After entering Star Dou Forest, Flender watched Li Ye skipping along a short distance ahead. Only after surveying their surroundings and finding no danger did he ask Yu Xiaogang a question.
"Say, Xiaogang, didn't you say Xiao Ye had twin mutated martial souls, a Warfire Spear and a Northern Border Longsword? Have you decided which one he should cultivate first?"
"Xiao Ye only revealed his Warfire Spear back then. I imagine he's already decided to cultivate that spear." Yu Xiaogang's eyes remained fixed on Li Ye ahead as he answered Flender calmly.
"He's that clever? He actually knew to hide his martial soul?" Flender glanced at Yu Xiaogang as though he had heard something incredible.
"Master Ma Xiunuo, who took Xiao Ye in back in Nuoding City, said he really liked reading books on martial soul theory. I imagine he learned it from a book." Yu Xiaogang paused, recalling something Ma Xiunuo had mentioned in passing.
"It looks like Xiao Ye really is a naturally gifted child!" Flender could not help marveling.
Yu Xiaogang nodded in agreement.
Little did they know that the instant the two of them relaxed, a two-hundred-year-old Cave Demon Spider had already attacked Li Ye a short distance ahead.
Had Li Ye not released his spear and blocked the Cave Demon Spider's fatal strike, his career as a soul master really would have ended right there.
"Teacher, Uncle-Master, are you eating shit? I'm about to die, and you're still standing there chatting!"
At that critical moment, Li Ye's will to survive erupted. Overcoming his fear, he shoved the Cave Demon Spider back and shouted at Yu Xiaogang and Flender behind him.
Hearing Li Ye's cry for help, Yu Xiaogang and Flender felt their heads ring. Then they immediately reacted, charging madly toward him.
"Beast! You see me coming and still dare to attack? Fourth soul skill, Eagle Claw Blade!"
Seeing that damned Cave Demon Spider still trying to seize the chance to kill Li Ye, Flender flew into a rage. He instantly released his Cat Owl martial soul, and a single strike of his fourth soul skill sliced the Cave Demon Spider to pieces.
"Xiao Ye, are you hurt? This was all my fault." Yu Xiaogang carefully checked Li Ye's body, his face full of guilt.
"All right, Teacher, I'm not hurt. But next time you want to chat, could you let me know first? That way, I'll come back to your side," Li Ye complained weakly.
"Ah, Xiaogang, this was my fault. I shouldn't have asked you those questions in somewhere as dangerous as Star Dou Forest and distracted us both," Flender said shamefacedly.
"All right, Flender, we were both at fault here. And you too, Xiao Ye. Don't think you can go skipping wherever you please just because your teacher and Uncle-Master Flender are protecting you. Star Dou Forest is very dangerous. Next time, you're not allowed more than two steps away from us. Understood?" Yu Xiaogang told Li Ye sternly.
"I know, I know. You were clearly the ones who said I could skip wherever I wanted with you here." Li Ye curled his lip, his face full of disdain.
"Uh, Xiaogang, this..."
At those words, Flender and Yu Xiaogang were so embarrassed they almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Xiao Ye's innate soul power is rank eighteen. In principle, absorbing a five-hundred-year soul ring should be no problem. On top of that, he has twin mutated martial souls, and his martial soul mutation also changed his constitution, so we can raise that age a little further. Six hundred years shouldn't be a problem."
"Hey, Xiaogang, you're not joking, are you? Ordinary soul masters can barely withstand absorbing a hundred-year soul ring. Those with better talent and martial souls only manage three or four hundred years, yet you want Xiao Ye to start with a six-hundred-year soul ring? That's the optimal age for a second soul ring!" Yu Xiaogang's assessment nearly scared Flender to death.
"Flender, you can't put Xiao Ye on the same level as ordinary soul masters. You should know how powerful a mutated martial soul is, let alone two of them."
"But we still can't take such a risk! What if something happens?"
"If we don't take the risk, we'll be wasting Xiao Ye's talent."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang and Flender begin arguing endlessly over how old his first soul ring should be, Li Ye simply plugged his ears with something and went off by himself to find a soul beast he had an affinity with.
What was affinity, you asked? It was like Li Ye parting the grass and locking eyes with a huge rhino over six hundred years old.
"Teacher, Uncle-Master, help!" Li Ye withdrew his martial soul and sprinted toward Yu Xiaogang and Flender faster than he ever had in his life.
Fortunately, Flender was already prepared. He swiftly flew behind Li Ye and knocked the pursuing rhino flat with a single punch.
"Ah, this child..."
"Wait, that's a War Rhino! Flender, don't kill it yet!"
Yu Xiaogang had been rather speechless at how carefree Li Ye was, but the moment he saw the War Rhino pinned beneath Flender's foot, he changed his mind.
"Xiaogang, are you sure you want Xiao Ye to absorb the War Rhino's soul ring? It's more than six hundred years old." Although he had already agreed with Yu Xiaogang, Flender still could not help worrying.
"Teacher, what's a War Rhino? Would its soul ring suit me?" Li Ye glanced at the huge rhino sprawled on the ground and spoke with some distaste.
It's so ugly. One look tells you only a total blockhead would absorb its soul ring. I don't want it.
"War Rhinos are soul beasts used by the two great empires to charge enemy formations on the battlefield. The soul rings these beasts provide are usually best suited to martial souls for close-quarters combat. And since both your martial souls mutated from military martial souls used in war, there's a very high chance you'll obtain the War Rhino's innate skill, Boundless Fighting Spirit!" Yu Xiaogang explained slowly.
"Boundless Fighting Spirit? What kind of skill is that?" At present, Li Ye's understanding of these things amounted to having six of his seven openings clear-the one that mattered was still blocked. Naturally, he had to ask for a clear explanation.
"Boundless Fighting Spirit not only improves the user's capabilities in every aspect, but also grants immunity to a certain amount of mental control. Most importantly, it can also increase the combat power of allies within an area," Yu Xiaogang continued explaining.
"Oh, no wonder it's the War Rhino's innate skill. It really does suit their species. Then I'll take its soul ring!" After hearing Yu Xiaogang's explanation, Li Ye had to admit his luck really was good, encountering such a suitable soul ring right away.
As for what I thought earlier-ah, those were just the thoughts of someone young and ignorant.
Oh my goodness, this really is sweet!
"Xiao Ye, do you still remember what I told you?" As the moment to absorb the soul ring approached, Yu Xiaogang grew nervous instead.
"I remember, I remember. Keep my mind focused on my martial soul and stay true to myself. No matter how the soul ring's power batters my body and mind, I have to endure it and never give up."
Li Ye answered speechlessly. Who knew how many times Yu Xiaogang had repeated those words? His ears were practically growing calluses from hearing them.
Had he not known that this was simply how Li Ye was, Yu Xiaogang would never have allowed a child who seemed so utterly lacking in composure to absorb such an old soul ring.
"Six hundred and fifty-eight years, a new limit for the soul master world. Xiao Ye, you must succeed." Seeing that Li Ye had already killed the War Rhino and begun absorbing its soul ring, Yu Xiaogang paced nervously back and forth, praying ceaselessly under his breath.
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