Dining at Senior Sister's Home

Two years later, Lin Chen's Soul Power had reached the bottleneck of level 50.

And today, Huo Yuhao had gone to study in the Sun Moon Empire as an overt spy.

Xiao Xiao had reached level 46, and Zhou Mingxing had also reached level 40, all thanks to the help of Immortal Herbs.

Since Lin Xiaolei had consumed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, her Soul Power had only reached level 42, but her Spiritual Power had already reached the Soul Emperor level.

Back then, thanks to the medicinal effects of the Immortal Herbs, Xiao Xiao had risen five levels in a row, surpassing Wang Dong. As for Zhou Mingxing, because his Soul Power had been relatively low, not only had his injuries fully healed, but his Soul Power had actually risen eight levels in a row. The very next day, he had gone to obtain his Third Soul Ring.

For that, Xiao Xiao had even been "interrogated" by Wang Dong, who asked why her Soul Power was higher than Wang Dong's.

Lin Chen arrived at Yan Shaozhe's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Yan Shaozhe's voice came from inside.

Lin Chen pushed the door open and entered. He glanced at Yan Shaozhe's haggard face but said nothing.

After Mu En's death, the number of things Yan Shaozhe had to handle each day had more than doubled. Only now did he realize just how much Mu En had shouldered for them over the years.

"What is it?" Yan Shaozhe asked as he lowered his head and dealt with documents.

"Dean Yan, I'm here to apply for the Soul Ring I won in the Freshman Assessment Tournament four years ago." Lin Chen got straight to the point.

"How many years?"

"Sixty thousand years."

"Fine, wait a moment... What did you say?! Sixty thousand years?!" Yan Shaozhe's voice rose sharply.

Lin Chen nodded as though nothing had happened.

"Fine, fine, fine. So this is what you were waiting for." Yan Shaozhe said irritably.

"Dean Yan, you can't go back on your word." Lin Chen said with a smile.

"Get lost. Can't you see I'm swamped? The academy's next group Soul Ring hunt won't be for another year. Oh, right, Lexuan is now the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department. Go ask her."

Lin Chen nodded and headed for the vice dean's office.

However, after knocking several times, no sound came from within.

After carefully pushing the door open a crack, Lin Chen peeked inside and found no one there. So, he rode his Seven Kill Sword up to Sea God Island.

Sure enough, Miss Zhang still liked staying home.

Knock, knock, knock.

With a creak, the door opened, revealing Zhang Lexuan's face.

"Come in first." Zhang Lexuan pulled Lin Chen into the house.

After Mu En left, Zhang Lexuan became the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department. Lin Chen often went to see her whenever he had nothing to do, so they saw each other constantly. Still, this was his first time visiting Zhang Lexuan's home.

"What do you need me for?" Zhang Lexuan asked.

"Sister Lexuan, can you come hunt a Soul Ring with me?"

Zhang Lexuan said doubtfully, "You can just go to Dean Yan for something like that. He'll arrange for several teachers to take you."

Fine, fine, fine. Everyone wanted to be a hands-off boss, huh!

"Um, I need a sixty-thousand-year Soul Ring." Lin Chen said somewhat awkwardly.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened at once. "Sixty thousand years? Can you withstand that?"

Lin Chen had nothing to hide from Zhang Lexuan, so he revealed the configuration of his Soul Rings.

At the sight of that blood-red Soul Ring, Zhang Lexuan remained silent for a long while.

Lin Chen was not only telling her that he could withstand a sixty-thousand-year Soul Ring. He was also showing her his secret without reservation. It was trust—complete and unreserved trust.

"Alright. When do you plan to leave?"

"Tomorrow. I'll go back and notify Mingxing. He needs a Soul Ring too, so we can do it together."

Zhang Lexuan nodded.

"Sister Lexuan, have you eaten?"

"Why are you asking that?" Zhang Lexuan asked in confusion. At her level of cultivation, whether she ate or not hardly mattered.

"If you haven't, we can eat together." Lin Chen said shamelessly.

Zhang Lexuan: ...

"Can you cook?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Of course I can." Lin Chen patted his chest in assurance.

Zhang Lexuan pointed toward her kitchen, where some ingredients had been laid out, signaling for Lin Chen to give it a try.

Ten minutes later, a plate of blackened food was brought out.

Zhang Lexuan looked at Lin Chen, whose body was covered in grease, and was speechless. Then she stood up and said, "Use your Soul Power to clean yourself up first. I'll cook."

Before long, Zhang Lexuan brought out four dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.

"Sister Lexuan, so you can cook too."

"If I couldn't cook, what would I eat?" Zhang Lexuan countered.

"I thought gifted girls from the Inner Court wouldn't know how to cook."

Zhang Lexuan smiled. "Didn't I tell you? I'm an ordinary person too. And you have the nerve to say that—you can't even cook, yet you aren't embarrassed?"

Lin Chen was left speechless by her retort. It really did seem like he had been too absurd. He had wandered outside for so many years and still could not cook. Could anyone believe that?

So he stopped talking and stuffed himself with rice to ease his embarrassment.

After eating, Lin Chen conscientiously carried the dishes off to wash them.

After washing the dishes, Lin Chen did not linger and returned to the Dormitory to cultivate.

"Mingxing, tomorrow, the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department is taking us to the Star Dou Great Forest." After returning to the Dormitory, Lin Chen spoke to Zhou Mingxing.

"The vice dean? Brother Lin, do you know her?" Normally, when Outer Court students with three or four Soul Rings went hunting for Soul Rings, sending a few Outer Court teachers was enough. Yet this time, the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department was personally going.

Outer Court teachers were generally Soul Emperors. For Shrek Academy, that was not particularly high, but it was more than enough to help students hunt Soul Beasts. The vice dean's cultivation would only be higher.

"Yeah. You can think of me as someone with connections." Lin Chen did not want to explain, so he told Zhou Mingxing that directly before sitting cross-legged on his bed to cultivate.

Zhou Mingxing looked at Lin Chen, said nothing, and began cultivating as well.

Since the Soul Master Tournament, Lin Chen had used both nights that would have been for sleep entirely for cultivation. The Soul Master Tournament had taught him that there was always someone stronger. Even as a transmigrator, while opportunities came somewhat more easily to him, without diligent cultivation, he could never gain strength that surpassed everyone else.

After cultivating through the night, Lin Chen brought Zhou Mingxing to Zhang Lexuan's office.

"Dean Zhang." Lin Chen called out from the doorway. In front of Zhou Mingxing, he did not habitually call her "Sister Lexuan," instead using a respectful form of address.

"Come in."

Lin Chen and Zhou Mingxing walked inside.

"Are you both ready?" Zhang Lexuan asked as she watched Lin Chen and Zhou Mingxing enter.

Lin Chen and Zhou Mingxing nodded.

"Mm, then let's go." Zhang Lexuan waved, signaling for the two to follow.

After traveling for three days, the four arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.

"This time, Mingxing needs a five-thousand-year Soul Beast. Once you obtain your Soul Ring, I'll send you back to the academy," Zhang Lexuan told Zhou Mingxing.

"What about Brother Lin?"