Two months later...
Deep in the poisonous swamp, beneath a huge dead tree.
Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the ground, ten scorpion tails raised high behind him, slowly waving through the air.
"First form, Gather Together as One, thrust!"
"Whoosh!"
The ten scorpion tails shot out like lightning, piercing the tree trunk with perfect accuracy.
A large hole was instantly punched through the trunk.
"Second form, Hook Back!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two scorpion tails swept sideways, hooked a branch, and pulled hard, snapping it.
"Third form, Triangle Encirclement Kill!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Three scorpion tails shot out simultaneously in a triangular formation, stabbing in three different directions and striking their targets precisely.
Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
After two months, he could finally control all ten scorpion tails at once, making them attack independently without interfering with one another.
Each scorpion tail was as nimble as his own arm, stabbing wherever he wanted, hooking wherever he wanted, and coiling around whatever he wanted.
Moreover, he could make each scorpion tail of the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Sword spray the Nine Poison Scorpion's deadly venom. With every Soul Ring he absorbed in the future, the tails behind him could gain another deadly venom from the Soul Beast he absorbed. It was extremely effective.
However...
Luo Chen slowly stood, and the tenth scorpion tail behind him slowly extended in front of him.
He gently stroked this scorpion tail formed from the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor's origin essence, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
This scorpion tail formed from the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor's origin essence far surpassed the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Sword in attack, defense, speed, strength, venom, and flexibility alike.
At that moment, Luo Chen decided to hide it as his trump card, using only the Nine Poison Scorpion Hook Sword against enemies whose strength was not too far from his own.
Luo Chen did not know whether this was right, but concealing his abilities was his only rule for survival in this world.
One afternoon, while Luo Chen was practicing combination attacks with his scorpion tails, the old village chief's figure suddenly flashed through his mind.
"I wonder how the old man is doing."
"Time to head back."
Luo Chen retracted his scorpion tails and leaped up. A tail behind him hooked a branch, using it to propel him into the air as he raced toward Nuoding City.
Two days later.
A striking figure appeared at the entrance of Nuoding City Junior Academy.
It was none other than Luo Chen.
For some reason, after adding the First Soul Ring to the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor, Luo Chen had grown even more hauntingly beautiful.
Radiant as spring blossoms, luminous as the bright moon-at this moment, those words embodied him.
Luo Chen walked into the academy and headed toward the dormitories.
Every student he encountered along the way froze in place as though they had seen a ghost.
"Th-that's Luo Chen?"
"Didn't he die in the Soul Hunting Forest?"
Within mere minutes, news of Luo Chen's return alive swept through the entire Nuoding City Junior Academy like a tidal wave.
In a clearing on the hill behind the academy.
Tang San was practicing his control over Blue Silver Grass when he suddenly heard voices discussing something in the distance.
"Heavens, Luo Chen actually came back?"
"Yeah, it's a miracle."
As the two students left, Tang San stood frozen in place.
Two months earlier, he had gone with Yu Xiaogang and the dean to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt for his First Soul Ring, intending to help Luo Chen hunt a Soul Beast after returning.
But when he found Luo Chen's residence, all he saw was an empty room.
The bedding was folded neatly, and it was obvious no one was staying there.
Finding Luo Chen absent, Tang San sought out a student and learned from him that Luo Chen had disappeared long ago.
Later, word spread that Luo Chen had gone hunting for a Soul Ring.
At the time, Tang San had felt somewhat excited, thinking he could spar with Luo Chen when he returned.
Unfortunately, what came was not news of Luo Chen's return, but news that Luo Chen might have died in a Soul Beast's jaws.
Upon learning this, Tang San shut himself in the dormitory for three days without eating or drinking, as a prayer for the first flutter of his young heart.
"Tang San, what's wrong?"
A clear voice came from beside him.
Tang San came back to his senses and saw a girl wearing a rabbit-ear headband looking at him with her head tilted, her large eyes full of confusion.
"Nothing." Tang San smiled and reached out to pat Xiao Wu's head.
Xiao Wu pouted. "You're lying. You were clearly spacing out just now."
"I was thinking about something." Tang San withdrew his hand and was about to resume practicing when-
"Xiao San!"
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Tang San turned and saw Yu Xiaogang approaching briskly, a trace of a complicated expression on his face.
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Tang San hurriedly supported the breathless Yu Xiaogang.
"Luo Chen is back. Did you know?"
Tang San nodded. "I just heard."
"Very good." A gleam flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "I'm planning to have you face him in a Soul Master duel to test your cultivation over these past days."
At those words, Tang San frowned slightly.
"A Soul Master duel... against Luo Chen?"
"Could we not fight?" Tang San asked glumly.
For some reason, deep down, Tang San did not want to become Luo Chen's enemy.
Perhaps it was that fleeting glimpse in the sunlight, his help when the guards made things difficult, or his confident manner when he berated Yu Xiaogang-all had left a deep impression on Tang San.
Even though Luo Chen had publicly humiliated his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San did not blame him. He even... wanted to be friends with him a little.
"Of course not!"
Yu Xiaogang abruptly gripped Tang San's shoulders, his voice rising sharply with irrepressible excitement. "Luo Chen has innate full Soul Power, and his Martial Soul is even the top-tier Nether Devil Scorpion!"
"All this time, I've only asked you to concentrate on cultivating Soul Power, but I forgot that a Soul Master's greatest gains come from Soul Master duels!"
His eyes burned as he stared at Tang San and said loudly, "Luo Chen is the opponent I've found for you! You must defeat him in a Soul Master duel and prove that my theories are not wrong!"
"Prove that you chose the right master!"
Tang San fell silent at his words.
Although Luo Chen had called Yu Xiaogang a useless parasite who fed off geniuses, these two months together had also shown Tang San another side of Yu Xiaogang.
A man devoted to theory, almost obsessed with researching Martial Souls.
"All right." Tang San raised his head. "I agree."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang smiled in satisfaction. "Good! I'll arrange the duel in a couple of days."
With that, he turned and left.
Xiao Wu stood nearby, watching Yu Xiaogang's retreating figure before looking at Tang San.
"Tang San, that Luo Chen... is he strong?" Xiao Wu asked in puzzlement.
"I'm not sure either," Tang San said thoughtfully. "But according to Teacher, he has innate full Soul Power, and his Martial Soul is the top-tier Soul Beast, the Nether Devil Scorpion. Now that he's obtained his First Soul Ring, he should be very strong, I suppose?"
"Really?" Xiao Wu lowered her eyes, her thoughts unknown.
After parting with Tang San, Xiao Wu did not head to the dormitory as usual. Instead, she found a passing student and asked where Luo Chen lived.
"You mean that Luo Chen who just came back?"
"Yes!" Xiao Wu blinked her sparkling eyes, looking excitedly at the student.
"He lives in the single room at the very end of the second floor of the teachers' dormitory."
"Thank you!"
With that, Xiao Wu skipped off toward the teachers' dormitory building.