"Why didn't you accept?"
Zhao Shiyan looked at Lu Lin with his tiger-like eyes and spoke in his usual tone.
He was a blacksmith as well as a Soul Master, so he knew better than most how extraordinary a Soul Engineer's status was.
"I'm not good enough at forging yet."
That was Lu Lin's answer.
Zhao Shiyan frowned.
Although he was displeased that Xu Ting had just called Lu Lin's Azure Iron forging merely passable,
there was no denying that Xu Ting was genuinely skilled.
Of course he wanted Lu Lin to have a better future.
It was just like a parent in Lu Lin's previous life learning that their child had a chance to attend a prestigious high school, only to find out they'd turned it down.
"He can learn about Soul Tools at Shrek later, too," Liu Yanchi casually interjected.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with Lu Lin rejecting Xu Ting.
The student he valued so highly had been called merely passable by that guy?
If Lu Lin really became his disciple, he'd probably be put down constantly.
At that, both men froze.
Zhao Shiyan was astonished by the name Shrek.
Lu Lin, on the other hand, was wondering if Shrek already had a Soul Tool department at this point.
Then, after a moment's thought, it seemed reasonable.
The Soul Tool department at Shrek had started from nothing and eventually occupied a third of the academy by the beginning of the peerless era. It must have taken quite some time to get there.
But even in the peerless era, Shrek's Soul Tool department was still thoroughly outclassed by the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tools.
The Soul Tool department in this era had to be even more of a makeshift operation.
At the mention of Shrek, Zhao Shiyan's eyes flickered. He seemed to be pondering something, though no one could tell what.
Then he shook his head, tossed the money pouch Xu Ting had left to Lu Lin, and said bluntly,
"You forged the Azure Iron. Take it."
Lu Lin reacted swiftly.
The moment the pouch flew toward him, he instinctively caught it. Then, hearing Zhao Shiyan's words, he tossed back half the pouch of Gold Soul Coins.
"Half," Lu Lin said casually.
He knew Zhao Shiyan's nature. The man was fair about everything.
So Lu Lin gave a little ground, since he had indeed forged that piece of Azure Iron.
Zhao Shiyan nodded without a word.
Liu Yanchi narrowed his eyes, feeling bemused. Was this really how the two of them usually got along?
Meanwhile, at the Body Sect.
The sky stretched clear and blue, the sun shone brightly, and a refreshing breeze stirred the air. It was a fine day indeed.
Beneath an old locust tree with lush, spreading branches,
Mo Yin had brought out a recliner and was stretched out on it, eyes half closed. He held a green gourd of wine in his hands and took an occasional sip, looking utterly content.
Beside him, Lu Lin's Avatar Unit 1, Ji Ming, sat cross-legged as usual, eyes closed in cultivation.
Lu Lin slowly opened his eyes. A flash of crimson passed through his pupils.
Two years had gone by, and Ji Ming's appearance had changed considerably.
Lu Lin's original body was slender and handsome, with delicate features. All in all, his looks were decent—nothing remarkable, but nothing to complain about either.
His avatar's features were strikingly cold, with sharp brows and bright eyes. His gaze was keen and carried an intimidating edge.
It was as if the words "keep your distance" had been written all over his face.
"I never expected the Body Martial Soul to have this kind of ability. What a pleasant surprise."
He was referring to the strange reversal that had occurred earlier while forging Hundred Forgings Azure Iron, restoring it in reverse.
With his consciousness split in two, the perspectives of both bodies were naturally synchronized.
Unfortunately, his original body's First Soul Ring was only six hundred years old. It was just barely acceptable.
After finishing his cultivation for the day, Lu Lin stretched his body. A series of sharp cracks rang out from within him as his bones and muscles moved in unison.
Then Lu Lin slowly walked over to Mo Yin. His tone was somewhat helpless. "Elder Mo, when can you let me leave?"
"Want to go out and get your Second Soul Ring?"
Mo Yin half closed his eyes, took a sip from his wine gourd, and replied unhurriedly,
"Wait until the Sect Master returns. Ask him yourself."
That was right. After two years, Ji Ming's Soul Power Level had reached level twenty.
And that was while heeding Si Yuanye's instructions not to focus too much on cultivating quickly.
I wonder when my teacher will be back.
Lu Lin felt a little helpless.
Besides him, Si Yuanye had another true disciple named Nan Yunheng.
But when Lu Lin had joined the Body Sect, Nan Yunheng had been in seclusion, so he hadn't met her then.
More precisely, during the more than two years he'd been at the Body Sect, Lu Lin had only seen Nan Yunheng a handful of times.
His junior sister was either in seclusion or on her way to go into seclusion. How was he supposed to see her?
A few days ago, Nan Yunheng had come out of seclusion, and Si Yuanye had taken her out to hunt for a Soul Ring.
Before leaving, Si Yuanye had specifically instructed Mo Yin to keep an eye on Ji Ming and make absolutely sure he didn't go out.
Lu Lin had only come to ask because he was clinging to a faint, unrealistic hope.
What if?
What if Mo Yin let him go?
His avatar had reached the bottleneck at level twenty.
Even if he kept cultivating, he could only gain one or two more levels of Soul Power, which would be stored inside him. Only after he obtained a Soul Ring could that accumulated power erupt and manifest.
That was simply how the rules of the Douluo Plane worked.
Without a Soul Ring, he couldn't keep cultivating endlessly to the next realm.
There were two reasons Lu Lin was so eager. One was that he wanted to keep getting stronger.
The other was that he remembered the Avatar Panel required an avatar to reach level thirty before he could create a second one.
Lu Lin was curious whether reaching level thirty with an avatar would count toward fulfilling the Panel's conditions.
Just then, Mo Yin's expression shifted. He glanced at Lu Lin and said casually,
"Oh, the Sect Master's back."
Lu Lin frowned slightly and sent out his Mental Power to search the surroundings, but he couldn't sense Si Yuanye's presence.
Was he too far away?
Lu Lin pondered briefly, then released his Martial Soul.
The temperature around him plummeted. A dense aura of death coiled about him, and his eyes turned blood-red, becoming double pupils. His already cold features took on a sinister edge.
His Body Martial Soul, the Necromancer's Heavy Eyes.
The Necromancer's Heavy Eyes possessed both spiritual and death attributes.
Only in this state could Lu Lin make the fullest use of his now-powerful Mental Power.
Soon, Lu Lin sensed two familiar auras twenty li away. They were unmistakably Si Yuanye and Nan Yunheng.
Feeling reassured, Lu Lin withdrew his Martial Soul.
A little while later,
The dust-covered Si Yuanye and Nan Yunheng returned to the sect.
Si Yuanye wore a gray robe and had a gentle, peaceful air about him.
The girl walking beside him looked about eleven or twelve.
Her skin was fair and luminous, and her features were lovely, with gently arched brows like distant mountains. She wore a pale yellow short-sleeved top.
Unlike most girls her age, she had short, raven-black hair that barely reached her ears. It shone with healthy vitality in the sunlight.
She was a breathtakingly beautiful girl, her features as delicate as a figurine carved from jade.
"Uncle Mo, I brought you a jug of good wine," Nan Yunheng said as she walked over to Mo Yin. With a turn of her right hand, a finely crafted red wine jar appeared in her fair palm.
At the sight of it, Mo Yin's eyes lit up. A genuine smile spread across his face as he reached for the jar.
"Three Flavors Drunk?"
"Heh, Yunheng's the one who remembers me. Unlike certain people... Ah, never mind."
As he spoke, he shot a casual glance in Lu Lin's direction.
Nan Yunheng's expression didn't change in the slightest.
Lu Lin also lowered his gaze, quietly observing his nose and his nose observing his heart, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Mo Yin accepted the Three Flavors Drunk. "Girl Nan, did everything go smoothly?"
"Mm. With my teacher's help, I was lucky enough to obtain a Soul Ring."
At that, Lu Lin frowned slightly. Why did that sound familiar?
As Nan Yunheng spoke, two yellow Soul Rings suddenly appeared around her, pulsing in unison.
But nothing about her seemed to change.
It looked rather strange.
After all, Soul Rings were attached to Martial Souls.
To use a Soul Skill or display a Soul Ring, one first had to release their Martial Soul.
But Lu Lin knew the real reason.
Nan Yunheng's Martial Soul was extremely unusual. It hadn't even appeared in the original story.
Her Body Martial Soul was called "Intent."
The Intent Martial Soul had no form or substance.
One could say that Nan Yunheng's Martial Soul was pure "Mental Power," but it wouldn't be right to simply think of her as a Soul Master with a spiritual attribute.
Unfortunately, although Nan Yunheng's Martial Soul was unique, her Innate Soul Power was only level two.
Her circumstances weren't too different from Huo Yuhao's.
That was also why Nan Yunheng spent so much time in seclusion.
As it happened, Lu Lin knew of a place where heavenly treasures could raise Innate Soul Power and improve one's aptitude: the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes in Sunset Forest.
That was right. When the time was ripe, he'd go there and get them for himself.
As for whether that would interfere with Tang Shenwang's grand plan spanning ten thousand years, it wasn't something Lu Lin intended to concern himself with.
Before you continue