✨ 300 gems = 1 bonus chapter
✨ 500 gems = another bonus chapter
***********
"Martial Soul, release! Blue Silver—Growth!"
Wang Li, while still in mid-air, summoned his Martial Soul. He unhesitatingly activated his First Soul Skill.
A white light bloomed around him. It instantly created a large amount of Blue Silver Grass. Because it had absorbed the ivy's Soul Ring, his current Blue Silver Grass now possessed vines, just like the ivy itself.
Under Wang Li's control, 6 vines shot out, each poised and ready.
Just as the attacking Soul Beast was about to land, the 6 vines bound it tightly—like a rice dumpling. Its four claws were restrained, with only its head left exposed.
After Wang Li landed, he used his momentum to launch himself forward again. He instantly approached the bound Soul Beast.
Instant Step!
He didn't give the Soul Beast a chance to recover or resist. He grabbed it by the back of its neck. Then, he clenched his right hand into a fist and smashed it down on its head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fist after fist landed. In the blink of an eye, 3 punches struck home. The wailing sound from the Soul Beast grew weaker and weaker until it seemed to have fainted.
It was a smooth series of moves—speed, control, and power. Relying on himself alone, Wang Li had defeated a Soul Beast of unknown age that had appeared out of nowhere.
It was clear that Wang Li already possessed considerable combat power.
Only then did Yuan Fu, who had been at the front of the camp, complete his Martial Soul Possession. He quickly rushed over, shouting at the same time:
"What's going on? Wang Li, Wang Sheng!"
Zhang Wei, Su Mo, and the others in the tents were also awakened by the commotion. Any sleepiness vanished as they hurriedly got up and rushed out.
As for Wang Li, he looked at the Soul Beast that had fainted. Then he glanced at the dumbfounded, clueless Wang Sheng. He said urgently:
"Hurry up and kill it!"
Wang Sheng hadn't fully reacted yet. He was completely shocked by the speed and combat power Wang Li had just displayed. Hearing Wang Li speak, his first thought was to help. He drew the short sword he'd bought from the blacksmith shop. While the Soul Beast was still controlled by Wang Li, Wang Sheng thrust the short sword into its throat.
This scene was witnessed by Yuan Fu as he rushed over. Seeing that Wang Li and Wang Sheng were fine and that they seemed to have even killed a Soul Beast, he first breathed a sigh of relief—thankful there were no casualties. Then, he was shocked. A 1-ring Soul Master and a Soul Master without a Soul Ring could actually kill a Soul Beast together!
With its throat pierced, this fatal blow completely ended the Soul Beast's life. After it died, yellow streams of air surged from its body, eventually condensing into a yellow Soul Ring.
This was a Century Soul Beast. Perhaps its age wasn't particularly high, which was why Wang Li had been able to defeat it. But it was still a Century Soul Beast—far stronger than an ordinary 10-Year Spirit Beast.
Zhang Wei arrived first, followed by Su Mo, Gou An, Bao Tong, Fergus, Eureka, and Fiona. They, too, felt incredulous at the scene.
Zhang Wei looked at Yuan Fu, his brow furrowed. He said in a deep voice:
"What happened just now?"
Yuan Fu, facing the dean's questioning, first admitted his mistake. For such a thing to happen during his watch was a lapse.
"Dean, it was my mistake for not being able to detect this Soul Beast in time. I was patrolling in front of the camp, and I arranged for Wang Li and Wang Sheng to patrol behind the camp. The incident happened suddenly, and I only rushed over afterward."
Zhang Wei did not blame Yuan Fu excessively. Yuan Fu was a Soul Grandmaster-level teacher, while Wang Li and Wang Sheng were just work-study students. He had his own judgment about priorities. Besides, Wang Li and Wang Sheng were unharmed.
He only warned:
"Pay attention next time. If a Century Soul Beast really breaks into the camp, it could cause great casualties among the students."
Yuan Fu lowered his head and replied:
"Yes!"
Then Zhang Wei walked over to Wang Li and Wang Sheng. He looked at the Soul Beast they had killed and widened his eyes in surprise.
"A Tiger-Leopard Cat!" he exclaimed. "You were actually able to avoid its hunt—and even kill it!"
The Tiger-Leopard Cat—neither truly tiger nor leopard—is a feline Soul Beast. It doesn't have the raw power of a tiger or leopard. But it possesses extremely clever hunting skills and is known as a hunter in the dark night.
It has always been a nightmare for low-level Soul Beasts and low-level Soul Masters. It strikes silently, attacks cleanly and neatly, and then enjoys its meal.
Wang Li lowered his eyes. He tried his best to attribute everything to his Century Soul Ring:
"This Soul Beast suddenly appeared, so we could only respond hastily. Fortunately, this Century Soul Ring provided a powerful Spirit Skill that controlled its movements, allowing us to kill it together."
Zhang Wei was a little suspicious. There weren't many traces of battle on the scene. This indicated that the tiger-leopard cat was entangled and controlled not long after it appeared. It didn't break free from the control until it died. The "entanglement" skill of this Century Spirit Skill seemed a bit too powerful.
Just how many centuries old is this ivy, after all? he wondered.
At the time, the ivy was already damaged from the Mountain Boar King's attack. Zhang Wei hadn't been able to accurately judge its age. Now it seemed this ivy was probably quite old indeed.
However, for a 1-ring Soul Master and a Soul Master without a Soul Ring to successfully hunt a Century Soul Beast was already quite remarkable.
In the end, Zhang Wei didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he looked at the Century Soul Ring and said:
"Whose hands did this tiger-leopard cat ultimately die by? Wang Sheng, try to absorb it. A Century Soul Ring cannot be wasted."
Hearing this, Wang Sheng's entire face filled with ecstasy. He also had a chance to obtain a Century Soul Ring! No wonder Wang Li had asked him to come and kill the Soul Beast. Understanding dawned. He looked at Wang Li with gratitude in his eyes.
He quickly sat down cross-legged, activated his Martial Soul Possession, and summoned the Soul Ring. As expected, the yellow Soul Ring flew towards him, enveloped him, and began merging into his body.
Seeing that this matter had come to an end, Wang Li also had time to take stock of his gains. In the process of fighting the tiger-leopard cat, he had gained 18 points of experience. This puzzled him a little.
In the battle with Wang Sheng, he had gained 26 points of experience. Why did he only gain 18 points of experience fighting the more powerful Tiger-Leopard Cat?
Was it because Wang Sheng was a human and the Tiger-Leopard Cat was a Soul Beast? Or was it because Wang Sheng was at level 9 soul power at the time, and he himself was at level 3? While the Tiger-Leopard Cat was a Century Soul Beast, he was now at level 13 soul power?
After thinking about it, Wang Li felt that the most likely reason was this: he could only gain more experience by fighting against opponents stronger relative to his current level.
If this was the real reason, then if he wanted to gain more experience, he would have to constantly find stronger opponents to fight. He couldn't just infinitely farm experience in a "newbie zone."
At this time, a thought flashed through Wang Li's mind:
"It seems that I must apply for graduation. Continuing to stay in Nuoding Academy will do me more harm than good…"
Staying in Nuoding Academy, he was among the strongest for his age. Tang San and Xiao Wu were ahead in some ways. Behind him was a group of less developed Soul Masters.
If he wanted to grow quickly, he had to experience battles with stronger opponents. But his current level was too low. He couldn't beat Soul Grandmasters, certainly not Soul Elders or Soul Kings. He needed to find a place with more Soul Masters closer to his rapidly developing level.
Such as an Intermediate Soul Master Academy…
***********
Get access to advanced chapters at my P@treon.
[email protected]/meowthtl