn my First Soul Ring into a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

Despite his talent, Jiang Yan had not obtained a Hundred-Year Soul Ring as his first. He had absorbed a Ten-Year Soul Ring instead.

It had bothered him ever since.

Whenever students at the academy opened their Martial Souls for a sparring match, everyone else had yellow, yellow, and purple Soul Rings rising beneath their feet. Only his were white, yellow, and purple. It had always made him feel he couldn't hold his head high among his classmates.

He was strong and had his pride.

But before someone who could increase the age of Soul Rings, he chose to be a little brother.

Being a little brother was great. Being a little brother was grand.

Being a little brother could turn his white ring yellow.

"How old is your First Soul Ring?"

Jin Yang asked so he could work out how many times he would need to use his First Soul Skill to raise Jiang Yan's ring to a hundred years.

"My Martial Soul is a snow lotus.

"When I hunted for my First Soul Ring, I wanted to find a hundred-year snow lotus for it.

"But snow lotuses were incredibly scarce in Sunset Forest, and the academy had no snow lotus Soul Beasts in reserve.

"After searching for a whole month, all I found was a ninety-year snow lotus. Every other one was either too old or too young. So I had to grit my teeth and absorb that Soul Ring."

Jiang Yan went on, "If you agree, I'll acknowledge you as my big brother. You said you're a support-type Soul Master, and I'm a control-type Soul Master. From now on at school, I'll follow your lead. If you tell me to steal a chicken, I definitely won't steal a dog."

"Get up and stop hugging my leg. Show me your Soul Ring. You just need its age increased once, right? Easy."

As his roommate, Jin Yang was happy to help Jiang Yan.

It only took one use of his Soul Skill.

It would cost him nothing and earn him a friendly relationship with his roommate. Why wouldn't he do it?

"You agree? That's great, big brother!"

Jin Yang channeled Soul Power into his First Soul Ring. Golden light shone from his hand, and a stream of pale-gold Soul Power flowed into Jiang Yan's Soul Ring.

The next moment, Jiang Yan's Soul Ring began to turn yellow, slowly changing until no white remained.

"Your Soul Ring is six hundred years old now, but that's temporary. In another hour, it'll settle at a hundred years. My Soul Skill can permanently retain a small part of the increase. It isn't much, but it's enough."

"Pay close attention and see what feels different."

After Jin Yang's First Soul Ring became a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the amount of age his skill could permanently retain had increased considerably.

An hour passed quickly.

Just as Jin Yang had said, once the effect wore off, the age of Jiang Yan's First Soul Ring plummeted.

But it stopped at a hundred years.

"It's real. My First Soul Ring has permanently become a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

"Jin Yang, you're a god walking the earth! You'll always be my boss!"

Jiang Yan was beside himself with excitement. If he hadn't been afraid of hurting Jin Yang's frail support-type body, he would have leaped onto him and given him a huge hug.

"Boss, have you told the academy's teachers?"

"Oh, what am I thinking? Boss, they must have tested your Soul Power before you entered the academy. The teachers already know."

"Not yet. I only raised my rings' ages just now."

"Ah! Boss, you have to tell the teachers as soon as possible. Then they'll put you in the best class.

"I hear the continent-wide Soul Master Tournament starts in two years. There are always generous prizes, and there might even be Soul Bones to choose from.

"Your Soul Power Level is so high, and you're a support-type Soul Master. You'll definitely get to compete.

"Bring back just one Soul Bone, and you'll soar into the heavens."

Jiang Yan paced anxiously back and forth in front of Jin Yang. He looked ready to drag Jin Yang to the head of Plant Academy that very moment.

Jiang Yan might have been only a Soul Elder, but he understood how precious and terrifying Jin Yang's First Soul Skill was, especially its value for research.

It could well be the key that opened the door to a new era.

Its importance to Plant Academy and to all of Douluo Continent went without saying.