He was dressed in black, his soul power was restrained, but the occasional fluctuations that he revealed were alarming—soul power level 53, a Soul King level expert.
When he saw me, he bowed slightly and said, "Young Master, I have come on the orders of the Patriarch to escort you in hunting soul beasts and obtaining your second soul ring."
Yang Chen nodded, having already made his plans.
"I don't need to find a soul beast from an ordinary age. I need a bear-type soul beast that is about 5,700 years old. Its power is domineering enough, it is compatible with my martial soul, and it can support my future cultivation path."
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the black-clad Soul King, but he did not ask any further questions. He simply replied in a deep voice, "As you command."
Yang Chen glanced back at Nottingham City behind him, and understood.
When I return, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Notting Academy will all see a completely different me.
My journey has only just begun.
Before dawn, I left a note for Xiaowu, lying that I was going out on business and would be back soon. Outside the city, the level 53 Soul King arranged by the family was already waiting, and the two of us sped off towards the monster forest.
The goal of this trip is clear: the 5,700-year-old Earth Bear.
With a Soul King in command, the hunt proceeded smoothly. Once the Earth Bear was lured into the designated area, I focused my attention and struck, ending the ferocious beast in one blow. Yellow and purple soul rings rose up, and the 5,700-year-old purple soul ring steadily entered my body. My soul power surged forward, and I officially stepped into the realm of Great Soul Master.
Second Soul Skill: Mountain-Shaking Strike
With the immense strength of a raging bear, a single slash unleashes a shockwave that can knock back or stun enemies. When the blade strikes the ground, it splits the earth and seals off enemy positions, making it extremely effective against strength- and defense-type Soul Masters.
Yang Chen concealed all his soul power fluctuations and completely hid the aura of his soul rings, appearing no different from an ordinary Great Soul Master. After returning to Notting Academy, I remained as low-key as ever, secretly honing my skills.
From that day on, I had one more unspoken understanding.
Whenever Tang San meditates and tries to stabilize his soul power foundation, I gently brush over his soul power flow with exquisite soul power techniques.
The technique was gentle and subtle, yet it precisely disrupted his execution path, causing his cultivation speed to stagnate and bottlenecks to appear frequently.
Tang San frowned and examined himself several times, but he couldn't find anything unusual. He could only conclude that his foundation was still shallow and that he could only work harder. The harder he tried, the more I suppressed him without making a sound, watching him spin in circles, without even knowing who his enemy was.
However, my relationship with Xiaowu grew closer as we spent more and more time together.
I protected her quietly, shielded her from trouble, gave her enough peace of mind, and gradually occupied the most special place in her heart.
Yang Chen and Xiao Wu spent every day together, and their relationship grew increasingly close. That carrot-shaped duvet cover became her most treasured possession. Xiao Wu clung to him all day, chattering away, completely dependent on him.
"Brother Chen, will you come with me to buy candy again tomorrow?"
"Of course." Yang Chen patted her head.
Soon, Xiao Chenyu, relying on being the city lord's son, became arrogant and disrespectful to everyone else at the edge of the arena. Xiao Wu, her face tense with anger, was about to rush forward.
"Brother Chen, he went too far!"
He immediately clenched his fists and was about to step forward.
Yang Chen gently pulled her along, his expression remaining calm: "Don't rush, I'll go with you."
The two walked onto the ring side by side, their demeanor composed.
Xiao Chenyu glanced at them and sneered with disdain: "Two little brats dare to stop me? They're really overestimating themselves."
Xiao Wu glared at him angrily, but Yang Chen stepped forward and shielded her behind him, his tone suddenly turning cold: "You're too noisy."
Before he finished speaking, he moved swiftly and decisively. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Chenyu and his henchmen fell to the ground one after another, without even the slightest power to resist.
The entire venue fell silent instantly; everyone was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events.
In this battle, I not only won the ring, but also won everyone's respect and trust. I became the school's leader, without any further controversy.
After this battle, I didn't make a fuss; instead, I went into seclusion to cultivate. My soul power steadily increased, and I was only one step away from the peak of the Great Soul Master. I secretly sent a message to my family, asking my father to send an even stronger person to meet me.
Several days later, an even stronger Soul King quietly arrived in Notting City.
This time, I went straight for the 13,000-year-old Netherworld Demon Tiger—this age limit is already the limit that a Soul Master can withstand, it can be called defying the heavens. Under the protection of the Soul King, I went through many dangers and successfully hunted down and absorbed this dark purple 10,000-year-old Soul Ring.
Third Soul Skill: Netherworld Tiger Roar Slash
The blade is wrapped in tiger spirit, unleashing a giant tiger-shaped soul power slash that pierces armor, destroys souls, and ignores most defenses, continuously eroding soul power upon impact; at the same time, its speed and explosive power double for a short period, allowing for close-range attacks as if teleporting.
I still only revealed two spirit rings, completely concealing the third ten-thousand-year spirit ring. No one knew that at this moment, my spirit power was already unfathomable.
Days passed peacefully.
While concealing his true strength and continuously suppressing Tang San, Yang Chen also stayed by Xiao Wu's side, watching her laugh, listening to her tantrums, and protecting her. These three, originally strangers, embarked on drastically different destinies within the small dormitory of Dormitory Seven.
Finally, graduation day arrived.
Yang Chen packed his bags, took Xiao Wu's hand, and politely declined all the academy's recommendations and arrangements.
Looking into the distance, there stands a legendary place that only accepts monsters and not ordinary people—Shrek Academy.
Yu Xiaogang also sent Tang San to Shrek Academy. Tang San had some unresolved questions, but he could only follow along.
Yang Chen smiled slightly, took Xiao Wu's hand, and stepped out.
The road ahead is long and turbulent, and my legend has only just begun.
Holding Xiao Wu's hand, they left Notting Academy and headed towards Soto City, where Shrek Academy was located.
Xiao Wu hopped and skipped, still sticking to me. I kept the carrot-patterned duvet cover in my soul tool, and it became a unique little tacit understanding between us.
Upon arriving in Soto City, I took Xiao Wu straight to an inconspicuous Soul Guidance Shop in the city. The shop owner was none other than Flander. In his shop was a piece of extremely high-quality rutilated quartz, which was very beneficial to Soul Masters' meditation, but no one had ever recognized its value.
When Flander saw my gaze fall on the rutilated quartz, he immediately put on the appearance of a shrewd businessman and asked for a high price of three hundred gold soul coins.
Yang Chen remained expressionless, pointed a finger at the hair crystal, and said calmly, "Eighty gold soul coins. If you don't want to sell, you can keep it for the rest of your life. No one in Soto City will offer a higher price than me."
Flander's face turned pale, then red. He knew this hair crystal was priceless and hard to find. After hesitating for a moment, he finally gritted his teeth, nodded, and handed the hair crystal to me with a pained expression. I paid with the gold soul coins, put away the hair crystal, ignored him, and turned to leave with Xiao Wu.
Afterwards, Yang Chen took Xiao Wu on a shopping spree in Soto City, buying her candied hawthorns, sugar figurines, new clothes, a little rabbit doll, and a whole bunch of snacks she loved. Xiao Wu smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescent moons.
As evening fell, I took her to the best hotel in Soto so she could relax and play in the room.
Yang Chen knew that now was the time for Zhu Zhuqing to escape Zhu Zhuyun's pursuit and head to Shrek Academy.