Xiao Xiao's Soul Hunt Invitation

"Is she merely shameless? She's downright stinking shameless!" When Mu Jin heard that, she slammed her cup heavily onto the table and immediately started ranting.

Lin Yao, meanwhile, tossed the leather pouch up and down as he asked, "Since she's that stinking shameless, where did this soul bone come from?"

Mu Jin shrugged, then said to Lin Yao, "She had Fan Yu deliver it. As for her, according to Fan Yu, she's already gone back on vacation. Once her leave is over, she won't be teaching in the Martial Soul Department anymore. She's transferring straight to the Soul Guidance Department."

Lin Yao muttered inwardly that if she had transferred along with him, then he could understand why Huo Yuhao had run off with her.

For a child like Huo Yuhao, who was extremely starved for affection, if she met a teacher who treated her decently, of course she would keep following that teacher.

Out of a desire to keep up with Zhou Yi, combined with an insufficient understanding of Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department and only hearing the Soul Guidance Department people bragging blindly about themselves, when he thought about it that way, it actually made sense.

"Then there's nothing to be done. If you can't bear to make things difficult for Fan Yu, then no one can help you," Lin Yao said to Mu Jin. Mu Jin simply waved her hand.

"So let this matter end here." After all, she was cutting ties with her past self. Mu Jin's voice carried a trace of exhaustion and melancholy.

Lin Yao did not continue provoking her either. He merely nodded, and after listening to Mu Jin explain the uses of the Secret Method Soul Bone, he took Ye Guyi and left Mu Jin's office.

After some mutual refusal with Ye Guyi, the Secret Method Soul Bone was ultimately given to Ye Guyi to use. Lin Yao was very confident in fusing soul bones himself, and he had no need for the Secret Method Soul Bone to assist him.

In the following days, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish stall never appeared again. Clearly, Fan Yu was still using the Soul Guidance Department's funds to cover all of Huo Yuhao's expenses.

After another month or so, once Freshman Class One and Wang Yan had more or less settled into working with each other, Xiao Xiao came to find Lin Yao on an afternoon with no classes.

At that time, Lin Yao was resting with his eyes closed on a bench by the school's athletic field, enjoying the comfort of the breeze brushing his face. It was also one of the rare times Ye Guyi could accompany him and enjoy it together.

Just as Lin Yao had slightly closed his eyes and was resting, he suddenly felt a shadow appear before him. Immediately after, Lin Yao opened his eyes and saw Xiao Xiao's petite figure standing in front of him.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Yao sat up and looked at Xiao Xiao in some confusion.

Xiao Xiao said to Lin Yao, "Brother Yao, I thought carefully about it for a month, and I discussed it with my family several times too. In the end, I decided to listen to you and switch to cultivating the Nine-Phoenix Flute, then cultivate the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron afterward."

Lin Yao nodded, then said to Xiao Xiao, "You didn't need to come tell me specifically about that, right? Is there something else?"

Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment, but still said to Lin Yao, "I spoke with Teacher Wang Yan. I want to request leave to add a soul ring for the Nine-Phoenix Flute martial soul's second soul ring, and Teacher Wang agreed too. I'd like to ask you to accompany me to hunt for a soul ring."

Lin Yao raised his brows slightly, then said to Xiao Xiao, "The two of us are the class monitor and vice class monitor, after all. If we disappear together, that'll put quite a bit of pressure on Teacher Wang's work, won't it?"

Xiao Xiao scratched her head and said to Lin Yao, "Teacher Wang agreed, and Teacher Wang really hopes you'll go with me. In his own words, your learning progress in class is completely different from everyone else's, which puts even more pressure on him..."

Lin Yao said, "...If Teacher Wang really agreed, then I don't mind going along."

Xiao Xiao nodded, and Lin Yao went with her to Wang Yan's office.

After confirming that Wang Yan had indeed agreed for Lin Yao to go along, Lin Yao told Ye Guyi about the matter as well.

Ye Guyi's emotions did not change noticeably. She nodded and instructed Lin Yao, "Don't treat yourself like some proper expert either. Although it's true you can defeat a Soul Emperor, in the end, you're only a Soul Ancestor. Hunting soul beasts is different from a soul master competition. That's a true life-and-death battle. Be careful in everything."

Although Shrek Academy normally did not restrict students from going out during non-class hours, once it involved staying out overnight, especially for several days in a row, the paperwork required was still rather complicated.

With Wang Yan's full support, it still took more than a full day to complete everything. It was not until the next morning that Lin Yao and Xiao Xiao left the gates of Shrek's campus together.

Fortunately, Shrek Academy was not very far from the Star Dou Great Forest. The two hired a carriage, and after only two days of travel, they arrived in a town near the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

It was said to be on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, but in reality, it was still several li away from the true outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest. After all, the ordinary people in those towns had no desire to deliver themselves right under the mouths of soul beasts.

The two entered the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest on foot. Lin Yao took a deep breath, and at once felt a fresh scent of grass and trees pour into his lungs.

After breathing several times in succession and clearing the stale air from his lungs, Lin Yao opened his eyes.

"Do you have any ideas for your Nine-Phoenix Flute's second soul ring?" Lin Yao turned and asked Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao scratched her head, then said to Lin Yao, "The martial soul my family mainly cultivates is still the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. We haven't researched the Nine-Phoenix Flute very deeply. On this trip, we'll have to look around more and try our luck."

Lin Yao rubbed the spot between his brows, then waved his hand and said, "All right. Since that's the case, let's head forward first. This can be considered your fourth soul ring too. Logically speaking, the next one you absorb should be a thousand-year soul ring, so this time, shouldn't your soul ring at least be aiming for over nine hundred years?"

Xiao Xiao was a little more unyielding than Lin Yao had expected. She said enthusiastically to Lin Yao, "Nine hundred years? That's nowhere near enough. I want to directly challenge a thousand-year soul ring!"

Lin Yao immediately looked at Xiao Xiao somewhat speechlessly and said, "Don't try to get fat in one bite. Your usual nutrition hasn't kept up. Wanting a thousand-year second ring is very difficult."

Xiao Xiao curled her lips, then spread her arms toward Lin Yao and spun around once before saying, "This isn't an ordinary second soul ring. I've already endured the power of three hundred-year soul rings. With that foundation, a thousand-year ring really is worth trying."

Lin Yao rubbed his forehead, then said to Xiao Xiao, "If you recklessly try that in front of me and something happens, how am I supposed to explain it to your family? This isn't something you can mess around with."

Xiao Xiao said seriously to Lin Yao, "Trust me. I won't do anything I'm not confident about!"

Seeing Xiao Xiao's stubbornness, Lin Yao immediately shook his head and said to her, "In that case, let's find a suitable soul beast first. Talking about all this now is just empty talk. It doesn't mean anything..."