Nine Dragons Thunder Astral Flame, Soul Pressure

Tang San took one of the jade boxes. It felt cool and smooth in his hand.

With some curiosity, he slowly lifted the lid.

His pupils trembled instantly!

Inside lay an ink-green herb. Its stem looked carved from ancient jade and bore nine long, narrow leaves. Each leaf was covered in fine, silvery-white veins, as clear and orderly as the meridians of the human body.

A pale blue, starlike flower center adorned the tip of a leaf, swaying without any wind. Faint threads of humming came from within it, as though internal true qi circulated endlessly inside.

Qianluo Soul-Congealing Grass!

Tang San swallowed, his fingers withdrawing almost instinctively for fear of damaging this immortal herb. This was an immortal herb! Where had his teacher obtained it?

He turned to look at the jade box in Xiao Wu's hands. Inside lay a moon-white flower, its petals edged with a soft glow. The whole blossom looked condensed from moonlight and gave off a cool, delicate fragrance.

Gentle Moon Spirit-Perching Flower!

"Teacher..."

Tang San looked up at Yu Xiaogang.

"This herb..."

Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly. "You recognized it? Not bad."

Xiao Wu looked from one to the other, a huge question mark hanging over her head. "Teacher, what exactly is this?"

Tang San could not help laughing. "Did you actually read those books Teacher gave you?"

Xiao Wu blushed and turned her face away. "I've been working hard on the Six Styles... where would I find that much time to read?"

Yu Xiaogang smiled and shook his head. "Since Xiao San knows, you can teach Xiao Wu how to take the immortal herb. After taking them, you should both reach rank twenty."

"I shouldn't need to elaborate on the wonders of immortal herbs. They're so precious that you can only encounter them by chance, not seek them out. I obtained these from a good friend."

"Yes, Teacher."

Tang San nodded solemnly.

Only then did Xiao Wu catch on, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "Wait, Teacher, are you saying I can break through to rank twenty by eating this?"

She might not understand the rest, but she understood instantly when it came to increasing her soul power.

"Yes."

Yu Xiaogang nodded.

"But there's a particular way to take it. Let Xiao San explain."

Tang San took the jade box from Xiao Wu and said seriously, "The Qianluo Soul-Congealing Grass has to be held in the mouth. Place its leaves under your tongue one at a time, then chew and swallow them once the silver veins have completely faded. For your Gentle Moon Spirit-Perching Flower, you need to pluck off the petals and eat them raw, then take the roots and stem separately."

Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly as she listened. "Got it, got it!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Take them in a little while. Your teacher's wife and I can watch over you."

Before long, Liu Erlong brought several plates of steaming food to the table.

The braised pork gleamed with oil and smelled delicious, the stir-fried seasonal vegetables were green and refreshing, and a pot of chicken soup had been simmered until richly white and savory. It was home cooking, but an especially generous spread.

The four sat around the stone table in the little courtyard, chatting as they ate in a relaxed, lively atmosphere.

After they rested for an hour following the meal, Yu Xiaogang had Tang San and Xiao Wu begin taking the immortal herbs.

Using the proper methods, the two finished absorbing them after some time.

[Ding, detected an increase in the potential of the host's disciple Tang San.]

[Congratulations to the host for receiving: Nine Dragons Thunder Astral Flame ×1.]

[Ding, detected an increase in the potential of the host's disciple Xiao Wu.]

[Congratulations to the host for receiving: Skill · Soul Pressure.]

Tang San clenched his fists, feeling the abundant soul power within him. "Rank twenty! And there should still be medicinal power inside me that hasn't been fully digested."

Xiao Wu finished absorbing hers almost at the same moment as Tang San and cried out in delighted surprise, "I'm rank twenty too!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. You both still have accumulated soul power within you. Once you absorb your second soul rings, you should be able to advance a little further."

"Teacher, when are we going to get our soul rings?"

Tang San asked.

Yu Xiaogang considered for a moment, then said, "In a few days. As it happens, your teacher's wife and I discussed it, and we plan to take you somewhere else."

"Somewhere else?"

Xiao Wu tilted her head.

Liu Erlong rose from her chair and stretched, picking up the conversation with a smile. "Xiaogang means to have you transfer to my academy-the Blue Tyrant Advanced Soul Master Academy in Heaven Dou City."

Tang San and Xiao Wu froze. Xiao Wu blinked. "You're the head of an advanced Soul Master Academy?"

"What, don't I look the part?"

Liu Erlong raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a genuine Soul Saint, you know."

Xiao Wu's mouth formed an O.

Tang San was slightly astonished too. A Soul Saint!

He recalled the days when he had listened to Old Jack recount the village's history.

Sitting on a stump, Old Jack had told everyone with great solemnity, "Long, long ago, our village produced an incredibly powerful Soul Saint! To commemorate him, everyone renamed our village Holy Soul Village."

Martial soul cultivation had ten levels. From lowest to highest, they were Soul Scholar, Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster, Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, and finally, Titled Douluo!

Soul Saint was the eighth level!

There were only a handful of Soul Saints in all of Fasinuo Province.

And a Soul Saint's true strength could only be summed up in a single sentence.

One Soul Saint could withstand... an army of thousands of men and horses!

Tang San felt somewhat excited. He had finally met a legendary Soul Saint-level soul master!

And she was actually his teacher's wife!

"All right."

Yu Xiaogang raised a hand. "We leave in three days. Go back and pack your things, and say goodbye to your friends at the academy while you're at it. Then we'll head to Heaven Dou City together."

"Yes, Teacher!"

Three days later, the four packed their belongings, bade farewell to Liu Bai, and left Nuoding Academy.

Tang San and Xiao Wu stood at the academy gates and glanced back. A year was neither long nor short, but the two had left quite a few memories here.

"Let's go. If you miss it in the future, you can always come back. At a soul master's traveling speed, it won't take very long."

Yu Xiaogang's voice came from ahead.

"Yes, Teacher."

The two withdrew their gazes, turned, and followed.

The carriage wheels rolled over the main road as it slowly headed toward Heaven Dou City.

Time flashed by, and five years passed.

Suotuo City.

The carriage stopped at the city gates. Tang San and Xiao Wu jumped down and looked up at the city before them, several times larger than Nuoding City but considerably smaller than Heaven Dou City.

"We're finally in Suotuo City."

Xiao Wu gave a great stretch.

Tang San stood beside her. "Yeah."

"Why did Teacher send us here? And he even wants us to enroll in that Shrek Academy first."

"It seems this Shrek Academy was founded by a friend of Teacher's too."

"Hmph, I don't care. Come shopping with me! Soothe my tender little heart!"

Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San's arm.

Tang San stumbled forward as she tugged him. "Haha, Sister Xiao Wu has a tender little heart?"

"Hmph! Who told you to be my big brother? Xiao Wu's heart will always be tender and little!"

"All right, all right."

Two hours later, Tang San was already beginning to regret agreeing to go shopping with Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu held a skewer of candied hawthorn in her left hand, eating happily, while her right hand pointed here and there ahead. "That's pretty! Xiao San, hurry up!"

Tang San followed behind, constantly stuffing things into the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges...

"Xiao Wu, shouldn't we find somewhere to stay first?"

Xiao Wu did not listen to him at all. She simply stuffed the half-eaten skewer of candied hawthorn into his mouth. "This is delicious. Try it! Wow, that outfit is so pretty too!"

Tang San froze, then instinctively took a bite. "Mm, it tastes pretty good."