As evening fell, they found themselves in a fairly clean inn.
Lin Yi and the other two were assigned two guest rooms on the second floor. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing shared one room, while Lin Yi had one to himself.
At that moment, Lin Yi lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
What a day...
I only wanted to escort Little Rabbit back to Star Dou Forest, but then I ran into Zhu Zhuqing, and now I've encountered people from Skywater Academy.
The plot has gone this far off course. This is ridiculous.
Could my appearance have changed something?
But I haven't done anything. I've just been keeping a low profile and living my life.
If it's because I'm a transmigrator, Tang San is one too.
And he has the Tang Sect's secret arts. Other than having Twin Martial Souls too, there's nothing special about me.
Could it be that I'm more handsome than Tang San...
He touched his face and rolled over, but he still could not make sense of it.
Still, Skywater Academy really is a pretty good place.
And if Little Rabbit and Zhu Zhuqing go there, I can consider my responsibility fulfilled.
Once they're settled in, I'll see if I can find a chance to slip away.
Just as he was thinking that, there came a knock at the door.
"Lin Yi, dinner!" Xiao Wu called through the door, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.
Lin Yi sat up, straightened his clothes, and opened the door.
Xiao Wu stood outside, with Zhu Zhuqing behind her.
"Come on, come on. Sister Shui said she's treating us to a feast tonight." Xiao Wu grabbed him and pulled him downstairs.
Lin Yi let her drag him along, though inwardly he felt helpless.
A feast? This Little Rabbit really doesn't hold back.
Still, that's fine. We've been through a lot these past few days. It's time for a good meal.
The three of them went downstairs, where the people from Skywater Academy were already waiting in a private room.
When Shui Bing'er saw them enter, she greeted them, "Sit down, the dishes will be ready soon."
Lin Yi found a seat by the window. Xiao Wu naturally sat beside him, while Zhu Zhuqing sat next to Xiao Wu.
Shui Yue'er studied them curiously and found a topic to ask about. "Lin Yi, how did you get to know Xiao Wu and Zhuqing? You seem very close."
Lin Yi was about to answer, but Xiao Wu beat him to it. "Lin Yi and I are classmates at a low-level Soul Master Academy in Nuoding City. Zhuqing and I met in Star Dou Forest. We got along well, so we decided to travel together."
As she spoke, she smiled at Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight nod, tacitly accepting the explanation.
"I see." Shui Yue'er nodded in realization, then looked at Lin Yi again. "Classmate Lin Yi, how long did you stay in Star Dou Forest? Was it especially dangerous in there?"
Lin Yi thought for a moment. "Only a few days. It wasn't too dangerous. As long as you don't go deep into the core region, you'll mostly encounter century-old soul beasts. If you're careful, you can handle them."
Whether it's dangerous or not really depends on luck.
If you're unlucky enough to run into a soul beast over a thousand years old, or a pack of Wind Wolves, even the outer region can be troublesome.
But there's no need to say that and scare them.
Shui Yue'er's eyes lit up. "Did you encounter any special soul beasts? Ice-attributed ones, for example?"
Lin Yi glanced at her and understood immediately.
She's trying to learn about soul beast distributions to prepare for her Soul Hunting Mission.
I may know all about them, but if I say it, it won't fit the image of a Support Spirit Master.
I can't exactly say I know where to find Ice Crystal Birds, Ice Foxes, and Ice Snakes, can I?
That would be far too suspicious.
With that in mind, he said aloud, "I didn't pay much attention to that. We mostly stayed in the outer region, where we encountered only common soul beasts."
Shui Yue'er nodded without pressing him further, though a thoughtful look flashed through her eyes.
Xiao Wu was holding back a laugh beside him. She had heard Lin Yi's Heart Voice loud and clear.
This guy claimed he did not know anything, yet he had already listed every suitable soul beast in his mind.
Her eyes darted about, and she pretended to ask curiously, "Sister Shui, what kind of soul skill do you want for your Third Soul Ring?"
Shui Bing'er thought for a moment. "Preferably a wide-range control or attack skill, something that can work with the team."
Xiao Wu nodded and shot Lin Yi a glance.
Lin Yi was lowering his head to drink soup when a thought reflexively surfaced in his mind.
Shui Bing'er's third soul skill, Resisting Ice Ring, really does count as an area attack.
But Ice Crystal Birds live in Frost Canyon, deep in the outer region of Star Dou Forest and along the edge of the mixed zone. The temperature there is extremely low, and ordinary Soul Masters simply can't endure it.
But Shui Bing'er and the others should be fine. After all, most of their martial souls have ice or water attributes.
After hearing that, Xiao Wu turned to Shui Bing'er with a smile. "Sister Shui, you're so capable. You'll definitely find the right one."
Shui Bing'er smiled faintly and secretly glanced at Lin Yi.
Frost Canyon, Ice Crystal Birds...
That information was far too important to her.
Originally, she had planned to settle for any thousand-year ice-type soul beast. But after hearing Lin Yi's Heart Voice, she now had a clear target.
Shui Yue'er, however, was not thinking that deeply. She continued questioning Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, you're a Support Spirit Master. Isn't cultivation usually especially easy for you? You just stand in the back and give everyone buffs, right?"
The corner of Lin Yi's mouth twitched.
Easy? Why don't you try getting chased down by someone with a blade while still having to buff your teammates?
And although my support-type martial soul looks easy on the surface, cultivating two martial souls is more exhausting than anyone else's training.
But I can't say that. If I do, I'll expose myself.
He gave a dry laugh. "It's alright. I don't have to charge into the front, so it is easier than it is for Soul Masters of other types."
Shui Yue'er nodded enviously. "That's so nice. I wish I had a support-type martial soul too. Unfortunately, I inherited an ice-attributed beast martial soul, so I can only be an agility-attack type."
Lin Yi glanced at her.
An ordinary ice-attributed beast martial soul?
Yours is an Ice Phoenix Subspecies. It may not compare to your sister's Ice Phoenix, but it's still top-tier.
And you're complaining about it? You really don't know how fortunate you are.
He lifted his teacup and took a sip without replying.
Seeing that he did not speak, Shui Yue'er wisely did not press any further. Instead, she turned to chat with Yu Hairou beside her about something else.
"Come on, come on, the dishes are all here. Don't be shy, everyone," Shui Bing'er called out, breaking the brief silence.
The table was filled with local specialty dishes, all of which looked excellent.
Xiao Wu had long been starving. She picked up her chopsticks, stuffed a large piece of meat into her mouth, and happily narrowed her eyes. "Delicious."
Zhu Zhuqing ate elegantly, but she did not pick up food any more slowly.
Lin Yi leisurely drank his soup, his gaze sweeping around the table.
Skywater Academy is really generous. It's much better than Notting Academy.
If I really go there, life in the future won't be too bad.
He picked up some greens with his chopsticks and chewed them. They really did taste quite good.
As she ate, Shui Bing'er observed the three of them.
Xiao Wu was lively and cheerful, eating without any reservations. At a glance, she was clearly carefree by nature.
Zhu Zhuqing did not speak much, and her words and actions were steady and composed. Knowing that she came from the Star Luo Empire, Shui Bing'er could understand why.
As for Lin Yi...
On the surface, he seemed the most ordinary of them all. He ate unhurriedly, occasionally raising his head to look at everyone before lowering it again to continue eating.
But Shui Bing'er knew that he was the least ordinary one.
His Heart Voice surfaced from time to time. Though fragmented, it always revealed some useful information.
For example, right now...
Before you continue