Two years later

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Chapter 15: Two years later

After he began cultivating under Zhang Lexuan, Ye Xixuan's life at Shrek Academy settled into a steady routine.

He generally lived in the Sea God Pavilion, only visiting Tang Ya's residence in Shrek City once a week.

Tang Ya had rented a small, charming courtyard house. Although it looked rather old, she liked having a place all to herself. Perhaps that was also because its style resembled their Tang Sect estate.

The lease lasted two years, matching the time remaining before she applied to Shrek Academy.

Over the next two years, Ye Xixuan also formally began studying soul tools. Under Fan Yu's guidance, he specialized in Melee Soul Tools.

At first, Fan Yu had only reluctantly accepted Ye Xixuan at the Sea God Pavilion's request, but he was soon won over by Ye Xixuan's talent, especially his gift for inscribing core arrays.

What frustrated him, however, was that Ye Xixuan had absolutely no intention of exploring any soul tools beyond Melee Soul Tools, whether ranged soul tools or fixed-charge soul cannons. Even among Melee Soul Tools, he specialized exclusively in the darkness-attribute variety.

According to Ye Xixuan, his sole purpose in learning to make soul tools was to strengthen his first soul skill.

Ultimately, soul tools were merely external aids, while his martial soul was his foundation. With his martial soul's talent, he would certainly never lack soul skills with devastating destructive power in the future.

For soul tools such as fixed-charge soul cannons, knowing how to use them was enough.

In this era, traditional soul masters still stood at humanity's true pinnacle. When an individual's might towered above all else, so-called technology was nothing but a joke.

In his memories of his previous life, even Huo Yuhao had hardly used soul tools in the later stages. Not everyone could be like Kong Deming.

Laboratory 12, Soul Tool Department, Shrek Academy's outer court.

Ye Xixuan sat beside an enormous matte metal table, cupping his hands in front of him.

A hexagonal piece of black metal, only about the size of a walnut, hovered strangely above his palms. It was as deep and dark as obsidian, yet possessed a metallic sheen. Black currents swirled around it, and whenever a wisp drifted away and vanished, another fine line appeared on the metal.

These lines gradually joined together, forming a complex circuit: the core array, the most crucial component of a soul tool.

Naturally, Ye Xixuan had created that piece of black metal through his first soul skill, Condensed Shadow. He could reshape it into anything he imagined. The grooves of a core array were likewise made by using a carving knife to alter the shape of the metal or gemstone serving as its medium. Ultimately, the two methods took different roads to the same destination.

In effect, he replaced the carving knife with his spiritual power, carving the lines of a core array into Condensed Shadow out of thin air. Since this was an ability of his own martial soul, his control was even more precise, provided his soul power and spiritual power could sustain it.

Ye Xixuan stared intently at the black metal pulsing in midair, a trace of exhaustion appearing in his pitch-black eyes. His body trembled slightly, and the metal instantly shattered, dissolving into black currents that vanished without a trace.

"So my soul power still isn't enough."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The mind demon marks covering his skin rapidly receded. With the amplification provided by this innate ability, his spiritual power could still hold out, but successfully inscribing a Level Three Core Array truly required a stronger soul power cultivation.

"Looks like it's time to get my second soul ring."

At that thought, Ye Xixuan immediately rose from his chair. Two years had passed, and with ample nutrition and the nourishment of soul power, he had grown considerably taller. He now looked little different from an ordinary boy of eleven or twelve.

His soul power cultivation had reached level twenty a month earlier. The reason he had not rushed to obtain a soul ring was that he planned to wait for Bei Bei.

Bei Bei's soul power cultivation had also advanced rapidly over these years, and that was all connected to Ye Xixuan.

It was no exaggeration to say that, for light-attribute soul masters, Ye Xixuan's Child of Light constitution was practically equivalent to the cultivation-speed boost the Emperor Auspicious Beast provided to the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Bei Bei often cultivated alongside him and naturally benefited the most. Just as Ye Xixuan reached level twenty, Bei Bei entered the underground world beneath the Golden Tree to cultivate in seclusion and break through the level thirty bottleneck.

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However, Bei Bei had still not emerged from seclusion.

Just then, a tall, dark-skinned boy walked through Laboratory 12's metal gate.

"Little Brother Ye, Eldest Senior Sister's here to pick you up again."

"Got it, Brother He." Ye Xixuan looked at the sturdy boy with his honest, good-natured expression and nodded slightly.

The boy was He Caitou, Fan Yu's only direct disciple. The two had met because they both studied soul tools under Fan Yu, and He Caitou seemed no different from what Ye Xixuan remembered of his previous life.

Stepping out through the entrance of the Soul Tool Department's laboratory, Ye Xixuan immediately spotted Zhang Lexuan in a pure white dress.

Zhang Lexuan was not particularly tall among female soul masters, but her gentle, ethereal bearing was especially eye-catching. Upon seeing Ye Xixuan, a tender smile immediately appeared on her exquisite face.

"Xixuan, Mu En asked me to bring you to the Sea God Pavilion."

"Did Senior Brother Bei break through?" Ye Xi

xuan seemed to sense something and blurted out the question.

Zhang Lexuan nodded. Taking Ye Xixuan with her, she rose into the air and explained, "Although Bei Bei is Mu En's descendant, the Radiant Sacred Dragon Bloodline in him isn't pure. Over these years, under the influence of your constitution, its power has gradually stabilized. Now that he's breaking through the level thirty bottleneck, Mu En plans to have him hunt a millennium Sub-Dragon soul beast with the Radiant Sacred Dragon Bloodline. That should allow his martial soul to evolve completely into the Radiant Sacred Dragon. But Sub-Dragon soul beasts with that bloodline can only possibly be found in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Of course, Ye Xixuan knew about his own constitution. Two years earlier, after he finished absorbing his first soul ring in the underground world beneath the Golden Tree, Mu En had specifically explained these matters to him.

Zhang Lexuan had long since reached the Soul Saint realm, enough to sustain brief flight through the air. She soon returned to the Sea God Pavilion with Ye Xixuan.

Besides Mu En and Bei Bei, Xuan Zi was also there, eating roast chicken and drinking wine.

Bei Bei even cocked an eyebrow at Ye Xixuan, looking full of youthful confidence.

"Now that everyone's here, let me explain," Mu En said kindly.

"We'll need to search the Star Dou Great Forest for the soul ring Bei Bei needs, but there's another place with soul beasts better suited to you, Xixuan: the Ming Dou Great Forest, in the southern part of the Star Luo Empire along its border with the Sun Moon Empire. The Ming Dou Great Forest abounds in powerful mutated soul beasts, including quite a few with the darkness attribute. Xuan Zi and Lexuan can each take one of you."

"Mu En, let Sister Lexuan take me. There's no need to trouble Xuan Zi." Ye Xixuan's heart lurched in fright. Who wouldn't panic at being escorted by Xuan Zi, that "Dread Whale"?

To everyone else, however, his request could not have been more reasonable. The Star Dou Great Forest was more dangerous, so having Xuan Zi, a Level 98 Super Douluo, lead the way there was clearly preferable.

Xuan Zi took an unconcerned bite of his chicken leg, while Bei Bei glanced at Ye Xixuan in surprise.

Xixuan's reaction seems a little excessive. Wouldn't he feel safe with Xuan Zi taking him?

"Mu En, I'll take Xixuan to the Ming Dou Great Forest," Zhang Lexuan said at the same time, taking the initiative to step forward.

With Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan singing the same tune, Bei Bei finally began to sense something.

When exactly did Xixuan and Eldest Senior Sister become so close? Clearly, I was here first.

(End of chapter)