Xu Yaoyao

"Is it pretty?"

The girl's red lips parted as she asked. It was hard to tell whether she was pleased or angry; her tone was almost casual, yet carried an inscrutable edge.

Lu Lin sensed something hard to read in her words.

He didn't answer right away, instead trying to guess who she was.

Xu Yaoyao?

Or Ning Shuang?

The instant he saw the girl, those two names had come to mind.

The Outer Court Twin Beauties.

Qin He had mentioned them to him before.

But Lu Lin had never actually met either of them, so although he had his suspicions, he couldn't confirm them.

By any measure, the girl in elegant clothes was stunning.

Any adjective Lu Lin could think of would have suited her perfectly.

But what did that have to do with him?

If she was Ning Shuang, that would be one thing. If she was Xu Yaoyao, then those three characters meant a great deal of trouble.

Lu Lin thought for a moment, then said,

"I come here often, but I've never seen you before. Um, sorry for disturbing you. I'll leave now."

With that, Lu Lin turned and left the area without a backward glance.

Xu Yaoyao gave the departing junior a languid glance and said nothing.

But she couldn't help thinking that he was rather interesting, at least in that his gaze wasn't unpleasant.

And he was quite good-looking, too.

Xu Yaoyao's martial soul was the Star Crown.

She was born into the imperial family of the Star Luo Empire, and her status was exceptionally noble.

As a girl born into the imperial family, Xu Yaoyao had naturally seen and experienced far more than her peers.

Reading people's expressions and gauging their intentions had practically become instinctive for her. She could tell that Lu Lin had been telling the truth.

It seemed she really had taken over his spot.

Her Star Crown martial soul was best cultivated beneath a night sky filled with brilliant stars, with the starry river in motion.

She didn't need to come to the Mimic Forest specifically to cultivate.

But the scenery here was beautiful.

And it was quiet. Xu Yaoyao liked to come here to rest when she had nothing to do. She hadn't expected that someone else would feel the same way.

That junior had good taste.

Lu Lin sat cross-legged in a newly discovered clearing in the forest.

It was some distance from the scenic spot he had visited earlier.

Taller trees surrounded him on all sides. The surroundings weren't as pleasant as before, but they were just as peaceful.

Lu Lin settled into meditation, closed his eyes, and focused his mind as he began circulating the Flawless Body Casting Art.

After becoming an Innate Full Soul Power talent, Lu Lin's cultivation speed was worlds apart from what it had been before.

Both he and his other self had awakened their martial souls at the age of six and begun cultivating the Flawless Body Casting Art.

In six years, Ji Ming had gone from level ten to level thirty-four, and that was after deliberately slowing down his cultivation.

Before entering Shrek Academy, Lu Lin himself had only reached level seventeen, despite having cultivated for much longer than his other self.

The difference was so great that it defied reason.

Otherwise, Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power wouldn't be so rare or so highly valued.

Of course, in another sense, Soul Masters at lower levels tended to cultivate faster.

The stronger they became, the slower their progress.

After the fifth ring, it was common for some Soul Masters to go months or even years without advancing at all. Failing to gain a single level was nothing unusual.

And the Three Ring Soul Elder stage was the first major dividing line for Soul Masters.

Put simply, anyone who hadn't reached the third ring by the age of twenty was destined to achieve very little.

A certain master seemed to fit that description.

Even if he had broken through the level-thirty bottleneck thanks to an Immortal Herb, his ultimate accomplishments would probably still be limited.

Fortunately, Lu Lin hadn't run into any bottlenecks yet.

Before coming to Shrek, his cultivation had been slow, but he could still feel himself improving.

That was even more true now that he had absorbed the Origin of the Aromatic Silk Beauty.

Unless something unexpected happened, Lu Lin estimated that he would reach level twenty-seven in another two months.

It didn't sound fast.

But advancing from level four to level five was naturally different from advancing from level twenty-six to level twenty-seven.

The lunch break passed in the blink of an eye.

After finishing his cultivation, Lu Lin straightened up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and returned to the classroom building for lessons.

At five in the afternoon, in the dining hall of Shrek Academy,

Lu Lin and Qin He sat together for a meal.

As usual, Lu Lin spent one Gold Soul Coin on a Soul Beast meat set meal.

When it came to cultivation, Lu Lin wasn't stingy. It wasn't as if he had many other things to spend his money on.

To him, improving his strength as quickly as possible mattered more than anything.

Qin He kept his meal simple, though it still wasn't cheap.

He dressed plainly and was lively and outgoing, with a fondness for gossip.

But when it came to spending money, he never seemed to hesitate. Judging by his conversation, bearing, talent, and martial soul, Lu Lin suspected that Qin He came from a well-to-do family.

Still, Lu Lin had never asked him about it.

After all, he and Qin He had become friends because they got along, not because of his background.

But Qin He kept looking around while he ate, unable to sit still for even a moment.

Lu Lin, by contrast, ate much more elegantly.

His good looks, combined with the refinement of his bearing after absorbing the Origin of the Aromatic Silk Beauty, made him seem gentle and reserved.

That drew frequent glances from a few young girls.

"Lu Lin, look! That's Xu Yaoyao!"

Qin He suddenly put down his chopsticks and leaned over to tug at Lu Lin's sleeve.

Xu Yaoyao?

At the sound of that name, Lu Lin instinctively looked up and followed Qin He's gaze.

He spotted a stunning long-haired girl carrying a tray.

Then he couldn't help freezing for a moment.

The tall girl was the one he had run into in the Mimic Forest at noon.

Qin He didn't notice Lu Lin's reaction and continued speaking in a low voice beside him.

"Well, Lu Lin? She's Xu Yaoyao. Isn't she beautiful?"

"She's one of the Outer Court Twin Beauties. I told you about them before."

Xu Yaoyao was looking around for somewhere to sit when her gaze happened to meet Lu Lin's.

She paused slightly, then the corners of her lips lifted into a lovely smile.

Then she walked straight toward Lu Lin.

Lu Lin's mouth twitched.

Qin He was still about to share more juicy gossip with Lu Lin, his eyes glinting.

It wasn't for any particular reason; Qin He simply loved watching the drama unfold.

After all, Xu Yaoyao rarely appeared in public, and she was a princess of the Star Luo Royalty. Her looks, bearing, and background all made her a topic of interest.

So Qin He didn't notice her approaching them until he finally looked up.

Xu Yaoyao had already taken a seat across from Lu Lin.

"Junior, we meet again."

Xu Yaoyao's red lips parted as she looked at Lu Lin and spoke with a smile.

Qin He blinked, looking from Lu Lin to Xu Yaoyao across the table.

His expression turned utterly peculiar.

But he was a clever fellow. As soon as Xu Yaoyao spoke, Qin He picked up his dishes and moved to another table.