Before long, a dark vortex appeared before them.
Bone Douluo Gu An emerged first, followed by Yan Feng, whose build resembled his by about seventy or eighty percent.
"Ah, the kids' king has arrived," Lin Yuan teased with a smile.
"What kids' king? Young Master, don't tease me," Yan Feng said, scratching his head sheepishly.
Yan Feng was now at Rank 34. He had also received the precious Bone-Melting Grass from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Though it wasn't an immortal herb, it was still enough to put twelve-year-old Yan Feng among the continent's top geniuses.
Combined with Lin Yuan's kindness in helping him find his family, Yan Feng had completely pledged himself to Lin Yuan.
He was now cultivating under Bone Douluo, hoping that one day he'd be able to help Lin Yuan.
"Is this the Master Xuan Ziwen you mentioned in your communication, Xiao Yuan?" Bone Douluo asked, smiling as he extended his hand to Xuan Ziwen.
"This junior is Xuan Ziwen. Greetings, Your Eminence." Xuan Ziwen nodded and shook Bone Douluo's hand cordially.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow at Ke Ke. "A deal's a deal, right?"
"...Hmph!" Ke Ke huffed angrily and turned her face away.
"What are you two talking about?" Xuan Ziwen asked.
Lin Yuan then explained the bet he'd made with Ke Ke.
Ke Ke had assumed Xuan Ziwen would help her wriggle out of it, but instead, he adjusted his glasses knowingly.
"Ke Ke, your teacher really is short-handed. You should know that the Soul Engineer development in the Douluo Three Kingdoms is different from that in the Sun Moon Empire."
"Since you and Lin Yuan both lost your bet, keep assisting me. I can promise you that when I retire, I'll recommend you to take my position."
Faced with Xuan Ziwen's tempting promise, Ke Ke wore a troubled expression.
In the end, she could only sigh helplessly and agree to follow Xuan Ziwen to the Heaven Dou Empire.
"You really are going to let us go?" Though her restraints had been removed, the wariness in Ju Zi's eyes remained.
She still found it hard to believe that Lin Yuan would let her and Wang Shaojie leave. Was he going to turn around and kill them both?
"Why wouldn't I?" Lin Yuan shrugged.
"You're not a Level 9 Soul Engineer, and Mingde Hall doesn't value Teacher Xuan Ziwen enough to make an issue of it. Besides, we're only in the Sun Moon Empire for training. Surely the authorities aren't so narrow-minded?"
Of course, Lin Yuan had no intention of simply letting Ju Zi leave. He knew many things she didn't.
Xu Tianran had probably already allied with the Holy Spirit Cult. At the very least, the Holy Spirit Cult wouldn't pass up the chance to feed on a Titled Douluo roaming the Sun Moon Empire.
He wanted to make Ju Zi truly commit to him. If his approach failed, there was still a Spirit-type Soul Douluo from the Body Sect...
After hearing Lin Yuan out, Ju Zi helped the gravely wounded, unconscious Wang Shaojie to his feet and prepared to leave.
"I can say we were all wiped out in an accident. I owe you my life."
"Now I'm curious. Why are you willing to come with me, regardless of fame or fortune? Are you really that loyal to the Sun Moon Empire?"
Ju Zi looked up at Lin Yuan. "It's still better than collaborating with invaders like you."
"I see." Lin Yuan smiled helplessly, then his gaze sharpened.
The six words he uttered exploded in Ju Zi's mind like a bomb.
"What about Duke White Tiger?"
"Did you investigate me?" Ju Zi asked in disbelief.
"I wouldn't say that. I happened to look into it while investigating Teacher Xuan in Mingdu a while ago."
"So? I can promise you Duke White Tiger's head if you agree to join me."
Cao Xin and Gu An had no particular reaction to Lin Yuan's words. What did a Star Luo Empire duke have to do with them, citizens of the Heaven Dou Empire?
It sounded grand to say that Duke White Tiger was holding back the military pressure from the Sun Moon Empire.
But who among the upper ranks didn't know that the real deterrent was Shrek's continued threat?
Dai Hao, Duke White Tiger, was nothing but a figurehead stationed at the front lines. The nobles needed to have someone doing that sort of thing, after all.
"I can make Dai Hao pay for his crimes with my own strength!" Before she knew it, Ju Zi's face was already twisted with anger.
Lin Yuan couldn't help inwardly cursing Dai Hao for being such a bastard. Without the Buddha's invisible hand guiding events, he'd have died who knew how many times already.
"But you're still only a food-type Soul Master, and your talent with Soul Tools isn't good enough to guarantee you can kill Dai Hao."
"As far as I know, you'd need to be strong enough to defeat a Super Douluo to make sure of it. By then, Dai Hao might have already retreated to the rear to enjoy his old age."
Ju Zi shook her head. "I know, but I could use my command of the battlefield..."
"How many people would die?" Lin Yuan cut her off.
"I..."
"Even if you could do it, how many people would die?"
"How many children would be left homeless because of your selfish desire?"
"You want to unleash a war just for revenge." Lin Yuan shook his head.
"You're even more despicable than Dai Hao."
Lin Yuan's words suddenly brought Ju Zi back to her childhood.
After losing her mother, she had wandered for a time. Nearly in tears, she had walked away from the hometown that had broken her heart.
In a daze, she seemed to see the other half of her face turn into Dai Hao's. He threw back his head and laughed, mocking her.
"You..." Ju Zi felt her thoughts knot into a tangled mess.
"Promise me. Swear it by your Martial Soul." In the end, as if all her strength had left her, Ju Zi gave in.
"Fine. I promise." Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
"And him..." Lin Yuan pointed at the unconscious Wang Shaojie.
Ju Zi looked troubled. After all, Wang Shaojie was a distant member of the Sun Moon royal family.
Everyone else in their squad could defect to another faction. He was the only one who couldn't.
"He... He'll agree too." Ju Zi chose for Wang Shaojie. Congratulations to Comrade Wang Shaojie on successfully betraying his country.
"Good. Teacher Xuan, would you like someone to take you back to collect a few things?" Lin Yuan asked Xuan Ziwen.
Xuan Ziwen slowly shook his head. "No need. I keep all my important belongings with me."
"As for the research facilities, I'm sure the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect will give me a Soul Tool laboratory I'm satisfied with."
Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then had Ju Zi hand Wang Shaojie over to Ke Ke to take back with her.
After Bone Douluo left with the others, Lin Yuan took Ju Zi along and continued his journey through the Sun Moon Empire, cultivating as he recruited talent.
As for why he kept Ju Zi by his side, aside from the fact that she was easy on the eyes, both he and Cao Xin needed a cook.
Lin Yuan hadn't unlocked the "cooking as cold as ice" talent that came standard with other male protagonists. The food he made was barely edible.
Besides, most food-type Soul Masters' creations didn't taste much better. After all, they were esteemed Soul Masters, and naturally lacked the motivation to study the flavor of food.
Given the extreme conditions Lin Yuan faced, ordinary people without Soul Power wouldn't have lasted at all.
That made Ju Zi all the more precious, giving Lin Yuan a little something to look forward to during his arduous days of cultivation.