Zhu Zhuqing's heart stirred slightly when she heard this Heart Voice.
Twin Martial Souls?
Sure enough, Lin Yi had Twin Martial Souls.
That also explained what he meant by "pulling out his gun."
Moreover, she could sense Lin Yi's reluctance, but it was not directed at her personally. It was more like an instinctive aversion to troublesome matters.
That only made her more curious.
A young man who clearly harbored secrets, yet was so determined to keep a low profile—what exactly was he hiding?
Her gaze lingered on Lin Yi for a moment. Instinctively, she wanted to investigate, but years of habit had taught her silence.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu secretly shook her head and said nothing more.
She understood Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts at that moment. They were just like her own back then, filled with the urge to find out more about Lin Yi.
But she also understood that such things could not be rushed. Only by taking it slowly could they unravel the doubts in their hearts.
Seeing that both girls had fallen silent, Lin Yi was happy to enjoy the peace.
He could not be bothered to make more conversation. He casually tossed more wood onto the campfire, then leaned against the rock behind him and closed his eyes to rest.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
Keeping watch is the perfect opportunity. Once they're both asleep, I'll go out for a walk.
If they don't ask, fine. If they do, I'll say I reached level twenty last night, then luckily ran into a suitable soul beast while picking wild fruit and successfully obtained my second soul skill.
Little Rabbit should buy that, right? She's usually pretty easy to fool.
As for Zhu Zhuqing... she's new here, so she probably won't meddle in my business.
Lin Yi repeatedly ran through the script in his mind. Only after confirming that every detail was flawless did he finally relax.
The two girls who heard his Heart Voice wore very different expressions.
Xiao Wu was somewhat speechless. Lin Yi made her sound like an idiot.
As for Zhu Zhuqing, the corner of her lips curved into an imperceptible smile. Was he really this interesting?
Time passed bit by bit.
Lin Yi inconspicuously glanced at the two girls.
Xiao Wu was already asleep, curled up on the bed of dry grass. Her breathing was steady and even, like a real little rabbit.
Zhu Zhuqing was also lying on her side with her back to the fire. Her long hair spilled across her shoulders, and she appeared to be sleeping deeply.
He cleared his throat and tried calling out twice. "Xiao Wu, Miss Zhu..."
However, there was no response. They seemed to be genuinely asleep.
Good. They're both asleep.
Lin Yi softened his movements and slowly rose to his feet. He added several thick logs to the fire, ensuring it would keep burning through the latter half of the night.
Then, like a cat, he silently disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
Almost the instant he left, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing opened their eyes at the same time.
Fortunately, they were not facing each other and did not notice that the other was already awake.
Both wanted to follow him, but each feared letting the other know she was awake.
In the end, neither said anything, and both restrained the urge to follow.
No matter what Lin Yi got up to, he would definitely return by dawn.
Lin Yi was gone for two hours.
When he returned, covered in dew, the eastern horizon had already begun to brighten. The campfire had burned down by more than half, leaving only a few wisps of green smoke curling upward.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were already awake by then.
They sat separately on their beds of dry grass. One was fixing her hair, while the other was wiping down her dagger. Neither spoke, but both knew that the spot beside them had been empty all night.
Lin Yi walked into camp and greeted them. "Morning. I picked some wild fruit. Hurry up and eat."
Xiao Wu raised her head, glanced at him, then at the wild fruit in his hands. With a half-smile, she said, "I slept so deeply last night that I didn't even know when you left."
You slept like a pig. I called you, and you wouldn't wake up. Of course you didn't know.
Lin Yi muttered inwardly, but aloud he said, "You two were sleeping so soundly that I didn't wake you."
"Oh, I see." Xiao Wu nodded, her gaze settling on him as she deliberately asked, "Lin Yi, why do I feel like you've gotten stronger?"
Well, she still noticed.
Lin Yi gave a light cough, then nodded naturally. "Yeah, I'm level twenty-one now."
"Really?" Xiao Wu's acting kicked in, her eyes widening until they were round and bright. "When did that happen? How did I not know?"
"During the second half of the night." Lin Yi pretended to think for a moment. "And... I got lucky. While picking fruit, I ran into a Starlight Fox. It happened to suit my Martial Soul perfectly."
Xiao Wu cooperatively covered her mouth. "You hunted a soul beast by yourself? You weren't hurt, were you?"
"I'm fine." Lin Yi shook his head. "It was only a Starlight Fox around five or six hundred years old. It wasn't very aggressive. I used my Martial Soul to lure it closer, and then..."
As he spoke, he made a gesture indicating that he had dealt with it smoothly, then summoned his second Soul Ring.
Perfect. This excuse is airtight.
Starlight Foxes do exist, and they really aren't very aggressive.
Besides, with my strength at level nineteen, hunting a five- or six-hundred-year soul beast would be difficult, but not completely impossible.
They should believe me, right?
Watching his supposedly flawless performance, Xiao Wu nearly failed to hold back her laughter.
She worked hard to maintain her surprised expression. "Wow, you really do have a second Soul Ring."
There was thirty percent sincerity and seventy percent pretense in that exclamation.
The sincere part was that Lin Yi really had absorbed a second Soul Ring. The fake part was that she had already learned the whole story from his Heart Voice the night before.
Lin Yi looked pleased by Xiao Wu's reaction and nodded. "Yeah. My second soul skill is called Starlight Charge."
As he spoke, he extended his right hand. The Myriad Star Core appeared in his palm, radiating a soft silver-white glow.
"This soul skill can replenish a teammate's Soul Power, though I don't know whether it has any other effects."
I wonder whether this soul skill can help someone break through their level?
I need to find a chance to test it on that Little Rabbit.
Just as Lin Yi was mulling it over, Xiao Wu had already moved closer.
"Lin Yi." She tilted her head, looking eager to try it. "That soul skill of yours sounds pretty interesting. Why don't we test what it can do?"
Lin Yi froze for a moment.
That eager?
Wait, is this Little Rabbit trying to freeload off my Soul Power?
Still, this saves me the trouble of coming up with an excuse.
Lin Yi gathered his thoughts and nodded. "Sure. Stand still, then."
"Okay." Xiao Wu nodded and immediately stood perfectly straight.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing silently set down her dagger, her gaze falling on the silver-white crystal in Lin Yi's palm.
Lin Yi drew a deep breath and activated his Soul Power.
His second Soul Ring lit up with yellow light. The starlight on the surface of the Myriad Star Core suddenly blazed brightly, and a gentle beam shot from the crystal, landing precisely on Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu closed her eyes and carefully sensed the power.
It was a very strange feeling.
The instant the beam touched her, she clearly felt a warm power seep into her body.
It was neither offensive energy nor a violent infusion of Soul Power, but a gentle, nourishing kind of energy.
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