Transaction

Ouyang Zixin naturally recognized Xiling. She looked him over from head to toe, a flash of amazement passing through her eyes before she smiled. "I know you, Junior Xiling."

"May I ask what you need from me?"

Ouyang Zixin wore a white tracksuit and stood there prettily. Under the dormitory entrance lights, paired with that sweet smile, she looked even more beautiful.

Tang Wulin, standing nearby, was utterly dumbstruck. Xiling's eye twitched. I'm creating an opportunity for you, and you're standing there like an idiot? What's that supposed to accomplish?

In response to Ouyang Zixin's question, Xiling smiled as well and took Tang Wulin's hand. "Senior, I believe you already know Wulin, so I won't introduce him further."

With that casual remark, he firmly shifted the focus onto Tang Wulin.

Ouyang Zixin smiled, her gaze naturally falling upon the boy beside her, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Of course I know him. This junior is very handsome, and he's quite capable too. I heard he's in the newly established first-year Zero Class of the intermediate division."

Praised in public by the senior he admired, Tang Wulin's ears instantly turned red. His previously dazed mind went completely blank, and he did not know where to put his hands and feet. He could only scratch the back of his head and grin foolishly.

"Th-thank you, Senior."

His honest, shy manner was straightforward and adorable, making Ouyang Zixin's smile deepen.

Still, she could not understand why Xiling had brought this up.

"I see..." Upon hearing Ouyang Zixin's assessment of Tang Wulin, Xiling knew there was hope. "Then, Senior, could we speak somewhere private?"

The moment those words came out, everyone present reacted differently.

Ouyang Zixin froze slightly, surprised, but she still nodded gently. "Of course."

She was very curious what this genius junior, who had recently become the most talked-about figure in all of Eastsea Academy, wanted to discuss with her alone.

Tang Wulin immediately tensed up, his heart in turmoil.

He looked at the composed and unruffled Xiling, then at the gentle, beautiful Ouyang Zixin. For some reason, a trace of panic rose in his heart.

Countless chaotic thoughts flooded his mind, leaving him rooted in place, unsure where to put his hands or feet.

Mu Xi beside him also wanted to follow, but when she met Xiling's azure eyes, she ultimately gave up on the idea.

The two walked more than ten meters away, beyond Tang Wulin and Mu Xi's hearing range.

Only then did Xiling stop. He looked at Ouyang Zixin and spoke in a very serious tone. "Senior, I'll be direct."

"Ever since Wulin saw you on the field, he has liked you. He just doesn't understand what that feeling is."

"I hope you can give him an opportunity to get along with you properly and understand each other."

"Whether you are willing to be with him in the future or not, I will fully respect your choice."

"As thanks, I can give you an exclusive letter of recommendation to the Mecha Masters Association."

As soon as he finished speaking, the evening breeze seemed to stop.

The gentle smile on Ouyang Zixin's face instantly froze. Her pupils contracted slightly, her face filled with disbelief.

A recommendation letter to the Mecha Masters Association!

As a mecha design prodigy of Eastsea Academy, she understood better than anyone just how terrifyingly valuable such a thing was.

The Mecha Masters Association was the holy land every mecha designer dreamed of. Its threshold was extremely high, with layer upon layer of internal selection and standards for outsiders that were even more stringent.

Even gifted upperclassmen and veteran students could fight desperately for a chance to observe after joining, much less obtain an exclusive letter of recommendation.

This was no longer merely a resource. It was a genuine pass to the future!

Yet upon hearing his request, she hesitated. It was true that she had some favorable feelings toward Tang Wulin, but they were only the kind of affection an older sister had for a younger brother.

Moreover, there was someone she secretly liked, and she was not sure whether the recommendation letter Xiling mentioned was real.

As if seeing through her hesitation, Xiling added, "I am the disciple of Spirit Pagoda Vice Pagoda Master, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu."

"Senior, rest assured about the letter of recommendation. It's genuine."

Upon hearing the words Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Ouyang Zixin believed him for the most part. After all, no one would dare falsify an identity of that level.

In the end, she nodded and agreed. She could not help it—he was offering far too much.

Besides, she only had to give him a chance to spend time with her. Whether anything came of it would still depend on her own wishes. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Seeing this, Xiling smiled and nodded. "Then thank you, Senior. I'll personally deliver the recommendation letter to you in some time."

The two reached an understanding and turned to walk back together.

From afar, the anxiously waiting Tang Wulin immediately noticed the softened look in Ouyang Zixin's eyes. His heart began pounding wildly.

Bang! Another flick struck his forehead, making Tang Wulin cry out in pain.

Xiling had appeared in front of him at some point. "All right, kid. Just be happy in secret."

"I've put the opportunity right in front of you. Make good use of it."

After leaving those words behind, Xiling vanished from the spot, leaving Tang Wulin standing there with a baffled expression.

What opportunity? Make good use of what? He could not understand a single word. He completely failed to notice the complicated look in Ouyang Zixin's eyes.

After returning home, Gu Yue lounged lazily on the sofa, watching television with a piece of dessert in her hand.

When she saw Xiling return, she sat up and asked, "Didn't you go out to buy groceries? Why did you take so long?"

Xiling answered casually, "I helped Wulin deal with something. After all, extracting the Golden Dragon King bloodline later will be an extremely painful process. Consider it a little compensation for him."

Gu Yue gave an acknowledging hum and did not pay it much attention, continuing to watch television and eat her dessert.

At that sight, Xiling's mouth twitched. Ever since this Silver Dragon Fish had moved into his home, her whole demeanor had gradually started to go wrong.

"We're going to the Spirit Pagoda today." As soon as Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom, he told them this.

Going to the Spirit Pagoda? What for? It was not like they had reached the point of needing spirit souls yet.

As Wu Zhangkong led them out of the academy, he explained, "Starting today, you will have one day each week to cultivate in the Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Pagoda."

"Cherish this opportunity. The academy specifically allocated funds to secure it for you."

Upon hearing Spirit Ascension Platform, Xie Xie said with admiration, "The academy is really going all out. It looks like joining Zero Class was an extremely wise choice."

"Spirit Ascension Platform? What is that?" Tang Wulin looked at Xiling curiously.

Xiling answered, "Simply put, it's a place where you can increase the age of your soul rings."

East Sea Spirit Pagoda was one of the Spirit Pagoda's Eighteen Heavenly Pillars. After being in Eastsea City for so long, this was only Xiling's second visit. His first had naturally been when Leng Yaozhu summoned him.

Long Hengxu was already waiting at the entrance. When he saw Wu Zhangkong arrive, he quickly stepped forward, and the two exchanged a brief greeting.

Under Long Hengxu's guidance, they entered the Spirit Pagoda. The first thing that caught their eyes were the magnificent murals, depicting scenery and people as though they were recording a story.

Wu Zhangkong said, "The murals record how the first-generation Spirit Pagoda Master, the legendary soul master Ice Spirit Douluo, led humanity in resisting beast tides."

"This is only one portion of it. At Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, there are records of Ice Spirit Douluo's battle against the strongest soul beast, the Beast God Di Tian."

"It was because of that battle that Ice Spirit Douluo vanished, while the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian likewise never appeared again."

Merely listening to Wu Zhangkong's account left Tang Wulin and the others utterly captivated.

Gu Yue's expression was somewhat complicated. She glanced at Xiling beside her, who showed no reaction, and sighed inwardly.

With this reincarnated God King here, how are soul beasts supposed to rise again?