Early the next morning, Yu Xiaogang got up bright and early to make Li Ye some lean pork congee.
After breakfast, Yu Xiaogang could not hold back his question. "By the way, Xiao Ye, what's your first Soul Skill? Tell your teacher."
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's question, Flender also leaned closer to Li Ye, unable to contain his curiosity.
"That's right, Xiao Ye. Hurry up and tell your teacher. He was so excited yesterday that he didn't sleep all night."
"Get lost, Flender. I was just feeling invigorated."
"Pfft, invigorated? I think you were in hea-"
"Flender, shut your mouth! How can you just blurt out something like that!"
"All right, all right, stop bickering, you two. I'll tell you, okay?" Once again, Li Ye glanced speechlessly at the two men who had started squabbling again.
"Out with it!" Flender said excitedly.
"My first Soul Skill is called Endless Spear Intent. It boosts my strength, speed, defense, and toughness by 100%, and it also makes me immune to mental attacks from all mental-type Control System Soul Masters whose mental power doesn't exceed mine," Li Ye said slowly.
"That's outrageous!" Flender exclaimed, astonishment written all over his face.
"I imagine there must be some restrictions, right?" Yu Xiaogang asked tentatively.
"Yes, there are. I can only use this Soul Skill three times a day, for ten minutes each time. But once I become a Soul Elder, each major rank I advance will give me one additional use," Li Ye answered.
"That's still ridiculously powerful! Ten minutes is enough for you to knock the vast majority of opponents flat," Flender chimed in again, both shocked and envious.
After all, at the Titled Douluo level, many enhancement-type Soul Skills were basically useless, but Li Ye had an additional ability that granted mental immunity. It was simply outrageous.
"Yes, it's very good indeed, but you mustn't get cocky. You still have a long road ahead as a Soul Master, after all. You can't be satisfied with just this," Yu Xiaogang cautioned at the right moment.
"Yes, I understand, Teacher. Then let's hurry back to Nuoding City. I still have to tell Grandpa Ma Xiunuo the good news," Li Ye urged.
"All right, all right, we'll head back now." With that, Yu Xiaogang led Li Ye and Flender on the journey back.
"Flender, let's part ways here. We can manage the rest of the journey ourselves." After leaving the Star Dou Forest, Yu Xiaogang proposed that they go their separate ways.
"All right. When Xiao Ye reaches level twenty and needs his second Soul Ring, remember to write to me in advance." Flender nodded, then added a reminder.
"Got it, Uncle Flender. Teacher definitely will, or I'll have to fight for my second Soul Ring myself. Goodbye, Uncle Flender!" With that, Li Ye immediately bolted to keep Yu Xiaogang from giving him a beating.
"That child, honestly..." At Li Ye's actions, Yu Xiaogang was so exasperated that he laughed.
"Haha, Xiaogang, you'll have your hands full from now on. All right, I won't say anything else. Remember to write Erlong a letter when you have time. I'll be off." With that, Flender activated his Martial Soul and flew into the distance without waiting for Yu Xiaogang's reply.
"Erlong... ah, I hope you can forget me and find a good man to marry." Thinking back to the beautiful woman he had once loved, Yu Xiaogang could not help sighing.
Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, after hunting down his second Soul Ring, Li Ye followed Yu Xiaogang to Nuoding Academy.
He had to admit, having high innate Soul Power really was wonderful. After absorbing his first Soul Ring, he had shot straight up to level nineteen, and in less than three months, he had gained another level.
This time, under the guidance of the two old men in his mental space, Li Ye had practiced spear and sword techniques for nearly three months.
In addition, throughout that period, Li Ye had eaten food made from Soul Beast meat and soaked in very good medicinal baths. His physical fitness could be said to have caught up with his Soul Power level.
That was why, when acquiring his second Soul Ring, Li Ye had been able to absorb one that was as old as 1,128 years.
After all, this was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, something even many Soul Elders might not be able to absorb.
"Haha, Teacher, do you think I could thrash you now that I'm level twenty-one?" Holding Yu Xiaogang's hand, Li Ye skipped along, showing off his strength to him.
"You little rascal. How many times have I told you not to get cocky? With your talent, surpassing your teacher is perfectly normal." Yu Xiaogang smiled and stroked Li Ye's head.
After spending so much time together, Yu Xiaogang had long since come to understand Li Ye's nature.
Though the boy enjoyed teasing him, he also cared about and respected him, and would never keep poking at his sore spots once he showed that he was angry.
It was just that tendency to get cocky without becoming complacent that Yu Xiaogang found rather hard to fathom.
"Hehe, I know, but I just can't help wanting to show off to you, Teacher." Li Ye rubbed his nose and grinned.
It would have been a lie to say he was not happy. After all, Qian Renxue had possessed level-twenty innate Soul Power, yet her first two Soul Rings were both yellow. Li Ye, however, had a purple one. How could he not be happy?
Just as Li Ye and Yu Xiaogang reached the gates of Nuoding Academy, they saw the gatekeeper shoving an old man and a child.
"As if a golden phoenix could come out of a straw nest! Get lost before you force me to throw you out," the gatekeeper said contemptuously.
Just as Old Jack was about to leave with little Tang San, the gatekeeper said something else, though it was unclear what, enraging Old Jack so much that he rushed forward to argue with him.
Seeing that Old Jack actually dared talk back to him, the gatekeeper immediately decided to teach him a good lesson.
But at that moment, Li Ye could no longer bear to watch. He rushed forward and grabbed the gatekeeper's hand.
"Hey, have you got no shame, bullying an old man? Since you love picking on the weak so much, I'll pick on you too." With that, Li Ye flung the gatekeeper away.
But Li Ye had no intention of letting him off just like that. He walked up and seized him by the throat.
The gatekeeper initially tried to break free, but after struggling for a while, all he got was Li Ye tightening his grip.
"You have two choices now. One, apologize to that old man and that little boy. Two, I beat you until you apologize to them. Which will you choose?" With that, Li Ye released him, giving him time to make his choice.
"I choose the first! The first!" The gatekeeper gave Li Ye a terrified look, then scrambled over to Old Jack and little Tang San to apologize before slinking back to his duty room.
"Thank you, young Lord Soul Master," Old Jack said gratefully as Li Ye walked over to him and Tang San.
"Thank you, big brother Soul Master." Tang San did not know how to address this person before him, who was about his own age but far stronger, so he could only say something off the top of his head.
"Haha, you're welcome. Oh, right, what did you come here for?" Li Ye said with a smile, not forgetting to ask why the two of them had come.
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