Wang Yan's Offer! Xiao Xiao

Faced with Wang Yan's enthusiastic invitation, Lu Yi did not rush to answer.

The books in the Magic Library inside his mind alone would take him who knew how many years to study.

Whether it was magic or Martial Souls, mastering such vast knowledge would take an enormous amount of time.

Relying entirely on Electrolux was not realistic either. After obtaining the Gold of Life, he wanted Electrolux to begin researching the Soul Spirit System.

He simply could not be in two places at once!

But when Wang Yan saw the hesitation in Lu Yi's eyes, he felt there were things he had to say.

"You should know that any breakthrough could change how Soul Masters cultivate. But to protect their standing, those sects kept every such discovery secret. Most were buried alongside them when they fell."

Afraid that such words would not convince a young man, Wang Yan gave an example. "Have you heard of the Body Sect? Its members all have their bodies as their Martial Souls.

"Body Martial Souls were not particularly powerful at first. Then the Body Sect's first leader devised a special method to unlock their potential, giving them combat strength far beyond ordinary Martial Souls. That was how the Body Sect became what it is today."

Lu Yi was not dazzled by fame or fortune. Instead, he fell into thought.

The texts accumulated over thousands of years would be more than a handful of people could translate.

More importantly, he would have to sort through that knowledge and determine what was useful and what was too muddled to keep.

Just thinking about the effort involved made his scalp prickle.

Seeing Lu Yi begin to waver, Wang Yan pressed his advantage and dangled an even greater lure.

"Countless sects have vanished into history. If you can dig their knowledge back out of the earth and bring it together, Shrek Academy might have another statue one day!"

Lu Yi showed little reaction, but the girl opposite him, who had been listening intently from the start, let out a startled "Wow!" before clapping a hand over her mouth.

She was already looking at Lu Yi with admiration, as though he had achieved fame and glory.

As Lu Yi thought it over, however, he also recognized the benefits. He had his answer.

He did not want to give it immediately, so he looked up at Wang Yan. "Teacher Wang, please let me think it over after I return. Right now, I need to find a way to go Soul Hunting and pass the freshman assessment!"

Wang Yan smiled when he heard that.

"Lu Yi, I don't think you understand your own value yet. If I report your situation to the academy, never mind the freshman assessment—even making you a Core Disciple by exception wouldn't be difficult."

Only a Core Disciple?

Lu Yi had thought Wang Yan might offer him more.

Then again, Wang Yan was only a teacher in the outer school and had little authority. Within his power, this was already a generous offer.

"Thank you for the offer, Teacher Wang, but I can't abandon my teammates. Once the assessment is over, I'll be sure to visit you!"

"Excellent!"

Wang Yan was already satisfied with that answer. He also realized he had gone a little too far.

At Lu Yi's age, cultivation had to come first. Wang Yan could not expect him to plunge straight into research.

"I was too impatient. Pay it no mind. Come see me when you have time away from cultivation."

To repair his image and bring them closer, Wang Yan was happy to offer Lu Yi a little more help. "I still don't know your name. What kind of Soul Ring do you need? As long as it isn't too rare, I'll find a way to hunt one for you."

Though Shrek helped its students hunt Soul Beasts, it treated ordinary students and Core Disciples as differently as heaven and earth.

For ordinary students, an approximate age and a compatible attribute were enough. They had little room to make requests of the academy, and the Soul Ring they obtained came down to luck.

Even paying for a better option was out of the question.

Charging too little would mean little to the academy, while charging too much would invite criticism. So it simply treated everyone the same.

As a result, many powerful families chose to help their own prodigies hunt Soul Beasts. Ning Tian, the young sect leader of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, had also asked Mu Jin for leave over the past two days.

Core Disciples were different. The academy would seek out the most suitable Soul Rings for them, regardless of time or cost.

With those words, Wang Yan had practically secured Core Disciple treatment for Lu Yi in advance.

Lu Yi had no idea how many procedures that would involve, but the young girl opposite him could not help looking envious.

"My name is Lu Yi, Teacher Wang. I'd like a Soul Ring that increases power, preferably by a percentage. I have no requirements regarding its attribute."

Given a better choice, Lu Yi naturally would not refuse. He added, "I've also taken high-quality Whale Rubber before. Could I aim for a slightly older Soul Ring?"

"A power boost, huh?"

Now that they were discussing his area of expertise, Wang Yan did not jump to conclusions. First, he wanted to see for himself. "Show me your Martial Soul!"

When the Wand appeared in Lu Yi's hand, Wang Yan recognized it. "You're the one who got into a fight in the dormitory area before classes even started, aren't you?"

Lu Yi nodded without denying it.

"A boosting ability should be fine!"

Wang Yan understood the situation but did not go into detail in front of another student. Instead, he said, "The Second Soul Ring is usually three hundred years older than the First Soul Ring. Taking Whale Rubber can raise that limit, but the difference still shouldn't exceed seven hundred years."

Lu Yi did the math. His First Soul Ring was nearly four hundred years old, so he should have little trouble absorbing a Second Soul Ring up to eleven hundred years old.

He told Wang Yan what he had in mind. Wang Yan nodded slightly, but still offered a kind warning:

"I understand why you want a thousand-year Second Soul Ring. The student you fought has one, and I'm guessing you don't want to fall behind her.

"But Whale Rubber may be expensive, yet the academy has plenty of students from prominent families and sects. Do you think they can't afford it?"

His meaning was clear. Lu Yi shook his head without hesitation.

Wang Yan nodded approvingly. Of all the students he had met, Lu Yi was among the easiest to talk to. "It's because suitability always matters more than age. For Soul Masters, Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skills are the real dividing line. Still, since this is what you want, I'll do my best to make it happen."

"Thank you, Teacher Wang!"

The carriage trundled on for another half hour before Wang Yan had the driver stop.

Wang Yan had clearly been here more than once and knew the place well. "Gather your things. If we enter from here, the Soul Beasts won't be as dangerous!"

Everyone climbed down and formed up. After Wang Yan gave them a few brief instructions, they headed straight into the forest.

As they walked, the young girl who had been listening to their conversation leaned toward Lu Yi and asked quietly, "Was the student you fought Wang Dong? Her Second Soul Ring is a thousand-year one!"

Lu Yi turned to her. "You know Wang Dong too?"

"Of course. We're in the same class."

The girl spoke as though it were obvious, but her cheeks grew a little warm when she mentioned Wang Dong.

Realizing she had let her feelings show, she hurriedly shook the jumble of thoughts from her mind and looked back at Lu Yi.

"Oh, right. My name's Xiao Xiao."