Hum!
Under the curious gaze of Yu Xiaogang and Xiao Wu, Yu Chen gently raised his right hand. Two pitch-black spirit rings slowly rose from beneath his feet, exuding an ancient and powerful aura.
The second spirit ring emitted a dim but intimidating glow. In the next instant, the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit materialized behind Yu Chen with a thunderous surge of energy!
Ang!!
As the second spirit ring activated, the Azure Dragon let out a soul-shaking roar!
The dragon's roar spread outward from Yu Chen's location like a tidal wave. Within a hundred-meter radius, all ten-year soul beasts instantly dropped dead, their life force eradicated without resistance!
Even century-old soul beasts began to bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, collapsing to the ground, their bodies paralyzed with fear. None dared to move.
A few hundred-year soul beasts with slightly weaker cultivation exploded into a bloody mist, annihilated under the immense pressure of the Azure Dragon's might!
Even the 600-year-old Mandala Snake, previously oozing menace, now lay motionless, its vitality completely drained, lifeless under the overwhelming draconic pressure!
At this moment, around Yu Chen and the others, no soul beast remained standing.
Second Soul Skill—[Azure Dragon's Roar]!
[Azure Dragon's Roar]: A large-area destructive soul skill. Upon activation, it deals massive wide-range damage and temporarily boosts Yu Chen's soul power!
(Damage dealt to soul beasts under the influence of Dragon Might is doubled!)
"Too… too terrifying!"
"This second soul skill isn't just powerful—its area of effect is insane!"
"Definitely worthy of being a ten-thousand-year soul ring!"
Yu Xiaogang, Xiao Wu, and the others stared wide-eyed at the massive clearing littered with fallen soul beasts and spirit rings. When the century-level spirit ring floated up from the lifeless Mandala Snake, everyone fell into stunned silence.
It was unimaginable! Yu Chen, whose spirit power was still in the early twenties, had released an area attack so devastating. The sheer might of a ten-thousand-year soul ring was terrifying!
"Brother Chen will be my idol for life!"
"There's not even one person in our whole village with a ten-thousand-year spirit ring. Brother Chen has two of them—at just the twentieth rank! If I told the folks back home, they'd think I've gone mad!"
"No kidding! Those bumpkins in your village? There's no way they'd ever meet a monster like Brother Chen!"
After the shock wore off, Chen Rui and the others began chattering excitedly, showering Yu Chen with praise.
Swish!
By the time Yu Chen had finished testing his second soul skill, Tang San had already completed the absorption of his spirit ring.
Thanks to his exceptional talent, Tang San's absorption of a 400-year-old spirit ring went smoothly, even exceeding Yu Xiaogang's expectations.
With their tasks complete, the group didn't linger in the forest. They quickly returned to Notting College under Yu Chen's lead.
This trip to the Soul Hunting Forest had significantly strengthened their bond. Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and Xiao Wu all felt genuine admiration and gratitude for Yu Chen.
After all, none of them would have made it back alive without him!
Yu Chen wasn't just a companion—he was their savior.
By the time they returned to the college, night had already fallen. After thanking Yu Chen deeply, the others returned to their dormitories to rest.
Perhaps because of the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit's presence, Xiao Wu—being a soul beast herself—felt an instinctive sense of dependence toward Yu Chen.
It was as if she were naturally drawn to him… as if he were her king!
Though she had declared she wouldn't cling to him, once she fell asleep, she instinctively nestled into Yu Chen's arms.
Yu Chen looked at the sleeping Xiao Wu curled up beside him, smiled gently, and shook his head.
He then opened his status interface to check his progress. After obtaining the second soul ring, his soul power had jumped to level 23!
It was a significant leap from his previous state—proof of how effective this journey had been.
Satisfied with his growth, Yu Chen drifted off into deep sleep.
…
The two days Yu Chen and Yu Xiaogang had agreed on passed in a blink.
"Brother Chen, everything's ready!"
"We can leave anytime!"
On the morning of the third day, Tang San appeared bright and early, his bags packed and his face full of anticipation.
Even Yu Xiaogang was already waiting in Dorm 302, clearly excited for the journey ahead.
"Since everything's prepared, let's move out."
Yu Chen looked around and noticed that Xiao Wu had also finished packing. He nodded with approval.
With Yu Chen leading the way, the group—accompanied by Yu Xiaogang—set out toward the school gate.
"Brother Chen!"
"Brother Chen!"
"Safe travels, Brother Chen!"
Word had spread quickly that Yu Chen was leaving Notting College. Students from grades one through six, along with teachers and even the headmaster, lined up on both sides of the gate to bid him farewell.
Some bashful girls approached him shyly, placing small trinkets and keepsakes in his hands.
"Brother Chen, you'll always be our Dorm 302 boss!"
"Take care out there!"
Chen Rui and the others from 302 were especially reluctant to part ways.
They knew their own limitations and understood they couldn't pass Shrek Academy's strict entrance requirements. So, they'd chosen to stay behind.
"Goodbye."
Yu Chen smiled at them and nodded.
Without further delay, he followed Yu Xiaogang and left Notting College, heading straight toward Shrek Academy!
Shrek Academy was located in Soto City, a much larger city adjacent to Notting City.
While Notting City could only be considered a small town, Soto was easily three or four times its size, with bustling streets and countless shops.
At the city's center stood an imposing structure—the Soto City Great Spirit Arena, towering several stories tall and teeming with activity.
At the very top, six large characters gleamed in gold: Soto City Arena of Souls!
Shrek Academy, however, was not in the city itself. It was nestled on a hill thirty miles behind the Arena.
From a distance, it looked more like a run-down farming village than a prestigious school.
"Master… isn't Shrek Academy supposed to be an Advanced Soul Master Academy? Why does it look so… poor?"
Tang San's face was full of confusion as he stared at the rundown buildings of Shrek Academy.
Based on its reputation, he had expected something grand. But even Notting College looked more refined than this!
"That's because Shrek Academy only accepts monsters."
Yu Xiaogang gave a knowing smile, then stepped forward with the others following close behind.
"If you're only at the eleventh rank by age twenty, you call yourself a genius?!"
"Let me be clear—Shrek Academy only accepts monsters. If your talent isn't monstrous, don't waste our time!"
As Yu Chen and the group approached the entrance, they saw the registration area already in full swing.
A black-clad middle-aged man and a sharp-eyed teenager with one red and one blue eye stood at the gate, evaluating prospective students.