This Was Eight Years Old?! [Please Follow!]

After repeated experiments, Liu Yanchi finally reached a conclusion.

Lu Lin's first soul skill, a group-enhancement ability called Blazing Lotus Domain, seemed to have an "absolute" quality.

He used the word "seemed" because Liu Yanchi couldn't be completely sure yet.

But at the very least, the enhancement from Lu Lin's soul skill had a real effect on him, a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.

If that assumption was correct...

Then it wouldn't matter whether it was him or even a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse. As long as they stood within Lu Lin's soul skill's area, Lu Lin could reliably boost their attack power by ten percent.

Could a six-hundred-year soul ring really provide a soul skill like this?

Liu Yanchi was utterly baffled.

After all, in his eyes, the quality of Lu Lin's martial soul wasn't particularly impressive.

Moreover, for a soul master with a fire attribute, the enhancement would increase by another five percent.

In other words, Lu Lin's own enhancement would reach an astonishing fifteen percent.

At the same time, anyone within the area of Lu Lin's soul skill would be protected from abnormal effects caused by water or Ice Attribute attacks.

Without a doubt, this was an exceptionally powerful enhancement skill.

But was this soul skill really suitable for him?

Sigh. He just couldn't make sense of it.

This kid was truly impossible to figure out.

Liu Yanchi had felt frustrated by Lu Lin more than once.

Liu Yanchi shook his head and looked at Lu Lin.

"Are you planning to apply to Shrek Academy?"

Lu Lin nodded and admitted it frankly. "I am, Teacher Liu."

Liu Yanchi thought, Just as I suspected.

Ever since Lu Lin had enrolled, Liu Yanchi had watched him train so relentlessly. Combined with his background, it had led him to this guess.

After all, Shrek Academy was the top force on the continent that hated Evil Soul Masters the most. There was no other.

Now, Lu Lin had simply confirmed that suspicion himself.

At first, though, Liu Yanchi hadn't thought Lu Lin had much chance of getting into Shrek Academy.

Now, he felt a little as if he'd been proven wrong.

At least nobody else knew...

Liu Yanchi muttered to himself.

"Since you've decided to go to Shrek Academy, there's one thing you must always remember."

"Shrek's Outer Court doesn't represent the real Shrek."

"As for why, you'll understand once you get there."

Lu Lin paused.

In all these years, this was the first time he'd seen Liu Yanchi wear such an expression.

But Lu Lin had always known what Liu Yanchi was talking about.

Shrek's Outer Court had only been established because Shrek had been forced to yield to pressure from the Douluo Three Kingdoms.

To put it bluntly, Shrek's Outer Court was more like a place where noble students went to pad their credentials.

The people at Shrek would never truly value it.

Otherwise, why would the Outer Court's admission standards be so low?

"Thank you, Teacher Liu."

Lu Lin looked up at Liu Yanchi and spoke with genuine gratitude.

Seeing that Lu Lin had taken his words to heart, a faint smile appeared on Liu Yanchi's face.

Hopefully, Lu Lin wouldn't repeat his mistakes and would graduate from the Outer Court without trouble.

As for Lu Lin actually entering the Inner Court someday, Liu Yanchi still didn't think that was likely.

"Oh, right. Take this back."

As Liu Yanchi spoke, the ring on his left ring finger gave a faint flash, and a small cloth pouch appeared in his hand.

Lu Lin was taken aback.

This was the pouch he'd given Liu Yanchi as payment for helping him hunt a soul ring.

"Teacher Liu, that was for you."

Lu Lin shook his head so vigorously it was like a rattle.

"Heh. If you don't take it back, your teacher will just head back by himself."

Liu Yanchi spoke in a teasing, playful tone.

He'd always thought Lu Lin was far too mature for his age, not like a child at all. Now, he finally had the chance to tease him.

Lu Lin's mouth twitched.

Why was Liu Yanchi pulling this kind of thing too?

A few days later, the two returned to Frostwind City.

After being away for several days, seeing the familiar city again filled Lu Lin with a sense of warmth.

The village where he'd been born in this life had already been destroyed by Evil Soul Masters.

Frostwind City was naturally as close to a hometown as he had in this life. He'd grown up in the Orphanage until he was six, but he didn't feel any sense of belonging there.

In the eyes of the other children, who were orphans like him, he was probably an ill-fated star to be avoided at all costs.

In short, nobody would want to talk to him.

Though, to be precise, Lu Lin had been the one to keep himself apart from the others.

What made him feel at home was really the city itself.

Home was wherever his heart found peace.

But once he left, he'd probably have little time to return to Frostwind City.

It was like when he'd gone away to college in his previous life. He'd had to find part-time work even during winter and summer breaks, and could only make it home once or twice a year.

"Are you going back to the academy, or to the blacksmith shop?"

Liu Yanchi looked at Lu Lin and asked calmly.

The journey back had taken them about three or four days.

At Lu Lin's insistence, he paid for their return trip. The reward he'd originally given Teacher Liu had gone around in circles and ended up back in his hands.

He'd just have to wait for a chance to repay Liu Yanchi in the future.

Lu Lin turned to Liu Yanchi.

"Teacher, I'm planning to stop by the blacksmith shop first."

"The blacksmith shop?"

Liu Yanchi thought for a moment. "I'll come with you."

He wanted to see how this kid had been getting by at the blacksmith shop.

Had Lu Lin really strengthened his body enough to absorb a soul ring beyond his level?

Had he been treating his body like iron and hammering it into shape?

Two years ago, after bringing Lu Lin to Zhao Shiyan, Liu Yanchi hadn't set foot there again.

Partly, he trusted Zhao Shiyan to take good care of Lu Lin. And partly, he didn't really need weapons or anything like that.

Then Lu Lin had gone and surprised him like this.

"Okay."

Lu Lin agreed. It wasn't as if he had anything to hide, so there was no reason to refuse.

He mainly wanted to see if, now that he'd obtained a soul ring, he could complete Hundred Forgings on his own and truly step onto the path of a blacksmith.

To Lu Lin's surprise, the Giant Rock Blacksmith Shop was much busier than usual today.

Zhao Shiyan wasn't the only one there.

There were also two Soul Engineers who'd come to buy Hundred Forgings Mysterious Iron from Zhao Shiyan, as well as the little chubby kid standing beside one of them: Yao Yue.

As soon as Yao Yue spotted Lu Lin and Liu Yanchi arriving together, his eyes lit up.

He trotted over to them, first greeting Liu Yanchi respectfully, then rushing up to Lu Lin and grabbing him by the shoulder. He shook him excitedly.

"Lu Lin, are you a Soul Master now?"

As Lu Lin's roommate, Yao Xiaopang knew, of course, why he'd taken leave.

"Yeah, I was lucky enough to absorb a soul ring. By the way, what are you doing here?"

Yao Yue shook Lu Lin until he felt dizzy. Lu Lin could barely take it, so he quickly took a few steps back to get some distance.

Two years had passed, but Yao Xiaopang was still half a head taller than Lu Lin. He was still plump and round, giving him a comical air.

His Soul Power Level was only seven, though. It would probably take another year or so before he reached level ten.

"My teacher brought me here to pick up some Hundred Forgings Azure Iron," Yao Yue replied honestly.

A look of surprise flickered across Xu Ting's eyes.

He vaguely remembered this child named Lu Lin. He knew Lu Lin was an apprentice at this blacksmith shop.

But that was the extent of it. He'd only vaguely remembered him.

He certainly hadn't paid any particular attention to an apprentice.

Now, from his conversation with Yao Yue, he learned that Lu Lin had already obtained a soul ring. He couldn't help being surprised.

An eight-year-old Soul Master was rare in Frostwind City, and even across the entire continent.

And Liu Yanchi had come with him. Hm. It seemed this child had considerable talent, with an Innate Soul Power Level of at least six.

As for how he knew Lu Lin was eight... It wasn't as if he didn't know Yao Xiaopang's age.

Xu Ting had already walked over to Liu Yanchi, exchanging the usual pleasantries about how long it had been since they'd last met.

Liu Yanchi naturally wasn't about to slight a Soul Engineer, so the two started chatting.

This left Yao Xiaopang feeling a little awkward. He scratched his head and quietly moved aside, leaving his two teachers to talk in private.

Lu Lin walked over to Zhao Shiyan. "Master Zhao, I'm back."

Zhao Shiyan had never held anything back from Lu Lin. They weren't master and disciple in name, but in practice, they were.

In Lu Lin's heart, Zhao Shiyan ranked even higher than Liu Yanchi.

Zhao Shiyan nodded. As usual, his face showed no hint of emotion.

"Good timing. You can forge the Hundred Forgings Azure Iron Master Xu ordered."

"Okay."

Lu Lin nodded and readily agreed.

Xu Ting paused when he heard Zhao Shiyan ask Lu Lin to do the forging.

An eight-year-old forging Hundred Forgings?

Wasn't this ridiculous?

Xu Ting frowned slightly.

He glanced at Liu Yanchi and saw that he wore much the same expression.

So he held his tongue, deciding to wait and see.

His gaze settled on Lu Lin at the forging bench. He wanted to find out whether the kid could really produce Hundred Forgings metal.

Zhao Shiyan handed Lu Lin a piece of Azure Iron he'd picked out, then moved aside to give him enough room.

Lu Lin heated the Azure Iron with practiced ease, gripped it with iron tongs, and placed it on the anvil.

Then he took a deep breath, gripped the enormous Forging Hammer in one hand, and brought it down hard—

Clang!

Xu Ting's eyelid twitched. Why did the scene look so bizarre?

Lu Lin was slender. Judging by appearances, he looked as if he couldn't even lift a chicken.

But this was only the beginning.

As soon as the hammer fell, Lu Lin didn't pause for an instant.

Like a raging storm, the Forging Hammer whirled in his hand, each strike landing on the Azure Iron faster than the last. His movements were brutally powerful.

They were completely at odds with his refined appearance.

The more Xu Ting watched, the more shocked he became.

This damn kid was eight?!