System, upgrade my Soul Power by two levels.
[Spent 200 emotion points to upgrade Soul Power by 2 levels. Current Soul Power: 10. Remaining emotion points: 155]
Cao De drew the Soul Ring toward himself, letting it coil around him.
Wisps of blood-red energy seeped from the hundred-year Yellow Soul Ring into Cao De's consciousness.
What is this place?
Cao De looked around at the gray haze surrounding him. A figure flickered in and out of sight within the mist.
The Mighty Male Ant.
Cao De recognized it at a glance.
With a thought, his Martial Soul, the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword, appeared in his hand.
This must be the Soul Beast's consciousness fighting back.
Red mist roiled around the Mighty Male Ant as it charged at Cao De.
Cao De drew the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword, and violet light sprang forth.
The Thousand-Blade Demon Sword met the Mighty Male Ant, but the expected clash never came.
As though made of paper, the Mighty Male Ant was sliced straight in half.
Its body dissolved into red mist, which the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword absorbed.
Cao De slowly opened his eyes.
Something soft pressed against his chest as Xiao Wu flung herself into his arms.
"That was so dangerous! You scared me to death!" Xiao Wu's voice was full of worry.
"What happened?" Cao De felt perfectly fine. Nothing had seemed dangerous.
"There were blood-red markings on the Soul Ring you were absorbing," Xiao Wu explained.
The level-32 Soul Elder bodyguard continued, "Those are traces of the Soul Beast's lingering will. A Soul Ring like that shouldn't be absorbed. It can turn against the Soul Master."
"I wanted to warn you, young master, but I was too late."
Cao De recalled what had just happened and thought it had been nothing special.
"I'm fine." Cao De patted Xiao Wu's head.
"All right, it's getting late. Let's head back now," Cao De ordered.
It was already the next morning when they returned to Nuoding Academy. Cao De jumped down from the carriage, his back and waist aching.
"Riding in a carriage really is uncomfortable," Xiao Wu remarked.
"You have the nerve to complain? You slept sprawled over me last night." Cao De vigorously ruffled Xiao Wu's hair.
Her already messy hair became even more disheveled.
The two entered Nuoding Academy, teasing and tussling with each other.
"Boss, someone's bullying us!" Wang Sheng ran up to Cao De.
"What happened?" Cao De asked.
"Boss Xiao brought a bunch of people to bully us." Wang Sheng explained what had happened.
"Boss Xiao dares bully my people? Beat him up!" Xiao Wu waved her little fists.
Holding Xiao Wu's hand, Cao De headed toward Back Mountain.
"Is that all Dorm Seven has got?" a boy holding an iron rod taunted.
"Withered Flower and Fallen Willow! Take this!" Wang Sheng roared. The image of an ape appeared around him as he charged forward.
"Wang Sheng will lose if he fights like that." Tang San slowly emerged from the crowd and came over beside Xiao Wu.
Hearing Tang San's voice, Xiao Wu immediately moved to the other side, ignoring him completely.
Tang San was dumbfounded. He had spent ages waiting in the crowd for Xiao Wu, hoping to show off when she arrived. Now that she was ignoring him outright, it was hard to carry out his plan.
Tang San spotted Cao De beside her.
Xiao Wu, I'll win you over with my strength.
He tapped his waist a few times, took several pebbles from the Twenty-Four Bridge Bright Moon Night, and launched a sneak attack at Withered Flower and Fallen Willow.
Withered Flower and Fallen Willow had held the upper hand, but the sudden attack left him unable to muster his strength. Instead, Wang Sheng overwhelmed him.
Wang Sheng kicked Withered Flower and Fallen Willow straight back to Boss Xiao's feet.
"Well, Boss Xiao?!" Wang Sheng folded his arms across his chest.
"Ling Feng, you're up," Boss Xiao said coldly.
Just then, Tang San suddenly spoke. "Wang Sheng, come back."
Wang Sheng ignored Tang San. He knew perfectly well who was now the boss of Dorm Seven.
Wang Sheng looked at Cao De, asking for permission with his eyes.
Cao De nodded.
If Tang San wants to show off, let him. Crushing him when he's at his most confident and arrogant will be far more entertaining.
Cao De leaned close to Xiao Wu's ear and whispered.
"Let Tang San strut around for a while. I'll teach him a proper lesson afterward."
His warm breath brushed Xiao Wu's ear, sending a tingling sensation through her. Her legs involuntarily pressed together.
"O-okay."
While they were whispering, Tang San had already sent Ling Feng flying with a kick.
Blood spilled from Ling Feng's mouth, tracing a straight line through the air. The accompanying crack of breaking bones turned everyone's faces pale.
They were all young children. Though they had awakened their Martial Souls, they had never witnessed anything like this.
Boss Xiao was frightened, but he still stepped forward.
"Xiao Chenyu, sixth-year student. Martial Soul: wolf. Level-11, one-ring Battle Soul Master."
Xiao Chenyu shouted, and a white Soul Ring appeared beside him. Red energy rose around his body, forming the phantom of a wolf.
Tang San calmly stepped forward, holding one hand behind his back as he spoke slowly.
"Tang San, first-year work-study student. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level-11 Tool Soul Master."
"Level 11!" everyone exclaimed in disbelief.
Only Cao De and Xiao Wu watched it all calmly.
Hearing their incredulous cries, Tang San's lips curled upward for the first time in ages.
That's the feeling! Tang San was thrilled!
A yellow Soul Ring appeared.
Everyone's mouths fell wide open.
"Boss Xiao, there's still time to surrender," Tang San said with a smile.
Boss Xiao roared and lunged at Tang San.
"Arrogant!" Tang San sneered.
He placed one hand on the ground.
"Blue Silver Grass, Entanglement!"
Blue Silver Grass instantly bound Boss Xiao, its thorns slicing into his flesh.
"I..." Boss Xiao tried to say something, but his consciousness began to blur.
"What did you do?" The people behind Boss Xiao stared at Tang San in horror.
Tang San waved a dismissive hand. "My Blue Silver Grass just carries the Mandala Snake's venom. He happened to get poisoned."
Once Xiao Wu sees my strength, she'll definitely be won over.
Tang San turned toward Xiao Wu, only to find her nestled in Cao De's arms.
"Cao De, I challenge you." A vicious gleam flashed in Tang San's eyes.
He wanted Cao De to die here. Cao De was also a work-study student without any backing, so his dying here would pose no problem.
"Sure." Cao De stroked Xiao Wu's head and spoke into her ear, his breath brushing against it.
"Watch me get even for you."
Xiao Wu pressed her legs together and nodded.
Seeing her reaction, a thought rose in Cao De's mind. Could Xiao Wu have some kind of sacred physique?
Unfortunately, she was too young for him to explore that.
It'll have to wait. Cao De set himself a flag for the future.
Cao De stepped forward, met Tang San's gaze, and smiled.
He gestured for Tang San to begin.
Arrogant.
Tang San sneered inwardly, but his hands moved swiftly.
"Blue Silver Grass, Entanglement!"
Blue Silver Grass instantly shot up beneath Cao De's feet. Clearly, Tang San had prepared it in advance.
Cao De neither dodged nor avoided it. The Blue Silver Grass bound him tightly in an instant.
Seeing the astonished expressions around him, Tang San felt a surge of satisfaction.
Cao De, this is what you get for provoking me.
I'll make you taste the pain my little brother suffered, too.
With a thought from Tang San, thorns instantly sprouted from the Blue Silver Grass, thrusting straight toward Cao De's crotch.
Just then, red light flashed around the Blue Silver Grass, and it exploded.
"How is that possible?" Tang San cried out.
Teacher said my Blue Silver Grass had the Mandala Snake's toughness. How could he break free so easily?
How is that possible?
Before Tang San could finish his inward protests, Cao De was already in front of him.
"Losing focus in battle is a fatal mistake." Cao De kicked Tang San squarely in the crotch, launching him into the air.
"Without any fighting spirit, how can you be a good Soul Master?" Cao De leaped high and delivered a kick to Tang San's lower abdomen.
Tang San lay on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
Yet his gaze grew even more vicious.
"Little San, that Blue Silver Grass of yours has potential. There's plenty of room for growth." Cao De nodded approvingly.
Seeing Cao De act like this made Tang San's anger boil over.
"Boss, you're mighty!" Wang Sheng and the others led the cheers.
Xiao Wu bounded over and flung herself straight into Cao De's arms, never sparing Tang San a glance.
"Big Brother, you're amazing!"
Hearing Xiao Wu call Cao De Big Brother sent a sharp pang through Tang San's heart.
Tang San gave Cao De a long, hard look.
Tang Sect Rules: put anyone you can't defeat yet on a list, then take revenge later.
Tang San swallowed his anger!!
[Tang San felt anger and resentment toward the host. Emotion points: 15] [Xiao Wu felt affection and admiration toward the host. Emotion points: 15]
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