Yet the expected attack never came.
That presence merely enveloped her, making no further move.
But she could tell that she had already been taken away and was no longer in the dormitory.
Sure enough.
When Xiao Wu gathered her courage and opened her eyes, she discovered that she had somehow arrived in a wide-open clearing.
Her heart sank again. Was she not even allowed to die beside Lin Yi?
But upon closer inspection, the place was familiar. It was the academy's back mountain.
And the person standing before her.
He currently had his back to her, dressed in a simple gray robe. His figure was tall and straight.
Though she could not see his face, Xiao Wu could sense that this man possessed a presence as steady as a mountain.
What shocked her most was that the Soul Power fluctuations emanating from him gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She simply could not remember where she had encountered them before.
"Se-senior..." Xiao Wu suppressed the fear in her heart, her voice trembling slightly. "Why did you bring me here? Is there something you need?"
The man in gray did not answer immediately.
After a moment, he slowly turned around, his gaze examining Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu looked up. His face was sharply defined, and he appeared to be nearly forty, yet his eyes carried the profound depth of someone who had seen all the world had to offer.
Looking closely, his eyes actually resembled Lin Yi's. No, it should be said that Lin Yi's resembled his.
"You're... Lin Yi's father?" Xiao Wu nearly blurted it out.
The gray-robed man smiled and nodded. "That's right. My name is Lin Yuan. You can call me Uncle Lin."
Xiao Wu sucked in a breath, completely stunned.
Lin Yi's father?
The father Lin Yi's Heart Voice had mocked as an ordinary villager, unreliable, and someone who had abandoned his son and run away?
Yet the man before her was clearly an unfathomably powerful expert.
How could someone of this caliber possibly be an ordinary villager?
"Surprised?" Lin Yuan seemed to see through Xiao Wu's thoughts, his tone calm. "I know you have many questions, but I do not have much time, so I'll keep this brief."
He stepped forward twice, his gaze settling on Xiao Wu. "You are a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit who underwent Soul Beast Transformation, correct?"
Xiao Wu shuddered and instinctively tried to step back, only to find that her legs seemed glued in place.
"Don't be nervous." Lin Yuan waved a hand. "If I meant to harm you, you would not have lived until today."
He said it lightly, yet it sent a chill through Xiao Wu's heart.
That was true. With his strength, killing her would be as easy as turning his hand over. There was no need for him to bring her here just to waste words.
"Then... Senior, what exactly do you want from me?" Xiao Wu tried her best to calm herself.
Lin Yuan did not answer directly. Instead, he looked up at the bright moon in the night sky. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Over the years, I have secretly kept watch over Xiao Yi, including everything he did at the academy, including those Heart Voices of his."
Xiao Wu was slightly shocked, but quickly recovered.
Even she could hear Lin Yi's Heart Voice.
As Lin Yi's father, how could he possibly not hear it?
But before she could speak, Lin Yi's father, Lin Yuan, continued, "So I know that you have stayed by Xiao Yi's side all these years. I also know that you heard many things you should not have known from those Heart Voices, including your own future..."
Xiao Wu's face turned paler and paler.
So every move she had made had long since been observed by someone.
"I know you want to change your fate." Lin Yuan's tone remained calm. "There is nothing wrong with that. No intelligent life wishes to accept a predetermined tragic ending. But the question is, was the method you chose really the right one?"
Xiao Wu bit her lip. "I just want to live, and then..."
And then take revenge, but she never said it aloud.
Lin Yuan looked at her and shook his head slightly. "There are many ways to survive. Relying on the strong is one way. Becoming strong yourself is another."
After a pause, he continued, "You chose to follow Xiao Yi because you think he can help you change your fate? Or because you think he is safer than Tang San?"
The question struck at the heart of the matter, leaving Xiao Wu speechless.
She had indeed considered those things.
When she first heard Lin Yi's Heart Voice, she had only been shocked by the tragedy awaiting her and wanted to escape it.
Later, she discovered that Lin Yi seemed to know many secrets and bore her no ill will, so she decided to follow him.
But as for what exactly she hoped to gain from it... even she had never truly thought it through.
"I... I don't know." Xiao Wu lowered her head, her voice very soft. "I just feel that following Lin Yi might offer a sliver of hope, and..."
And being with him makes me happy.
But she knew that she was a Soul Beast Transformation. It seemed she should not be thinking about such things.
Lin Yuan did not dwell on the rest of Xiao Wu's words.
He smiled, though there was a trace of helplessness in that smile. "Do you know what Xiao Yi's biggest problem is?"
Xiao Wu nodded blankly, then shook her head.
"He only wants to slack off." Lin Yuan sighed, his tone filled with frustration at his son's failure to meet expectations. "You could hear it from those Heart Voices of his too, couldn't you? He clearly has talent and potential, yet all he wants is to live a quiet, stable life, far away from every trouble and conflict."
"But in this world, without strength, where could stability come from?"
Xiao Wu froze.
Thinking back on Lin Yi's behavior over the years, it was indeed true.
He clearly possessed Twin Martial Souls, one of which was a top-quality assault-type tool martial soul, yet he had stubbornly disguised himself as an ordinary support-type Soul Master.
He clearly had opportunities to obtain better resources, yet he always chose the most low-key path.
Of course, the most crucial thing was that Lin Yi did not know others could hear his Heart Voice, nor did he know his own background was so formidable. That was why he wanted to slack off.
"Y-you... what do you want me to do?" Xiao Wu vaguely guessed this senior's intentions.
Lin Yuan looked at her, his gaze turning serious. "I need you to help me with two things."
"First, encourage Xiao Yi. Make him understand that running away cannot solve problems. Only by becoming stronger can he take control of his own fate."
"Second, keep an eye on him. Watch him. Do not let him continue wasting his days like this. When necessary... you can give him some pressure."
After hearing this, Xiao Wu felt a complicated mix of emotions.
She could understand a father's expectations for his son, but the problem was...
"Senior, why would Lin Yi listen to me?" Xiao Wu gave a bitter smile. "He has treated me fairly well these past years, but he has also constantly tried to shake me off. Would he listen to what I say? And besides... you know my identity."
"This is what I intend to give you." Lin Yuan took a palm-sized jade box from his robes and held it out to Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu accepted the jade box in confusion and opened it.
Inside lay a thumb-sized red crystal. Something like liquid seemed to flow within it, giving off a gentle luster.
Most astonishingly, the moment the crystal appeared in the air, Xiao Wu could clearly feel the Soul Beast aura around her become completely concealed.
"This..." Xiao Wu's breathing quickened.
"A Breath-Hiding Stone." Lin Yuan explained, "Wear it on your body, and it can completely conceal your Soul Beast aura. Even a Title Douluo-level expert will not discover your true identity without carefully examining you."
Xiao Wu's hands trembled.
This... was this not exactly what she had dreamed of?
With this Breath-Hiding Stone, she would no longer have to live in constant fear of being discovered by powerful humans.
She could travel freely across the continent like a true ordinary human Soul Master.
"Senior, this is too precious." Xiao Wu wanted to refuse, but she could not bear to let it go.
"Take it." Lin Yuan waved his hand. "It is nothing to me, but it is very important to you. Besides, I am giving it to you on one condition."
Xiao Wu took a deep breath and tightly gripped the jade box. "Please tell me, Senior."
Before you continue