Was Xia Linyuan really only twelve years old? In their brief exchange just now, his remarkably mature and steady words and actions had given Qian Duoduo the strange impression that he wasn't dealing with an eleven-year-old child at all, but with an elder.
He thought that he had learned a great deal from Xia Linyuan today.
Qian Duoduo bowed solemnly to Xia Linyuan. "I've learned a lot."
"Teacher, you flatter me. Everything I said came from books. There's nothing to learn from me. You're the one who showed me the way when it comes to Soul Tools."
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo couldn't help giving a bitter laugh. Is it too late for me to ask you to be my teacher?
Once he had figured out the role Soul Tools played, Qian Duoduo began teaching Xia Linyuan some useful basics about them.
Making a Soul Tool involved three parts: the outer shell, the inner shell, and the core.
The outer shell was mainly made from hard, heat-resistant metals, so the Soul Tool wouldn't be easily damaged with prolonged use.
The inner shell had to be made from precious conductive metals. When used, it amplified a Spirit Master's Soul Power and minimized the amount consumed.
The core was the most crucial part. It had to be made from the most precious metals and gems. The smaller the margin of error, the more durable the Core Array. Different arrays required different levels of Soul Power to activate, depending on the quality and quantity of the Spirit Master's Soul Power.
Qian Duoduo's first lesson to Xia Linyuan about Soul Tools was metal forging.
Of course, the outer and inner shells of a Soul Tool could be made from metal forged by someone else. But that didn't mean one didn't need to know how to forge metal.
You'd feel more at ease if you made the Soul Tool you used yourself, wouldn't you?
Two days later, there was only one day left before Shrek Academy officially opened.
At Shrek Academy's east gate—
Xia Linyuan, who had created a clone using his Inverted Clone ability, approached the young students at the gate who were checking the new students' recommendation letters from their city lords. "Hello, I'm—"
Before he could finish, one of the young men looked up at him, froze, then nodded solemnly. "Please come with me."
Now it was Xia Linyuan's turn to be stunned.
Was it really that obvious that he'd come to apply for a teaching position?
Still, to avoid any misunderstandings, Xia Linyuan asked calmly, "Do you know what I'm here for?"
The young man replied with absolute certainty, "This is the time of year when Shrek Academy recruits new students. There are only two reasons someone would come here to register. Given your age, you obviously aren't here to enroll as a new student, so there can only be one other possibility."
"Uh..."
Looking at the young man's utterly confident expression, Xia Linyuan didn't know how to continue.
The fellow was so sure of himself that Xia Linyuan almost believed he knew what he'd come for.
"Actually, I'm here to register—"
"I know what you're here for. Just follow me," the young man interrupted, completely certain he was right.
Xia Linyuan: "..."
"I..."
"Let me tell you, you picked the perfect time to come. The person in charge of registration right now is a beautiful senior from the Inner Court..." The young man's eyes grew dreamy, as if he'd thought of something. "I wonder what kind of genius could catch the eye of a senior like her."
Seeing the young man acting like a lovesick fool, Xia Linyuan gave up trying to get a word in.
The whole way there, the young man chattered nonstop about the Inner Court senior's accomplishments. For instance, a few years ago, she had led the Shrek Seven Monsters and won the championship of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament on behalf of Shrek Academy. She had also reached the Soul Saint rank at an astonishingly young age. At one point, Xia Linyuan wondered if the young man was obsessed with her.
After enduring ten minutes of the young man's nonstop stories about the senior, Xia Linyuan was brought to the new student reception office.
The new student reception office?
Xia Linyuan scratched his head. Shouldn't applying for a teaching position involve going to the Academic Affairs Office? Had Shrek Academy combined teacher recruitment with new student registration?
Thanks to the young man's series of bizarre maneuvers, Xia Linyuan had completely forgotten that he didn't seem to understand why Xia Linyuan had come to Shrek Academy.
Pushing open the door, Xia Linyuan immediately spotted a young woman sitting at a desk, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She must have been the perfect Inner Court senior the young man had mentioned.
The moment he saw her, Xia Linyuan finally understood why the young man was so infatuated with her.
The girl had delicate, flawless, fair skin, and eyes as limpid as autumn water. Her oval face and rosy cheeks framed a long head of black hair that fell to her waist. As she bent over her work, she seemed so quiet and gentle that her refined, graceful bearing was unforgettable.
A quiet, gentle, cultured big sister like her was practically a young man's kryptonite! No wonder the young man seemed bewitched and couldn't stop thinking about her.
At the sound of their arrival, the girl bent over the desk and immediately looked up at them. Her gaze paused first on the young man in the yellow Shrek Academy uniform, then shifted to Xia Linyuan. "Hello. Are you here to register?"
Her soft voice wasn't loud, yet it reached Xia Linyuan's ears perfectly clearly, as if she were whispering right beside him.
The young man hurried forward and said ingratiatingly, "Senior, this fellow has come to register at Shrek Academy."
Young man, have you ever heard the saying, "A simp ends up with nothing"?
When the girl turned her gaze to him, Xia Linyuan gave her a slight nod. "Hello, my name is Nyarlathotep. I'm here to register at your academy."
"Nyarlathotep?" The girl wrote down the name he'd given her in the register. "That's quite an unusual name."
"Is it?"
The girl shook her head. "How old are you?"
Xia Linyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled, a smile that was downright unfair. "Would you believe me if I said eighteen?"
"Judging by your looks alone, I certainly wouldn't. Please hold out your hand so I can check your bone age."
Xia Linyuan paused. "You have to check bone age?"
The girl explained softly, "Everyone who registers has to have their bone age checked. Shrek Academy has age requirements for enrollment."
Xia Linyuan frowned. "I've never heard that Shrek Academy required applicants for teaching positions to have their bone age checked."
The silence was suddenly unbearable.
As soon as Xia Linyuan said that, the new student reception office—which had been quiet before—fell completely silent. You could have heard a pin drop.
Before you continue