Two Years

Time slipped by, and the sun and moon raced on.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, single dormitory.

A few rays of dawn streamed through the doors and windows, falling across the handsome face of the young man.

"Level 29, peak!"

Having just finished a night of meditation, Tang Yin felt the Soul Power within him and let a faint smile tug at his lips.

It had been exactly two years since the Gan Jiang and Mo Ye Sword Martial Soul, with its "second thousand-year ring," had shocked the Education Committee and earned him a place in Heavenly First Class at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

It was worth mentioning that news of his second thousand-year ring had never spread through the academy, apart from among the Education Committee and a handful of teachers. Tang Yin was naturally more than happy to keep things quiet.

Over the past two years, his Soul Power had risen steadily. Two months ago, he had finally broken through to Level 29.

"Let's see... Third Sister should be graduating from Nuoding Academy this year. It's been three years. I wonder how that girl is doing now."

Tang Yin murmured to himself. As long as Tang Hao still trusted Yu Xiaogang, then barring any surprises, Tang Sanmei would still join Shrek Academy, just as she had in the original story.

"No, this won't do. Third Sister isn't Tang San from the original story. I can't let those two punks, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, take advantage of her!"

He wasn't worried that Third Sister would suffer any major harm. After all, Tang Hao was with her, and those men probably wouldn't dare do anything outrageous to Sanmei. What worried him were the little everyday liberties they might take. Given Tang Hao's temperament, there was a good chance he would turn a blind eye.

Thinking of those two punks at Shrek, Tang Yin felt uneasy.

He'd find a chance to visit Shrek!

Although Tang Hao had forbidden him from meeting Third Sister, three years had passed, and his face had shed all its childhood softness. He no longer wore his hair short, either. Now it fell to his shoulders, and his appearance had changed considerably since then.

On top of that, Tang Yuehua had deliberately tutored him over the past few years, and his whole bearing was now entirely different. If he disguised himself a little, Tang Hao probably wouldn't recognize him unless he took a close look.

Knock, knock~

Just as Tang Yin was thinking about all this, someone tapped lightly on his dormitory door, making him furrow his brow.

For the past two years, he had kept such a low profile that he was practically invisible.

Apart from attending necessary classes and training, he rarely appeared in public and never took part in the students' rankings or rivalries.

Thanks to his discreet ways, the past two years had been especially peaceful, apart from the occasional harassment by Xue Beng's lackeys.

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

Puzzled, Tang Yin got up and opened the door.

"Teacher Qin!"

Standing outside was none other than Qin Ming.

Two years had passed. The instructor he had met once in Sunset Forest had grown even more steady and capable, though his eyes remained as sharp as ever.

He was now not only the homeroom teacher of Heavenly First Class, but had also taken over as the leader of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team a year ago, tasked with winning glory for the academy at the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

"Lan Yin, sorry to disturb you."

Qin Ming stepped into the room and got straight to the point, his tone as brisk as ever. "I'm here about the academy team. Preparations for the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament will begin in two years. The team currently has seven main members, all quite capable, but we still need to select a few reliable reserves in case of emergencies and for tactical purposes."

He looked at Tang Yin, admiration and anticipation in his eyes. "I've been keeping an eye on your abilities. You may usually keep a low profile, but with Level 29 Soul Power, your Martial Soul, and your combat instincts, you're more than qualified for a reserve position. I'd like to formally invite you to join the academy team's reserve roster. As a reserve, you'll receive the same allocation of training resources as the main members, and you can take part in some of the team's joint training to learn more advanced tactical coordination."

Qin Ming paused, then added, "I also know you're not far from the Level 30 bottleneck. If you agree to join, I'll personally lead a team to hunt the most suitable Soul Beast for your third Soul Ring once you break through. With your foundation and the quality of your Martial Soul, absorbing a thousand-year Soul Beast for your third ring—or even attempting one with a higher age—is well within reach."

It was an invitation and promise of considerable weight.

Being a reserve for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team meant access to the academy's finest resources and a far broader platform.

And with Qin Ming, a Soul King, personally leading the Soul Hunting expedition, Tang Yin would be safer and have a better chance of obtaining a high-quality Soul Ring.

Tang Yin didn't answer immediately. Joining the academy team meant becoming much more visible, which ran counter to the low profile he had maintained for two years.

On the other hand, Qin Ming's promise was certainly tempting. The third Soul Ring was crucial, and with Qin Ming and the academy team's help, securing it would undoubtedly be safer.

Besides, with the tournament approaching, the team's information and resources might help him get a clearer grasp of the situation over the next few years.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Teacher Qin. I'm grateful." Tang Yin considered it for a moment, then said slowly, "It's just that I'm naturally quiet and may not be suited to the team's frequent joint training and public appearances..."

Qin Ming seemed to have expected his reservations and waved a hand. "Don't worry. Reserve members have fairly flexible daily training schedules. They mainly step in when a main member is unavailable or serve as a surprise move in certain tactics. It won't take up too much of your personal training time."

After that, refusing would have seemed ungracious. Tang Yin nodded. "In that case, I'm willing to serve the academy."

Qin Ming smiled. "Good! As of today, you're a reserve member of the academy team. I'll have someone take care of the paperwork and resource authorization as soon as possible."

He seemed to be in a good mood and added casually, whether intentionally or not, "Speaking of which, I'd been looking forward to having that little princess from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong, join the academy team. What a pity..."

A trace of regret flashed in Qin Ming's eyes.

At the mention of Ning Rongrong, Tang Yin's gaze shifted slightly.

Over the past two years, Ning Rongrong had come to Heaven Dou City to see him every so often. But in the two months since her last visit, she hadn't appeared once.

Still, she was the little princess of one of the Upper Three Sects. Perhaps her sect had business for her, or she was being kept under close supervision. He hadn't thought much more of it.

But now, it seemed that Ning Rongrong's joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy had fallen through.

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

Qin Ming shook his head. "A few days ago, I met with Crown Prince Xue Qinghe about the team. I happened to hear him mention it."

"Apparently, he felt that Heaven Dou Royal Academy's environment was too comfortable, and that the students were growing increasingly spoiled, which wouldn't help her mature. A few months ago, Sect Master Ning politely declined the Crown Prince's invitation and sent Ning Rongrong to another academy. The Crown Prince didn't say which one, so I have no way of knowing."

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

Tang Yin knew perfectly well that the "other academy" was Shrek Academy.

In the original story, Ning Rongrong had run away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect on her own and joined Shrek Academy of her own accord, but Ning Fengzhi had definitely been pulling strings behind the scenes.

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

It seemed that even though his presence had changed Ning Rongrong's own intentions, whether willingly or not, she had still ended up joining Shrek Academy just as she had in the original story.

At that thought, Tang Yin's gaze shifted slightly. It seemed the original story's plot was about to get back on track.

"Still, you don't need to worry about the support position," Qin Ming continued, unaware of what Tang Yin was thinking, bringing up another candidate.

"Ye Lingling of the Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia line. When it comes to healing alone, their Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul is considered the best on the continent."