Chen Xin furrowed his brow at that.
He didn't like this about Ning Fengzhi.
He didn't like that the man would scheme against his own daughter, nor that the little princess he had doted on since childhood was being treated like a tool.
In his eyes, Ning Rongrong should live for herself and be happy forever.
For that, he was willing to shoulder the burden.
Ning Fengzhi saw what Chen Xin was thinking and tried to reassure him.
"Uncle Jian, as the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, this is something Rongrong has to go through."
This time, Chen Xin didn't press the issue.
Instead, he let out a long, heavy sigh and said,
"No wonder you wanted to target a commoner Soul Master."
"But now that Spirit Saint has already lost..."
"If there's no other way, we'll have to wait until we return to the sect and ask Uncle Gu to make another trip."
The bleak evening wind swept into the room, making the candle flame on the table flicker.
The shifting light and shadow cast the expressions on their faces into alternating darkness and brightness.
The next day.
Shrek Academy.
Just as in the original timeline, Oscar announced first thing in the morning that he had reached level 30, and Flender decided to take everyone Soul Hunting the next day.
Everyone was beaming with joy, having completely forgotten the clash between Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai the night before.
After some "adaptability training"—which was really Flender forcing everyone to eat Oscar's Sausage—the students were dismissed to do as they pleased.
Seizing his chance, Lin Yan called out to Tang San.
"Wait!"
"I think there's something wrong with your Blue Silver Grass."
Tang San turned around, only then noticing that Lin Yan had somehow come up behind him.
He didn't say anything, merely giving Lin Yan a strange look.
Lin Yan explained,
"I've met Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters before. They're all life-attribute healing Soul Masters. Why are you a control-type?"
Tang San understood.
So that was it. He'd wondered why this guy had suddenly become so friendly. Turns out he was after the cultivation path of his Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San looked at Lin Yan. The wariness in his eyes gave way to confidence and a pride eager to show off.
"My teacher mapped out my cultivation path."
"Of course you wouldn't understand."
Though Tang San longed to show off his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, he didn't say much, maintaining the air of a lofty expert.
Lin Yan took a few steps closer.
"Oh? I used to wonder how you managed to reach level 29."
"Normally, if someone absorbs a Soul Ring whose attributes conflict with their Martial Soul, their Soul Power cultivation will slow down more and more."
"And you..."
Lin Yan left the rest unsaid, leaving Tang San plenty of room to imagine what he meant.
Tang San frowned.
"What are you getting at?"
Lin Yan said,
"It's strange! Haven't you noticed that your Soul Power is getting harder and harder to cultivate?"
The group fell briefly silent.
Because Lin Yan had hit the mark.
Whether it was because his level had increased or because his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had changed, the truth was that with Innate Soul Power at level 10 and a superior cultivation method like the Mysterious Heaven Skill, reaching only level 29 at twelve years old was indeed a little slow.
After all, Lin Yan was the same age as him, yet had already reached level 49.
Xiao Wu barely cultivated at all, yet her Soul Power was still on par with his.
So...
"Brother! He... He does have a point."
"Blue Silver Grass shouldn't absorb poison-attribute Soul Rings..."
Xiao Wu's words were the final straw that broke Tang San's psychological defenses.
"Xiao Wu, even you..."
"Impossible. The cultivation path my teacher set for me can't be wrong. Don't spread alarmist nonsense."
"I'm already level 29 at twelve years old. How is that slow?"
Tang San kept shaking his head, denying it all as he tried to escape reality.
At that, Lin Yan said,
"What level was your Innate Soul Power?"
"Level 10!"
"My Innate Soul Power was level 10 too. I'm level 49 now."
"Ma Hongjun had Innate Soul Power at level 9. He's level 29 now too, just like you."
Lin Yan shook his head, his voice full of regret.
He looked as if he had just witnessed a genius fall and had been powerless to stop it.
Lin Yan didn't keep arguing. Leaving Tang San looking bewildered, he turned and headed back toward the dormitory.
As he left, he added,
"Your Martial Soul is strange."
Before long, Lin Yan returned to the dormitory.
He clenched his hand in secret, doing his best to suppress his nerves as he carefully controlled his breathing.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Lin Yan leaned back on the sofa and pretended to doze with his eyes closed.
In the bedroom, Wen Ruan lay in bed, pretending to be asleep as Lin Yan had asked, wrapped tightly in the covers.
Time passed slowly, until a crisp birdcall suddenly rang out from beyond the window.
A deep, powerful telepathic message echoed in Lin Yan's mind.
"Come to the back hill!"
The three short words boomed like a great bell, setting off waves in Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness.
But there wasn't the slightest hint of anger in his reaction. If anything, there was a faint, hidden thrill.
"You finally came, Tang Hao!"
Lin Yan rose from the sofa and exchanged a glance with Wen Ruan through the bedroom door. The two of them looked as if they had planned something in advance, each showing a different emotion.
Wen Ruan looked worried; Lin Yan's eyes burned with intensity.
That's right. Everything Lin Yan had said to Tang San just now—about his cultivation speed and the direction his Blue Silver Grass should develop—was all meant to draw Tang Hao out of hiding.
And the reason he wanted to draw Tang Hao out...
Was naturally to prepare for the arrival of the other powerful members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The plan had changed. Lin Yan had originally intended to use the Martial Soul's power to get rid of Tang Hao, so he could kill Tang San and take Xiao Wu's Soul Bone.
But after guessing Ning Fengzhi's intentions, Lin Yan changed his mind.
Before long, Lin Yan reached the academy's back hill.
Amid the dense forest, Lin Yan looked around, his eyes filled with just the right amount of confusion.
Suddenly, a figure cloaked in a tattered cape appeared in front of him without warning.
Lin Yan's heart tightened.
Then he saw nine Soul Rings slowly rise beneath the figure's feet.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red! All nine Soul Rings pulsed in unison, churning the space around them like millstones.
Lin Yan felt as though even his breathing was beyond his control.
"Damn! Tang Hao is so much stronger than Ci Xue and She Long!"
Though he marveled inwardly, he still put on a cautious, respectful expression.
"A Titled Douluo?"
"I'm Lin Yan, a member of the Crown Prince's Guard of the Heaven Dou Empire. Greetings, senior."
Lin Yan bowed.
"Senior, what brings you here? Is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do everything in my power."
Honestly, Lin Yan had already lowered himself as much as he could.
No one could find fault with such an attitude.
Tang Hao gave a slight nod, then cleared his throat.
"What did you mean when you said there was something wrong with Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?"
"Will the Soul Rings he absorbed affect his cultivation speed?"
Lin Yan was ecstatic.
"Finally, he took the bait!"