Plans for the Future!

"Don't worry, he was alive and well."

Huang Yun waved a hand. "Though I did give him a beating."

Zhu Zhuqing froze. "What do you mean?"

Leaning back, Huang Yun spoke as casually as if he were talking about something trivial. "He was a Level-Thirty-Seven Soul Elder with a White Tiger Martial Soul. He had some reputation at the Great Soul Arena too. Yesterday, he got matched against me. He never even touched the corner of my clothes the entire match. I let him attack me for ages, and he didn't land a single hit. Later, I provoked him into using his third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation. Then I used my Self-Created Soul Skill and knocked him out in one move."

He paused, then added while looking into Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, "Your fiancé really is talented. Level thirty-seven is considered outstanding among people his age. But before me, he's not worth mentioning."

Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, but for a moment, she did not know what to say.

When she had left the Star Luo Empire this time, she had indeed carried some complicated expectations toward Dai Mubai. She had wanted to see how much the boy she had been betrothed to since childhood had grown.

But now, Huang Yun was telling her in the most offhand tone that the person she had regarded as a goal did not even have the ability to fight back before him.

"You... you're also a Soul Elder? Weren't you a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor?" Zhu Zhuqing asked hesitantly.

Although she had seen Huang Yun's four rings before, she instinctively wanted to confirm it now.

"When I fought him yesterday, I was a Peak Level-Thirty-Nine Soul Elder," Huang Yun corrected. "I broke through this morning. After absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, I'm now a Level-Forty-Three Soul Ancestor."

Level forty-three.

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly.

She was only a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster this year, and she was already considered to be progressing quickly among her peers.

Yet this boy, who looked about her age, was already two entire major realms above her.

"You're only a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster right now." Watching the changes in her expression, Huang Yun softened his tone somewhat. "The gap between you and Dai Mubai is still quite large. Even if he's a coward who ran away, he really hasn't slacked off in cultivation. His Level-Thirty-Seven strength is right there. But you don't need to take it too much to heart. You're still young. Just take it slowly."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. She remained silent for a long time.

Outside the window, night had completely fallen. The lights along the street shone through the gauze curtains, casting a soft halo across the floor.

After a long while, Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and looked steadily at Huang Yun. "You just said Shrek Academy wasn't worth attending."

"For you, it's actually still a viable choice. No matter how lacking it may be, it still has three Seven-Ring Soul Sages and three Six-Ring Soul Emperors. Besides, your identity is very special, very sensitive. If you went to a larger academy in another empire, the moment you revealed your Martial Soul, people would know where you came from. You'd definitely attract attention, and you wouldn't be comfortable with that either."

"Although Shrek Academy's environment isn't good, it seems to be your best option at the moment."

Huang Yun thought it over carefully before speaking.

"That's true. My identity makes it inconvenient for me to attend other academies." Zhu Zhuqing thought about it and found that it really was the case.

It seemed that Shrek Academy was the only place she could go now.

She did not like being watched by others.

"What about you? Are you going to join Shrek Academy too?"

Zhu Zhuqing sounded somewhat expectant.

Huang Yun shook his head. "I can't join, and I don't want to go to school either. Shrek Academy has nothing it can teach me. Ever since I awakened my Martial Soul at six, I've wandered the world freely. I can't stand even the slightest restraint."

"Living freely really is enviable," Zhu Zhuqing said. "More importantly, you haven't fallen behind in cultivation, and your Spirit Ring configuration is so powerful. Can I wander with you?"

Huang Yun shook his head. "No. I'm used to being alone. I don't want to take care of anyone else, and I hate trouble. I also hate having to consider other people's feelings."

"I see. I was indeed being presumptuous." Zhu Zhuqing looked somewhat dejected, but quickly asked, "Then what are you planning to do next?"

"Heaven Dou City," Huang Yun said. "I'll go take a look beneath the emperor's feet."

Going to Heaven Dou City was only one of his objectives. His true goal was to find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, that blessed land.

His cultivation had been too low before, so he had not dared to go. But now, he did.

Even if he could not defeat Dugu Bo, he could run away immediately.

As long as he obtained the Immortal Herbs, his Soul Power Level would definitely break through in a short time.

Zhu Zhuqing sat by the bed, her gaze falling on Huang Yun's back as he stood before the window.

The night wind stirred the hem of his clothes, and his slightly long black hair swayed gently in the breeze. His whole figure blended into the night, like an eagle that could spread its wings and fly away at any moment.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words when they reached her lips.

"When are you leaving?" she finally asked.

"Tomorrow morning."

Huang Yun turned around. The black half-mask on his face had already been removed, revealing a face far too young.

Thick brows, a high nose, and lips pressed faintly together. Between his brows and eyes was a calmness and sharpness that did not belong to someone his age.

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned for a moment.

This was the first time she had seen Huang Yun's full face.

When he had worn the mask, she had only felt that he was small in build and sounded young. But upon seeing his face, she understood even more directly that he truly was only twelve.

"So... this is what you look like." After holding it in for quite a while, she blurted out something that did not sound much like a compliment.

Zhu Zhuqing's words amused Huang Yun. "What else? Did you expect three heads and six arms?"

The corners of Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved almost imperceptibly, but she quickly returned to her usual calm expression.

She lowered her head and looked at her bandaged left arm. After a moment of silence, she softly said, "Thank you for tonight. The medicine, the place to stay, and... the things you told me."

"It was nothing. Just something I did in passing."

"It may have been in passing for you, but not for me."

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, her gaze earnest. "Ever since I left Star Luo, the people I met either wanted to capture me and send me back or use my identity for benefits. You're the first person who helped me without wanting anything in return."

Leaning against the window frame with his arms folded, Huang Yun thought for a moment before speaking. "Then remember this in the future. Not everyone who helps you does so because they want something. But not everyone is as kind-hearted as I am either. You still need to stay guarded when it's time to be guarded."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, committing his words to heart.

The candle flame in the room flickered softly. Huang Yun glanced at the moonlight outside and yawned. "It's late. You sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, you sleep on the bed." Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "You're the host, and I'm the guest. How can the host sleep on the floor?"

"You're injured. Stop arguing."

"I'm a Soul Master. This small injury is nothing."

They looked at each other for several seconds before Huang Yun surrendered first and waved his hand. "Fine, fine. I'll sleep on the bed, you'll sleep on the bed. We'll hang a curtain in the middle and sleep separately."