Soul-Enhancing Pill

After the assessment ended, Ma Xiunuo took a round badge from behind him and handed it to Jiang Che.

"From now on, you are an honorable Soul Master. You can use this badge to collect your allowance every month. A Soul Master's allowance is two Gold Soul Coins a month."

A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Che declined Sisi's invitation and walked out through Spirit Hall's main entrance.

He placed the two Gold Soul Coins in the System Storage and glanced back at the entrance to the Spirit Hall Branch.

Now that he was a Soul Master, it was time to make plans for his future.

As for where to go after graduating from Nuoding Academy, Jiang Che ruled out Shrek Academy outright.

Not only was Shrek Academy poor and its teaching environment bad, but there was also the danger of running into Tang Hao. The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone was still sitting in his System Storage.

Jiang Che planned to absorb this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone after graduating from Nuoding Academy.

The second option Jiang Che ruled out was Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Although Heaven Dou Royal Academy had excellent teachers, three Soul Douluos overseeing it, and fully equipped facilities for Martial Soul Mimicry Cultivation, it only accepted nobles. Gaining admission would not be easy, not to mention that fish and dragons mingled within its walls.

The Five Elements Academy was too specialized in its admissions, and his Martial Soul was simply unsuitable. Star Luo Academy was too far away.

As for Spirit Hall, everything looked good overall, but that could not make up for the current Pope being so blinded by love that she ruined Spirit Hall's future for a former lover.

Why don't I go it alone? Head into the Star Dou Great Forest and live like a wild man? Jiang Che pondered.

Now that Jiang Che had the Daily Shop System, going to the Star Dou Great Forest would let him kill Soul Beasts, but he feared that if he went too far with the killing and the Top Ten Ferocious Beasts sleeping in the Lake of Life found out, he would be done for.

As for hunting Soul Masters, that was even riskier. He had no way of determining a Soul Master's exact cultivation level. If he ran into a tough opponent he could not handle, he would be done for as well.

"Ah... earning Skill Points isn't easy either."

"Forget it. I'll take things one step at a time."

Rather than rushing back to Nuoding Academy, Jiang Che turned and went to the north of the city, where he rented a small single room.

Along the way, Jiang Che bought all the medicinal ingredients needed for the Soul-Enhancing Pills, as well as an alchemy furnace.

The two Gold Soul Coins had barely warmed in his hands before he spent them all. On top of that, Jiang Che spent another seventy-seven Silver Soul Coins.

To gather the ingredients for the Soul-Enhancing Pills, he had scoured all of Nuoding City, only just managing to buy enough to make five pills.

The crimson flames beneath the furnace cast their glow on the surrounding walls. Jiang Che's expression was solemn, and he felt a little nervous.

There was no helping it. This was his first time practicing alchemy, after all. Even though he already knew every step by heart, he still grew nervous when the moment came.

Once the furnace reached the right temperature, he picked up the Purple-Leaf Orchid he had laid out beside him and, without hesitation, tossed it through the opening at the top.

Inside the furnace, the essences of the Purple-Leaf Orchid, Scorpion Flower, Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and North Mountain Dew were extracted one after another. Jiang Che then fused these medicinal essences together, and the mixture gradually solidified.

Looking at the five jet-black pills, delight flashed in Jiang Che's eyes.

"It worked!"

A medicinal fragrance instantly filled the room.

He picked up a Soul-Enhancing Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

About thirty seconds later, his body finally reacted.

Jiang Che felt a warm current sweep through his entire body. The indescribable comfort made him moan despite himself.

The sensation lasted a full ten minutes. Once he had absorbed all the medicinal effects, Jiang Che felt light all over. He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes, his gaze clearer than ever before.

Sensing the changes in his body, Jiang Che felt a surge of delight.

"My Soul Power reached level twelve?!"

The changes the Soul-Enhancing Pill brought to his body went far beyond that.

Jiang Che's physique and spiritual power had also improved considerably!

After all, physical fitness and spiritual strength were directly linked to the age of the Soul Rings one could absorb.

"With my current physique and spiritual strength, my Second Soul Ring can be at least seven hundred years old."

Jiang Che took off his shirt. The muscles of his forearms formed clean curves, and his waist was firm and taut, as though his body had been tempered.

When he went to bed that night, Jiang Che took another Soul-Enhancing Pill, but this time its effects were nowhere near as good as the first.

Unwilling to accept it, Jiang Che took another Soul-Enhancing Pill the next morning. This time, its effects did not even amount to half those of the second.

Jiang Che cursed inwardly. He had finally figured out what was happening.

After the first Soul-Enhancing Pill, the effects of subsequent doses would gradually diminish.

Just as Jiang Che arrived outside the academy gates, a pink figure with a long scorpion-tail braid intercepted him from afar.

Jiang Che frowned slightly. What does this hundred-thousand-year-old hooligan rabbit want?

Seeing Xiao Wu's furious expression, Jiang Che knew it was nothing good.

Speaking of which, after Tang San defeated Xiao Chenyu, Xiao Wu had smoothly become Nuoding Academy's top girl.

Xiao Wu was flamboyant and overbearing by nature. Apart from Tang San, no one in the entire school could keep her in check.

"Jiang Che, why did you bully Wang Xiaohua yesterday?" Without bothering to get the facts straight, Xiao Wu pointed at Jiang Che's nose and launched into a scolding, immediately drawing passing students to a halt.

The onlookers watched with interest. They all knew that anyone who provoked Xiao Wu could not escape a bruised nose and swollen face.

"What?" Jiang Che looked utterly bewildered and was just about to explain that he had not even been at the academy yesterday.

"Still pretending? You dared to bully a girl? You're asking for a beating!" Xiao Wu scolded angrily as she rapidly closed in on Jiang Che.

Pink light shone from her body. Her eyes turned blood-red, and her ears slowly lengthened, covered in soft white fur. A Yellow Soul Ring slowly rose beneath her feet.

"You've gone too far!" Seeing that he could not avoid the confrontation, Jiang Che naturally refused to sit and wait for death. He immediately twisted aside to dodge the blow.

Although they were both One-Ring Soul Masters, Xiao Wu's Soul Power Level had already reached nineteen, while Jiang Che had only reached level thirteen with the help of three Soul-Enhancing Pills.

But Jiang Che's physique and spiritual strength could now rival a Soul Grandmaster's. He felt that he would not necessarily lose!

"First Soul Skill: Profusion!"

The yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring around him suddenly blazed with light. Countless Blue Silver Vines rapidly sprouted from the gaps between the paving stones and tightly bound Xiao Wu's feet.

The moment the Yellow Soul Ring signifying a hundred years appeared around Jiang Che, a clamor of discussion erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Their gazes toward Jiang Che were filled with complicated feelings, envy, and jealousy.

Jiang Che's first Soul Skill did not hold out for long. Xiao Wu soon broke free.

Xiao Wu planted both hands on the ground. At the same time, a Yellow Soul Ring around her began to glow. "First Soul Skill, Waist..."

Jiang Che would not give Xiao Wu any chance to unleash her Soul Skill.

"Don't even think about it!" Jiang Che roared, closing in on Xiao Wu with astonishing speed.

Xiao Wu was startled. She had never expected Jiang Che to be so fast, nor had she ever imagined that he would actually dare to fight her at close quarters!