Looking at the young man in front of her, Su Wanqing was filled with mixed emotions.
She originally proposed this challenge for two reasons: firstly, she genuinely wanted to use this opportunity to let the students in the academy see the top geniuses in the outside world; secondly, it was also a test of Lin Yan's character and strength. She thought that even if Lin Yan could win, he would have to go through a tough battle, and might even be eliminated in the second or third round. At that time, she would then agree to let him enter the library, thus fulfilling both the rules and repaying the favor.
To her utter surprise, Lin Yan achieved a clean and decisive three-game winning streak with such overwhelming force! His elusive movements, incredibly powerful Soul Skill, and finally, that set of "sword techniques" far exceeded her understanding of a " Quasi-Soul Ancestor ".
"This child's future is limitless." Su Wanqing reaffirmed this judgment in her heart. A gentle yet solemn smile appeared on her face, and her voice clearly resounded throughout the entire Soul Fighting Arena: "From now on, you are free to enter and leave our academy's internal library to consult all the books and materials about Plant-type Soul Beast for three days."
"Thank you, Senior Su!" Lin Yan bowed again, his tone sincere.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Han Shuirou was the first to cheer, even happier than if she had received the reward herself. She rushed onto the stage and excitedly surrounded Lin Yan, saying, " Lin Yan, you're so amazing! What kind of sword technique was that? You even managed to break through Senior Sister You Lan's Ghost Vine Hell!"
She chattered on and on, asking one question after another, her clear eyes filled with admiration and curiosity. The surrounding students also gathered around, their gazes towards Lin Yan filled with respect, curiosity, and even a hint of awe. In the world of Soul Master, strength reigns supreme, and Lin Yan had earned their respect through his strength.
You Lan also came over. Although her face was still a little pale, her eyes had regained their calmness. She nodded slightly to Lin Yan: "Junior Brother Lin Yan, I admire you. Your sword technique, it shouldn't be Soul Skill attached to Soul Ring, right? May I ask its name?"
Lin Yan replied politely, "Senior Sister You Lan, you flatter me. Those are some techniques I figured out myself, which I call ' Tai Chi Sword '."
" Tai Chi Sword?" You Lan thought for a moment, then shook her head, praising again, "I don't understand, but it's very powerful!"
Su Wanqing smiled and said, "Alright, this isn't the place to talk. Lin Yan, you've been fighting continuously. Although it may seem easy, your mental and spiritual Soul Power must be depleted. Why don't you come with me to rest for a while, and then I'll personally take you to the library."
Lin Yan did need some time to calm his slightly turbulent Soul Power and reflect on the battle he had just fought, especially the battle with You Lan, which gave him a deeper understanding of the combination of Tai Chi Sword Technique and his own Martial Soul. He nodded and replied, "I will follow your arrangements, Senior."
Su Wanqing instructed the other students to disperse, and only took Han Shuirou and You Lan with her, leading Lin Yan away from the Soul Fighting Arena to a more secluded treehouse. This treehouse was built against a huge ancient tree, and its interior was simply and elegantly furnished, filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance and the fresh scent of grass and trees, making people feel relaxed and happy.
A maidservant served tea and several delicate pastries. Su Wanqing gestured to Lin Yan not to stand on ceremony and to help himself to the food.
Han Shuirou remained excited, sitting next to Lin Yan and pressing him for details about his previous experiences hunting for Soul Ring and the interesting things he did during his cultivation. Lin Yan picked out the things he could talk about and gave a brief account, but even so, Han Shuirou listened with great interest, and even You Lan, who was standing next to him, showed a look of interest.
Su Wanqing took a sip of tea, looked at Lin Yan, and asked gently, " Lin Yan, regarding your search for Plant-type Soul Beast, do you have any specific ideas or inclinations regarding your Fourth Soul Ring? Are you pursuing attack, defense, control, or something else?"
Lin Yan put down his teacup and said seriously, "Senior, my Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is quite special. After mutation, it possesses both resilience and energy conductivity. The first three Soul Skill are respectively biased towards stealth, area attack, and single-target attack. As for the Fourth Soul Skill, I hope to further enhance its 'resilience' and 'vitality,' perhaps focusing on sustained combat, recovery, or domain support."
This was a direction he had carefully considered. His attack methods already included Scale-Leaf Light Rain and Blue Silver · Sword Leaf, and he also had Illusory Color Concealment. However, in prolonged, high-intensity battles, continuous consumption and recovery were a problem. If he could obtain a Soul Skill that enhanced the Blue Silver Grass's vitality and resilience, and even gave it a certain degree of recovery ability, it would greatly improve his overall combat power and endurance.
Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing's eyes revealed admiration. "Not blindly pursuing the ultimate in attack or control, but rather identifying and addressing weaknesses based on one's own Martial Soul characteristics and development stage, solidifying the foundation, and choosing the path most suitable for oneself. Very good, your cultivation philosophy is very mature."
She pondered for a moment, then continued, "Strengthening resilience and vitality... there are indeed quite a few high-level Plant-type Soul Beast that fit this characteristic. For example, the ' Earth Dragon Sinew Vine,' whose vines are incredibly tough, and its Soul Ring may grant powerful binding and resistance to attacks; the ' Endlessly Living Begonia Flower,' possessing extremely strong life-restoring properties, might provide healing or Soul Power recovery effects; and the ' Ghost-Faced Demon Spider Tree,' although leaning towards evil, its core 'immortality' and rapid regeneration ability, if positively absorbed by your Martial Soul, might also produce miraculous effects..."
She spoke eloquently and knowledgeably, clearly possessing profound expertise in the field of Plant-type Soul Beast. Lin Yan listened attentively, noting down each name; these were all extremely valuable insights.
"However, determining which Soul Beast's skills are best suited for you depends on its age, specific characteristics, and your own Martial Soul's ability to withstand and fuse with it," Su Wanqing concluded. "Our academy's library contains detailed illustrations, habit analyses, hunting case studies, and even absorption insights from senior Soul Master Soul Beast. Feel free to consult them carefully; you're sure to find the one that best meets your needs."
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Lin Yan stood up and bowed solemnly to Su Wanqing. This conversation had made his thinking about choosing his Fourth Soul Ring much clearer.
After resting for about half an hour, Lin Yan felt that he was in peak condition. Su Wanqing then took him to the inner library of the Plant Academy without further delay.
The library is located deep within the academy, inside the trunk of a towering ancient tree that requires ten people to encircle. At the entrance, vines emanating a faint green light are wrapped Entanglement it, and two teachers with solemn auras guard the entrance. Upon seeing Su Wanqing, they bowed respectfully, checked Lin Yan's temporary permission token, and then manipulated the vines to open the door leading to the heart of the tree.
Stepping into the library, Lin Yan felt as if he had entered a palace of knowledge. The interior space was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, clearly due to the use of spatial technology. Rows of bookshelves woven from living bookshelf grass were neatly arranged, displaying countless animal skin scrolls, paper books, and even some ancient documents inscribed on special leaves. The air was filled with the unique scent of old books mixed with grass and wood, quiet and solemn.
Soft light filtered through the glowing moss embedded in the dome and from certain self-illuminating plant fruits, illuminating the entire space.
"This is it." Su Wanqing pointed to the vast collection of books. "The left side contains illustrations of common Plant-type Soul Beast on the continent, the middle section records rare, mutated, and ancient races, and the right side contains hunting notes, Martial Soul research insights, and discussions on the development paths of plant-type Soul Master from previous generations. You can browse freely. If you don't understand something, you can ask the teacher on duty, or have Shuirou accompany you. She's quite familiar with this place."
Han Shuirou immediately puffed out her chest, looking like she was saying, "Leave it to me."
"Thank you for your trouble, Shuirou." Lin Yan smiled at Han Shuirou, then said to Su Wanqing, "Senior is very busy and need not accompany me. I can look it up myself."
Su Wanqing nodded. "Alright. You can stay here without worry. If you need anything, you can have someone contact me anytime." She gave Han Shuirou a few more instructions and then left.
As soon as Su Wanqing left, Han Shuirou immediately perked up, pulling Lin Yan's sleeve and leading him inside. " Lin Yan, Lin Yan, which side should we start with? I think we should focus on the ones Teacher Su mentioned earlier! I know roughly where their information is!"
Seeing her enthusiastic demeanor, Lin Yan felt a warmth in his heart and said, "Alright, let's start with the records related to ' Earth Dragon Sinew Vine,' ' Endlessly Living Begonia Flower,' and ' Ghost-Faced Demon Spider Tree.'"