Qian Renxue listened, a flicker of surprise flashing through her eyes.
She had not expected that Lin Feng had gone through so many life-and-death crises in just one day, nor that he had figured out the identities of the two Soul Saints from the Soul Recovery Pavilion.
But new doubts followed. She looked at Lin Feng and pressed him for answers.
"An academy? Which academy have you joined now?"
"And this Dragon Soldier you mentioned—what is it?"
Lin Feng did not hide anything. He explained everything, from Flender helping him awaken his martial soul and discovering that he possessed Innate Full Soul Power in the Support System, to being invited to join Shrek Academy.
"As for Dragon Soldier, it is a branch ability of my first soul skill. It can summon six dragon-type soul beasts for me to command."
"I already used it to escape just now, though. The soul skill is still on a twelve-hour cooldown. I'll show it to you once the cooldown is over, Teacher."
Qian Renxue's golden phoenix eyes widened abruptly, as though she had heard something that completely overturned her understanding. Even her indifferent voice carried a hint of shock.
"You are saying that your first soul skill has not one ability, but three separate branches? And it can summon soul beasts? Dragon-type ones, at that?"
Her heartbeat suddenly sped up.
Which soul master on the continent did not have one soul ring corresponding to one soul skill? Even the most exceptional martial souls could at most develop two complementary abilities from a single soul ring.
Yet Lin Feng's first century-level soul ring had somehow been divided into three entirely different soul skills, one of which was even a summon-type ability capable of calling dragon soul beasts!
This was no ordinary genius. He was a heaven-defying prodigy, one in ten thousand. The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group had not been wrong at all—he was more than a priceless treasure. He was a treasure among treasures, something one might never encounter even in a lifetime.
"Teacher, my martial soul is somewhat special."
Lin Feng smiled as the Blessing Gold Pouch floated above his palm.
"I named it the Blessing Gold Pouch, but it has another nickname: the Gold-Swallowing Beast."
"These soul skills did not come for free. I earned money painstakingly and poured it in bit by bit. Altogether, I've spent nearly a hundred thousand gold coins."
He scratched his head, looked at Qian Renxue, and deliberately put on a troubled expression.
"So, Teacher, maybe you should think again about whether you really want to take me as your disciple?"
"My martial soul costs a lot of money to maintain. I'm afraid you... might not be able to afford me."
Qian Renxue's gaze fell upon the Blessing Gold Pouch, which shimmered with strange golden light. Her eyes were filled with surprise.
She had seen countless rare treasures and unusual martial souls, yet she had never seen a martial soul this miraculous. In an instant, she understood why Lin Feng had opened the Soul Recovery Pavilion.
So those absurd soul skills had all been piled up with gold coins.
She came back to herself, the corners of her lips lifting as she said coolly, "There may be other things I lack, but money is the one thing I lack least. If you need money in the future, tell me directly. There will be plenty."
As she spoke, a sharp killing intent flashed through her phoenix eyes.
That Blood Wolf Mercenary Group truly did not know the meaning of death. Not only had they dared target her disciple, they had nearly ruined this priceless treasure.
"As for the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, once we leave this place, I will settle this debt for you."
"I lack nothing but money!"
"If you need money in the future, tell me directly. There will be plenty."
Those two sentences echoed over and over in Lin Feng's mind. His blood seemed to boil throughout his body.
He stepped forward and grabbed Qian Renxue's soft, slightly cool hand, his voice trembling with excitement.
"I'll brave fire and water for you, Teacher!"
"I, Lin Feng, have drifted alone for eight years with no one to rely on. I never thought I would meet a Saint Teacher today."
What did it mean to be outrageously rich? This was what it meant to be outrageously rich!
What did it mean to receive a blessing from heaven? This was a blessing from heaven!
In the shadows,
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo watched the scene below and instantly froze in place.
They had only seen Lin Feng's calmness in the face of danger, his monstrous talent for support, and a maturity far beyond his age. They had assumed he was an unparalleled genius seen once in a century.
But who could have imagined that this little fellow, who looked so steady and dependable, was actually a little money grubber?
The two looked at each other, their understanding of their future Young Master's personal disciple completely overturned.
Seeing Lin Feng clutching her hand with a hesitant look on his face, Qian Renxue quietly withdrew her hand and spoke indifferently.
"If you have something to say, say it directly. There is no need to hide it."
Lin Feng coughed twice, then leaned closer with some embarrassment and asked tentatively,
"Um... Teacher, do you have any Gold Soul Coins on you right now? Could you lend me a hundred thousand or so to make do for now?"
"After all, we are still in the Star Dou Forest. The more gold coins we have, the better our chances of staying alive."
Qian Renxue did not even furrow her brow. The jeweled storage Soul Tool at her waist glowed faintly.
The next moment,
Heavy Gold Soul Coins poured out like a stream. In the blink of an eye, they formed a small mountain of gold before the two of them, their dazzling radiance almost blinding.
"I have not counted how many there are. Take them and use them for now."
Looking at the Gold Soul Coins before him, so bright he could barely keep his eyes open, Lin Feng could tell at a glance from the eyesight he had honed over the past two years that there were at least fifty thousand coins in the pile.
He could not help leaning closer and taking a deep breath, his face filled with bliss.
"It is the smell of money. Exquisite!"
Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, at an exchange rate of ten to one, meant a full five thousand Mall Gold Coins—enough to unlock at least two new pieces of Godly Gear.
With a thought, the Blessing Gold Pouch floating above his palm instantly opened its mouth.
A swirling golden vortex appeared out of thin air, like a bottomless pit that continuously devoured the Gold Soul Coins before him.
One hundred, five hundred, one thousand, three thousand...
Watching the available gold count on the mall panel within his consciousness soar wildly, Lin Feng's mood rose along with it.
He focused on the dazzling array of Godly Gear in the mall and began calculating carefully.
"Five thousand gold coins may look like a lot, but they will not last long. I can unlock two pieces of Godly Gear at most. I need to maximize cost-effectiveness. Staying alive always comes first right now."
"Omen of Misfortune? Its attributes do suit close-range combat. It can reduce an attacker's attack speed and movement speed, but I already have Thornmail covering my physical defense. There is no need to stack more physical defense now."
His gaze passed over piece after piece of equipment before finally stopping on the Cloak of the Witch. His eyes lit up.
"Ah! Cloak of the Witch!"
"This piece of Godly Gear is excellent: +300% magic defense, +110% health. Most importantly, every fifteen seconds, it grants a shield that absorbs magic damage equal to 20% of maximum health."
"It also has the passive [Witch], which converts 15% of additional magic defense into physical defense. It is perfect for dealing with soul masters and soul beasts that use poison and elemental attacks. The Star Dou Forest is full of that kind of underhanded threat. You will be my first choice, Cloak of the Witch!"
Seeing the eye-catching price of 2020 gold coins beneath the equipment, Lin Feng gritted his teeth.
"Your brother has a patron now. Isn't it just over two thousand gold coins? Buy it."
"Ding—"
A crisp, pleasant notification rang out within his consciousness. Watching the number of gold coins on the panel shrink instantly, Lin Feng's heart still twitched with pain, though that tiny bit of reluctance soon vanished.
After all, he had not earned this money through hard work. Spending it did not hurt nearly as much.
With both physical and magic defense covered, Lin Feng subconsciously touched his arm, which had only recently recovered. He had not forgotten the pain of the bone fracture caused by the Ghost-Faced Beast Monkey's punch just moments ago.
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