His pupils contracted. By instinct, Xue Mingqing took out a small mirror and peered into it!
And there he saw that his once thick, jet-black hair had turned grayish-black!
At the sight of the change, Xue Mingqing instinctively looked up at Xue Ningxian.
"Mother, my—my hair?"
Hearing the panic in Xue Mingqing's voice, the corners of Xue Ningxian's pink lips curled into a breathtaking smile.
"What? You only just noticed? I thought you wouldn't be scared."
She couldn't resist teasing him a little.
At her words, Xue Mingqing instinctively swallowed.
"Mother, what... what happened to me?"
Xue Ningxian smiled and folded her arms.
"I told you not to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but you wouldn't listen. See? You've aged before your time."
"Ah... don't go making me, a white-haired woman, send off you, a gray-haired boy..."
At that, Xue Mingqing glanced at Xue Ningxian's long white hair, which fell all the way to her waist, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching.
Never mind whether absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring beyond one's limit carried side effects.
His physical strength was right there for all to see—he could absorb one.
Besides, even if absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring really did have side effects, there was no way the result would be premature aging!
He finally caught on. He'd been treated like a child and teased!
Pouting, Xue Mingqing turned and started to leave the City Lord's Hall.
"If you won't tell me, I'll look it up myself. I don't believe the City Lord's Mansion Library can't answer my questions."
Seeing that Xue Mingqing really meant to leave, Xue Ningxian hurriedly coughed.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop teasing you. This is normal in the Far North. All the people of the Far North are children of the Ice God. Whenever a Soul Master from the Far North gains a Soul Ring and grows stronger, their hair gradually turns white, just like mine."
As she spoke, Xue Ningxian caught a lock of her white hair and gave it a little shake.
"As for why you changed so much, it's because your First Soul Ring was already a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. It's only natural that the change would be more pronounced, isn't it?"
Once he understood what had happened, Xue Mingqing's brow twitched.
In his previous life, people online often said they would trade a night of turning white-haired for great power. Whenever Xue Mingqing saw comments like that, he'd mock them for wanting to have their cake and eat it too.
Well, now he was the one having his cake and eating it too.
It was one thing to gripe online about white hair looking bad. In real life, who wouldn't want a head of white hair?
Noticing the shifting expression on Xue Mingqing's face, Xue Ningxian smiled and shook her head.
She composed herself, leaving only a serene smile on her face. Reaching out, she gently stroked Xue Mingqing's grayish-black hair.
"Now then, my Little Monster, tell your mother: what do you plan to do next?"
As Xue Ningxian rubbed his hair, Xue Mingqing didn't resist. He quietly accepted her touch, all the while understanding what she was really asking.
Steadying himself, Xue Mingqing smiled and spoke.
"I want to go to Shrek Academy."
At that, Xue Ningxian paused, her hand stopping in Xue Mingqing's hair.
She didn't ask why.
After all, she'd heard of the renowned number-one academy on the continent. She'd even been there herself when she was young.
With a soft sigh, Xue Ningxian looked at the child, whose build was still a little thin.
In her emerald eyes, she seemed to see the bedraggled child from a month ago, kneeling before a tombstone and swearing a solemn vow.
Though they'd known each other for only a month, Xue Ningxian had already come to regard this hardworking, resilient child as her own.
She ruffled Xue Mingqing's hair, her usually cool voice turning unexpectedly gentle.
"You've always been stubborn and had a mind of your own. I know you won't stay here in the Far North, and you shouldn't stay here, either."
"Since you've made your decision... I won't nag you with a whole lot of motherly advice. Just make sure you don't regret it."
Hearing Xue Ningxian's words, Xue Mingqing fell silent for a moment.
He'd made up his mind long ago. It wasn't because he valued Shrek as the best on the continent, nor was it for its resources.
All he wanted was Shrek's intelligence network.
That's right—the intelligence network!
Evil Soul Masters had slaughtered his village and killed his parents. He could never forget such a blood feud!
The Evil Soul Master responsible had died back then, but—
The hatred in his heart had never faded. Only the foul blood of Evil Soul Masters could quench it.
So why didn't he, a transmigrator, just go straight to the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters?
Come on, he was burdened by hatred, not blessed with strength. With the power he had now—
Did she expect him to storm the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters and challenge Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui?
Never mind whether Xue Mingqing could pull that off. Even if he did, it wouldn't be revenge. It'd be delivering his own head a thousand miles away—a small gift, but one that showed his deep affection.
So, as far as Xue Mingqing was concerned, he had to avenge his parents, but he couldn't rush in recklessly.
Until he grew strong enough, he'd probably only take on the missions Shrek sent out to exterminate Evil Soul Masters. Either way, he'd collect a little interest, right?
That was why Xue Mingqing had chosen Shrek Academy.
His resolve firm, Xue Mingqing raised his eyes to meet Xue Ningxian's beautiful gaze.
His eyes held nothing but determination.
"Mother, I've made up my mind."
Seeing that Xue Mingqing had made his decision, Xue Ningxian closed her eyes for a moment and nodded gently.
"If that's the case... you may go. I'll make the arrangements. In a few days, you can get ready to leave."
Xue Mingqing nodded and said nothing more. He turned and walked away.
Watching him go, Xue Ningxian sighed softly.
"Children always reach a time when they must leave home and grow up on their own."
Turning around, Xue Ningxian put the matter from her mind and went to clean up the mess in the hall.
Meanwhile.
After leaving the City Lord's Hall ahead of her, Xue Mingqing walked alone for a while, then ducked into an empty corner.
Only after confirming that no one else was nearby did his expression turn strange.
Frowning as he recalled what had seemed off, Xue Mingqing spoke.
"Elder Feng, what's the deal with that rune on my back?"
Yesterday, after the Hurricane Body Tempering, Feng Qingyang had placed a wisp of his soul fragment inside Xue Mingqing.
That soul fragment had left a mysterious rune on Xue Mingqing's back.
Feng Qingyang had called it a fortuitous opportunity he was giving Xue Mingqing, but Xue Mingqing couldn't figure out what it was for.
He'd almost forgotten about it, but—
Just now, when Xue Mingqing absorbed the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the soul fragment had seemed to come alive.
It had drawn Soul Power from the Thousand-Year Soul Ring on its own, siphoning away more than half of it!
That was why Xue Mingqing had managed to refine the Thousand-Year Soul Ring completely in no time at all.
By then, Xue Mingqing had already reached Level 13.
But the Soul Power the Thousand-Year Soul Ring had granted him amounted to only a pitiful single level.
The other two levels had clearly come from the talent unlocked by the earlier Hurricane Body Tempering.
A First Soul Ring that was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring had only raised his Soul Power by one level. No matter how he looked at it, that wasn't normal.
Clearly, the mysterious rune on his back had siphoned away more than half of the Soul Power!
Faced with something so unusual, how could Xue Mingqing not be suspicious?
And what about Feng Qingyang?
Hearing Xue Mingqing's question, Feng Qingyang, who was quietly residing in Xue Mingqing's mind, curled his lip.
He didn't want to explain it to Xue Mingqing outright.
Not only did he refuse to answer Xue Mingqing's question, he even cut off their connection for the time being—
No matter how Xue Mingqing called for him, he completely ignored him!
As if! You think I'll tell you just because you asked? Wouldn't that make me look bad?
Before you continue