"Test my Soul Power? Didn't we already do that? My innate Soul Power is level 8, isn't it?" Li Ye blinked at Yu Xiaogang, leaving him rather embarrassed.
"When we tested you before, the crystal ball shattered, so the result wasn't accurate. I only said your innate Soul Power was level 8 because I didn't want too many people knowing about your talent and bringing you trouble."
"In fact, your Soul Power is far beyond level 8. It even far surpasses innate full Soul Power, something rarely seen in a hundred years."
Yu Xiaogang explained slowly.
"Ohhh~ so that's how it is~" Li Ye drew out his words, looking at Yu Xiaogang teasingly.
Seeing this, how could Yu Xiaogang not realize that Li Ye had been making fun of him? Yet he wasn't the slightest bit angry. Instead, he was delighted.
"Haha, well, you little rascal! You actually dared to tease me! Let's see how you like being tickled." With that, Yu Xiaogang reached out and tickled Li Ye's armpits nonstop, making him burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Fortunately, the carriage was fairly soundproof, and the bumpy road made plenty of noise. Both of them also deliberately kept their voices down as they played around, or the driver would surely have laughed at them.
Once they finished fooling around, Yu Xiaogang didn't forget their business. He picked up the Soul Power Testing Ball he had just set on the floor and held it out to Li Ye.
"Xiao Ye, this crystal ball can test the Soul Power of Soul Masters below level 30. Put your hand on it."
"Okay." Without another unnecessary word, Li Ye immediately placed his hand on it.
The instant Li Ye's hand touched the crystal ball, it began emitting rays of soft, warm light.
From the intensity of the crystal ball's glow, Yu Xiaogang immediately determined Li Ye's Soul Power Level.
"Innate level 18! This... this is simply unbelievable." Even though he had prepared himself, Yu Xiaogang was still stunned by Li Ye's Soul Power Level.
He had thought it would be level 14 or 15 at most. Who could have imagined it would be this high? Now he would really have to show off when he saw Flender.
After all, in his letter to Flender, he had only said it was above level 10. He hadn't known the exact level at the time.
"Teacher, is level 18 really amazing? Does that mean I'll surpass you before long?"
Hearing Li Ye's words, Yu Xiaogang immediately regained his composure and said with a smile, "Never mind me. Even that Soul Saint friend of mine won't take you long to catch up to."
Yu Xiaogang knew his words were somewhat exaggerated, but they would also help Li Ye understand his own talent more clearly.
"However, Xiao Ye, you must understand that a Soul Master's cultivation doesn't depend on talent alone."
"I know. It also takes your own hard work afterward. I already knew that twenty thousand years ago," Li Ye said, nodding and putting on the same serious expression Yu Xiaogang had worn while lecturing him.
"Haha, as long as you know." Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang said nothing more. He simply felt that Li Ye truly deserved to be called the little live wire Ma Xiunuo had described.
"Oh, right, Xiao Ye. I don't have much on me to give you, so let me give you this belt that's been with me for many years." As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang took out a belt inlaid with twenty-four pieces of jade, which he had kept in his Soul Tool and hadn't worn for years.
"This should be a Soul Tool too, right?" Li Ye accepted the belt Yu Xiaogang handed him and spoke while inspecting it for any dirty spots.
"Yes, there really is no hiding anything from you. Each piece of jade on this belt has one cubic meter of storage space. You can put anything you need to carry inside."
"Here, let me put it on you."
After explaining, Yu Xiaogang took the belt Li Ye was still inspecting and fastened it around his waist.
"Hey, I didn't expect this belt to shrink, too," Li Ye said in surprise, looking at the belt, which had become the same size as his waist once fastened around it.
Watching Li Ye constantly showing him how good the belt looked, Yu Xiaogang truly began to see Li Ye as his own child at that moment.
So this is what it feels like to have someone to carry on after me?
After several days of travel, Li Ye and his teacher finally reached the entrance on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest where Yu Xiaogang and Flender had agreed to meet.
"Urgh~"
The moment he got out of the carriage, Li Ye couldn't help crouching beside the road and throwing up.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang paid the fare, then immediately ran over to Li Ye, patted his back, and handed him a water flask.
In the distance, a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses, with a furtive look in his eyes and a hooked nose like a shoehorn, nearly had his jaw drop at the sight.
Indeed, this man was none other than Flender, who had only just arrived.
"Xiaogang, when did you become so considerate? And you've even learned to tidy yourself up." Only after Li Ye and Yu Xiaogang stood up did Flender approach them, speaking to Yu Xiaogang with disbelief written all over his face.
"Flender!" Seeing Flender insist on bringing up precisely what he shouldn't in front of Li Ye, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed at once, and he gave him a stern warning.
"All right, all right. I won't say anything more."
"Oh, right. This child must be the genius you mentioned in your letter. He really is extraordinary. His Soul Power is almost level 20. No wonder you care so much." After briefly sensing the strength of Li Ye's Soul Power, Flender wasn't as shocked as Yu Xiaogang had imagined. Instead, he spoke with a touch of wonder.
But Flender had naturally noticed the anticipation in Yu Xiaogang's eyes just now, and promptly said, "Xiaogang, you weren't hoping to see my jaw drop, were you?"
"Uh, of course not. I never thought anything of the sort." With his thoughts exposed, Yu Xiaogang remained as stubborn as a dead duck whose beak stayed hard.
"Hello, Uncle Flender. My name is Li Ye." To make his presence felt, Li Ye also stepped forward and introduced himself to Flender.
"Haha, Li Ye, is it? I'll remember that. Here, since this is our first meeting, I don't have much to give you, so take this dagger." Flender rubbed Li Ye's head and spoke with a hearty laugh.
With that, he took out a dagger he had treasured for many years, whose material was clearly extremely expensive, and placed it in Li Ye's hands.
"Flender, you... this dagger was forged by the Divine Smith Lou Gao, whom you paid a fortune to hire, using all those precious materials you collected. Are you sure you want to give it to Xiao Ye?"
Yu Xiaogang truly couldn't believe that the usually stingy Flender would be so generous to his disciple, giving away his most valuable possession right from the start.
"Come on, Teacher, whose side are you on? Uncle Flender has already given it to me. Don't tell me you want him to take it back?" Li Ye shot Yu Xiaogang a speechless glance.
"Exactly, Xiaogang. Do you really want me to take back a gift I've already given? What kind of person do you take me for? Besides, we're brothers. Your disciple is my disciple. This dagger is wasted sitting with me. Better to let Xiao Ye use it to kill Soul Beasts when he hunts for Soul Rings."
Flender spoke to Yu Xiaogang with a show of anger, but a trace of loneliness seeped through his words.
"All right, I wasn't thinking that. Let's hurry and find Xiao Ye a suitable Soul Ring."
"Mm." Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Flender nodded in agreement.
Before you continue