Since I Can Look, Can I Touch?

Ye Lin sighed and prepared to try again.

Footsteps suddenly sounded from the east side of the Training Ground.

Zhu Zhuqing stood in the shade of a tree at the edge of the Training Ground, dressed in black leather. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and she looked as though she had only recently woken, with a trace of sleepiness still on her face.

She leaned against the trunk with one arm folded across her body, her gaze resting on Ye Lin. There was no telling how long she had been watching.

Ye Lin lowered his fists, straightened up, and nodded toward her.

Zhu Zhuqing walked over and stopped a few steps from him. "Up this early?"

"I got enough sleep, so I got up." Ye Lin flexed his wrist. "What about you? The others are probably still asleep."

The corners of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth twitched slightly.

She glanced toward the dormitories.

In all of Shrek Academy, Ye Lin was the only one who worked this hard.

Most of the others were still asleep, though some of them weren't sleeping in their dorm rooms.

Last night, she had been cultivating her Soul Power

when she heard two sets of footsteps in the corridor outside the courtyard.

There were two people, walking as quietly as they could. But Zhu Zhuqing's hearing was far sharper than most people's, and she recognized Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai.

The two talked in low voices as they walked.

Ma Hongjun sounded almost giddy.

"Hurry up! We're going as a duo tonight. It's going to be amazing!"

Dai Mubai lowered his voice even further.

"Fatty, keep your damn voice down. Don't let Zhu Zhuqing find out."

"Or I'm finished."

"But we'd better hurry. After being cooped up in the Star Dou Forest for so long, I can't take it anymore."

Zhu Zhuqing snorted inwardly.

Ye Lin was training right now, while those two were probably still wriggling around in bed with women.

Zhu Zhuqing turned back. "I heard something, so I came out to take a look."

"I saw white mist rising from you just now. It was gathering together, too. What was that?"

"I'm trying to develop a Self-Created Soul Skill."

Zhu Zhuqing's folded arm went slightly stiff.

"A Self-Created Soul Skill?"

She repeated the words, her voice a little louder than before.

A Self-Created Soul Skill was widely regarded in the Soul Master world as the mark of a genius. Only a rare few could develop a move of their own after the harmony between their Soul Power and Martial Soul reached a certain threshold.

It was something that truly belonged to its creator.

It wasn't limited by the number of Spirit Rings or the type of Martial Soul. It could be used at any level of cultivation, and it grew stronger as the Soul Master did.

After a moment of silence, she said quietly,

"With my talent, I doubt I'll ever develop a Self-Created Soul Skill."

Ye Lin glanced at her. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Zhu Zhuqing looked up.

"Developing a Self-Created Soul Skill isn't that hard."

Ye Lin took a step closer to Zhu Zhuqing.

"The important thing is finding the right method and the knack for it."

"First, you need to figure out what you're best at, then build outward from there."

"Don't force it. Find it."

"Take you, for example. Your agility-based attacks and speed are obvious strengths. You can explore those."

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a few breaths.

"Even I could?"

Ye Lin nodded. "Of course."

They stood on the Training Ground for a while as the sun climbed higher.

Ye Lin raised a hand to shield his eyes, then tipped his head toward the Old Locust Tree at the edge of the Training Ground. "Let's talk over there. It's getting hot in the sun."

Zhu Zhuqing followed him. They sat side by side in the shade, their backs against the rough trunk.

"Your Martial Soul is the Hell Spirit Cat. Its core traits are hiding in shadows and explosive agility."

"If you can draw those traits out and turn them into a state you can activate at will, you'll have the beginnings of a Self-Created Soul Skill."

Zhu Zhuqing sat beside him, hugging her knees and looking down at her hands.

She turned his words over in her mind and tried channeling her Soul Power toward her feet.

At first, she felt nothing. She tried again, shifting her focus from moving Soul Power to the idea of merging with the shadows.

The shadow of the tree roots beneath her feet suddenly seemed to answer, ever so faintly. A trace of coolness crept up from her ankles,

as though something had brushed lightly across her skin.

Her eyes widened for an instant. She looked down at her feet, then turned to Ye Lin.

Ye Lin happened to turn toward her at the same moment. Their eyes met at close range.

They held each other's gaze for a couple of breaths before Zhu Zhuqing looked down first, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. "I think I caught a hint of something just now."

Ye Lin nodded. "That's it. You're much more talented than I am. I studied with my teacher for six years, and I still haven't reached the threshold for a Self-Created Soul Skill."

"You can ask Grandmaster about it later. He knows more than I do. He taught me all these basics."

He paused, then added,

"I'm pretty slow. My teacher's taught me for six years, and I still haven't figured it out."

Sitting beside her, Ye Lin somehow let his gaze drift half an inch toward Zhu Zhuqing.

She leaned against the trunk, her black leather outfit hugging her figure.

The lines from her shoulders to her waist were trim and firm.

Her collar hung slightly open, revealing a small patch of pale skin and a deep curve below it.

Ye Lin's gaze lingered on that curve for a breath longer.

Then he looked away, his ears warming slightly.

He thought he had hidden it well, but he had been rather clumsy about it.

Mostly because he had done it too many times.

Zhu Zhuqing burst out laughing.

Ye Lin raised his head and met her eyes.

He opened his mouth, searching for an explanation.

In the end, he gave up and looked her straight in the eye.

"Like I said, you really do have a great figure. It's hard not to look."

"I'm no gentleman, either."

"I admit I'm a bit of a pervert..."

Zhu Zhuqing smiled and shook her head, sounding much more relaxed than before.

"You don't have to be so careful and sneak looks. If you want to look, just look."

"You're no gentleman, after all."

"If I didn't want anyone looking, I should've covered myself up completely."

Ye Lin heard her say he could just look.

Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Then... can I touch?"

The instant the words left his mouth, Zhu Zhuqing's smile froze.

She turned toward him, eyes wide. A blush spread from the tips of her ears down to her neck.

Even the little patch of skin above the collar of her black leather outfit turned pink.

She stared at Ye Lin for two seconds, then raised her fist and punched him hard in the chest.

"Don't push your luck!"

Ye Lin chuckled. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

Zhu Zhuqing huffed. "You want to touch me now? What are you thinking? I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going back to train."