Dominator Body Won't Screw Me Over, I Swear

After finishing all this, Ling Luochen shifted her gaze to Qin Yue, who had already begun absorbing his Soul Ring. A complicated expression appeared on her usually cool face as she lightly bit her lip, unsure what to do.

Qin Yue possessed extraordinary talent. Though still young, it was already clear that he would grow into a handsome man. He also had the potential to help her achieve Martial Soul Evolution. From any perspective, he was the perfect choice for a partner.

But one problem pierced Ling Luochen's heart like a steel nail: the age gap between them. She was an Inner Court senior about to represent Shrek Academy in the Soul Master Tournament, while Qin Yue had not even finished his first year.

It was nothing before she counted, but once she did, it gave her a fright—they were a full seven years apart!

Even though Ling Luochen had great confidence in her own charm and was willing to lower herself and take the initiative, she had no idea what Qin Yue actually thought. The reason Qin Yan had mentioned was only his own—or perhaps the Qin Clan's—opinion. It could not represent Qin Yue himself.

What if she threw herself into it wholeheartedly and could not pull away, only to receive a line from Qin Yue saying, "Sorry, I only see you as an older sister"? That would truly be the end of the world. Ling Luochen did not even dare imagine how those old virgins in the Inner Court would mock her.

Thinking of that potentially tragic future, Ling Luochen suddenly shivered and forcibly stopped herself from thinking about anything related to Qin Yue.

Two hours later, Qin Yue, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, opened his eyes. His black eyes were bright and lively, his fair skin rosy, and Soul Power surged through his entire body. One glance was enough to tell that he was in excellent condition.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring from the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape had been completely absorbed. The residual will within it had been purified by Thunder from the very beginning, making the entire absorption process exceptionally smooth. His Soul Power cultivation had also leaped from Rank 40 to Rank 43.

The Wind-Thunder Giant Ape's eighteen-thousand-year cultivation had provided tremendous support, while part of it had also come from the Soul Power he had accumulated through cultivating with the Dragon Core. It was a case of long preparation finally bearing fruit.

An increase in cultivation naturally meant an increase in combat strength. Without a point of comparison, Qin Yue was not certain whether he could now defeat a Soul Saint head-on, but he was confident that he could safely escape from an Agility Attack System Soul Saint.

Ling Luochen waited for a while. Only after confirming that Qin Yue's aura had settled did she slowly approach and say coolly, "Congratulations."

"Thank you for standing guard for me, Senior Sister. I'm very satisfied with the results of this Soul Hunt." Qin Yue smiled and clenched his fist.

Ling Luochen guessed that the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape had provided Qin Yue with a powerful Soul Skill, but what kind of Soul Skill could satisfy someone who could slash out that strike? After a brief hesitation, she asked curiously, "Was the Soul Skill provided by the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape very strong?"

Qin Yue nodded. He would be using it in every battle from now on anyway, so there was no need to keep it secret. He said directly, "The Soul Skill the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape gave me is called Thunderstorm Body. It's an enhancement-type Soul Skill. Its effect is simple: whenever I use any Soul Skill, I gain Dominator Body."

"Dominator Body?"

"The effect is simple. While in the Dominator Body state, I can ignore all control-type Soul Skills that affect me directly."

The instant Qin Yue finished speaking, Ling Luochen realized what those words meant and widened her eyes. Someone fast, strong, and unafraid of the Soul Skills of Control System Soul Masters was usually called a "monster."

A bitter smile appeared on Ling Luochen's face. She had already realized that she was no match for Qin Yue, but now that even her control abilities could not affect him, it was like the final nail had been hammered into her coffin. She had completely lost any ability to fight back against him.

Realizing that he might have accidentally dealt Ling Luochen a mental blow, Qin Yue added, "There are limits, actually. It only applies to Soul Skills that affect me directly. Soul Skills that affect the terrain, like Ice Prison, will still work."

Ling Luochen shook her head wearily. Without ice-element Soul Power spread across the field to slow him down, Ice Prison's hit rate would plummet. Besides, after that Hand Blade that had sliced apart an entire Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, could trapping him in an Ice Prison really count as controlling him?

Just then, undisguised footsteps sounded from the grass behind them. Qin Yue and Ling Luochen turned at the same time and saw Zhang Lexuan walking out.

Senior Sister first glanced at the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape lying dead on the ground. When she saw no traces of Ling Luochen's involvement on the corpse, surprise flashed through her eyes. Then she smiled at the two of them. "Looks like you're finished here. The others have also completed their absorption, so get ready to head to the next location."

After speaking, Zhang Lexuan discreetly swept her gaze over Qin Yue and Ling Luochen again, many guesses about the relationship between the two surfacing in her heart.

Qin Yue looked at the two pieces of the Giant Ape's corpse on the ground. Blue-white Lightning Serpents once again surged out from beneath his feet, and within two or three breaths, they had examined the corpses in detail. There were no Spirit Bones.

After confirming that the Wind-Thunder Giant Ape had lost all value, Qin Yue dispersed the lightning serpents and followed Zhang Lexuan alongside Ling Luochen, setting off toward the nearby camp.

Through some casual conversation along the way, Zhang Lexuan learned from Ling Luochen in surprise that Qin Yue was a new student at Shrek Academy this year. She looked back and forth between the two with an incredulous expression.

At that moment, she almost instantly put herself in Ling Luochen's place. The sorrow between her brows grew more apparent, and even Ling Luochen noticed that something was wrong and quietly stopped chatting with Qin Yue.

Realizing that she had dampened the mood somewhat, Zhang Lexuan forced out a smile and changed the subject. "Before I came, Dean Qian brought back a Pearl Feather Phoenix. It's a rare delicacy. We're in for a treat tonight."

Ling Luochen was somewhat surprised at first, then laughed softly. "Fortunately, Dean Qian is leading the team. If it were Xuan Zi, I'm afraid we wouldn't even know there was a Pearl Feather Phoenix habitat near this forest."

"Yes, fortunately Xuan Zi isn't leading the team." Qin Yue nodded with a serious expression.

In his view, the Holy Spirit Cult had two major spies within Shrek Academy: Zhou Yi and Xuan Zi. Those two were a matched pair—one harmed many people, while the other harmed nothing but elites.

Zhang Lexuan's Soul Hunt team back then had consisted of only twelve people. Unlike this team, which included both Inner Court and Outer Court students, it had been a purely elite squad. Its members might not all have become Title Douluo, but becoming Soul Douluo would have been no problem. They had been the future of Shrek Academy.

Yet Xuan Zi had personally led eight of those future talents to their deaths. Of the remaining three besides Zhang Lexuan, who stayed at the academy, every one of them chose to leave Shrek after returning. The shadows in their hearts were plain to see.