Chapter 16: Receiving the Golden Soul Coin

“Excellent, another genius emerges from Nottingham Academy!”

After the initial shock, Director Su patted Mo Hui on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

Although Mo Hui had previously demonstrated an extraordinary cultivation speed and remarkable learning ability unmatched by his peers, nothing was as direct and impressive as this powerful soul skill.

In Director Su's decades-long teaching career, he had encountered students who started fast but eventually faded into mediocrity. Some were unlucky to obtain only ordinary soul skills, others became disheartened after entering intermediate soul master academies and fell into decline, while some reached the limits of their martial souls, causing their cultivation speed to lag behind their peers.

But after witnessing Mo Hui’s first soul skill, Director Su could already foresee the rise of a true prodigy.

Will of decline? He had never seen a student as resolute as Mo Hui. His extreme self-discipline was beyond that of any student and even beyond Su’s own, a man in his sixties.

Useless soul rings? A three-hundred-year-old Gale Demon Wolf’s soul ring, coupled with such a formidable soul skill — even if Mo Hui’s subsequent soul rings were somewhat lacking, it would not matter.

Weak martial soul combat power? Bo Bo gave Director Su the impression of strength comparable to those with powerful martial souls.

The only potential limit for Mo Hui’s progress was his innate soul power, but given his dedication, reaching Soul Sovereign was almost certain, with a strong possibility of attaining Soul King in his lifetime.

It should be noted that the headmaster of Nottingham Academy was only a level forty-two Soul Sovereign.

“Xiao Hui, congratulations!”

Li Ya also voiced her congratulations.

Among the three, the happiest was Mo Hui’s uncle, Mo Hen. After years of supporting Mo Hui, he finally saw results—his nephew had become a stable Soul Sovereign, with the potential to rise to Soul King, heralding the family’s resurgence.

“All thanks to Teacher Li Ya and Director Su. Without you, I wouldn’t have obtained such a good first soul ring,” Mo Hui replied with a smile.

Of course, Mo Hui was most grateful to his uncle Mo Hen. Without his uncle’s strong support, Director Su and Li Ya wouldn’t have been able to take leave to help him acquire the soul ring, let alone assist in hunting down the three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Gale Demon Wolf.

Without Mo Hen’s assistance, the best Mo Hui could hope for was to wait for the academy to arrange soul ring hunts, where teachers, seeing his decent talent and good relationship, might help him secure an ordinary hundred-year wind attribute soul beast to absorb—and that would be it.

After a brief rest, the four set out on their journey back to Nottingham Academy.

Half a day later, they returned to Nottingham City just before curfew.

“Xiao Hui, we’ll head back to rest. If you have any questions, come find me on the top floor.”

After returning to the dormitory building, Mo Hen and the others parted ways with Mo Hui, who headed toward Dormitory Seven.

“Mo Hui, you must have gotten your soul ring too, right? Come, let’s have a match!”

As Mo Hui pushed open the door to Dormitory Seven, Tang San eagerly approached, his gaze fixed on Bo Bo perched on Mo Hui’s shoulder, full of fighting spirit.

Following Yu Xiaogang’s guidance to absorb a four-hundred-year-old Mandrake Snake’s soul ring, Tang San was confident he could defeat Mo Hui. Seeing Mo Hui return, he did not hesitate to challenge him to a fight.

He wanted to prove that Yu Xiaogang’s theory was supreme and that Mo Hui’s refusal to take Yu Xiaogang as his master was a grave mistake.

Hearing Tang San’s words, Mo Hui’s joy over obtaining his first soul ring instantly vanished.

He even felt numb—why fight? Even if he won, he’d still be reprimanded by that stingy Douluo.

As Mo Hui contemplated how to refuse Tang San, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

Mo Hui calmly said, “You can challenge me, but you have to prove you’re worthy of it. After all, you were defeated by me before.”

Upon hearing this, Tang San clenched his fists and asked sternly, “How do I prove it?”

“Not difficult!”

Mo Hui looked around casually, then stopped at Xiao Wu and said, “If you can defeat her, I’ll give you the chance to challenge me.”

Tang San definitely would not use hidden weapons against Xiao Wu, and without them, relying on his weak Blue Silver Grass and that so-called first soul skill, defeating Xiao Wu wouldn’t be easy.

“Xiao Wu?”

Seeing Mo Hui choose Xiao Wu, hesitation flickered across Tang San’s face.

Tang San wasn’t eager to fight Xiao Wu—she looked so delicate that he worried about accidentally injuring her.

Since Mo Hui’s arrival ended the leadership struggle, Tang San didn’t know Xiao Wu’s true strength, only that she was also an innate full soul power practitioner.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu blinked and said, “Xiao San, you want to fight me? Sounds fun. Come on, then.”

“Alright then.”

Hearing Xiao Wu’s words, Tang San decided to go through with it, thinking he’d just hold back a bit. Given the Tang Sect’s precise control over power, he shouldn’t harm her seriously.

But would things really go as Tang San wished?

“Bo Bo~”

Fifteen minutes later, Bo Bo yawned out of boredom while watching Mo Hui meditate and cultivate.

There was no way around it—Tang San had lost to Xiao Wu and so had no chance to face Mo Hui.

The next day, at the Nottingham City Martial Soul Branch Hall.

“Your soul power is already at level twelve? Seems your first soul ring wasn’t of a low age!”

Inside the Martial Soul Hall’s testing chamber, Matthew looked at the light within the crystal ball with some amazement.

However, having seen Tang San break through to level thirteen directly before, Matthew wasn’t overly surprised but still instinctively extended an invitation to Mo Hui: “Young one, are you sure you don’t want to join the Martial Soul Hall?”

“Sorry, Grandpa Matthew, I’m not interested in joining the Martial Soul Hall for now, and I’m already studying at Nottingham Academy.”

Mo Hui shook his head, politely declining the offer.

“Ah, that’s a pity.”

Hearing this, Matthew sighed. Since Mo Hui was enrolled at Nottingham Academy, he couldn’t force him, and his bargaining chips were limited.

A little while later, as Mo Hui emerged from the Martial Soul Branch Hall in Nottingham City, he held a badge crafted by the Martial Soul Hall to certify his soul master status, along with a gold soul coin.

Mo Hui’s eyes brightened as he looked at the gold coin—it was finally the soul master’s stipend he had long awaited.

The costs of cultivation had exceeded his expectations; after more than a year, his two and a half gold soul coins were nearly depleted. Without this stipend from the Martial Soul Hall, he would have to ask Mo Hen for living expenses.

“Level twelve soul master, huh?”

Recalling the recent test, Mo Hui mused, “Looks like I should still aim to absorb soul rings with longer years.”

Though it was only one level, it saved him several months of cultivation. Beyond level ten, progress wasn’t as easy—previously, Mo Hui had gained seven levels in a year and three months, but now advancing three levels in the same time was considered excellent.

This experience also eased many of Mo Hui’s earlier concerns.

He had been cautious about absorbing soul rings beyond his level, fearing he might explode from the overwhelming energy—just like a story he remembered from his previous life, where the protagonist and a squirrel discovered a spiritual fruit tree. The protagonist ate a fruit and began his cultivation journey, but the squirrel only took a bite and exploded on the spot.

Even after transmigration, Mo Hui never considered himself a chosen one; he was more likely to be that squirrel, always at risk of sudden death.

Thus, Mo Hui was always prudent, never taking risks without certainty.

But this time, the process reassured him. During the soul ring absorption, he experienced no turbulence—similar situations had occurred hundreds of times over the past year, and this one was just more intense.

Mo Hui even felt that if the Gale Demon Wolf’s soul ring were a hundred or two hundred years older, it wouldn’t pose any threat.

With this in mind, Mo Hui silently resolved:

“Seems I can be bolder with my next soul ring.”