Return to Nuoding City, a Depressed Tang San

Returning to Nuoding City after more than a month felt surreal.

This small city had a slow pace of life and lacked any truly powerful Spirit Masters.

For Xiao Wu, a place like this was the safest.

She couldn't guarantee that everyone was as kind as the people in Heavenly Sword Village.

If other Spirit Masters discovered her true identity, she would likely face endless pursuit.

A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and spirit bone were treasures to any Spirit Master.

Even a Titled Douluo could not ignore such prizes.

A Titled Douluo might have already obtained their ninth spirit ring, but a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone was still perfection.

Furthermore, what about other Spirit Douluos?

If they had just advanced to level ninety, obtaining a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring would be a massive boost to their overall strength.

The gap in spirit ring age wasn't just about having an extra spirit ability.

It also affected power, the consumption of spirit power, and much more.

"The village was much more comfortable; this place is just too rigid."

Back at the academy, Xiao Wu couldn't help but complain.

Life in the village was carefree—picking wild fruits, gathering vegetables, or catching fish in the lake whenever they felt like it.

At night, they would watch the moon and count the stars; it was an incredibly pleasant life.

Returning to the academy meant the start of a dull, grueling cultivation routine.

"The village is very suitable for living!"

Lin Ye said solemnly, clearly approving of the village.

The village is nice, but it's better suited for retirement.

Can't you have a little ambition while you're young? Day in and day out, acting like an old lady.

Xiao Wu: "..."

Could this guy die if he didn't complain for a single day?

For the past six months, she had been hearing Lin Ye's inner thoughts, listening to his constant grumbling until her ears were practically calloused.

The worst part was that he kept a completely straight face while thinking these things.

If she couldn't hear his inner voice, she might have actually been fooled, and she certainly wouldn't know how erratic his train of thought was.

Returning to Dorm Seven, everything was exactly as they had left it.

Except for Tang San's bed in the corner, which seemed to have grown a bit of mold.

Good grief, the bed is actually growing mold!

I suppose it's just like its owner—far too gloomy!

Xiao Wu was curious; what kind of heinous things had Tang San done to make Lin Ye so hostile toward him?

"Lin Ye, what level are you at now?"

She realized she had never actually asked about his cultivation level.

His inner thoughts hadn't revealed it either.

She only knew that Lin Ye had an innate spirit power of level twenty, so someone like him should be cultivating very quickly.

Lin Ye suddenly sighed, looking depressed. "Cultivation is too hard. I'm only at level eight, so I can't even collect the Spirit Hall subsidy."

Xiao Wu: "..."

Could they still have a pleasant conversation?

Was there any point in being so secretive?

Someone with innate level twenty spirit power was telling her he was only at level eight?

Don't try to fool people like that!

"What's wrong?"

After Lin Ye finished speaking, he noticed Xiao Wu looking at him with a strange expression.

It seemed to be a mix of anger and disappointment.

Could it be...

That made sense; Xiao Wu also had innate full spirit power and was already at level twelve.

It was normal for her to be disappointed upon hearing he was only level eight.

"Sorry, my level is too low, but cultivation is truly difficult."

Lin Ye shook his head and sighed, his expression so convincing that it almost made one feel sorry for him.

Xiao Wu nearly ground her teeth to dust.

This guy, was he addicted to acting?

She would just wait for the day she exposed him!

She really wanted to see what kind of expression he would have once she tore his mask off.

[She bought it, she actually bought it!]

[I'm telling you, it's a real shame I'm not winning an award for this acting!]

[It's not really lying to her, though; cultivation is genuinely difficult. A mere level twenty-eight—so painful.]

Hearing this, Xiao Wu's heart jolted.

Level twenty-eight?

Did she hear that right?

This guy had actually reached level twenty-eight!

How much time had passed since his martial soul awakening, and he was already level twenty-eight?

And he was only seven years old!

What was most outrageous was that he had hidden twenty levels of his cultivation.

Who exactly was he guarding against?

"Forget it, let's go eat first."

Xiao Wu sighed, completely unable to understand the reason behind Lin Ye's actions.

With such a powerful backer already, why hide his cultivation?

Even if people knew his talent was terrifying, he wouldn't need to worry about being targeted, right?

No, wait—he was still a transformed soul beast!

Hmm, perhaps he had concerns regarding that.

In Xiao Wu's mind, Lin Ye's true identity remained that of a transformed soul beast.

Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain how he could condense a soul ring on his own.

Condensing a soul ring was something unique to transformed soul beasts.

"Alright, let's go eat."

Lin Ye nodded and walked toward the cafeteria with a light, brisk pace.

In the cafeteria, Xiao Wu didn't stand on ceremony at all, ordering five or six dishes.

Watching the way she ate, it felt as if the food had some deep-seated grudge against her.

A girl's thoughts were truly hard to guess; he had no idea what was going on with her.

After finishing their meal, they returned for afternoon classes.

Inside the dormitory, everyone from Dorm Seven had already returned.

"Sister Xiao Wu!"

"Sister Xiao Wu!"

The members of Dorm Seven called out one after another, excited after not seeing her for over a month.

This was the kind of emotion normal children should have.

However, one person was quite special.

That was Tang San, who was huddled in a dark corner.

Seeing Xiao Wu and Lin Ye walk in, his brows couldn't help but furrow.

The two were still inseparable, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

He felt as if a green light was constantly appearing around him.

Although he didn't understand why he had this emotion, he followed his heart.

A voice inside was telling him that he couldn't let Lin Ye get too close to Xiao Wu.

He had to drive a wedge between them!

But how could he do that?

He had no reason to take action.

If he did, he would likely be branded a bully, and he wouldn't be able to escape punishment.

During the break back at Holy Soul Village, he had wanted to go to the neighboring Heavenly Sword Village to investigate what was going on.

At the same time, he wanted to observe Lin Ye and Xiao Wu to see if they lived together and if they were overly intimate.

But strangely enough, when he got within about three kilometers of Heavenly Sword Village, he couldn't enter no matter what he did.

He had even used his Purple Demon Eye, yet he still couldn't set foot inside Heavenly Sword Village.

One day, he happened to run into someone from Heavenly Sword Village.

He blocked the person's path, hoping to convince them to take him to Heavenly Sword Village.

However, he was refused.

After being rejected, he secretly followed the person, hoping to sneak into the village.

As it turned out...

A massive slap came out of nowhere, catching him completely off guard.

He passed out instantly, and when he woke up, he was already in the vicinity of Holy Soul Village.

Half of his face remained swollen for seven or eight days before the swelling finally subsided.

Later, when he tried to investigate Heavenly Sword Village again, he discovered that he couldn't get within a five-kilometer radius.

The area was like a labyrinth.

No matter how he twisted and turned, he could never find the correct path.

This only made him more curious about Heavenly Sword Village.

What kind of secrets did that village hold?

Why were they so cautious?

His intuition told him that the more mysterious a place was, the more likely it was to contain some kind of treasure.

Perhaps Heavenly Sword Village possessed some supreme treasure, which explained the complicated situation.

Watching Xiao Wu chatting happily with the people from Dorm Seven, he pondered for a moment.

Perhaps he could choose to join them and try to get closer to Xiao Wu first.

He believed in his own abilities and was confident he could snatch Xiao Wu away from Lin Ye.

Having figured it out, he walked toward Xiao Wu, attempting to integrate himself into the group.

"Xiao Wu, I..."

"Get lost!"