Xiao Wu's Three-in-One

"What kind of look is that? What kind of expression is that?"

"Hatred. Resentment. Xiao Wu."

"Yes, yes, yes, Xiao Wu, that's the look. Treat me as your enemy."

Early the next morning, Xiao Lin took Tang San and the others along for another round of intense training.

At that moment, Xiao Lin was coaching Xiao Wu, aiming to turn her into a powerful Three-in-One Agility Attack Type Soul Master—a Speed Attack Decapitation Master.

Watching Xiao Wu glare at him with bloodshot eyes, her Willow Eyebrows tightly furrowed and her delicate face full of hatred, Xiao Lin was finally a little satisfied.

"That's the expression."

Xiao Lin praised her again, telling Xiao Wu to keep it up.

According to Xiao Lin's plan, Xiao Wu's current hatred-filled expression was highly beneficial to training. It could also make her attacks more decisive, fluid, and straightforward.

This was Xiao Lin's first concept: Killing Intent Xiao Wu.

As for Xiao Lin's second concept, it was naturally Clear Sky Xiao Wu after she obtained her Second Soul Ring—Lightning Acceleration, Lightning Enchantment, and sharp, sword-like moves. (Xiao Wu with functioning intelligence.)

The third concept was that Xiao Wu possessed a Teleportation Soul Skill. She needed to remain alert to everything, attack when it was time to attack, and retreat when it was time to retreat. This was Going Home Xiao Wu.

The Three-in-One Xiao Wu was Bo Wu.

Xiao Lin understood very clearly that there was an essential difference between Xiao Wu and himself.

If Xiao Lin was a Stat Monster, then Xiao Wu could only develop in the direction of becoming a Mechanism Monster.

The Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul was simply too weak. So weak that if Xiao Wu did not possess a few broken Soul Skills, she would not even be qualified to fight alongside the Shrek Seven Devils of the Original Timeline.

And since Xiao Wu had such powerful broken skills, she needed to make good use of those mechanics.

She could not keep using useless moves like Waist Bow and Charm as she had before.

"Alright, that's enough for now. Xiao Wu, keep training."

Xiao Lin nodded in approval and had Xiao Wu continue training off to the side, while he headed toward Tang San.

"Little San, you taught Xiao Wu quite a lot of things!"

Xiao Lin walked up to Tang San and said directly.

"Yes."

Tang San smiled slightly. He had taught Xiao Wu some techniques, as well as exercises for flexibility.

There were some techniques for locating opponents by sound, as well as some Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track techniques.

But Tang San was not prepared to teach her much more yet. After all, Xiao Wu had only barely entered their small circle.

The two watched Xiao Wu train as they chatted idly.

"Later, I need to go submit a Thesis by myself. Keep an eye on Xiao Wu while she trains, and don't let her slack off."

When Xiao Lin said this, Tang San could not help turning to stare at him.

"Alright."

Tang San did not ask why Xiao Lin no longer needed to disguise himself, but he trusted Xiao Lin's intelligence.

"Oh, right. There's one more thing."

Xiao Lin suddenly recalled something important. His brows furrowed slightly, and Tang San, noticing his expression, also became unusually serious, his little face utterly solemn.

"Little San, if—just if."

"If my theoretical research is correct, but it might pose a certain degree of danger to you, what would you think?"

"This..."

Xiao Lin's words made Tang San fall silent.

His silence was not because Xiao Lin had mentioned danger. Given his personality, of course he trusted Xiao Lin's research.

Tang San from the Original Timeline had even been willing to test Yu Xiaogang's absurd research. Naturally, he would be willing to do the same here for Xiao Lin.

What Tang San was worried about was whether Xiao Lin was researching something forbidden, something contrary to human ethics.

Could Xiao Lin be turning into some crazed research freak?

Like that Elder in the Tang Sect from his previous life who had loved refining Poison Pills, only to eventually turn himself into neither man nor ghost.

In that brief instant, such thoughts flashed through Tang San's mind.

"It's possible, but don't do anything reckless..."

"Nice! Great! Little San, I knew you'd trust me."

Xiao Lin looked delighted. He then looked around for quite some time. After confirming that no one else was nearby, he leaned close and whispered to Tang San.

"Yesterday, and also while reading over the past few days, I came up with a rather special hypothesis. Why do you think the Soul Bones dropped by Soul Beasts are all compatible with humans?"

"..."

Tang San did not answer immediately. His mind could not process it fast enough. The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

"This? This, I..."

In the end, Tang San still could not voice a single guess. He could only look at Xiao Lin, hoping to learn the reason from him.

"My guess is that perhaps the Soul Beasts of this world were originally human."

"Or perhaps they originally possessed human bloodlines."

Xiao Lin spoke in a low, distant voice, and Tang San's eyes widened at once.

Overwhelming waves rose within Tang San's heart. Soul Beasts were human?

"Otherwise, why can Soul Beasts transform into human form? And why do human Soul Masters with Soul Bones drop Soul Bones after they die?"

After Xiao Lin finished speaking, Tang San was left standing there in a daze.

"Ow!"

At that moment, Xiao Wu, who was training in the distance, stumbled and fell to the ground. An unopened short knife forged by Tang San stabbed into the grass beside her.

"Xiao Wu, what's wrong with you? Letting your mind wander during training? Practicing the All-Thumbs Sword Art?"

Seeing this, Xiao Lin immediately rushed over and gave her a sharp rap on the head, making Xiao Wu's eyes fill with aggrieved tears.

You were the one saying all that weird nonsense.

Xiao Wu felt terribly wronged, but she could not say it aloud. She could only clutch her head and put on a pitiful act.

"Hmph. When I get back, if you're still training like this, I'll pound you."

Xiao Lin snorted before heading toward the entrance of Notting Academy.

This time, Xiao Lin's deliberate decision to voice that guess had achieved its purpose perfectly.

His test of Xiao Wu had been highly successful. Naturally, Tang San being shocked by his speculation was also within Xiao Lin's expectations.

With Tang San's personality, why would he care what exactly Soul Beasts were?

He was a Tang Sect disciple. Why would he care whether Soul Beasts had human bloodlines?

He would recover soon enough.

As for Xiao Wu, she really was different from ordinary people. She could hear Xiao Lin and Tang San whispering to each other.

That Rogue Rabbit did not train properly and instead eavesdropped.

It seemed Xiao Lin would have to be more careful about what he said to Tang San in the future, lest the Rogue Rabbit overhear him.

Unless Xiao Wu officially entered their circle—for example, by becoming their little sister—Xiao Lin would only then give her a certain level of access and let her learn about his martial soul research.

Besides, Xiao Lin still needed to find a Secret Base for himself and Tang San, one that no one else could know about.

Writing Theses in Dorm Seven was still too dangerous and made it easy to expose themselves. That foolish rabbit Xiao Wu was so reckless that even ordinary chatting could become dangerous.

After leaving Notting Academy, Xiao Lin made a trip to Spirit Hall and borrowed some new books.

Then, when he left Spirit Hall, he secretly stole—ah, no, borrowed—a Spirit Hall stamp.

Xiao Lin felt that since he was not even asking for payment for this Thesis, asking for a stamp was not excessive.

After sticking the stamp onto his Thesis and marking it for delivery to Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong, Xiao Lin wrote on the other pages of his Thesis that it was twelve pages in total, with copies to be delivered separately to the major Advanced Academies, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Bibi Dong's copy of the Thesis ended after Xiao Lin's example of insulting Yu Xiaogang. If Bibi Dong wanted to know whether the later content continued insulting Yu Xiaogang, or simply wanted to know what came next—

She would have to gather the remaining pages from the various academies. When that happened, a major event would inevitably occur across the continent.

Whether it became a conflict or was resolved peacefully did not matter.

In any case, those who possessed the Thesis would most likely learn its full contents.

Xiao Lin had also noted at the bottom of the Thesis that if it was not published, the author would spend his own money to publish it.

Let Spirit Hall, an academy, or a sect publish it themselves.

This was called making lots and lots of friends. With so many people involved, Xiao Lin refused to believe that not a single one of them would publish it.