A year passed after Dai Mubai joined Shrek.
The handsome blond had grown thoroughly accustomed to life at Shrek and became completely familiar with Le Bai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun.
Over the past year, Dai Mubai felt he had lived the most fulfilling days of his life so far.
Every day, apart from eating, bathing, and necessary rest, all he did was cultivate, cultivate, cultivate... He even replaced sleep with cultivating Soul Power!
At first, Dai Mubai truly felt that he would not be able to keep it up for long.
But Le Bai seemed to understand him very well. Every time, the training Le Bai arranged for him landed at a delicate threshold—neither impossible to complete nor easy to complete, not even by the slightest bit.
Only after getting through that agonizing first month did Dai Mubai have the spare energy to notice the changes in himself.
Two words summed it up perfectly: absolutely amazing!
Just one short month of training made Dai Mubai feel reborn.
His Soul Power Level had not improved by much, but his control over Soul Power and command of his Soul Skills in actual combat had both become effortless and fluid.
Those enormous gains made Dai Mubai stop resisting the training Le Bai arranged for him. He even hoped Le Bai would assign him more!
And then Le Bai really did so...
The past was too painful to look back on. In any case, Dai Mubai had endured the year, and his Soul Power had improved beyond even his own expectations. His practical combat ability had more or less doubled compared to a year ago. (PS: This figure was Dai Mubai's own assessment.)
But if asked what his greatest gain over the past year had been, Dai Mubai would not mention his progress in cultivation. Instead, he would say, "Getting to know Le Bai and becoming familiar with him."
However, just moments ago, Dai Mubai had begun doubting his own understanding once again—
"Um, Le Bai, what did you say? I didn't quite catch that. Can you say it again?"
Dai Mubai's smile was extremely forced.
"I said, Boss Dai, as proof of our friendship over the past year, could you lend me just a tiny bit of Gold Soul Coin?"
Le Bai seriously held out his hand to borrow money.
"Le Bai, are you trying to say that the friendship between us can be measured in Gold Soul Coins?"
Dai Mubai did not get angry. He felt that he must not have fully grasped Le Bai's meaning. "I misunderstood, right?"
"No, I genuinely think that after this past year, our relationship should be worth that much money."
Le Bai ruthlessly shattered Dai Mubai's illusion. "The only person in the academy who can lend me a large sum of money is you, Boss Dai. I wanted to borrow from you a year ago, but we had only just met then and weren't very familiar. I figured that after a year, we should be close enough to borrow money from each other, so here I am."
Dai Mubai felt like he no longer had the strength to get angry. "Fine, how much do you want? I'll lend it to you."
"You look like you're really unwilling, Boss Dai."
Le Bai suddenly thought of something and slapped his right fist into his left palm. "Ah, I get it! Boss Dai, you're actually short on money too, aren't you? Oh dear, if you didn't have money, you should've said so earlier. It's not like I absolutely have to borrow money."
Le Bai looked exceptionally magnanimous. "Since you don't have money, do you have any Soul Tools that aren't particularly important? Any type will do."
"No... Le Bai, what's going on with you today? First you want to borrow money, and now you want a Soul Tool."
Dai Mubai asked with concern, "Did something happen?"
"Huh?"
Le Bai felt that Dai Mubai had misunderstood something, so he explained himself. "Nothing happened. I just want to disassemble a Soul Tool, but I don't have the money to buy one, so I wanted to borrow money from you. Of course, it'd be even better if you had a Soul Tool that you wouldn't feel bad about letting me take apart."
"So that's how it is."
Dai Mubai's mood improved slightly. "I thought you believed our relationship was worth only that little money."
"How could that be?!"
Le Bai's eyes widened. "Do you know how much time and effort I've spent over the past year tailoring a suitable training plan for you?"
"Le Bai!"
Dai Mubai was so moved...
Le Bai said, "It would take at least a hundred Soul Tools, or money of equivalent value, to be enough!"
"..."
"Pfft, hahahahaha!"
"You brat, you were messing with me?!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Boss Dai, why are you getting so worked up? I was only joking!"
A round of horseplay followed.
"Hiss, that hurts. Boss Dai, you hit way too hard. If an ordinary Support System Soul Master got hit like that, he'd definitely be laid up for quite a while!"
Le Bai rubbed a slightly reddened patch on his arm.
"Are you an ordinary Support System Soul Master? And stop trying to fool me. Do you think I don't know how tough your body is? How many times do you think I've fought you over the past year?"
Dai Mubai looked as though beating Le Bai to death still would not vent his anger. "But seriously, do you really need a Soul Tool?"
"I do."
Le Bai immediately turned serious and said earnestly, "And it has to be one that can be freely taken apart. It doesn't matter if it's already damaged, as long as the Core Array is intact."
"Core what?"
Dai Mubai raised an eyebrow and looked at Le Bai. "Don't tell me you've even studied Soul Tools?"
"I only know a little, a little."
Le Bai was telling the absolute truth. "Isn't there a saying—know a little about everything, and life becomes more colorful?"
"I've never heard that saying."
Dai Mubai stared at Le Bai. "The person who said it was you, wasn't it?"
"It really wasn't."
Le Bai blinked innocently. "More importantly, Boss Dai, do you have the kind of Soul Tool I need or not?"
Dai Mubai spread his hands. "My family does."
The implication was that he had none on him or at Shrek Academy.
Le Bai held his forehead. "What about money?"
Dai Mubai said nothing and simply turned his pockets inside out. He truly did not have a single Gold Soul Coin left.
"I always thought you were rich, Boss Dai."
Le Bai looked disappointed. "Looks like I won't be able to get my hands on a Soul Tool anytime soon."
"I don't have one, and I don't have money either, but—"
Dai Mubai deliberately drew out the last word. "I know who does, and they have exactly the kind that meets your requirements."
"Boss Dai! This is the request of a lifetime!"
Le Bai looked at Dai Mubai with sincere eyes. "Please tell me who that person is!"
"Since you're asking me so earnestly."
Dai Mubai stood up and laughed heartily. "Then come with me!"
Five minutes later, Le Bai stood expressionlessly outside the Dean's office, muttering, "Ah~ I should've realized. Boss Dai has only been at Shrek for a year, so how many people could he possibly know? Soul Tools aren't something just anyone can have. Thinking about it that way, isn't the answer obvious?"
"What are you muttering about, Le Bai?"
Dai Mubai opened the door. "Didn't you want a Soul Tool? Hurry up and come in. I'll help you ask the Dean for one."
"Huh?"
Le Bai looked up at Dai Mubai. "You'll ask for one on my behalf?"
"Of course."
Dai Mubai felt that Le Bai was not very sharp today. He leaned close and whispered in Le Bai's ear, "The Dean isn't the sort of generous person who gives things away casually. But my family gives the Dean a sum of money every year as my tuition. So if I ask the Dean for a Soul Tool that isn't of much use, I don't think he'll refuse."
"That's right!"
In his excitement, Le Bai hugged Dai Mubai. "Boss Dai, you're amazing!"
"Whoa! You're so disgusting! You brat, let go of me! Let go already..."
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