A year later, on the road to Suotuo City.
Ma Hongjun and Tang San lay on the roof of the Iron Horse, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Over the past year, both of them had kept their soul power at level thirty without obtaining another soul ring.
They had also slowed the pace of their soul power cultivation. Grandmaster had told them to find something else to do and temporarily turn their minds away from raising their soul power.
And so, outside their daily physical training and meditation, Tang San and Ma Hongjun had each found work to occupy themselves.
Naturally, Tang San had continued smithing and concocting medicines, further honing these two signature skills of his.
Ma Hongjun, meanwhile, had begun studying cooking. Most of his desire for that sort of thing had shifted toward satisfying his appetite.
Combined with his mental power training, he could now control his evil fire almost perfectly. All that remained was to decide whether to keep it or purge it.
Although their soul power had not increased over the past year, both of them were clearly more vigorous in body, mind, and spirit than before.
Their mental power had risen like a boat on a swelling tide, and their control over their soul power and soul skills had grown even more precise.
Ma Hongjun could already concentrate his power until it was like an iron rod, while Tang San had only become more unfathomable.
Tang San had grown into his looks considerably. His formerly black hair had turned entirely blue-silver, and his features had softened, making him even more handsome than before.
Grandmaster surmised that these changes had occurred because the bloodline within Tang San was slowly awakening.
Tempering his heart through his First Soul Skill had strengthened this source of power within his body, stimulating his dormant Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
Still, these were only outward signs. In practical terms, his blue silver grass had become tougher and richer in vitality.
It still fell somewhat short of the Blue Silver King.
Ma Hongjun had even teased Tang San for looking like a woman, while adding, half joking and half relieved, that at least Tang San had not turned into a Wolf Bandit.
He had already learned about Tang San's origins. After all, Ma Hongjun had been with him for so long that he could be considered trustworthy.
"Grandmaster, what exactly are we going to Suotuo City for? Such a pity about our pharmacy and smithy. Business was still booming."
Ma Hongjun sat up and stretched, calling down to Grandmaster, who was driving the Iron Horse below.
"What if someone needs Third Brother's Blue Silver Dewdrop later?"
"Don't worry, Fatty. I've formulated a new medicine. It's a little less effective, but it's better value for money."
"Those businesses won't go to waste, either. We've handed them all over to the Hunting Wolf Mercenary Group to manage, and we still get a share."
"If we ever get tired of struggling out in the world, we can go straight back there and retire."
Tang San spoke leisurely, a blade of blue silver grass between his lips.
Grandmaster spoke up as well. "Hongjun, we're going to Suotuo City to find someone who can help you obtain your third soul rings."
"Ah! Now that's great! It's been a whole year. I've been about to burst!"
Ma Hongjun cheered. His failure to advance all year had left him at the mercy of Li Zhanya's endless teasing and nagging.
Incidentally, aside from Chu Qingyan, who had married Li Zhanya, everyone in the Black Rose Mercenary Group had left Geyin City and returned to Plant Academy. Their contributions to helping Spirit Hall wipe out the Wolf Bandits had earned them some nice positions there.
"Teacher, is there some powerful expert you know there?" Tang San asked.
"That's right. An old friend I once had a falling-out with opened an academy there. Even the weakest teacher at his academy is a Soul Emperor."
"Whoa! That powerful? How come I've never heard of it?"
"Because that academy's guiding principle is to teach only monster-level Soul Masters. Its admission and graduation rates are extremely low, and quite a few young people have perished there."
Grandmaster then explained the academy's circumstances.
After listening, Tang San frowned. He did not much care for the academy's educational philosophy or methods.
Overly strict demands on the students' own abilities, in a sense, reflected a lack of teaching ability.
Moreover, despite such an extreme educational policy, they had no means of limiting casualties. It was nothing more than leaving life and death to fate, wealth and honor to Heaven.
Still, since the man was Grandmaster's old friend, Tang San did not say so outright.
Ma Hongjun had no such reservations. "What the hell is wrong with that Shrek Academy? They don't treat people like people! If I ever have kids, there's no way I'm sending them there."
"They might get driven mad."
"Rest assured, this trip is not meant to enroll you at Shrek."
"Besides, that old friend and I once fell out so badly that we went our separate ways. They may not even agree to help."
"Then why are you bringing us here, Grandmaster?"
Tang San shot Ma Hongjun a look, telling him to ask fewer questions. He knew Grandmaster was missing his old friend.
And this was an old friend who had once been as close as a brother, only for them to fall out and part ways.
Who knew how much resolve Grandmaster had needed to choose to come here for a reunion?
"...It would be best if I could persuade him, but if I can't, so be it. You'd better be prepared to bleed money, though. That old friend of mine is a profiteer."
Grandmaster did not elaborate and continued driving the carriage.
Tang San and Ma Hongjun exchanged a silent glance, then began playing cat's cradle with blue silver grass to pass the time.
They chatted about their targets for their upcoming third soul rings.
The third soul ring was a watershed for Soul Masters, because it was the first thousand-year soul ring they could obtain.
Of course, there were also those whose luck was poor enough that they had to make do with a hundred-year ring. This was the case for most Soul Masters.
But for monsters like Ma Hongjun and Tang San, their second soul rings were already thousand-year ones.
Tang San even possessed a secret method for increasing the age of his soul rings. He now had two purple soul rings, a sight that would absolutely shock the world.
"I'm planning to get a soul skill that lets me fly. Staying on the ground all the time doesn't show off the majesty of my Evil Fire Phoenix at all."
"What divine beast can only stay on the ground? If my phoenix doesn't take flight soon, I'll spend my whole life being called a flightless chicken."
"Heh, if anyone dares call you a flightless chicken, just hack at them with your axe. Let's see who still dares say it then."
"What about you, Third Brother? What kind of third soul ring are you planning to choose?"
"Me? I'll leave it to fate. Something related to vitality would be best, and if it can boost my attributes, even better."
Tang San had no shortage of skills, especially control-type soul skills. For assault, he did have the Blue Silver Boundless Sword.
But the blue silver grass itself was still not strong enough.
So something that could raise its attributes would be ideal.
"Third Brother, your good fortune reaches the heavens. You're bound to find the soul ring you want."
"May your words come true, little brother Hongjun."
After spending so long with mercenaries, the two had picked up a touch of swagger as well.
Still, it was only playful banter.
"Fatty, something's happening," Tang San suddenly remarked.
Ma Hongjun looked over and spotted a carriage being harassed by a gang of thugs.
Then a beautiful black-haired girl stepped out of the carriage.
"Hehe! Time for a hero to save the beauty!"
The Iron Horse came to a stop, and Ma Hongjun eagerly climbed down from the roof, ready to flirt.
But what happened instead...
"Ack! She's a Soul Master! Brothers, retreat!"
When the thugs saw the girl reveal two yellow soul rings, they were so frightened that they nearly wet themselves and immediately fled.
The girl did not pursue them. Instead, she withdrew her martial soul and prepared to return to her carriage.
Then she noticed a large war chariot behind her carriage and froze for a moment. Why did that carriage have no horses?
Tang San and the others came forward and greeted her.
"Hello, I'm Tang San. Could you please get back into your carriage a little sooner? We need to be on our way, too."
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