His Bone-Spirit Martial Soul's first spirit ring was nearly forty thousand years old.
Naturally, the first Soul Skill was also powerful. It went without saying that a first Soul Skill was usually weak.
However, the fusion of his Wrathful Fire Lotus consumed an enormous amount of energy.
The Soul Power he had left simply wasn't enough to support Xiao Xiao using her Soul Skill.
If he forced her to use it, the power of the Wrathful Fire Lotus would decrease.
They could only choose one.
Of course, it wasn't that the Soul Skill was weak. It was just that, compared with it, the Wrathful Fire Lotus was far more effective.
"That's a pity. If you could combine it with a Soul Skill, the power of your first spirit ring would rise another level."
Huo Yuhao felt a pang of regret. His first spirit ring was impressive, but only because no one else had ever managed to reach such heights.
Lin agreed. "Still, if you had a spirit bone, the spirit ring would be even more powerful."
Huo Yuhao gave him a surprised look. "You can absorb one?"
His expression was a little strange. After all, that spirit bone belonged to the Red King. One was already more than enough.
But given what Xiao Xiao had in mind, he could still absorb a flame spirit bone.
"I can. If you want one, you can find one yourself," Xiao Xiao said.
"Got it. I'll look for one myself."
Huo Yuhao rubbed his hands together. A spirit bone was certainly useful, but it wouldn't be easy to explain to Lin. Too many of them would only make things awkward.
"All right, then. Since that's settled, I'll be heading back."
Lin stretched his back. They'd been out for quite a while, and surely the poison hadn't been the only thing his father needed to deal with.
"Sure. Just make sure you get some good rest. If anything happens to you, I'll hold you responsible!"
Huo Yuhao waved him off, then watched Lin and the Red King leave.
Xiao Xiao came running over, with the Ice Emperor perched on her shoulder. "Little Xiao Xiao, what are you doing here?"
"Since when do you call me that?"
Lin looked a little helpless and glanced at the Ice Emperor, who merely turned his head away.
"Since you're hungry, have you got anything to eat?"
The Ice Emperor chuckled and held out his hand.
Lin had no choice but to take out a piece of dry rations he'd brought along.
The Ice Emperor took a bite, then said, "Come on, Little Xiao Xiao. Let's go."
The two walked off together. Lin suddenly wondered if the Red King was really the right choice as a spirit ring.
As they walked, Lin tapped his ring with a finger.
Lao Yao's voice entered Lin's mind. "Little Xiao Xiao, what's wrong?"
Lin looked back. "Father, could you conceal the aura on the Rui Beast?"
"That's no problem."
Lao Yao acted at once, and a wave of energy Xiao Xiao couldn't detect shrouded the Rui Beast and the Red King.
The Red King's steps faltered. His gaze landed on Xiao Xiao, then quickly returned to normal.
The two kept walking when Lao Yao's voice suddenly rang out again. "Little Xiao Xiao, that girl you burned with fire back then has come over."
Lin was startled. That girl? How had she found him again?
"You've got some nerve!"
As Lao Yao finished speaking, a clear female voice rang in Xiao Xiao and the Red King's ears.
The Red King raised a golden spear in his hand.
"Little Xiao Xiao, this person came looking for you. Do you recognize her?" the Red King asked in a small voice.
Lin nodded, his gaze falling on Meng Hongchen. At this moment, Meng Hongchen had none of the confidence she'd shown at first. She seemed cheerful and outgoing, but there was now a hint of nervousness and hesitation in her expression.
"Meng Hongchen, you're still chasing after me? Do you want to get burned again?"
"This time, you won't be so lucky."
Lin looked at her calmly. What a persistent girl. If she wouldn't give up, he'd just have to teach her another lesson!
Meng Hongchen trembled, remembering that white flame. The thought alone made her uneasy.
"I'm not here to pick a fight with you."
Meng Hongchen hurried to explain, her gaze shifting to the Red King beside Xiao Xiao.
A Soul Emperor, with a six-hundred-thousand-year-old spirit ring.
Who on earth was this person?
Without waiting for Meng Hongchen to speak, Lin began, "Then why are you following me? Besides fighting, I can't think of anything else we have to discuss."
Lin had always been naturally cold toward people he didn't like. He didn't have the slightest bit of goodwill toward Meng Hongchen, even though she was the eldest daughter of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
"I... I took your advice and went to the Sun and Moon Academy for a visit."
Meng Hongchen faltered as she spoke.
Lin paused, then asked, "So, what did you find out?"
Meng Hongchen looked at him, her expression conflicted. She seemed unable to accept what she'd discovered, but had no choice.
"Then what does that have to do with me? Let's go!"
Lin turned and walked off, pulling the Red King along by the arm.
"You... wait!" Meng Hongchen called after Xiao Xiao.
"Just say it. What do you want?" Xiao Xiao looked a little helpless.
Meng Hongchen steadied herself. "I want to know whether this has anything to do with Shi Luo Ke."
"Is that important? You've already learned the truth. That should be enough. Even if you don't want to believe it, you're still Shi Luo Ke's eldest daughter, aren't you?"
With that, Lin left without waiting for her reply.
Meng Hongchen gritted her teeth and followed.
She already knew what had happened: her family had been destroyed. Or perhaps it was connected to Shi Luo Ke... but she still refused to believe the truth.
So she had gone to the Sun and Moon Academy to find Xiao Xiao.
Lin walked for a while, then turned to her. "If you want the truth, the best thing is to investigate it yourself."
"Even if I tell you that Shi Luo Ke was involved, you won't believe me. Only if you find out for yourself will you believe it."
"Then follow me. I'll take you to Shi Luo Ke."
With that, Lin walked off. Meng Hongchen stayed where she was, rooted to the spot. Wasn't that right? She didn't want to believe that Shi Luo Ke would make a move against her, so she'd come here.
But the other party's meaning was already clear enough: Shi Luo Ke was involved.
Her maternal grandfather, Kong Deming, had also said that he was connected to Shi Luo Ke...
Meng Hongchen felt utterly lost. She truly didn't know what to do. She couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept that Xiao Xiao...
Watching Lin's retreating figure, she didn't know what to do for a while. On one hand, it was her family; on the other, it was the Shi Luo Ke she admired...
She was at a loss.
"Little Xiao Xiao, what happened to that girl?" the Red King asked as they walked.
"Nothing much. Her family was destroyed, and she wants revenge."
Lin explained it casually. He hadn't expected to run into Meng Hongchen here. He'd thought she would go to the Sun and Moon Academy, not come looking for him.
"Oh. Ah?"
"Then why is she looking for you?"
The Red King asked.
"Why? Because Shi Luo Ke's guilty. I wouldn't even feel sorry for her."
"Just because someone's guilty doesn't mean I can kill them. That'd be too barbaric. A more humane approach is best."
Lin thought it over. That was true. Tang San really was a bastard, always causing trouble.
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