49, The Two-Faced Xia Linyuan

"Four million Gold Soul Coins. Here." Gu Yuena handed the card to Xia Linyuan.

Xia Linyuan toyed with the porcelain bottle Xu Sanshi had just brought him, which contained ten Mysterious Water Pills. Without looking up, he said, "You can use it."

Gu Yuena asked in surprise, "That's four million Gold Soul Coins, not four hundred. You're really fine with letting me spend it? What if I use it all before you need it? You won't have anywhere to cry then."

"I'm not short on money."

At the words "I'm not short on money," Gu Yuena immediately beamed and tucked away the card containing four million Gold Soul Coins.

Meanwhile, deep in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Four million Gold Soul Coins. Here."

"You can use it."

"That's four million Gold Soul Coins, not four hundred. You're really fine with letting me spend it? What if I use it all before you need it? You won't have anywhere to cry then."

"I'm lending it to you, not giving it to you. I'll have Carlos get something of equal value from Di Tian."

Carlos sat upright before none other than the Beast God Di Tian.

As its enormous jaws opened and closed, a man's and a woman's voices emerged, speaking the words of their conversation.

Di Tian's facial muscles twitched. He said helplessly, "Esteemed Lord Carlos, please follow me."

Di Tian led Carlos to a cave deep in the core region. At first glance, Carlos saw heaps of gems and Gold Soul Coins piled inside like a small hill, along with all sorts of glittering, rare treasures.

Di Tian gestured for Carlos to go ahead, his heart aching as he said, "Lord Carlos, help yourself."

Carlos shrank until it was small enough to fit through the cave entrance. With a flap of its dragon wings, it flew inside.

As Carlos swept its dragon wings across the multicolored gems and glittering Gold Soul Coins scattered over the ground, drawing them all into its possession, the mound of treasure gradually dwindled. Di Tian's stiff facial muscles twitched.

That was the fortune he'd spent most of his life saving!

Huo Yuhao and the others were looking at Xia Linyuan with strange expressions.

Huo Yuhao looked at Xia Linyuan. His lips moved, but he didn't know what to say.

Xia Linyuan glanced at the sky and said calmly, "It's getting late. I still have things to take care of, so I'll be going." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Huo Yuhao froze, then called anxiously, "Linyuan, your grilled fish!"

Xia Linyuan stopped, turned around, and walked back to Huo Yuhao. He reached out and took the grilled fish from his hands, smiling faintly. "Thank you."

His smile was as warm and modest as ever, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

Huo Yuhao scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "N-no need to be so polite."

Xia Linyuan smiled faintly again, then turned and left.

Watching Xia Linyuan's outwardly refined and unassuming manner, Gu Yuena pursed her lips ever so slightly.

"What a hypocrite. He's not even embarrassed to trick a kid," she muttered under her breath.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Xia Linyuan's nonchalant voice suddenly rang beside her ear, startling Gu Yuena.

She looked around, but Xia Linyuan was nowhere to be seen.

Hadn't he already gone far away? How could he still hear her muttering about him?

As if he'd read her mind, Xia Linyuan's voice sounded beside Gu Yuena's ear again. "As long as someone mentions me, I'll know. So don't talk behind my back. I'm quite petty."

His voice seemed to hold a strange magic. Though his tone was mocking, it was also full of allure.

Gu Yuena's eyes widened in disbelief.

Anyone who mentioned him would be known to him? What kind of outrageous ability was that?

Looks like she couldn't secretly badmouth him anymore.

Carlos, now about the size of a soccer ball, landed on Xia Linyuan's shoulder.

Without taking his eyes off the grilled fish in his hand, Xia Linyuan held it out to Carlos.

Carlos didn't hesitate. In just a few bites, it had eaten the entire grilled fish.

After leaving the Soul Fighting Zone, Xia Linyuan headed to the Soul Guidance Department in the Outer Court.

He didn't have anything else to do today, so he would continue building his foundation through forging, following the Soul Tool cultivation plan Qian Duoduo had drawn up for him.

Today's plan called for four hours of forging, compressing and purifying the brass until it was eighty percent of its original volume.

Xia Linyuan had studied some aspects of forging in other worlds before, so forging was no trouble for him.

During the Peerless Tang Sect era, the profession of forging had not developed much further. People only cared about making things suitable for use together. It was not until several thousand years before the Legend of the Dragon King era that people gradually began to explore the further development of forging, eventually forming a complete cultivation system.

The refinement of the forging system had also greatly advanced the development of Soul Tools. They had even developed weapons capable of threatening demigods in the Douluo World.

It was obvious which Soul Tool shell could better bring out the full power of a Soul Tool of the corresponding level: an ordinary shell made simply to fit its components, or one made from metal refined through Thousand Refinement, Spirit Refinement, or even Soul Forging.

Although the forging system had not yet taken shape during the Peerless Tang Sect era, people shouldn't forget that Tang Wulin—a person who shouldn't have appeared in this era—was here.

Though Tang Wulin hadn't been given a complete forging system, she had the talent to eventually become a Divine Craftsman in the original story. Even without a complete system, as long as someone gave her some direction, she could figure out Soul Forging and even Heavenly Forging.

Xia Linyuan's golden eyes narrowed slightly as an idea came to him.

As he passed Shrek Plaza, the first thing Xia Linyuan saw in the faint lamplight was a small, thin figure slowly moving forward, wearing an Iron Vest pieced together from chains.

That person was none other than Huo Yuhao!

Xia Linyuan had been wondering what excuse he could use to invest the Mysterious Water Pills in Huo Yuhao. He hadn't expected someone to deliver a pillow just as he was thinking of going to sleep.

"Yuhao, what are you doing?" Xia Linyuan went over and greeted him with feigned concern.

When he saw Xia Linyuan, Huo Yuhao's eyes curved into a bright smile. Panting, he asked, "Linyuan, where have you been? Why are you only coming back now?"

Xia Linyuan helped him take off the Iron Vest. "Why are you still training this late?"

Huo Yuhao wiped the sweat pouring down his forehead and mocked himself bitterly. "You heard this morning that my Soul Power is only at rank eleven. I don't meet Shrek Academy's admission requirements at all. I only managed to get in and study at Shrek Academy because I went through the back door."