Late at night, Seventh Dormitory was filled with snores.
Lin Kun silently opened his eyes. He had not been asleep, instead quietly absorbing the knowledge from the Basic Movement Technique Outline.
He had also been circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to cultivate his Soul Power. He had secretly tried to imitate it, but had only copied its form; the results were far inferior to the genuine version.
Sensing that the time was right, he willed it and took out the Low-Grade Spirit Power Enhancement Potion, quickly drinking it.
The mild medicinal power spread through his limbs and bones before finally flowing into his dantian. His Soul Power, which had originally been close to the peak of Level 3, broke through the barrier as naturally as water flowing into a channel. It steadily increased before stabilizing at Level 4.
His strength had advanced another small step!
But what concerned him more now was his newly acquired soul skill—Mental Thread.
He needed to find a quiet, empty place to test this ability. Seventh Dormitory was obviously unsuitable.
Holding his breath and focusing, he carefully listened to the sounds around him. After confirming that everyone was asleep, including Tang San across from him, whose breathing was even and deep, Lin Kun silently slid out of bed like a civet cat. Using the stealth footwork he had just learned from the Basic Movement Technique, he made not the slightest sound as he quietly slipped out of Seventh Dormitory.
Nuoding Academy was silent at night, with only the chirping of insects and the rustle of wind through the leaves. Moonlight flowed like water, casting down a pale radiance.
Avoiding the patrolling teachers, Lin Kun arrived at the garden he had cleaned during the day and hid behind a dense patch of rose bushes. It was relatively secluded, and the various flowers, grasses, and trees made it perfect for testing Mental Thread's detection and manipulation abilities.
He concentrated, sinking his thoughts into his sea of consciousness as he connected with the Book Spirit. The crystal on its cover glimmered faintly, resonating with his Mental Power.
"Mental Thread, condense!"
Silently invoking the soul skill, he felt an exceedingly fine strand of his Mental Power peel away as though drawing silk from a cocoon. Under the control of his thoughts, it slowly extended outside his body!
An invisible, intangible thread that could not be seen with the naked eye extended forward from his fingertips!
One meter, two meters, five meters... When it reached nearly ten meters, Lin Kun felt some strain, and the consumption of his Mental Power noticeably accelerated. This was his current limit.
He controlled the Mental Thread as if manipulating an invisible hand, cautiously touching a rose leaf ahead of him.
He had touched it!
An incredibly subtle sensation fed back into his mind. It was not true touch, but a form of spiritual perception—the leaf's softness, fuzz, and even its delicate veins were all clearly presented in his mind! It was more precise than touching it with his hand!
What a wondrous ability! Lin Kun thought excitedly.
He continued controlling the Mental Thread, attempting more complicated operations. He wrapped it around a leaf stem, then gave it a gentle tug—
The rose leaf trembled slightly.
The force was indeed extremely weak, probably only enough to move a single leaf. But for precise scouting and transmitting information, it was enough!
He then tried extending the Mental Thread deep into the rose bushes, winding around the tangled flower stems and sharp thorns. He sensed a night moth sipping nectar, and could even "see" the tiny scales on its wings!
This scouting ability was practically the perfect complement to Insight Skill! Insight Skill obtained basic information, while Mental Thread could conduct deep, microscopic investigation!
After testing for nearly an hour, Lin Kun finally withdrew the Mental Thread reluctantly when he began to feel mentally fatigued. His control over this new soul skill had grown increasingly proficient.
"Let's try linking them..." He recalled the prompt in the skill description. How could it be linked with Spirit Shock?
He condensed another Mental Thread and slowly extended it to a small stone five meters away, lightly wrapping around it. Then he took a deep breath, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes—
"Spirit Shock!"
The target was not the stone, but the Mental Thread connected to it!
An invisible shockwave raced along the Mental Thread! It was far faster than releasing it directly! Almost the instant the thought flashed through his mind, it reached the end of the thread!
The small stone seemed to have been struck by an invisible force, suddenly jumping as an extremely fine crack even appeared on its surface!
Lin Kun gave a muffled groan, his face turning pale. It felt as though his brain had been pricked by a needle, and more than half of his Mental Power was instantly depleted! Spirit Shock already consumed an enormous amount of energy. Transmitting it through Mental Thread seemed to demand greater control and caused a stronger backlash.
But the results were remarkable! Through the transmission of Mental Thread, Spirit Shock had practically achieved instant activation and precise point-killing! Although its range was limited by the length of the thread, and its power seemed slightly reduced, its concealment and suddenness had greatly improved!
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This was absolutely an unexpected trump card!
Lin Kun hurriedly sat down to regulate his breathing and recover his Mental Power. At the same time, his heart was filled with excitement. The coordination between these two soul skills had raised his ability to protect himself by another level!
Just as he was regulating his breathing, Insight Skill and the Book Spirit passively sensed an extremely faint energy fluctuation and the sound of footsteps coming from afar.
Someone? At this hour?
Lin Kun immediately concealed all his aura, using the rose bushes and darkness to perfectly hide himself. At the same time, he cautiously extended a strand of Mental Thread toward the source of the fluctuation like an antenna to investigate.
The Mental Thread silently spread across the lawn and curved around a rockery.
In a corner of the academy untouched by moonlight, a petite figure was swiftly moving without a sound. Her movements were light and nimble. It was unmistakably Xiao Wu! She seemed to be avoiding something, or perhaps searching for something. From time to time, she warily looked back.
What was she doing out so late? Lin Kun wondered.
At that moment, another figure emerged from the other side and blocked Xiao Wu's path. The person wore an academy teacher's uniform, but his face was sinister, his gaze sharp, and a faint Soul Power fluctuation emanated from him. He was clearly no ordinary teacher.
"Little girl, why are you sneaking around outside so late instead of resting in your dormitory?" the "teacher" asked in a low voice, carrying a hint of interrogation.
Xiao Wu stopped. Her large eyes blinked as she put on an innocent expression. "Hello, Teacher. I... I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air. I'll go back right away."
"Fresh air?" The "teacher" sneered. "I don't think it's that simple. Come with me. There are some matters you need to explain clearly."
The smile on Xiao Wu's face did not change, but her body tensed slightly. A faint trace of panic and fierceness flashed deep in her eyes. "Teacher, I don't understand what you mean. I'm just a student. What could I possibly need to explain?"
"Hmph, stop playing dumb! The aura on you... is not as simple as that of an ordinary student!" The "teacher" pressed forward step by step, his Soul Power fluctuations subtly intensifying as though he might attack at any moment.
Lin Kun's heart jolted! Had this person discovered Xiao Wu's soul beast identity? Who was he? A secret agent from Spirit Hall? Or someone from another faction?
Xiao Wu was in danger!
Should he save her? Or not?
Saving her meant exposing the fact that he had slipped out at night, as well as the abilities he might possess. He could even get dragged into enormous unknown trouble.
If he did not save her, and Xiao Wu was captured or... the consequences would be unthinkable. Tang San would definitely go mad, and the plot would completely spiral out of control.
Just as Lin Kun was struggling fiercely inside, and the "teacher" was about to strike—
Another powerful aura suddenly erupted nearby!
"Stop!"
A figure appeared like a ghost, blocking Xiao Wu. The newcomer also wore a teacher's uniform. He was tall, with a square, upright face and an imposing presence even without anger. It was Teacher Yinshu, the Director of Discipline, who usually seemed somewhat stern and old-fashioned!
Director Yinshu stared coldly at the sinister man. "Who are you? Why have I never seen you at the academy? Threatening a student in the dead of night—what are you trying to do?"
The sinister man's expression changed. He clearly had not expected someone to interfere halfway through. His eyes flickered a few times before he gave a dry laugh. "So it's Director Yinshu. It's a misunderstanding. I merely saw this student outside late at night and asked her a few questions out of concern for her safety. Since you're here, Director, there's nothing more to it."
With that, he actually stopped pressing the matter. His figure flashed, and he quickly vanished into the night.
Director Yinshu frowned tightly as he watched the direction in which the man had disappeared, his gaze grave. He then turned to Xiao Wu. His tone was stern but not harsh. "Don't come out alone at night in the future. The academy has not been peaceful lately. Go back to your dormitory."
"Thank you, Director Yinshu!" Xiao Wu let out a sigh of relief, smiled sweetly, and nodded obediently before immediately turning and running toward Seventh Dormitory.
Director Yinshu stood where he was, pondering for a moment before turning and leaving.
Behind the rose bushes, Lin Kun withdrew his Mental Thread. His back was already soaked in cold sweat.
Tonight's unexpected incident had shown him the undercurrents beneath Nuoding Academy's peaceful surface. Xiao Wu's identity was not absolutely safe. Some faction had already set its sights on this place.
And Director Yinshu's appearance—was it a coincidence? Or had he been secretly watching Xiao Wu all along? Or perhaps watching every possible "abnormality"?
This world was far more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined.
He had to be more careful and increase his strength faster.
After glancing in the direction Xiao Wu had left, Lin Kun silently rose as well. Like a shadow, he slipped back into Seventh Dormitory and lay down on his bed as though he had never left.
The night remained quiet, but in some people's hearts, waves had already begun to rise.
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