First Experience

As soon as Zhu Shen brought Tang San into Spirit City, they were treated like a mobile tourist attraction by the soul masters filling the streets.

"Look! It's that teacher from the Notting Farting Team!"

"I heard his disciple let out an epic loud fart on the arena stage?"

Zhu Shen covered his face and dragged Tang San into an alleyway. "My lifelong reputation..."

Worse yet, the love letter in his breast pocket suddenly turned scalding hot, and the system notification exploded in his mind:

[Warning! Residual Evil God energy detected! Host, please maintain your elegance--]

"Elegance my foot! Wasn't that thing blasted away by the Dragon Breath?"

As the massive gates of Spirit City unfolded before them, Zhu Shen struggled to straighten his back, attempting to reclaim some of his "Master" demeanor. He deliberately smoothed his lapels, ensuring that the lethal "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" was hidden securely in his robes, and whispered a reminder to Tang San behind him: "Xiao San, head up, chest out! Remember, we are here for official business, not to lose face!"

Before he could finish, a few hushed gasps erupted from the crowd queuing at the city gate.

"Hey? Is that... from Notting Academy?"

"Yes, yes! Grey robes, with a half-grown kid following behind! Can't be wrong!"

"It's them! I watched the Thunder Academy match in person! My god, that fart was earth-shattering! It came through the soul guidance amplifier, and the entire arena went silent!"

"Pfft... right, right, that's his teacher! What was it, Master Yu? Isn't that the 'Vitality Potion' he fed his disciple? Hahaha!"

"The Notting Fart King! Truly lives up to the name!"

Glances, carrying undisguised amusement and mockery, pricked at the master and disciple like needles. The "Master demeanor" on Zhu Shen's face shattered instantly. He grabbed Tang San, who was wishing he could bury his head into a crack in the ground, and like a cat with its tail stepped on, he zipped into a relatively quiet alley nearby.

"Teacher! My lifelong reputation!" Zhu Shen leaned against the cold stone wall, wailing into his hands, his voice muffled through his fingers. "It's all ruined! The Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament hasn't even started, and we've already made a name for ourselves in Spirit City with a 'fart'!"

Tang San's face was red enough to drip blood, and the purple diamond-shaped mark on the back of his head seemed to dim. He kept his head down, his voice as thin as a mosquito's. "Teacher... I told you... that potion..."

"An accident! It was absolutely an accident!" Zhu Shen suddenly dropped his hands, looking righteous, as if he hadn't been the one wailing just a moment ago. "It must have been those black-market crooks passing off inferior goods! When I have time, I'll definitely smash their sign!" As he spoke, he habitually glanced at the system panel in his mind. Sure enough, [Ding! Detected that the host successfully shifted the blame, 'Beguile' skill proficiency +1.] Just as he was about to smirk triumphantly, a familiar, heart-stopping burning sensation erupted in his chest!

The feeling was more intense than the time in front of the Pope Palace, like he was carrying a red-hot branding iron, so hot he nearly jumped on the spot.

[Ding! Warning! 'Bibi Dong's Love Letter' item activity has surged abnormally!]

[Warning! High-concentration residual Evil God energy fluctuations detected! Location: Northwest District (Coordinates locking)!]

[Warning! Host, please remain calm, maintain your elegant persona, and avoid causing...]

"Elegance my foot!" Zhu Shen roared at the system in his heart, his face turning green. "Wasn't that Ghost Infant turned to ash by my Dragon Breath? How is its stench still here in Spirit City?!" He subconsciously clutched his chest, the movement so wide he nearly tore his lapels open. His facial muscles twitched as he tried to force an "everything is under control" expression, but it ended up looking like a toothache.

Tang San keenly sensed the violent fluctuations in his teacher's aura and the way he clutched his chest, and alarm bells rang in his heart. "Teacher? You... is that love letter again..." He looked around nervously, terrified that the pink thing would pop out on its own to cause trouble or attract something even more terrifying.

"It's nothing! It's windy, my chest is a bit cold!" Zhu Shen forcibly suppressed his shock, let go, and patted his chest with feigned ease, as if merely dusting off dirt. "Let's go, find a place to stay first. This Spirit City... the waters run deep." He cast a heavy look at the glaring red dot on the system map in the Northwest District, which represented the source of the residual Evil God energy.

After winding through several streets, the two finally found an inn that looked reasonably clean and tidy. Just as they stepped over the threshold, a chubby boss behind the counter was looking down at his ledger, greeting them without looking up: "Staying the night? Standard room is one gold soul coin per day, superior room..."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over Zhu Shen's face, and his voice came to an abrupt halt. The fat boss's eyes widened instantly, his mouth slightly agape, as if he had seen something incredible. He lunged halfway over the counter, pointing a trembling finger at Zhu Shen, his voice rising sharply, filled with surprise (or perhaps gossip):

"Oh! You! Aren't you that... Master Yu from Notting Academy? The one who led his disciple to... uh, that... stunning performance on the arena stage!" The fat boss rubbed his hands together, his fat cheeks bunching into an enthusiastic (and gossipy) smile. "Welcome, welcome! You two are celebrities! My humble shop is honored! Superior room, I'll give you a twenty percent discount! No, thirty percent! Just for your disciple's... that unique 'battle cry'! It's got kick!"

Zhu Shen's face turned completely black. Tang San silently turned his head toward the wall, pretending to study the cracks, his neck flushed red.

"Boss, two superior rooms, quiet ones!" Zhu Shen gritted his teeth and slammed several gold soul coins onto the counter with enough force to make it shake. He just wanted to disappear immediately.

"Right away! Heaven-class rooms three and four! Absolutely quiet!" The fat boss nimbly collected the money and handed over the keys, not forgetting to lower his voice with a lecherous "I understand" expression. "Don't worry, Master, the soundproofing is excellent! Even if your disciple practices his new 'ultimate move' again, I guarantee it won't leak out!"

Zhu Shen snatched the keys and dragged Tang San, who was on the verge of evaporating on the spot, up the stairs as if fleeing. Behind them, the fat boss's lingering mutterings could still be heard: "Tsk tsk, you really can't judge a book by its cover; such a refined-looking kid, yet he makes such a big commotion..."

Closing the door and shutting out the suffocating gazes and discussions from the outside, Zhu Shen finally let out a long, weary breath, feeling his back soaked with sweat. He slumped into a chair, staring listlessly at the ceiling. "Defeated before the battle even begins, Xiao San... My face has truly been thrown into the Spirit City moat."

Tang San silently poured a glass of water and handed it to Zhu Shen, the embarrassed flush still lingering on his face. "Teacher, the most urgent matter is that... residual evil energy." He pointed toward the northwest, his expression grave. The Mandala Eye external soul bone on the back of his head was also slightly hot, transmitting a vague but clear warning—there was something extremely cold and filthy in that direction, sharing the same origin as the aura in the Soul Hunting Forest cave altar.

Zhu Shen gulped down a large mouthful of water, his eyes sharpening. "Exactly. Bibi Dong's Love Letter wouldn't go crazy for no reason, and the system wouldn't sound a false alarm. That ghost thing... could it really not be dead? Or does the Evil God Temple have another hideout in Spirit City?" The more he thought, the more alarmed he became. A rat's nest of the Evil God hidden right under the Pope's nose? This mess was even bigger than he had imagined!

"Teacher, what should we do? Report it directly to Spirit Hall?" Tang San asked. Spirit City was the headquarters of Spirit Hall; theoretically, this was the safest approach.

Zhu Shen stroked his chin, his eyes flickering. "Report it? How? Say my love letter sensed it? Or that your external soul bone reacted? Where's the evidence? If we're not careful, we won't root out the Evil God, but we'll be branded as lunatics spreading rumors, or... worse, caught as accomplices to the Evil God!" He remembered the cold gaze of Bibi Dong's phantom in the cave and her questioning "Yu Xiaogang?", and his heart shivered. He dared not gamble on the Pope's intentions.

"Then... shall we go take a look tonight?" Tang San asked tentatively, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. The powerful perception brought by the Mandala Eye gave him confidence in investigating such secrets.

Zhu Shen looked at Tang San, then thought of the red dot on the system map, and gritted his teeth. "Go! We must go! Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. However..." He changed the subject, a familiar, trouble-making smile appearing on his face. "Xiao San, I think it's time to bring out your Dandelion Martial Soul for some practice!"

Tang San was stunned. "Dandelion? Teacher, my main martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and I also have the Clear Sky Hammer..."

"Blue Silver Grass is too conspicuous! And the Clear Sky Hammer must not be revealed!" Zhu Shen interrupted, coaxing him. "Think about it, we're going to investigate, we need to be low-key! We need to be unexpected! Dandelions are perfect; when the wind blows, the seeds drift over silently. Reconnaissance, spreading poison powder, blinding eyes... fully functional, essential for home travel, murder, and looting... ahem, I mean, essential for scouting enemy intelligence! It's the perfect time to test the practical effectiveness of those techniques Xiao Lian taught you!"

Tang San's mouth twitched. Looking at the "pit-the-disciple" gleam in his teacher's eyes, he sighed in resignation. He knew his teacher's so-called "special training" would never be absent. He silently fished a small cloth bag from his soul storage device, filled with dandelion seeds he had processed with special methods. Once infused with soul power, they could briefly hover and be guided by his faint spiritual power—this was an improved version he had developed based on the reconnaissance usage Xiao Lian had pioneered, combined with Tang Sect techniques.

As the moon hung in the center of the sky, the massive silhouette of Spirit City was immersed in tranquility, with only the rhythmic footsteps of patrols occasionally breaking the silence. Two black shadows, like geckos blending into the night, used the shadows of buildings to move silently toward the Northwest District. Zhu Shen suppressed all his aura, the concealment ability brought by the Dragon God Bloodline pushed to the limit. Tang San followed closely behind, his spiritual power highly concentrated. The purple mark on the back of his head flickered slightly, and the Mandala Eye acted like an invisible radar, scanning everything around them.

The closer they got to the area marked by the system's red dot, the more viscous and cold the air seemed to become. It was a chill that seeped into the marrow, not a drop in temperature, but a spiritual oppression brought by pure evil and filth. The love letter in his pocket grew hotter and hotter, beating like a restless heart. The bag of dandelion seeds in Tang San's hand also felt faintly restless, as if the seeds inside sensed an aura they detested.

Finally, they stopped at the edge of an old residential area that looked quite dilapidated, out of place with the prosperity of the city center. A lonely three-story building with mottled outer walls and broken windows crouched in the shadows like a silent monster. The red dot on the system map was firmly marked in the basement of this building.

"This is it." Zhu Shen lowered his voice, speaking almost in a breath into Tang San's ear. "The source of the evil aura is underground. Xiao San, it's up to you."

Tang San nodded, his eyes focused. He carefully opened the cloth bag and pinched a few plump dandelion seeds between his fingertips. Pale white soul power flowed from his fingertips like the softest breeze, wrapping around the seeds. The seeds seemed to come alive, trembling slightly and emitting a hazy glow. He held his breath, attached his spiritual power to them, and gave a gentle flick.

A few wisps of nearly invisible white fluff, aided by the night wind, drifted and floated like natural willow catkins, slipping into the cracks of the broken windows and doors of the dilapidated building. Tang San closed his eyes, his entire consciousness immersed in the blurry images and perceptions transmitted back by the Mandala Eye—the seeds drifted through dusty corridors, swept past corners covered in spiderwebs, followed the stairs downward, and sank into deeper darkness...

Suddenly!

An extremely cold, malicious spiritual fluctuation shot out from the basement like a viper, precisely slamming into one of the dandelion seeds that was descending!

"Pfft!"

The seed instantly exploded into a fine mist of white vapor, dissipating into nothingness. Tang San let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale as his mental energy suffered a slight backlash.

"Not good! We've been discovered!" Alarm bells rang wildly in Zhu Shen's heart. He grabbed Tang San by the shoulder and hissed, "Retreat!"

However, it was already too late.

"Who goes there? Sneaking around!" A sharp shout rang out like a thunderclap in the silent street. Immediately following, several bright beams of light shot over from different directions, instantly illuminating the corner where the master and disciple were hiding as brightly as day!

In the blinding glare, a squad of patrol Soul Masters clad in Spirit Hall standard-issue armor and wielding long spears quickly surrounded them. The captain leading them had a cold, stern expression, and the fluctuations of his soul power spread out without restraint—he was clearly a five-ring Soul King! His sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, locked firmly onto Zhu Shen and Tang San.

Zhu Shen's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. It was over; they were caught red-handed... no, wait, they were just acting suspiciously near the source of the evil aura in the middle of the night! How could they explain this? Should he say they were conducting a nocturnal field study on martial soul research? Who would believe that!

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Shen's thick skin—certified by the system to be at 15%—and his quick wit kicked in. Just as the patrol captain was about to order his men to seize them, Zhu Shen stood bolt upright. His face instantly shifted into a complex expression mixed with surprise, excitement, and a hint of embarrassment. Instead of fleeing or resisting, he stepped forward into the blinding beams of light and—

He yanked the still-dazed Tang San in front of him. Then, under the horrified gaze of Tang San and the stunned silence of the patrol squad, Zhu Shen actually... right there on the stage illuminated by the harsh lights, placed his hands on Tang San's shoulders and began to sway his body in an exaggerated, rhythmic motion!

"One-da-da, two-da-da, spin! That's it! Little San, keep up the rhythm!" Zhu Shen shouted with full-throated, strange "enthusiasm" while clumsily twisting his waist, his voice carrying far into the quiet night. "I observed the latest square dance steps in Spirit City today, and I felt this 'Soul Master's Dance Under the Moonlight' is particularly good for loosening the joints and promoting soul power circulation! Look, this hip-twist requires immense core strength! This spin trains your balance! Practicing in the dead of night is perfect to avoid embarrassment during the day! Isn't that right, Little San? Don't just stand there, move! For the tournament! For glory! For... uh, physical and mental health!"

Tang San was completely petrified. Being forcibly pushed and pulled by his teacher, he moved stiffly like a marionette. The expression on his face could no longer be described as mere embarrassment; it was a chaotic blend of shame, despair, and the ultimate confusion of "Teacher, have you gone mad again?" He felt the Mandala Eye at the back of his head trembling in shame.

The surrounding Spirit Hall patrol members collectively fell into a stupor. Under the bright soul-tool beams, that Master Yu from Notting Academy, who had recently "risen to fame" in Spirit City, was performing an indescribable, eye-searing routine, leading his equally "renowned" disciple in the middle of the night, in a dilapidated street reeking of evil, to... dance a twitchy, never-before-seen dance as if no one else existed?

The patrol captain's hand, which held his spear, froze in mid-air, his mouth twitching violently. Behind him, some of his men were turning red from holding back laughter, while others stared blankly, wondering if they had been hit by some kind of illusion soul skill. The captain opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to bark a stern reprimand, but looking at the absurd scene before him, all his prepared interrogations stuck in his throat. Finally, he took a deep breath and, with a look of extreme complexity—as if he were observing a rare soul beast with a broken brain—he scanned Zhu Shen, who was still diligently "twisting his hips," and squeezed a sentence through his teeth:

"...Are people from Notting Academy... all this... special?"