Secretly Refining the Hidden Sword, Intercepting Destiny

After sending off a disgruntled Xiao Wu, I avoided the students moving about the academy and took a small path toward the secluded area behind the mountain. The back mountain of Nuoding Academy was densely forested and rarely visited, making it the perfect place for things that could not be exposed.

Confirming that there wasn't even half a soul around, and that not even the aura of a soul beast could be detected, I finally set my mind at ease. I sat cross-legged behind a large boulder, slowly circulating my soul power throughout my body while keeping my external aura strictly suppressed.

It was time to quietly temper that hidden martial soul.

As my consciousness sank deep into my soul, the pitch-black, lusterless Heavy Profound Iron Sword lay dormant, devoid of any soul power fluctuations and perfectly concealed beneath the aura of my Ink Shadow Cat martial soul. I carefully mobilized a sliver of soul power to slowly touch the Heavy Profound Iron Sword, familiarizing myself with its weight, power, and origin bit by bit, not daring to be the least bit careless.

[Memories suddenly intruded and interrupted]

In his past life, Tang San's journey was smooth sailing, relying not just on his cheats, but on a pile of miscellaneous opportunities; even an inconspicuous Body Tempering Grass could help him stabilize his soul power. In this life, I would not only suppress his level, but also cut off every single one of his opportunities, big or small. If I could snatch them, I would; if I could destroy them, I would! And this Twin Martial Souls, it was absolutely the ultimate trump card for survival and turning the tables. It had to be hidden until the end; only by tempering it in private could I deliver a fatal blow to Tang San and Yu Xiaogang in the future!

[Suddenly snapping back to reality, I gathered all distracting thoughts]

I controlled my soul power to gently wrap around the Heavy Profound Iron Sword, tempering the foundation of the martial soul bit by bit. Throughout the process, I kept the soul power fluctuations to an absolute minimum; let alone outsiders, even a Soul Elder passing by might not be able to detect that a second martial soul was hidden here. After about an hour, having grasped the basic characteristics of the Heavy Profound Iron Sword, I slowly withdrew my soul power, buried it deep within my soul once more, and carefully wiped away any traces of soul power in the vicinity. Only after ensuring there were no slip-ups did I stand up and head down the mountain.

Just as I reached the entrance of the path, a dainty figure bounded over, her scorpion braid swaying back and forth—it was none other than Xiao Wu.

"Lin Chen, I've been looking for you for ages! It's boring staying in the academy anyway, so come with me to the market outside. I heard there are lots of delicious things!" Xiao Wu tugged at my arm, her tone full of coquettishness and her eyes filled with anticipation.

Looking at her sparkling eyes, I didn't refuse, just nodded faintly: "Fine, let's go. We'll go early and come back early."

For one, I could deepen our bond by following her wishes, and for another, I could take a look at the goods in the market. I might even run into Tang San and cut off one of his little opportunities while I was at it—it was killing two birds with one stone.

The two of us walked side by side toward the market outside the academy. Along the way, Xiao Wu chattered incessantly, never once mentioning Tang San, clearly having left that person completely behind. I occasionally responded in agreement, my tone peaceful and my sense of boundaries perfectly measured.

The market was bustling with noise, the cries of vendors rising one after another. Most were nearby villagers and low-level soul masters selling sundries and herbs. Not long after entering the market, my gaze fell upon a herb stall at the corner of the street—

Tang San was standing in front of the stall, his eyes fixed on the last high-quality Body Tempering Grass on the display. He clutched a handful of soul coins, clearly intending to buy this herb to stabilize his soul power foundation.

Although this Body Tempering Grass wasn't of a high grade, for the current level ten Tang San, it was a genuinely good item that could help him solidify his soul power faster and prepare for his subsequent breakthrough.

A trace of coldness flashed in my eyes, but I remained calm on the surface. Before Tang San could pay, I pulled Xiao Wu forward and spoke indifferently to the stall owner: "I'll take this Body Tempering Grass."

Having said that, I paid the soul coins directly and picked up the herb, clean and decisive.

Tang San turned his head abruptly. Seeing it was me, his face turned livid in an instant. His hand clutching the soul coins tightened, and his tone was full of rage: "Lin Chen! You did this on purpose! I saw this herb first!"

"It's a market stall; the highest bidder gets it, and it's first come, first served. Don't tell me only you are allowed to buy things and others aren't?" My tone was flat, showing no mercy at all. "Besides, you hadn't paid yet, so what right do you have to say it's yours?"

Xiao Wu immediately stood by my side, hands on her hips as she glared at Tang San: "Exactly! Lin Chen bought it first. You're just slow, don't blame others!"

Tang San was left speechless, his face turning shades of blue and white. The frustration and jealousy in his heart were about to explode. He desperately needed this Body Tempering Grass to improve his strength, yet I had intercepted it. Seeing me standing side by side with Xiao Wu only fueled his jealous rage, but unable to do anything to me, he could only stare at me with a sinister, terrifying gaze.

I couldn't be bothered to waste any more breath on him. Holding the Body Tempering Grass, I took Xiao Wu's hand and turned to leave, not looking at him again for the rest of the time.

Want opportunities? Want to become stronger?

In this life, as long as I am here, you won't even get a sip of the soup!

Tang San stood where he was, fists clenched, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. The hatred he felt for me had reached its absolute peak.

I walked through the market holding Xiao Wu's hand. The Body Tempering Grass in my hand was dispensable to me; after all, I could level up automatically thanks to the system. Keeping it was just a casual act, but it could completely cut off Tang San's small opportunity—it was a bargain any way you looked at it.

Keep a low profile, refine my trump cards in secret, press forward step by step, and sever his opportunities.

Tang San, I will block the path for you and Yu Xiaogang bit by bit until it is completely sealed, leaving you with no possibility of ever making a comeback!