Chapter Twelve: Yu Xiaogang: Lu Yu's Temperament Is Too Flawed! The Starry Forest!

In an office at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy, Yu Xiaogang put down the book in his hands and looked at Tang San with some surprise. "You’re saying that Lu Yu just asked the academy for leave to go out and obtain his second soul ring?"

Tang San nodded. "The academy confirmed his soul power has reached level twenty, so they approved his application. He’s already left."

As he spoke, Tang San’s palm involuntarily clenched slightly.

In two years, his soul power had only advanced to level sixteen. To reach the critical level twenty threshold would still take at least half a year.

When Lu Yu first obtained his first soul ring, Tang San had already concluded Lu Yu was no match for him. Yet now, Lu Yu was far ahead in soul power rank, which was hard for him to accept.

Therefore, upon hearing this news, Tang San felt a bitter mix of emotions.

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Yu Xiaogang smiled. "Don’t be obsessed with soul power levels."

"In the early stages, cultivation speed is faster anyway. Besides, he only knows to lock himself away to train all the time. Plus, with his innate full soul power, his progress naturally accelerates."

"Last time when we went to the Soul Hunting Forest, I heard from the guards there that a child entered alone to obtain a soul ring. That must have been Lu Yu."

"He just awakened his martial soul, so he couldn’t possibly contend with a century-old soul beast. His first soul ring is probably just a ten-year ring, so his future achievements are bound to be limited."

Putting down the book, Yu Xiaogang continued with a smile, "Xiao San, once he returns with his second soul ring, you should spar with him."

"Daily practice with the hammer at the blacksmith’s has made your physical fitness far surpass other soul masters your age. Along with your first soul ring being optimally aged..."

"Trust me, even if he succeeds in getting his second soul ring, without any battle experience, he won’t be your match!"

Hearing this, Tang San finally relaxed and nodded. "Teacher, then I’ll head to the blacksmith."

Yu Xiaogang smiled silently as Tang San turned and left.

After he left, Yu Xiaogang sighed. "Even if he locked himself away to train, reaching level twenty soul power in just two years is quite impressive."

"Such a pity his temperament is so poor..."

A child who, at six, already looked at others with colored glasses, who was impatient and started with only a ten-year soul ring—what great achievements could he possibly have?

Yet, neither Yu Xiaogang nor Tang San knew that after obtaining his first soul ring, Lu Yu took less than half a year to cultivate up to level twenty!

During the remaining year and a half, Lu Yu had been refining his Reverse Life Triple Technique, Golden Light Curse, and Thunder Technique.

Only after pushing these three techniques to their limits—unable to improve further without breaking into level twenty-one soul power—did Lu Yu submit his application to the academy to obtain the second soul ring.

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Impatient and short-sighted?

Even Yu Xiaogang’s martial soul theory, reputed unbeatable, had yet to break through level thirty after decades of cultivation.

What did he really know?

Meanwhile, Lu Yu had already left Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.

This time, he did not go to the Soul Hunting Forest.

His target for the second soul ring was a thousand-year soul beast, but such beasts were scarce in the Soul Hunting Forest, making it even harder to find a suitable one.

Therefore, Lu Yu chose the Starry Dipper Great Forest as the place to obtain his second soul ring.

Fasno lies in the southern part of the Tiandou Empire, bordering the Barak Kingdom and adjacent to the Xingluo Empire.

After three days of almost relentless travel, aided by various talismans, Lu Yu finally arrived outside the Starry Dipper Great Forest.

The Starry Dipper Great Forest is a soul beast’s paradise, filled with countless dangers, yet countless soul masters still venture here.

Because here, a soul master can find soul beasts that perfectly match their martial soul to serve as soul rings.

In places like the Soul Hunting Forest, which the empire uses to corral soul beasts, thousand-year soul beasts are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

But even at the outskirts of the Starry Dipper Great Forest, thousand-year soul beasts are everywhere.

Lu Yu formed a Clear Spirit Talisman on himself to dispel the mental fatigue from the long journey and then stepped into the forest.

Over these two years, Lu Yu had cultivated the Golden Light Curse to a minor accomplishment, able to solidify and manifest golden light at will.

The Reverse Life Triple Technique had reached the first stage of perfection. Lu Yu had hoped to reach the second stage before obtaining his second soul ring but sadly had not.

However, after obtaining his first soul ring and successfully internalizing it, Lu Yu began cultivating the Thunder Technique, now reaching the entry-level perfection stage, still a bit short of minor accomplishment.

In his past life, Lu Yu cultivated the Yin Five Thunder, but this life he cultivated the Yang Five Thunder, so his progress with the Thunder Technique was slower compared to the Reverse Life Triple and Golden Light Curse.

Notably, in these two years, Lu Yu had comprehended every talisman in the "Complete Talisman Compendium" except for the remaining five supreme talismans.

To speak without exaggeration, even in the world of extraordinary beings, not even Zheng Zibu, who once comprehended the All-Connecting Talisman, could match Lu Yu’s mastery of talismans today.

Upon entering the Starry Dipper Great Forest, Lu Yu became vigilant, forming a Concentration Talisman on himself to maintain heightened mental focus, carefully observing the surroundings.

---

Though he had many trump cards and the forest’s outskirts were unlikely to pose danger, caution was always wise.

If luck ran out and he encountered a ten-thousand-year soul beast without prior warning, an ambush would be disastrous.

After all, this was the soul beast’s domain!

After only an hour’s walk, Lu Yu encountered over thirty soul beasts, all only ten- or hundred-year beasts. This was still the forest’s outermost edge; thousand-year and ten-thousand-year beasts had no interest in fighting for territory here.

Two more hours later, Lu Yu had reached deeper into the outer region of the Starry Dipper Great Forest.

Here, ten-year soul beasts were nearly invisible. Thousand-year soul beasts appeared frequently, but most were under three thousand years in age.

The optimal age for a second soul ring for an average soul master is seven hundred and sixty years, which is also the limit a level twenty soul master can endure.

But Lu Yu’s first soul ring was already eight or nine hundred years old, though he wasn’t sure of the exact age of that golden-haired lion dog.

After all, this was an almost extinct soul beast, and there was no record of the golden-haired lion dog in the soul beast curriculum at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.

Lu Yu set his target for the second soul ring on soul beasts aged between two thousand and three thousand years.

Within that range, the older the better!

If Yu Xiaogang knew what Lu Yu was thinking, it would probably overturn his worldview and even invalidate all his previous soul master theories.

A first soul ring of eight or nine hundred years, and a second soul ring over two thousand years—that was unprecedented in history!

According to Yu Xiaogang’s theory, the maximum age that an ordinary soul master’s third soul ring could endure was only one thousand seven hundred and sixty years!

In other words, Lu Yu’s second soul ring would surpass the limit of an ordinary soul master’s third soul ring!

"Hmm... For the second soul ring, I’ll still seek a power-type soul beast. Once I acquire an attack-oriented soul skill, I can maximize the advantage of the Vajra Seal!"

Thinking this, Lu Yu pressed onward.