Self-Created Soul Skill, Seeking Guidance from Feng Xiaotian!

Qian Renxue's smile instantly froze on her face.

Her mind went blank, and she stood there as if struck by lightning, completely dumbfounded.

Wha... what?

Fragrant?

She was currently disguised as a man! What did it mean for one man to tell another man, "You smell so good"?!

Qian Renxue's gaze involuntarily fell upon Xiao Lin's handsome face, and then she recalled a fact she had overlooked—this young man was so outstanding and so handsome, yet she had never heard of him having a girlfriend...

Could it be...

A terrifying suspicion surged through Qian Renxue's heart, making her shudder uncontrollably.

But she reacted quickly. She swiftly composed her expression, forced out a gentle smile, and said as if nothing had happened, "Student Xiao, you must be joking. Perhaps I used incense before leaving today, and the scent has not faded yet."

She stood, straightened her robes, and kept her tone gentle, though there was now a clear hint of haste. "It is getting late. I still have some official affairs to attend to, so I shall take my leave. Student Xiao, I will come seek your guidance in flute playing another day."

"Take care, Your Highness." Xiao Lin rose to see her off, a polite smile on his face.

Qian Renxue hurried out of the reception hall, her retreating figure carrying a trace of barely noticeable panic.

Xiao Lin stood at the door, watching Qian Renxue's departing back. He scratched his head, and his expression became somewhat strange.

"Could she have misunderstood something..." he muttered, then could not help laughing. "But I was telling the truth. She really does smell quite nice. The Angel Martial Soul carries a sacred aura of its own. Ordinary people cannot smell it at all, but I have eaten an Immortal Herb. I can still tell the difference."

He shook his head and turned back toward his little courtyard.

Meanwhile, Qian Renxue hurried out through the gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Only after getting into her carriage did she finally let out a long breath.

Leaning against the soft cushions inside the carriage, she recalled what had just happened, and a faint blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks.

"Just who is this Xiao Lin..." she murmured, her heart filled with confusion and an inexplicable flutter.

She shook her head, cast those distracting thoughts aside, and once again put on the mask of the refined and gracious crown prince.

No matter what, the plan to win over Xiao Lin still had to continue. It was only that the methods might need some adjustment.

After Qian Renxue left, Xiao Lin's life returned to peace.

He did not dwell too much on that little incident. In his view, Qian Renxue was the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire and busy with official affairs. How could she truly have the leisure to come learn flute playing?

It was probably just a passing whim. She would forget about it in a few days. Right now, all he could think about was how to improve his strength. He had no time to ponder the little schemes of that crown prince.

Although he had won his battle against Tang San, and won rather easily at that, Xiao Lin did not become complacent because of it. On the contrary, after the fight, he carefully reviewed the entire battle and repeatedly analyzed every detail, eventually discovering his own shortcomings.

The biggest problem lay with the Jade Flute Swordsmanship.

He had developed this swordsmanship on his own. Though it had performed well in actual combat, compared with Tang San's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, it still seemed somewhat lacking.

The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer had been created by Tang Chen, the founder of the Clear Sky Sect. After more than a hundred years of inheritance and refinement, it had formed a complete and rigorous system. The force, angle, and rhythm of every hammer strike had been tempered through countless trials.

As for his Jade Flute Swordsmanship, it was ultimately just the result of his own isolated experimentation, lacking systematic theory and practical support.

Short battles were manageable. With his advantage in Soul Power and his unexpected fighting style, he could still seize the upper hand. But if he encountered a true expert or was dragged into a prolonged battle, this weakness would be magnified without limit.

"I need to find a way to improve the Jade Flute Swordsmanship." Xiao Lin sat in the courtyard, lightly tapping his fingers against the table. His brows furrowed as he sank into thought.

The best method would naturally be to find a Soul Master who also studied Self-Created Soul Skill, so they could exchange ideas and learn from one another. But such people were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns across the entire continent.

The vast majority of Soul Masters cultivated step by step, relying on the Soul Skills granted by their Soul Rings to fight. Very few were willing to spend enormous amounts of time and energy creating their own Soul Skills.

After all, creating a Self-Created Soul Skill required not only exceptional talent and comprehension, but also tremendous time and patience to refine. Its benefits might not even surpass those of Soul Ring Soul Skills. In most people's eyes, it was an arduous and thankless task.

Xiao Lin racked his brains, searching his memories for characters from the original story who had studied Self-Created Soul Skill.

The Tang Sect's various supreme techniques counted, but those required internal force to operate, so he could not learn them. The Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer counted too, but he could hardly go ask Tang San to teach him, could he?

Leaving aside whether Tang San would teach him, even if he were willing, that hammer technique was completely incompatible with Xiao Lin's flute-sword style.

Then, a name suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Feng Xiaotian.

A genius student of Godwind Academy, born with Innate Full Soul Power, yet he had devoted a great deal of his time to creating his own Soul Skill—Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes.

To research that Soul Skill, he had even been willing to sacrifice the speed of his Soul Power cultivation, causing his rank to be far from outstanding among those his age.

In the original story, this guy could be called a complete oddball.

He possessed top-tier innate talent, yet rather than focusing on raising his rank like other geniuses, he had chosen a completely different path—Self-Created Soul Skill.

Many considered such behavior a waste of talent, but Xiao Lin felt that this was precisely what a Soul Master with genuine aspirations ought to do.

"Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slashes..." Xiao Lin mulled over the name, his eyes gleaming with thought.

The distinguishing feature of this Soul Skill was its perfect combination of speed and strength. Through continuous slashes, its power continually stacked, growing stronger the further it went.

Although its style differed somewhat from the Jade Flute Swordsmanship, there should be much to learn from its principles of force application, rhythm control, and continuous attacks.

Especially that stacking pattern of growing stronger through battle—if he could incorporate it into the Jade Flute Swordsmanship, it would undoubtedly raise his combat strength to another level.

He had decided. He would go find Feng Xiaotian.

Godwind Academy was located in a city several hundred li west of Heaven Dou City. At Xiao Lin's current speed, if he traveled at full pace, he could arrive within a day.

He had always acted decisively. Once he had a goal, he would not drag things out.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still barely light, Xiao Lin set off.

He traveled westward, passing through vast fields and peaceful villages, and arrived at the city where Godwind Academy was located by evening.

Godwind Academy stood on a hill north of the city. It occupied a considerable area, and its architecture favored simplicity and practicality. It was not as resplendent and magnificent as Heaven Dou Royal Academy, yet it possessed a distinct grandeur of its own.