Time flew like a shuttle; two years had passed as if only yesterday.
On the streets of Suotuo City.
A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman walked side by side through the bustling streets.
The two of them were none other than Tang Yin and Xiao Wu, just back from visiting Old Jack in Holy Soul Village.
"Tang Yin, which do you think is better, Nuoding City or Suotuo City?"
"Suotuo City, of course."
In just two short years, Tang Yin had grown to be almost indistinguishable from an adult. He had changed considerably, his appearance and bearing growing more mature.
He wore a blue-and-white martial outfit. His posture was straight as a pine, his shoulders broad and waist narrow, his build tall and lean, and his back ramrod straight. Though still a boy, he already stood nearly six feet tall.
His short, deep-blue hair curled slightly at the ends, lifting lightly in the breeze and giving him a fresh, clean look. His nearly flawless face had sharp, well-defined features, and his deep blue eyes held a commanding air. There was a trace of a ruler's majesty between his brows.
Beside him,
Xiao Wu, the same age as he was, had gradually shed her childishness. She had developed far beyond girls her age, with a graceful, alluring figure and nearly perfect proportions.
Her features were exquisite and flawless, her skin pale and smooth as jade, with a faint rosy glow. Her almond-shaped eyes were bright and limpid, and every glance carried a soft, charming playfulness. Even her lightly pursed lips seemed to hold a hint of sweetness.
Her glossy black hair was tied into her signature scorpion braid, which fell past her hips to her thighs and swayed gently as she walked.
Her upper body was shapely and full, her waist slender enough to fit in a hand. She was supple enough to bend with ease, yet still possessed a young girl's graceful fullness.
Her long, straight legs were exceptionally well-proportioned, with smooth, firm lines and no hint of excess flesh, as if they had been carefully sculpted.
She wore a pink-and-white dress, and a layer of lustrous white stockings covered her long legs. Fine and silky, they glimmered with a faint sheen and further accentuated the elegant lines of her legs.
When she stood still, she was poised and lovely; when she walked, she was light and graceful. Every step showed off her long, straight legs to perfection, making her beauty dazzling and captivating.
"I thought you'd say Nuoding City was better!"
Xiao Wu looked at Tang Yin with a beaming smile.
"I'm just being honest."
Tang Yin shrugged, unconcerned.
"Tang Yin, we're both high-ranking Soul Elders now. Shouldn't we move on to a higher-level Soul Master Academy? I remember the dean said he'd introduce us to Barak Academy. I wonder if he's forgotten!"
Xiao Wu knitted her brows thoughtfully.
"It doesn't matter."
"Even if we don't go to Barak Academy, we can attend some other advanced Soul Master Academy."
"With our abilities, every advanced Soul Master Academy in the world would be fighting to recruit us."
Tang Yin said with a smile.
He sounded extremely confident.
Of course, that confidence came from his own strength.
In just two short years,
he had gone from Soul Power Level 32 to Level 38.
As he grew older and his Soul Power Level rose, his cultivation speed would only continue to slow.
For Tang Yin to advance six levels in only two years while at the Soul Elder stage was already astonishing.
Xiao Wu was no less impressive.
She now had Soul Power Level 37, just one level behind Tang Yin.
Besides her regular cultivation, Xiao Wu also practiced hammer techniques.
Tang Yin had taught them to her.
And
besides practicing hammer techniques, Xiao Wu also studied whip techniques with Tang Yin.
After all, it never hurt to have more skills.
Just then,
a young woman approached them.
She wore a simple, clean white dress and had neat, ear-length hair. She wore no elaborate ornaments, giving her a fresh, youthful look.
The skin on her neck was exceptionally fair and smooth, and her profile was gentle, her features so exquisite they could not be faulted. Her lively eyes held a hint of unhidden pride.
She was half a head shorter than Xiao Wu, with a well-proportioned figure. She was not as tall and striking as Xiao Wu, but had a delicate, slender girl's build in just the right measure.
She had a refined, unworldly air about her, and it was clear at a glance that she was a noble girl raised with the finest education. Her warm, gentle smile was like a spring breeze.
It was Xiao Wu's first time seeing a girl with such an exceptional bearing, and her eyes lit up.
Tang Yin, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow without thinking and eyed the girl suspiciously. "Can I help you?"
"Hello~" The girl's voice was gentle and melodious, soft and pleasant to the ear. "This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful and handsome pair."
"You certainly know how to flatter people~" Xiao Wu was taken aback for a moment, then delighted.
In her eyes, the girl before her was in no way inferior to her in either looks or bearing. If anything, she had a touch of noble elegance that Xiao Wu herself lacked.
Anyone would be happy to receive a compliment from a girl whose looks and bearing were every bit as good as her own. It was only natural to feel a little fondness for her.
Xiao Wu was no exception.
Now, she found the girl pleasing to the eye no matter how she looked at her.
Seeing that Xiao Wu was about to be sweet-talked into a stupor by a single sentence, Tang Yin sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Hello, I'm Xiao Wu. Wu, as in 'dance.' It's nice to meet you."
"You must be from out of town, right?"
Xiao Wu introduced herself and ventured a guess.
The girl blinked, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "What makes you say that?"
Xiao Wu smiled with confidence. "Your looks and bearing are every bit as good as mine. Suotuo City isn't that big, so if I'd ever seen you before, I'd definitely remember you. But you're a complete stranger to me."
The girl nodded with a smile. "You're right. I am from out of town. I arrived in Suotuo City today."
"My name is Ning Rongrong, and I'm here to find a Soul Master Academy called Shrek."
"Do you know where it is?"
Ning Rongrong's gaze shifted back and forth between Xiao Wu and Tang Yin.
Whenever she looked at Tang Yin, her eyes couldn't help but gleam with admiration.
He's so handsome...
Ning Rongrong thought to herself.
But with Xiao Wu there, she couldn't be too brazen or come on too strong.
"Shrek Academy?"
Xiao Wu hadn't heard that name in a long time.
Even so,
her impression of Shrek Academy remained vivid.
"Go out through the south gate and keep heading south until you see a village. Shrek Academy is there."
"However, Shrek Academy's admission requirements are extremely strict. Most Soul Masters can't get in. And I've heard that the academy hasn't recruited any new students in two whole years."
"In any case, there's something seriously wrong with that academy."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong recalled the information she had learned from Ning Fengzhi and asked in surprise, "Isn't Shrek Academy said to be an academy that only accepts monsters? If it only takes monsters, then it's normal for its admission requirements to be strict, isn't it?"
Tang Yin smiled. "You're right. The people at Shrek Academy really are all monsters."
Ning Rongrong tilted her head slightly and blinked her beautiful eyes. "Why do I get the feeling... you don't mean that as a compliment?"