Two Years

Time passes like a fleeting horse, the sun and moon shifting like a weaver's shuttle.

A single dormitory at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

A few rays of early morning sunlight pierced through the window, landing on the handsome face of a young man.

"Level twenty-nine, perfection!"

Having just finished a full night of meditation, Tang Yin felt the soul power within him, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

It had been two full years since he shocked the education committee with his "thousand-year second ring" Gan Jiang Mo Ye Sword martial soul and stepped into the Heavenly First Class of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

It is worth mentioning that news of his thousand-year second ring had not spread through the academy, save for the committee members and a few teachers, and Tang Yin was naturally happy to remain undisturbed.

Over these two years, his soul power had risen steadily, and two months ago, he finally broke through to level twenty-nine.

"Calculating the time, Third Sister should be graduating from Nuoding Academy this year. I wonder how that girl has been faring these past three years."

Tang Yin muttered to himself. As long as Tang Hao continued to trust Yu Xiaogang, then barring any accidents, Tang Sanmei would still join Shrek Academy as in the original story.

"No, the current Third Sister is not the Tang San from the original story. I cannot let those two scoundrels, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, take advantage of her!"

He was not worried about Third Sister suffering any major losses; after all, with Tang Hao following her, he doubted those people could do anything too outrageous to her. But he feared the small, daily indiscretions, which, given Tang Hao's temperament, would likely be ignored.

Thinking of those two scoundrels at Shrek, Tang Yin felt a sense of unease.

I should find time to visit Shrek!

Although Tang Hao forbade him from meeting Third Sister, three years had passed. His features had completely shed the childishness of his youth, and unlike his past short hair, he now wore his hair draped over his shoulders; his appearance had changed significantly from three years ago.

Furthermore, under the intentional guidance of Tang Yuehua over these years, his entire temperament was vastly different from before. As long as he disguised himself, he believed that unless Tang Hao scrutinized him closely, he would not notice his identity.

Knock, knock.

Just as Tang Yin was thinking these things, the dormitory door was gently tapped, causing him to knit his brows.

Over these two years, he had kept such a low profile that he was almost invisible.

Apart from necessary classes and cultivation, he rarely appeared in public and never participated in the rankings or disputes between students.

Due to his low-profile style, his days had been exceptionally peaceful, save for the occasional harassment from Xue Beng's lackeys.

"Who would be looking for me at this hour?"

Carrying a trace of doubt, Tang Yin rose to open the door.

"Teacher Qin Ming!"

Standing outside the door was none other than Qin Ming.

Two years had passed, and this mentor, whom he had met once in the Sunset Forest, possessed an increasingly steady and capable temperament, his gaze as sharp as ever.

He was now not only the head teacher of the Heavenly First Class but had also taken over the position of team leader for the "Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team" a year ago, shouldering the heavy responsibility of competing for glory in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

"Lan Yin, sorry to disturb you."

Qin Ming walked into the room, getting straight to the point with his usual directness. "I have come regarding the academy team. In two years, the new Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament will begin preparations. The team currently has seven starting members with impressive strength, but to handle emergencies and tactical needs, we need to select a few reliable substitute members."

He looked at Tang Yin, his gaze filled with appreciation and expectation. "I have been keeping an eye on your strength. Although you are low-key, your level twenty-nine soul power, combined with your martial soul and combat awareness, is more than enough to qualify as a substitute. I formally invite you to join the academy team's reserve sequence. As a substitute, you will enjoy the same cultivation resource allocation as the starting members and can participate in some of the team's joint training to learn more about high-level tactical coordination."

Qin Ming paused, then added, "Furthermore, I know you are not far from the level thirty bottleneck. If you agree to join, I will personally lead the team to hunt for the most suitable third soul ring when you break through to level thirty. Given your foundation and the quality of your martial soul, absorbing a thousand-year soul beast for your third ring, or even attempting a higher age, is well within your reach."

This was an invitation and a promise of significant weight.

Being a substitute for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team meant access to the academy's top-tier resources and a much broader platform.

And having a Soul King-level expert like Qin Ming personally lead the soul hunt meant higher safety and a greater chance of obtaining a high-quality soul ring.

Tang Yin did not answer immediately. Joining the academy team meant higher exposure, which contradicted his low-profile strategy of the past two years.

But on the other hand, Qin Ming's promise was indeed tempting. The third soul ring was crucial, and with the assistance of Qin Ming and the academy team, it would undoubtedly be more secure.

Moreover, with the tournament approaching, the information and resources within the team might allow him to grasp the situation of the coming years more clearly.

"I am grateful for your kindness, Teacher Qin," Tang Yin said slowly after a moment of contemplation. "It is just that I am naturally quiet, and I fear I may struggle to adapt to the frequent joint training and public appearances of the team..."

Qin Ming seemed to have anticipated this concern and waved his hand. "Rest assured, the daily training for substitute members is relatively free. You would mainly step in if a starting member has an issue, or act as a surprise element in specific tactics. It will not take up too much of your personal cultivation time."

Since it had come to this, refusing further would seem ungrateful. Tang Yin nodded. "In that case, I am willing to serve the academy."

A smile appeared on Qin Ming's face. "Good! From today on, you are a substitute member of the academy team. I will have someone handle the relevant procedures and resource permissions for you as soon as possible."

He seemed to be in a good mood, and whether intentional or not, he added casually, "Speaking of which, I had high hopes that the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong, would join the academy team, but unfortunately..."

A trace of regret flashed in Qin Ming's eyes as he said this.

Hearing the name Ning Rongrong, Tang Yin's eyes flickered.

Over these two years, Ning Rongrong would come to Heaven Dou City to see him every so often, but she had not appeared once in the last two months.

However, thinking that she was, after all, the little princess of the Upper Three Sects, perhaps the sect had matters to attend to or she was being strictly disciplined, so he did not probe further.

But looking at it now, it seemed that Ning Rongrong joining the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had fallen through.

"Perhaps Sect Master Ning has his own considerations," Tang Yin said indifferently.

Qin Ming shook his head. "I met with His Highness Crown Prince Xue Qinghe regarding team matters a few days ago and happened to hear him mention it.

"It seems he felt the environment of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was too comfortable, and the arrogance of the students was growing, which was not beneficial to her growth. A few months ago, Sect Master Ning politely declined the Crown Prince's invitation and sent Ning Rongrong to another academy. As for which academy, the Crown Prince did not say, and I have no way of knowing."

Sent Ning Rongrong away? A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Yin's mind.

Tang Yin naturally knew that the so-called "other academy" was Shrek Academy.

Although in the original story Ning Rongrong had run away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect of her own volition to join Shrek Academy, there was definitely Ning Fengzhi's secret manipulation behind it.

Otherwise, how could Ning Rongrong have known about Shrek Academy, a small village located south of Suotuo City in the Bala Kingdom, thousands of miles away?

It seems that even though my appearance changed Ning Rongrong's own thoughts, regardless of whether it was voluntary or not, she still ended up joining Shrek Academy just like in the original story.

Thinking of this, Tang Yin's eyes shifted slightly; it seemed the plot of the original story was beginning to get back on track.

"However, you don't need to worry about the choice for a support-type soul master," Qin Ming said, unaware of Tang Yin's thoughts, as he brought up another candidate.

"Ye Lingling from the Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia; when it comes to healing alone, their Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia spirit can be called the best on the continent."