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"Mother's roast is as perfect as ever."
Quan Yi's voice was slightly muffled as he spoke, his mouth stuffed with sizzling barbecue, but Su Ling'er still understood him clearly.
"Eat slowly, there's plenty more," she chuckled, watching him devour the food with amusement.
"Mm!" Quan Yi nodded repeatedly, but his hands never stopped moving.
It had been far too long since he had last eaten freshly roasted soul beast meat. During his training, he had only been able to chew on dried jerky. While it wasn't bad, it could never compare to the rich, succulent taste of properly cooked soul beast meat.
However, with his body's continuous strengthening, ordinary meat was no longer enough to sustain his growth.
Only soul beast meat over a hundred years old had any real effect on his body.
And as he grew stronger, even that threshold was rising.
"Mother, is this soul beast meat from century-old beasts?"
"Yes, this batch is freshly purchased from the village. It comes from a soul beast over 400 years old."
400 years old—just as expected.
For some time now, Quan Yi had been eating soul beast meat of this level.
But soul beast meat wasn't all the same.
Factors such as age, species, and innate talent played crucial roles in determining its value.
As Quan Yi's strength increased, weaker soul beast meat became ineffective.
Once he had stepped into the rank of a Spirit Master, the quality of his food had been upgraded accordingly—only 400-year-old soul beast meat could provide him with the necessary energy to push his body to its limits three times a day.
However, today, something felt different.
Quan Yi frowned slightly.
His body no longer absorbed the familiar surge of warmth from the meat.
The usual sensation—the heat spreading through his limbs, repairing and strengthening them—was barely noticeable.
Even 400-year-old soul beast meat was no longer enough for his evolved physique.
"Mother, it seems we'll need to raise the level of my soul beast meat. The 400-year-old meat no longer has an effect on my body."
Quan Yi spoke directly, knowing there was no need to hold back.
Su Ling'er was briefly surprised by his words, but she quickly nodded in understanding.
It was undeniable—Quan Yi was no longer the same as before.
His body had undergone a drastic transformation, and while this development was unexpected, it wasn't entirely surprising.
"Don't worry. We've already instructed the tribe to search for higher-level soul beast meat," she reassured him.
After breakfast, Quan Yue spoke up.
"Xiao Yi, do you want to go home first, or would you prefer to return to the academy directly?"
"I want to go back to the academy," Quan Yi replied without hesitation. "The distance is too far, and if I head home now, I'll miss the start of the new semester."
The academy's vacation period wasn't long, and the time spent hunting for his second spirit ring had already eaten into his break significantly.
With how far home was, he wouldn't even have enough time to rest before needing to make the return trip.
More importantly, absorbing this spirit ring had brought him immense benefits—he had grown too much in such a short time. He needed to consolidate his strength rather than relax.
Although he did miss home, he knew this was a crucial period for his growth, and he couldn't afford to waste it.
"That makes sense," Quan Yue agreed. "This time, your vacation was cut short because of the soul ring hunt. I understand why you'd rather return to school."
He didn't try to persuade Quan Yi otherwise. He respected his son's decision.
Quan Yue then turned to Su Ling'er, his expression serious.
"I'll leave it to you."
"Don't worry," Su Ling'er replied with a gentle smile.
Hearing his parents' conversation, Quan Yi was momentarily stunned.
But he quickly realized what was happening.
"I can go back on my own."
Thinking that his mother planned to escort him back to the academy, Quan Yi instinctively rejected the idea.
"No, it's not safe. Besides, I'm not just here to see you off—I'll be staying in that city as well."
Su Ling'er's expression turned serious, and the weight in her voice made Quan Yi swallow any further protests.
"Okay."
Seeing his mother rarely display such a solemn expression, he immediately understood their true intentions.
This was clearly a precaution for his safety—his parents had deliberately arranged for Su Ling'er to accompany him to the academy.
"Besides, Xiao Yi, the shop there needs a strong soul master to oversee it, so I'm also going for business reasons."
Realizing that her tone had been too heavy, Su Ling'er quickly tried to shift the topic.
Quan Yi glanced at her, amused by the obvious excuse.
"I understand, Mother."
He didn't expose her clumsy cover-up, choosing instead to play along.
"Alright, then it's settled. Let's finish eating and prepare to leave," Quan Yue said.
"Okay."
On the journey back, the family finally had a chance to relax and talk about things they had been too preoccupied to discuss before.
Their focus on obtaining the spirit ring had left little room for heart-to-heart conversations.
As they traveled, Su Ling'er suddenly asked, "By the way, Xiao Yi, what's your current soul power level?"
Quan Yi thought for a moment before replying, "It should be above level 23 now."
He could feel the surging soul power within him. Though he lacked precise measuring tools, he was confident that his level had surpassed 23.
While this increase wasn't as drastic as when he was still a Spirit Master, advancing as a Spirit Grand Master required significantly more soul power per level, making each breakthrough increasingly difficult.
For reference, Huo Wushuang had only been at level 21 when he first broke through.
Now, after an entire year, Huo Wushuang had only reached level 23.
Yet, Quan Yi—through sheer talent, unwavering perseverance, and the absorption of a spirit ring beyond his limit—had erased the three-year gap between himself and Huo Wushuang in just one year.
And Huo Wushuang wasn't just any ordinary soul master—he was considered one of the rare geniuses of Blazing Academy.
That comparison alone made Quan Yi's progress even more terrifying.
"Such high soul power..."
Both Quan Yue and Su Ling'er were momentarily stunned.
Promoting from a Spirit Master to a Spirit Grand Master in a single year—
This rate of advancement was unprecedented, beyond anything they had ever heard of.
Even now, after absorbing the second spirit ring, his soul power had skyrocketed yet again.
Compared to other soul masters, Quan Yi had essentially saved nearly a year's worth of training.
Was this the true benefit of absorbing an over-aged spirit ring?
Though they had always worried about Quan Yi's rapid growth, seeing his overwhelming progress filled them with confidence in their decision.
But along with that confidence came heightened caution.
"Xiao Yi, remember—don't rush to register with the Spirit Hall after you return. Wait at least a year before doing so. Ling'er, make sure to supervise him."
Quan Yue's voice was firm.
Quan Yi's progress had already defied common sense—at this point, even being born with full innate soul power wasn't enough to explain his monstrous growth.
"Understood. Don't worry."
Su Ling'er also recognized the severity of the situation.
For now, Quan Yi wouldn't be able to receive the Spirit Hall's monthly subsidy, but that small sum was nothing compared to his safety.
Besides, their family was far from lacking in wealth.
"Don't worry, Father, Mother. I won't go to the Spirit Hall."
Quan Yi quickly reassured them.
He understood the principle of a tall tree catches the wind—the fewer people who knew about his true soul power level, the safer he would be.
Watching his son's composed demeanor, Quan Yue felt even more assured.
His decision to have Su Ling'er accompany Quan Yi had been the right one.