Benefactor?

For the next two days, Xue Lingyun did not encounter anything particularly noteworthy.

He spent most of his time in the dormitory's Cultivation Room, familiarizing himself with the circulation of his Soul Power after reaching level 35 while further consolidating his foundation.

When he occasionally went out, it was either to eat at the Canteen or stroll around Shrek Square and familiarize himself with the surroundings.

On the evening of the third day, he had just returned from wandering around the Soul Guidance Department Testing Area. Freshmen were not allowed inside, but he had taken a look around outside and roughly figured out its layout. Now, he was walking along the Tree-lined Path toward the Dormitory Area.

"Xue... Xue Lingyun?"

A hesitant, disbelieving female voice came from ahead and to his side.

Xue Lingyun turned his head. It was a girl in a purple dress, looking fourteen or fifteen years old. She was exceptionally beautiful, with fair skin and large eyes fixed tightly on him, overflowing with excitement.

Jiang Nannan.

Xue Lingyun remembered.

This was something that had happened when he had been traveling under the guidance of his Fortune Navigation.

At the time, the girl's mother had been seriously ill and bedridden. Her family had been impoverished, and she had been preparing to sell herself into a noble household to raise money.

He had used his Second Soul Skill together with medicinal herbs to cure her mother, then left behind some money and supplies before departing. Now, they had met again.

"It really is you!" Jiang Nannan confirmed, and her eyes immediately reddened.

She rushed over in a few quick steps. Before Xue Lingyun could react, she opened her arms and threw them around him.

"I... I've always wanted to find you... to thank you... but I didn't know where you'd gone..." She buried her face against Xue Lingyun's shoulder, her voice choked with sobs. "Mom is in great health now, and we opened a little shop. Our lives are so much better than before... it's all because of you..."

Xue Lingyun's body stiffened slightly. He was not very good at handling scenes like this.

After hesitating for a moment, he raised a hand and gently patted Jiang Nannan's back. "It's fine. It's all in the past. Meeting you here means you're doing well, and that's what matters."

"Mm!" Jiang Nannan nodded vigorously. Only then did she let go, wiping her eyes as a brilliant smile appeared on her face. "I'm a fourth year student of Shrek's Outer Court now! I'll definitely work hard in my cultivation, and in the future..."

Before she could finish, an enraged male voice interrupted her.

"Brat! Get your filthy hands off her!!"

A tall youth in black jingzhuang charged over from another fork in the road. His face was livid, his eyes practically spitting fire as he glared at Xue Lingyun.

Xu Sanshi.

Xue Lingyun grumbled inwardly. This plot development... Although Jiang Nannan had not gone through the awful things from the Original Work because of his intervention, Xu Sanshi had still taken a liking to her?

Then again, with Jiang Nannan's looks and temperament, it would not have been an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful girl in the Outer Court. It was no surprise that someone had set their sights on her.

"Xu Sanshi! What nonsense are you talking about?" Jiang Nannan immediately stepped in front of Xue Lingyun, her brows raised in anger. "He's my benefactor! If you keep shouting nonsense, don't blame me for getting rough!"

"Benefactor?" Xu Sanshi froze for a moment, then became even more furious. "What kind of benefactor needs such a tight hug?"

"And you, kid, I'm warning you: stay away from Nannan! Don't you dare lay your hands on her!"

Xue Lingyun gently pulled Jiang Nannan to his side and looked at Xu Sanshi, his tone calm. "Senior, let's stick to facts and reason. I didn't do anything just now, and Nannan was the one who hugged me first. But if you can't understand reason—"

He paused and smiled faintly.

"I understand a little physics too."

Xu Sanshi laughed angrily. "Physics? Kid, are you trying to fight me? Fine! That suits me perfectly! If I win, you'll swear to stay away from Nannan from now on!"

"Fine." Xue Lingyun agreed readily. "If I win, you'll give me Mystic Water Pills. I don't need many, just eight or ten."

Xu Sanshi nearly choked on his saliva. "Do you think they're candy?! I only have three on me!"

"Fine, three it is." Xue Lingyun nodded.

Seeing how readily he had agreed, Xu Sanshi suddenly felt as though he had been tricked. But there was no backing out now, and he had absolute confidence in the defensive power of his Mystic Tortoise Martial Soul.

What waves could a kid who looked like he was at most in the First or second year possibly make? The advantage is mine!

"Let's go! To the Battle Soul Area!" He turned and left.

"Lingyun, don't listen to him. That person..." Jiang Nannan grew anxious.

"It's fine." Xue Lingyun patted her shoulder. "It'll be good to stretch my muscles. Come watch."

Battle Soul Area, sparring Arena.

Quite a few students had already gathered around to watch the excitement.

Xu Sanshi was rather famous in the Outer Court. He was an outstanding Fifth Year student, and the defensive power of his Mystic Tortoise Martial Soul was astonishing.

As for the unfamiliar youth opposite him, he looked even younger and had a completely unfamiliar face.

"Kid, it's not too late to admit defeat." Xu Sanshi stood with his arms crossed, his face full of arrogance.

Xue Lingyun said nothing. He merely looked up at the referee. After receiving permission, he took two steps back.

Soul Power stirred lightly beneath his feet, and three Soul Rings emerged one after another from bottom to top—yellow, purple, purple.

The spectators fell silent at first. Then the crowd erupted with a buzz.

"Two, two Thousand-Year Soul Rings?!"

"His second ring is already a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?! How is that possible?!"

"Who is he? Which great clan is he from?"

The arrogance on Xu Sanshi's face instantly froze. His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the deep purple Second Soul Ring beneath Xue Lingyun's feet. His throat moved, but no words came out.

Xue Lingyun rolled his wrist and looked toward the referee.

The teacher was also full of shock, but still raised a hand. "Both sides prepare—begin!"

Xu Sanshi reacted swiftly, releasing his Martial Soul at once.

A heavy phantom of dark yellow tortoise armor enveloped his body, his aura as steady as a mountain.

He no longer dared to underestimate his opponent and immediately activated his strongest defensive stance.

Xue Lingyun moved.

There was no flashy footwork, just a simple forward charge, but he was so fast that he left an afterimage behind.

The distance of more than ten meters between them vanished in an instant.

The First Soul Ring blazed brightly.

Evil Tiger Crushing Pulse Fist!

He threw a punch. The fist energy was black and solid, with the faint outline of a tiger's head. Fine arcs of dark purple and blue-white lightning coiled around its edges.

Rather than attacking from afar, he struck from point-blank range, driving the blow solidly into the phantom tortoise armor on Xu Sanshi's chest.

Boom—!!

A dull, teeth-grinding impact exploded.

Xu Sanshi's entire body shook violently, and his face turned pale.

He felt an incomparably strange force pierce through the defensive phantom of tortoise armor and act directly upon his body!

It was like the sturdiest shield had encountered "true damage" that could ignore all defense and strike directly at the target itself!

It was not over.

The fist energy did not fully disperse. Instead, it turned into several dark marks that embedded themselves deeply into the flesh and meridians of his chest!

Xue Lingyun's gaze sharpened, and he clenched his fingers in the air.

Shatter!

Pfft—!

Xu Sanshi suddenly doubled over and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The phantom tortoise armor around his body flickered violently, then cracked like a spiderweb before shattering with a bang!

His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily onto the ground outside the Arena!

The entire venue fell silent.

One punch.

Just one punch, using only his First Soul Skill, had directly blasted Xu Sanshi off the Arena?!

The teacher on duty was stunned for a long while before finally recovering and loudly announcing, "The victor has been decided!"

Xue Lingyun dispersed his Soul Power, walked to the edge of the Arena, and crouched down. Looking at Xu Sanshi lying on the ground with a deathly pale face, unable to get up for the moment, he extended a hand.

Xu Sanshi's expression shifted several times. In the end, he gritted his teeth, took a small jade bottle from his clothes, and slapped it into Xue Lingyun's hand.

"A bet is a bet," he said sullenly. The look he gave Xue Lingyun was incredibly complicated. "You... what's your name?"

"Xue Lingyun." Xue Lingyun pulled out the stopper and poured out the three deep-blue pills inside, each giving off a cool, refreshing aura.

Mystic Water Pills were rare water-element treasures. They could raise Soul Power and refine one's meridians, making them especially effective for water-element Soul Masters.

He picked up one of them, brought it to his lips, and took a bite.

A cool, slightly bitter flavor spread through his mouth, accompanied by pure fluctuations of water-element energy.

But for his body and meridians, which had already been repeatedly refined by the Dharma Cleansing Marrow and Changing Tendons Scripture and the Heart Source Circulation Technique, then nourished by the origin of Extreme Ice, this medicinal effect really was little more than scratching an itch through a boot.

"Just as expected, it barely does anything," he muttered. "It's not even as good as eating candy. Candy is sweeter than this."

Xu Sanshi: "..."

The onlookers: "..."

Xue Lingyun looked at the two remaining Mystic Water Pills in his hand, then at the third one he had bitten into, its surface already beginning to melt slightly. An idea came to him.

Over the years, he had found many opportunities through Huangji Jingshi. Once he got his hands on something, he had his own system for dividing it up.

The first tier consisted of core resources that were clearly useful now or in the future. He kept those.

The second tier consisted of things that might prove useful, or matched his attributes but had uncertain effects. He also kept those for later consideration.

The third tier consisted of things that were basically useless to him already, or would soon be rendered obsolete as his strength grew. Those were used to build goodwill or traded away.

Sometimes, he even enjoyed "borrowing" other people's opportunities—reaching the finish line ahead of them, then calmly stepping aside and yielding those third-tier resources that were already tasteless scraps to him, but might be desperately needed aid to others.

Back and forth, good karma was formed.

These Mystic Water Pills before him had already been classified into the third tier.

He put away the bottle, turned, and jumped down from the Arena. He nodded to Jiang Nannan. "We'll talk later. I need to handle something first."

Without waiting for Jiang Nannan's response, he quickly ran toward the Dormitory Area.

Xu Sanshi was left standing there with his face alternating between green and white, while Jiang Nannan watched the direction of Xue Lingyun's departure with concern. Around them, the students still had not recovered from their shock.