Before leaving Holy Soul Village, Su Ming discreetly pulled Grandpa Jack aside.
"Su Ming, what are you up to?" Grandpa Jack asked, puzzled.
Su Ming took out a pouch containing around ten gold soul coins from his soul tool.
"Grandpa Jack, please accept this. Now that I'm a soul master, I receive a monthly stipend. Consider this my way of showing thanks."
Grandpa Jack smiled warmly, accepting the gift since he couldn't refuse Su Ming's heartfelt gesture. Money wasn't an issue for the village chief, but Su Ming's thoughtfulness touched him.
Pleased that Grandpa Jack accepted, Su Ming thought about giving more but hesitated, worried about how to explain its source. He figured he'd add more in future visits. Over the past year, the system had rewarded him with more gold soul coins than he could count, amassing at least tens of thousands.
Su Ming then handed Grandpa Jack several talismans for protection, such as spatial and defensive ones—also system rewards. He explained their uses, stressing their importance during emergencies and wrote down instructions.
"Grandpa Jack, these talismans are invaluable. Make sure to use them if you're ever in danger," Su Ming said earnestly. "But please don't ask where I got them."
Understanding Su Ming's concern, Grandpa Jack silently accepted the mysterious treasures, though he couldn't imagine encountering any danger in the quiet village.
Five years passed swiftly.
Su Ming had already reached level 40 in soul power but didn't rush to absorb the system's god-gifted soul ring. Those were his backup plan. His primary goal was to contract Ah Yin as his soul spirit and have her provide his fourth soul ring.
Yes, over the past five years, Su Ming mastered the method to make Ah Yin his soul spirit, thanks to the system. He knew the system would eventually reward him with what he needed. He had faith in that!
However, Ah Yin, trapped in that cave unsuitable for cultivation, had probably only advanced to a thousand-year cultivation at most. While her rank was far lower than his third soul ring, Su Ming wasn't worried—her soul ring's age would grow as his strength increased.
Ah Yin's Blue Silver Emperor ability was all about life and recovery, perfectly complementing his wood element powers.
As Su Ming mulled over these thoughts, a tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned to see Xiao Wu standing there.
In the past five years, Xiao Wu had transformed from a little girl into a young maiden. Though still in the early stages of development, her long legs were already taking shape. Give it another five or six years, and she'd be stunning!
What amazed Su Ming the most was Xiao Wu's soul power. She had reached level 39, much higher than in the original story, where she was only at level 29. This difference intrigued him.
After some reflection, Su Ming realized that, as his sworn sister, Xiao Wu had trained much harder than in the original timeline. Plus, as a transformed hundred-thousand-year soul beast, her innate cultivation speed was slightly faster.
What Su Ming didn't know was that his system had secretly boosted the soul power of all the female leads, including Xiao Wu. Every once in a while, their soul power increased incrementally, and over five years, the cumulative effect had been substantial!
Moreover, Xiao Wu had been practicing the body refinement technique that Su Ming gave her. Her second soul ring had grown to a three-thousand-year age, while her third soul ring reached six thousand. Her upcoming fourth soul ring would undoubtedly surpass ten thousand years!
Of course, having a millennium-level second soul ring would be too conspicuous. Luckily, Su Ming had obtained a system reward called the Disguise Talisman, which could alter the appearance of soul rings. This had thrilled him.
The day after receiving the talisman, Su Ming used it on Xiao Wu, allowing her to change her soul ring's color at will for up to a year.
He even gave Xiao Wu all the remaining Disguise Talismans, ensuring she could maintain her secret. Naturally, he also provided her with various defensive talismans for safety.
When Su Ming had given Xiao Wu the talisman, she had looked at him strangely, which he interpreted as curiosity about the talisman. But Su Ming didn't explain, keeping the existence of his system a secret.
Xiao Wu, however, had a different thought: "My dear Su Ming, I can already change my soul ring's color and aura just like you, but I can't let you know yet."
She chuckled inwardly, amused by the system's care for Su Ming. It was so considerate, covering every base without arousing his suspicion. The system was mischievously clever.
Noticing Su Ming staring at her, Xiao Wu's cheeks reddened slightly. She pouted playfully, "Su Ming, what are you staring at? We should go. Weren't we going back to Holy Soul Village to say goodbye to Grandpa Jack?"
Snapping out of his daze, Su Ming nodded. Indeed, they were about to graduate from Notting Academy. Since they didn't know when they would return, it was only right to bid farewell to Grandpa Jack.
As for which academy to attend next, well, that's a no-brainer—Shrek Academy, of course! This way, Su Ming could finally meet Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong in person. He was really curious to see what they looked like and whether their personalities matched what he already knew.
The decision to go to Shrek Academy came about when Yu Xiaogang invited both Su Ming and Xiao Wu to join Tang San. With a hint of pride, Yu Xiaogang told them, "It's an academy that only accepts monsters as students. There are even more teachers than students! You two are geniuses, so you should give it a try."
Yu Xiaogang had his reasons for this invitation. Su Ming and Xiao Wu's rapid progress had exceeded his expectations. He couldn't figure out how they were training. While Xiao Wu's growth was somewhat understandable, given her innate full soul power, Su Ming's speed was downright abnormal!
Still, because of their impressive strength, Yu Xiaogang wanted them to join Tang San at Shrek. He knew that, combined with Shrek's other students, this cohort had the potential to elevate the academy's reputation. Plus, as a close brother to Flender, Yu Xiaogang wanted to help him out.
Su Ming accepted the invitation, seeing it as a good opportunity.
He then turned to Xiao Wu and said, "Let's go, Xiao Wu!"
As for Tang San, he decided not to return home. His father wasn't in the village, and he didn't feel any attachment to the place. Instead, he wanted to focus more on his training. Watching Su Ming and Xiao Wu outpace him in strength was tough for him to swallow.
He had asked his teacher why, even though he had reached level 30, he still hadn't gone to hunt for his third soul ring. Yu Xiaogang had explained that the best soul beast for his third ring was the Man-Faced Demon Spider, a creature of immense power and ferocity. Unfortunately, there were no teachers at Notting Academy capable of hunting such a dangerous beast.
Hunting the Man-Faced Demon Spider would be far too risky for them.
When Tang San asked when he would be able to obtain his soul ring, Yu Xiaogang advised him to wait until after graduation. He told him to head to Shrek Academy, located in the outskirts of Soto City, where a teacher could assist him with the hunt.
Tang San understood, realizing that he could still train without absorbing a soul ring for the time being. However, seeing Su Ming and Xiao Wu's rapid progress made him feel a sense of urgency. Their growth had been incredibly fast!
It was also rumored that both Su Ming and Xiao Wu had already acquired their third soul rings. He was curious about who had helped them hunt the soul beasts, but neither of them offered any explanation.
Su Ming wasn't bothered by Tang San's curiosity. After all, Tang San had always been someone who cared only about his father. Everyone else in the village, even Grandpa Jack, was just a passerby to him.
In order to save some time, Su Ming and Xiao Wu used a spatial talisman to teleport a great distance, finding a secluded spot where they wouldn't be seen. After all, they had plenty of talismans, so there was no need to be stingy with them!
When they arrived at Holy Soul Village, Su Ming informed Grandpa Jack that he wouldn't be able to visit often anymore because he and Xiao Wu would be attending school elsewhere. He proudly told Grandpa Jack that both of them had already reached the level of Soul Elder, their soul power levels in the 30s.
Of course, Su Ming didn't reveal that he was already at level 40. That would be too shocking! By the time he absorbed his fourth soul ring, he might even surpass level 40.
Su Ming and Xiao Wu spent three days in the village before preparing to leave. Before departing, Su Ming gave Grandpa Jack a ring-shaped storage soul tool, filled with gold soul coins and various talismans. He told Grandpa Jack to open it only after they had left.
Su Ming feared that if Grandpa Jack opened it on the spot, he might refuse the gift. This was Su Ming's way of showing his appreciation!
After leaving Grandpa Jack's house, Su Ming turned to Xiao Wu and said, "I have something to take care of in the back mountain. It's dangerous. Why don't you use a spatial talisman and get out of here?"
Xiao Wu frowned for a moment before tightly hugging Su Ming's arm. "No way! I want to stay with you, Su Ming! If there's danger, how could I let you face it alone?"
[T/N:
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