The First Soul Skill

Although he did not know what was going on with this bizarre Demon Blood Martial Soul, it had genuinely relieved some of the pressure on Lin Yang.

The almost rampaging power was rapidly diverted, some of it being refined while the rest became food for the Demon Blood Martial Soul.

The entire process became exceptionally smooth.

About two hours later, the Soul Power fluctuations around Lin Yang gradually subsided, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He had successfully absorbed his first Soul Ring!

The power contained in the seven-hundred-year Soul Ring had pushed Lin Yang's Soul Power straight to level thirteen, even with the Demon Blood Martial Soul taking a share.

Otherwise, he might have surged all the way to level fourteen or fifteen.

Of course, the increase in his Soul Power Level was secondary.

Most importantly, the Golden Extreme Beast had not disappointed him.

Adding the Soul Ring had strengthened his Martial Soul Origin, increasing Crimson Interval's sharpness and hardness.

Lin Yang stood up, plucked a hair, and lightly drew it across the Nichirin Blade. The strand instantly snapped.

Then, with a thought, the yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet instantly lit up.

First Soul Skill: Sharp Gold.

It unleashed the Soul Ring's sharp gold power, increasing his Martial Soul's sharpness by one hundred percent and its hardness by seventy percent.

With every level gained, both enhancements would increase by an additional one percent.

With the Soul Ring activated, the Nichirin Blade became incomparably sharp. Even facing its edge, Lin Yang could feel a needlelike chill.

The next instant, Lin Yang reversed his grip and thrust the Nichirin Blade into the rock wall behind him.

As though piercing tofu, the blade sank effortlessly into the rock, leaving only the hilt and guard outside.

A casual sweep instantly cut an opening in the wall, its cut surface perfectly smooth.

Lin Yang's assessment of this Soul Skill was: top-tier.

In his eyes, those flashy offensive Soul Skills were far less valuable than attribute enhancements.

With Sun Breathing, Lin Yang had no shortage of ways to attack.

To him, Soul Skills were more like a way to keep adding enchantments and enhancements to his Nichirin Blade.

Just imagine: all he needed to do was keep stacking enhancements on the Nichirin Blade, and every basic swing, every ordinary thrust would carry nine attribute enhancements.

Every basic attack would be an ultimate move!

Let your Soul Skills change in a thousand ways; I would break them all with a single slash.

Who would be able to stand against his blade then? Who would dare?

If he faced the Golden Extreme Beast again now, things would be different.

He would not even need to activate the Transparent World. One slash would sever the tough armor and claws the Golden Extreme Beast took such pride in.

He would show it what it meant to slice through iron like mud.

At this thought, Lin Yang saw his future ever more clearly, his gaze growing clearer and sharper.

Only after putting Crimson Interval away did Lin Yang have time to examine his other Martial Soul.

That bewitching mass of scarlet demon blood emerged from his palm.

Despite having prepared himself, Lin Yang's pupils still contracted slightly at the sight of the Demon Blood Martial Soul, shocked by its transformation.

The Demon Blood Martial Soul had actually... grown!

This was not a figurative increase in strength, but the most direct, physical kind of "growth."

When his Martial Soul had first awakened, the Demon Blood Martial Soul had only taken the form of a drop of blood.

Now, the Demon Blood Martial Soul had become a ball of blood the size of a pigeon's egg, more than doubling in volume.

Moreover, after summoning it, Lin Yang could distinctly sense that once the Demon Blood Martial Soul had reached a state of "fullness," something seemed to be quietly gestating within it.

Could it be... a Blood Demon Art?

Lin Yang's expression shifted uncertainly. This Demon Blood Martial Soul was far too strange.

He had never heard of Twin Martial Souls being like this.

But for now, as long as he did not use Martial Soul Possession, he showed absolutely no signs of demonization or any other unusual changes.

Furthermore, if the Demon Blood Martial Soul could devour the power within a Soul Ring, could it absorb power from other Soul Rings?

If so, his craving for flesh and blood when using this Martial Soul would be greatly reduced.

After studying the Demon Blood Martial Soul a little longer, Lin Yang finally dismantled his arrangements and walked out of the cave.

Outside, Zhao Bufan stood guard by the cave entrance. The moment he saw Lin Yang emerge, a smile appeared on his face.

"Boss, how do you feel?"

Lin Yang smiled. "Great. Clearheaded and refreshed!"

"Haha, I feel the same way," Zhao Bufan said cheerfully.

He had reaped considerable rewards on this trip. Not only had he unexpectedly removed a thorn in his side, but he had also obtained a Soul Bone. He had truly hit the jackpot.

Having achieved their purpose in hunting for Soul Rings, the two no longer lingered in the forest.

They hurried all the way and finally left the Soul Hunting Forest before nightfall.

On their way back, Zhao Bufan handed the Soul Hunting Writ to Lin Yang.

"Boss, take this for now. I'll give you the rest of your payment when we get back to the academy."

Lin Yang was somewhat surprised. You hid that many Gold Soul Coins at the academy?

Zhao Bufan gave a mysterious smile, keeping him in suspense.

It was already the middle of the night when they returned to the academy.

Rather than going straight back to Dorm Seven, they went to a conifer behind the teaching building under Zhao Bufan's lead.

Zhao Bufan crouched down, dug a few times in the soil beneath the tree, and retrieved an Iron Box. Inside it lay a Sapphire Ring.

The instant he saw the ring, Lin Yang blurted out, "A Storage Soul Tool?"

"So you recognize it, Boss," Zhao Bufan said, handing the ring to Lin Yang.

"Everything my father left behind is inside this Storage Soul Tool."

Did everyone in this world hide their belongings in such a plain, unadorned way?

Lin Yang grumbled and put on the ring.

He easily sensed the space inside it. It was roughly one cubic meter, with a pile of Gold Soul Coins stored within.

A count put the total at around thirty thousand.

Looking at the ring on his hand, Lin Yang could not help asking,

"Why didn't you keep it on you? What if someone had taken it while it was hidden here?"

Zhao Bufan could not help smiling smugly.

"My paternal cousin kept suspecting that my father had hidden the things he'd stolen somewhere. He never imagined they were inside a Soul Tool I carried with me."

"After I became a work-study student, this gemstone ring stood out too much, so I found a way to hide it here."

Lin Yang could not help seeing Zhao Bufan in a new light.

To possess such meticulous thinking at twelve-even if his talent was poor, as long as he seized an opportunity in the future, he would surely make something of himself.

"I'll return the ring once I take out the Gold Soul Coins."

Zhao Bufan waved a hand. "No need. I'm already getting the better end of this deal. Consider the storage ring a bonus."

Lin Yang did not stand on ceremony and simply accepted the storage ring.

As for Zhao Bufan, he had given away a Storage Soul Tool and handed over the Gold Soul Coins without hesitation. Clearly, he had something of his own to fall back on.

Lin Yang was not the only one who understood the principle of not putting all one's eggs in the same basket.

So he did not ask.

Just as he was turning to return to the dorm, Zhao Bufan suddenly spoke.

"Boss, I... I'll apply to graduate tomorrow, so I won't be going back. Say goodbye to Wang Sheng and the others for me."

Lin Yang paused, then nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll pass it on. Have a safe journey."

Zhao Bufan nodded.

"Boss, you're more talented than I am. I hope someday I'll hear your name ringing out across the entire continent."

"You will!"

With that, Lin Yang waved and walked toward the dorm without looking back.

Zhao Bufan remained where he was, silently watching Lin Yang's figure disappear into the darkness.

After this parting, they would probably have few chances to meet again.

"Goodbye, Boss!"

The next day, Lin Yang told the others in Dorm Seven that Zhao Bufan was applying to graduate.

When they learned that Zhao Bufan was already a One-Ring Soul Master, and that his ring was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring at that, what little reluctance and sadness they felt was quickly replaced by envy.

Wang Sheng was even more quietly determined. "Once I cultivate to level ten, I'll get a Soul Ring too. Then I'll become a real Soul Master."

Just then, Wang Sheng looked at Lin Yang, seemingly remembering something, and came over to ask,

"Boss, when you took leave a couple of days ago, did you go hunting for a Soul Ring too?"

Lin Yang nodded slightly. "That's right!"

At once, a chorus of "wow" calls rose through Dorm Seven like croaking frogs, and envious gazes seemed about to drown him.

Wang Sheng rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile on his face.

"Boss, could you show us your Soul Ring so we can broaden our horizons?"

"Sure!"

With a thought from Lin Yang, Crimson Interval instantly appeared in his hand.

At the same time, a bright yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet and slowly revolved around him.

"So this is a Hundred-Year Soul Ring!"

"Amazing..."

"Don't you think Boss's Martial Soul has gotten sharper? Standing in front of him makes every hair on my body stand on end."

"You feel it too? I thought I was imagining things."

"Me too... I keep feeling like that blade could cleave me in two."