Li Jin and Tang San summoned their Martial Souls at the same time.
A carp bearing nine colors swam out of Li Jin's forehead. Its nine-colored body was breathtakingly beautiful. Sunlight streamed through the window onto it, and those nine colors flowed as though they had come alive.
The Nine-Colored Koi circled him once, and a white Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.
(PS: I didn't deliberately leave the ring white. Huo Yuhao's ring was always white, so I thought that was simply the color of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Soul Ring.)
On closer inspection, this white Soul Ring was much purer and more dazzling than an ordinary white Soul Ring.
That was because it was actually platinum in color, which looked very similar to white.
As for Tang San, crooked, snakelike vines grew from beneath his feet.
Even Ma Xiunuo took two steps back at first glance.
Then a yellow Soul Ring pulsed up and down around Tang San.
"Hahahaha..."
A mocking look appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. He pointed at the white Soul Ring on Li Jin and sneered mercilessly:
"Li Jin, when I asked you to become my disciple, you refused. Now you've gotten exactly what you deserve. A ten-year Soul Ring is the trashiest Soul Ring there is, and having absorbed one, you're destined to be trash too."
"Without a great teacher to guide you, you've completely destroyed your future. That's what comes of being from a little village. You have no knowledge of the world."
"Not everyone can be as clever and quick-witted as Little San, with the judgment to recognize my world-shaking wisdom and immediately take me as his teacher."
"This hundred-year Soul Ring is the best reward for his cleverness. You once stood on the same starting line, but in the future, Little San will surpass you. No matter how hard you try, you'll never catch up to him. You won't even see his shadow."
Seeing that Li Jin really did have only a white Soul Ring, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. He had actually been very afraid of seeing Li Jin with a hundred-year Soul Ring like his, because then he would have had no sense of superiority at all.
Tang San prided himself on his mature mind, so he did not openly ridicule Li Jin as Yu Xiaogang did.
He merely raised his chin, an arrogant smile curling his lips and the contempt of someone looking at an ignorant child showing in his eyes.
After being unlucky for so long, he could finally hold his head high today.
Even Ma Xiunuo shook his head in deep regret.
He sighed inwardly. How had such a good-looking, poised child, with such a beautiful Nine-Colored Koi Martial Soul, ended up absorbing a white Soul Ring?
Although Yu Xiaogang's words were unpleasant, absorbing a white Soul Ring did very serious damage to one's potential.
Among One-Ring Soul Masters, someone with only a ten-year Soul Ring simply could not beat someone with a hundred-year Soul Ring.
Li Jin sensed the malice practically spilling out of Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
He rolled his eyes. He could hardly argue with the ignorant Yu Xiaogang that this was actually a Million-Year Soul Ring.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Million-Year Soul Ring really was highly deceptive.
He looked at his Nine-Colored Koi Martial Soul.
The Nine-Colored Koi was facing Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
As Yu Xiaogang and Tang San heaped ridicule on Li Jin, the Nine-Colored Koi happily opened and closed its mouth, as though devouring something invisible.
The Nine-Colored Koi shimmered with flowing colors!
As a fortune Martial Soul, the Nine-Colored Koi's favorite food was fortune.
But the Nine-Colored Koi never devoured anyone else's fortune without reason.
When fortune carried malice, however, the Nine-Colored Koi refused none of it.
Devouring fortune can speed up the Nine-Colored Koi's growth. Hopefully, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San can satisfy his appetite.
Li Jin spoke casually:
"The most suitable Soul Ring is the best one. I'm very satisfied with my first Soul Ring."
"Even if you offered me a hundred-year Soul Ring, I wouldn't trade it."
The space between Yu Xiaogang's brows darkened, but he remained completely unaware.
"Once you absorb a Soul Ring, it's permanently fixed. You couldn't change it even if you wanted to..."
"Ahem..."
Ma Xiunuo gave a light cough. He could hardly bear to watch any longer. With the close-cropped, bearded Yu Xiaogang and the dark, skinny Tang San both ridiculing Li Jin, he truly felt sorry for the child.
"Grandmaster, didn't you bring your disciple here to register as a Soul Master? Let's test his Soul Power now. Once the test is finished, I'll personally register your disciple."
As he spoke, Ma Xiunuo took out a blue crystal ball and brought it before Tang San.
"Child, put your hand on it."
Tang San had already had his Soul Power tested when he awakened his Martial Soul. Without needing an explanation from Ma Xiunuo, he placed his hand on it.
Instantly, the blue crystal ball blazed with light, and a number appeared inside: 11.
Tang San had rank 11 Soul Power.
Unlike in the original plot, where Tang San had absorbed a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake, he had now absorbed a hundred-year Mangy Snake. There was no excess Soul Power to raise his rank, so he was merely at rank 11, the normal level after breaking through the bottleneck.
Ma Xiunuo nodded, returned behind his desk, entered Tang San into the register, and took out a Gold Soul Coin for him.
"Child, this is your Soul Master stipend for this month. Keep it safe, and don't lose it."
Excitement flashed in Tang San's eyes. His family was poor, and his father was a drunkard who spent all day drinking. Their usual blacksmithing work only brought in Copper Soul Coins. He had never even seen a Silver Soul Coin, yet now he had actually received a Gold Soul Coin.
He turned and bowed deeply to Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, I'm truly so grateful to you. Without your care, I couldn't have become a Soul Master or received this Gold Soul Coin."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in gratification.
"Ah! Child, you simply care too deeply about others. Get up, get up."
The registration was complete, and the stipend had been handed out.
Ma Xiunuo began ushering them out.
"Grandmaster, the registration is done, and you've collected the stipend. I still have work to do, so you should be on your way."
Yu Xiaogang did not budge. He had no desire to leave so soon. He was still waiting to continue mocking Li Jin in a moment.
How could the anger he had suffered earlier be vented so easily?
"Don't mind us. Just carry on with your work."
Ma Xiunuo frowned. Yu Xiaogang really was disgusting, picking on a child like this. If not for that Elder Command Token, he would have wanted to throw both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San out.
But he really could not afford to offend Yu Xiaogang...
Sighing inwardly, Ma Xiunuo walked over to Li Jin with the blue crystal ball, held it out, and spoke gently:
"Child, put your hand on it."
Li Jin cast a sidelong glance at Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, who were watching the show, then placed his hand on the blue crystal ball.
A suction force erupted, drawing in Li Jin's Soul Power. In an instant, the blue crystal ball burst with an even more dazzling light than before.
Soon, a number appeared inside the blue crystal ball.
13!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes bulged like bronze bells as he shouted in utter disbelief:
"This crystal ball must be broken! What Soul Master has rank 13 Soul Power right after absorbing a Soul Ring? How could his Soul Power possibly be higher than my disciple's?"
Tang San also stared fixedly at the number on the crystal ball, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh.
Having higher Soul Power than me-this is courting death...