Eight Levels in One Year, No Point Pretending Anymore

Central Street, Nuoding City, early morning.

A wooden sign went up, its four crooked characters reading: Guga Milk Tea.

Su Yuntao stepped back to look at it, then laughed first. "We'll find someone with better handwriting to redo it later."

Lin Yuan glanced up. "No need. People can read it."

The shop was small, with a two-door storefront and three tables outside. Su Yuntao had hired two assistants to greet customers at the entrance.

On the first day, no one came.

Passersby glanced at the sign and kept walking. Some muttered, "What's milk tea?" Others didn't even turn their heads.

Sitting outside, Su Yuntao grew restless.

"Did we set the price too high?"

Lin Yuan leaned against the counter.

"Let's give it time."

Shortly after midmorning, a student in a brocade robe passed by. Sisi offered him a porcelain cup.

"New shop opening. Your first cup's free."

The student took a sip. His eyes lit up.

"Delicious! Three more! My treat!"

An hour later, a line had formed outside the shop. Students from wealthy families carried porcelain cups away, paying one Gold Soul Coin apiece without batting an eye. Ordinary folk grew curious and bought bamboo-cup versions to try. One Silver Soul Coin was worth a hundred Copper Soul Coins, but they could still afford an occasional cup. Some kept the bamboo tubes as water bottles. Back at the dormitory, roommates caught the scent and chased them down to ask where they had bought it. That afternoon, they brought three more people.

The two assistants were run off their feet. Sisi took payments until her hands ached, filling the cashbox three times.

Su Yuntao hauled tea leaves until his back hurt, then leaned against a corner wall to catch his breath.

"Fifty porcelain cups and a hundred and twenty bamboo cups." Sisi wiped her brow. "Yuntao, guess how much we made today?"

"Sixty-two Gold Soul Coins."

"Sixty-two in one day!" Su Yuntao looked as though he were dreaming. "Spirit Hall only pays me twenty a month."

Lin Yuan scooped a handful of Gold Soul Coins from the cashbox and stuffed them into his pocket.

"We'll make more tomorrow."

Two Gugas poked their heads out nearby, staring at the gleaming coins.

"Can buy meat, guga?"

"...Can buy lots of meat, guga?"

Lin Yuan's mouth twitched. "Yes."

Both Gugas raised their stubby little arms.

"Milk tea every day, guga!"

"...Meat every day, guga!"

A month later came a second branch. Another month brought a third. In two months, all of Nuoding City knew Guga Milk Tea. Wealthy people made a fashion of strolling the streets with porcelain cups in hand, while ordinary families saved a week's spending money for one bamboo cup.

Aside from Spirit Hall's annual Martial Soul awakenings, Su Yuntao had little else to do, so he focused on the business. Sisi kept the books; Lin Yuan just collected the money. His monthly share of Gold Soul Coins was enough to feed both Gugas until they were stuffed, with more than half left over.

Money was no longer a problem. Lin Yuan turned his attention back to cultivation.

Behind Dorm Seven, the moon hung high overhead.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on a bluestone slab, slowly circulating Soul Power through his meridians. The two Gugas lay beside him, round bellies pressed against the stone, fast asleep.

Three full circuits. Soul Power flowed from his Dantian, traveled through every meridian in his body, then returned to his Dantian. Each circuit went more smoothly than the last.

Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.

Something was wrong.

Two warm currents moved inside him. They were not his own Soul Power, but came from outside. Fine as two invisible threads, they ran from his Dantian to—

He looked down.

The two Gugas had woken at some point. They sat cross-legged on the stone, eyes closed, copying his posture.

Guga's stubby arms couldn't reach her knees, so she rested them on her belly. Dark Gold Guga's fur glimmered faintly in the moonlight, her expression as solemn as if she were going into battle. Both little creatures breathed in perfect rhythm with him. With every breath, Soul Power circulated through their tiny bodies.

They were cultivating.

The two warm currents came from them. Most of their Soul Power slowly strengthened their own bodies, but a small portion flowed naturally into his. It wasn't much, yet it was growing—two little streams feeding a river without end.

Lin Yuan instinctively summoned his Soul Ring.

The Soul Ring turned slowly in the moonlight. As the Gugas cultivated, some of their Soul Power flowed into it too. Its fullness felt more substantial than before.

He froze.

Both Gugas opened their eyes at once—one pair black as beans, the other dark gold—and tilted their heads at him together.

"Cultivating, guga?"

"...We're cultivating too, guga."

Lin Yuan was silent for a long time.

He reached out and rubbed both their heads. Guga narrowed her eyes in pleasure, and Dark Gold Guga nuzzled his palm.

"From now on, we'll cultivate together every day."

Both Gugas raised their stubby arms.

"Okay, guga."

"...Okay, guga."

From that day on, Lin Yuan cultivated twice as fast. He attended classes by day and cultivated at night. The two Gugas sat on either side of him, their postures growing steadier and more precise.

One year later.

On the same bluestone slab behind Nuoding Academy, Lin Yuan opened his eyes. The Soul Power in his Dantian was full. He had reached the bottleneck at level twenty.

The two Gugas sat beside him, their postures far better than a year ago.

"Broke through, guga?"

"...Got stronger, guga."

Lin Yuan nodded with a smile and rubbed the two little ones' heads.

Level twenty. Rising from level twelve to level twenty in a year would have been impossible at his own cultivation speed. But with the two Gugas, those warm currents during their daily cultivation had pushed his Soul Power upward bit by bit, like two little water pumps. Eight levels in one year—anyone who heard would be scared out of their wits.

When Su Yuntao heard the news, he nearly dropped his teacup.

"Level twenty? You're only seven!"

"Yeah."

Su Yuntao opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"What are you going to do about your Second Soul Ring?"

"Go to the Star Dou Great Forest."

Su Yuntao stood. "I'm coming with you."

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin Yuan and Su Yuntao spent three days traveling through the dense woods.

They encountered plenty of Millennium Soul Beasts, but none were suitable. His Martial Soul was Summoning Type, and each Guga corresponded to a kind of Soul Beast. For his third, he needed something that could cover his weaknesses.

Dark Gold Guga belonged to the Power Attack System, and Guga herself was strong. He didn't lack offense. Dark Gold Guga's defense was solid too. If he had to name a weakness, it was control. Against fast or numerous enemies, they couldn't keep up. He needed something that could pin enemies down and hold out through a long fight.

"Is there a Plant-type Soul Beast with strong control abilities?"

Su Yuntao thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"When I was bored at Spirit Hall, I read through some old records. There's a Plant-type Soul Beast called the azure vine. It cultivates by absorbing the power of the sun, moon, and stars. Its vines are tough and regenerate quickly when torn apart. Its control is so strong that a hundred-year-old azure vine can rival an ordinary Millennium Soul Beast. The records also mentioned a mutant variety—"

"A mutant?"

"Yeah. The azure vine's mutant has even more formidable healing abilities, and its vines are far tougher than those of an ordinary azure vine. They're incredibly rare. Finding one comes down to luck."

Lin Yuan clenched his fist.

"Let's find one first."

Su Yuntao pointed deeper into the forest.

"Azure vines like to grow beside cliff faces, where they can absorb starlight. They're hard to spot during the day. We'll wait until dark."

The two Gugas poked their heads out nearby, one black and one dark gold, their eyes shining in the night.

"New friend, guga?"

"...Can fight, guga?"

Lin Yuan looked down at them and smiled. "Yes. Better than either of you."

Guga puffed out her cheeks. Dark Gold Guga narrowed her dark gold eyes.

"No way, guga."

"...Let's fight, guga."

Lin Yuan's mouth twitched. "Let's find her first."

Night deepened, and the low growls of unknown Soul Beasts carried from the heart of the forest. Starlight slipped through gaps in the canopy and scattered across the fallen leaves like silver coins strewn over the ground.

Su Yuntao led the way, torch in hand.

The two Gugas followed Lin Yuan, one on each side. One bounced along; the other trudged with her head down.