"Xiao San, have you finished absorbing it?"
Chen An stretched, feeling incredibly refreshed. His affinity for the ice and Dendro Elements was truly outrageous in a forest. His cultivation speed was so fast!
With an affinity for both elements, wouldn't his cultivation soar if he went to the Far North?
Tang San nodded.
There was no envy in his eyes. Instead, there was a determination to grow stronger.
Yu Xiaogang coughed lightly. "You've both found your Soul Rings, so let's hurry and leave!"
"What do you two plan to do next?"
At the academy gates, Yu Xiaogang pulled free of their supporting hands, his tone suddenly turning serious.
Tang San thought for a moment and said, "Teacher, your injuries haven't healed yet. I'd like to look after you for a few days!"
Hearing this, Chen An couldn't help grumbling inwardly again:
God King Tang really is something. Ah, the struggle to become the heir has always been like this!
Although he had never wanted to become Yu Xiaogang's disciple deep down, life had forced his hand.
As the old saying went: once you entered the martial world, your fate was no longer your own.
Besides, Gangzi himself kept drawing a line between them, which made Chen An's opinion of him plummet.
He even had the impression that Tang San's character was much better than Gangzi's, while Gangzi came across as a slippery old hand.
"Chen An, what about you?"
Yu Xiaogang was quite satisfied with Tang San's answer, and warmth filled his heart.
Chen An considered it briefly, then said earnestly, "Grandmaster, I plan to focus on cultivating. I know very well that my strength is another great stretch behind Xiao San's!"
Yu Xiaogang thought that made some sense.
He vaguely sensed that Chen An still minded his first Soul Ring being a ten-year one.
"That's a pretty good plan. As your teacher, I spoke a little harshly earlier. Don't take it to heart!" Yu Xiaogang patted Chen An's shoulder, comforting him.
Ah, I'm still too weak!
If only the purity of the added elemental power could reach 100%!
Would my lone bamboo be able to carry Ultimate Ice then?
An unrealistic idea occurred to Chen An. If every Soul Ring carried another element, all at 100% purity, could that recreate an existence like the Silver Dragon King?
He shook his head.
He wondered how his brain had come up with such a bizarre theory.
Setting aside whether the damned system would give him such an outrageous Easter egg,
Chen An also hoped the next hidden Easter egg would be an attribute that increased his Soul Rings' age.
That way, he could have the best of both worlds: elemental power and increased Soul Ring ages.
But for now, he still had to steadily cultivate his Soul Power and strive to break through the level-twenty barrier.
If Chen An remembered correctly, Tang San had also been around level thirteen after returning with his first Soul Ring.
"Have you heard? The working students are going to fight the upperclassmen!"
"You mean Boss Xiao? Wow, this year's working students have some nerve. They're asking to die! Boss Xiao is one of the strongest sixth-year students!"
"Ah, you can't say that for sure. I heard a little girl joined the working students. They call her Sister Xiao Wu, and she's pretty strong too."
Chen An was on his way to the dormitory when he happened to overhear two students talking by the path.
"Hiss..."
Now Chen An was certain that his transmigration had more or less affected the original course of the plot.
He had been suspicious about the working-student quotas from the very beginning. How could a run-down place like Holy Soul Village have two slots?
"If I remember correctly, it should be in the grove on the back hill, right?"
Chen An decided to go join the excitement. It would also give him a reason to approach Xiao Wu.
He found that Tang San's protagonist halo was still pretty strong.
Even as a transmigrator, he had no choice but to accept the fact that the two of them had beaten him up.
When Dorm Seven's new students fought to decide their boss, Chen An really couldn't beat either of them.
One was a hundred-thousand-year hooligan rabbit, the other was Tang San with his Tang Sect Secret Arts, while his own damned system still refused to activate!
Watching the two of them sleep in the same bed really hurt Chen An!
Still, feelings were nurtured from childhood.
He wouldn't mind bringing out the eighteen girl-chasing moves that netizens had taught him before his transmigration.
"Little girl, there's still time to regret this. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind having another pet!"
"Your Martial Soul is a rabbit, right? I wonder how you'd feel to the touch!"
Despite Boss Xiao's taunts, Xiao Wu didn't take the bait at all.
Her tender pink face instantly turned icy, and she shouted with a pout, "Boss Xiao, are you scared? Then be good and become my lackey!"
"Hahaha!" Boss Xiao clutched his stomach, laughing hard. "I say, that Wang Sheng really is a good guy! He knew I needed a feisty little girl like you as a follower!"
"You...!"
Xiao Wu's ears swayed. Gritting her teeth, she raised her delicate little fist. "If the tiger doesn't show its might, you really take me for a rabbit!"
"Whoa!"
"They... they're just starting the fight like that?"
Everyone present froze, Chen An included, of course.
Now he was truly certain that the plot's course had changed.
But that was a good thing. It meant his chances of seizing God King Tang's opportunities-and Xiao Wu-had greatly increased.
Chen An watched very closely.
After all, this sort of scene was a perfect fit for a hero rescuing a beauty.
But he wasn't confident either. Logically, with Xiao Wu's strength, dealing with Boss Xiao shouldn't be a problem.
Still, there was always a chance of something unexpected.
Yes, what if?!
Boom!
A few exchanges later, Boss Xiao was defeated. Xiao Wu kicked him hard several times, venting her displeasure.
"Uh..." Chen An's little scheme fell through. There really was no unexpected turn.
Xiao Wu pointed at Boss Xiao, who lay on the ground. "Now you know how strong Sister Xiao Wu is! Remember to take a detour when you see me from now on, you little brat!"
Clutching his swollen face, Boss Xiao hurriedly nodded.
He truly hadn't known this little girl's Soul Skill was so violent.
"Oh, Xiao An's back!"
Just as Xiao Wu was about to lead the working students back in triumph, she noticed Chen An standing in a daze off to the side.
Facing the goddess of his heart, Chen An trembled with nerves. "I... I, mm-hmm!"
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes and poked Chen An's chest with a finger. "Xiao An, relax. Sister Xiao Wu isn't going to eat you!"
Teased by the hundred-thousand-year hooligan rabbit, Chen An's face flushed bright red, and he grew even more nervous.
He muttered quietly, "Not now doesn't mean not later..."
"What are you muttering?" Xiao Wu clearly saw Chen An's lips move, but couldn't make out what he said.
"Nothing!" Chen An hurriedly shook his head.
Xiao Wu chuckled. She thought teasing this little fool was quite fun.
"Have you got your first Soul Ring?"
"Oh, right, where's Xiao San?"
Hearing God King Tang's name, Chen An became very calm. Even his tone steadied considerably. "Xiao San went to look after Grandmaster. We both have our first Soul Rings!"
Xiao Wu nodded. "Then let's spar. Let Sister Xiao Wu check whether you've been working hard lately!"
Chen An hurriedly shook his head.
He liked Xiao Wu in another kind of combat form, not as a genuinely violent girl.
"Hehe!" Xiao Wu raised her delicate little fist again. "We haven't seen each other for a few days, Xiao An. Have you gotten so full of yourself that you won't even listen to Sister Xiao Wu?"
Chen An waved his hands.
He put on an obedient, adorably clueless look. "All right, then please go easy on me with your feet, Sister Xiao Wu."
Chen An then summoned his lone bamboo Martial Soul, and a white Soul Ring slowly rose.
"What? A ten-year Soul Ring?"
"How can innate full Soul Power be paired with a ten-year Soul Ring?"
Xiao Wu froze.
How could Grandmaster let someone with innate full Soul Power have a ten-year first Soul Ring?!