Borrowing Money from Flender!

Not long after, the three of them finally walked back to the academy.

"Lin Yan, you have innate full soul power. As long as you absorb a soul ring, you can become a Spirit Master."

"Logically, I should take you to obtain a soul ring first."

"However, there is another student in the academy about to reach level 20, and Ma Hongjun is only one level away from his bottleneck, so you should wait for them for now and go hunt for soul rings together."

Standing in front of their dormitory, Flender patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, his tone sounding entirely matter-of-fact, leaving no room for refusal.

Lin Yan could not say much to this, so he silently nodded in agreement.

"Understood, Dean!"

"But will I be in danger during the soul-hunting mission? I've heard that soul beasts are very ferocious and extremely aggressive toward humans."

"Of course not!" Flender nodded with a smile. "You are only level 10; our lead teacher will personally help you hunt for your soul ring, so you don't need to worry about that."

"However..."

Changing the subject, Flender narrowed his eyes, putting on an expression he thought looked profound.

"Once you reach level 20, you will need to hunt for your own soul rings. This is one of our academy's teaching methods; after all, Shrek Academy only recruits monsters."

"Ah?" Ma Hongjun looked terrified.

"Dean, what if we get eaten by soul beasts? I have innate level 9 soul power, you know! I want to become a powerful Spirit Master and stand at the pinnacle of the continent in the future."

Flender let out a cold snort.

"If you can't even deal with a century-old soul beast, what qualifications do you have to stand at the pinnacle of the continent?"

"Wanting to become a powerful Spirit Master isn't just about empty talk. I hope you both possess enough perseverance and courage."

"This is a decent fire-attribute meditation technique. You two take turns studying it and strive to embark on the path of cultivation as soon as possible. If you encounter any problems, come find me in my office at any time."

Flender took out a small booklet and handed it to Ma Hongjun, then turned and flicked his sleeves as he left, leaving the two of them standing there, staring at each other while digesting the content of Flender's words.

So they really had to hunt for their own soul rings. No wonder the academy's graduation rate was so low; it seemed most students died on the way to hunt for soul rings.

Lin Yan pondered to himself.

Fortunately, there was a level 10 "newbie protection period." That was somewhat humane; at least there was no danger before reaching level 20.

As for after level 20... well, then the sea would be wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky high enough for birds to fly.

As long as he displayed a bit of talent, no faction on the continent would refuse his entry.

Thinking this way, Lin Yan's plan for the future became a bit clearer.

But for now, there was still that one problem: the age of the soul ring!

He only had this one martial soul, so any irreversible choice had to be made with extreme caution.

Since he possessed a method to absorb a thousand-year first ring, he had to give it his all, no matter what!

Only then would he not let down his future self.

Having made up his mind, the once-confused look in Lin Yan's eyes turned firm.

Several days later, Soto City.

Using the excuse of wanting to see the world, Lin Yan followed Flender to the general store the latter operated.

In truth, he was harboring a wishful hope of seeing if he could pick up a bargain, find some treasure Flender hadn't recognized, and secretly sell it for money.

As it turned out, he did indeed need to see the world...

He didn't recognize most of the items in Flender's shop at all, and the few he did recognize weren't worth anything.

In the end, he had no choice but to lay his cards on the table with Flender.

"Dean, I would like to borrow some money from you to buy something."

Flender was currently napping leisurely in a rocking chair. Hearing that Lin Yan wanted to borrow money, he said slowly:

"What? You're thinking about spending money the moment you enter the city?"

"Let me hear what you want to buy? And how much do you want to borrow?"

Flender simply assumed Lin Yan was a child who had seen something novel and wanted to buy a toy or something similar, so he didn't pay much attention, even planning to just give him a Gold Soul Coin.

However, the boy's crisp reply made him instantly sober up.

"I want to borrow two thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"What?" Flender sprang up from his chair, looking at Lin Yan in disbelief.

"Two thousand? Do you have any idea what two thousand Gold Soul Coins represents?"

One had to know that many ordinary people who hadn't awakened soul power might not even see two thousand Gold Soul Coins in their entire lives, yet this kid was speaking so calmly.

Seeing Flender's shocked expression, Lin Yan didn't answer directly, but instead threw out his terms.

"I can pay interest—100 Gold Soul Coins per year."

"Hiss~"

Flender gasped.

"That sounds well and good, but how do you plan to pay me back?"

"Won't I be able to collect 100 Gold Soul Coins every month from Spirit Hall once I reach level 30? I'll be able to pay it off in two or three years."

Lin Yan's tone was perfectly natural.

Indeed, with his innate full spirit power, reaching level 30 would be no problem at all. By then, the subsidy from Spirit Hall alone would be enough to settle the debt, not to mention the other profits Flender could reap from his battles at the Soul Fighting Arena in the meantime.

After weighing the pros and cons, Flender silently sat back down in his recliner, his tone softening.

"What exactly are you buying that requires so much money?"

"Whale Glue." Lin Yan's expression was resolute; even as Flender showed surprise once again, he did not back down in the slightest.

"My spirit produces Evil Fire, and I need to vent it so I don't explode and die. You know this, Dean."

Flender frowned slightly.

Regarding that abnormal flame, he had truly come to understand its severity over the past few days. It was a mechanism where the stronger one's own strength became, the more serious the influence.

He roughly estimated that within a few months of reaching physical maturity, or perhaps after reaching the rank of Spirit Grandmaster, both Lin Yan and Ma Hongjun would be forced to release the redundant energy accumulated within their bodies from the Evil Fire, or it would undoubtedly take a toll on their health.

This was the insight he should possess as a Spirit Saint.

But... how old was this kid in front of him? Surely it hadn't reached that point yet? Flender looked at Lin Yan with some suspicion.

"Isn't it a bit too early for that?"

Lin Yan did not deny it, but instead replied directly as if it were a matter of course.

"That's exactly why I need the Whale Glue!"

Once these words were spoken, the air fell silent.

Flender was speechless. Why was the reason this brat gave so absurd, yet when he thought about it carefully, it actually made some sense?

He looked at the boy, who was only a little over a meter tall, and in the end, couldn't help but try to persuade him.

"Can't you just endure it? Hongjun has the same Evil Fire problem, and he isn't as severe as you!"

"Maybe his Evil Fire isn't as fierce as mine. After all, my spirit is a dragon, while his is only a phoenix."

"..."

"Fine." Flender's brow furrowed into a deep frown, and he agreed with an awkward expression.

"If you're only borrowing the money to buy Whale Glue, I can accompany you later to make sure you don't get swindled by some unscrupulous merchant."

"Thank you, Dean. Once I start making money, I will definitely repay you as soon as possible."

Lin Yan met Flender's complex expression without the slightest hint of guilt.

After all, being able to successfully obtain the Whale Glue was already a stroke of luck. What did reputation matter compared to a thousand-year first spirit ring?