My favorite episode

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Chapter 40: My favorite episode

Soul Tools had not yet come into widespread use in Shrek Academy's inner court, so everyone had to travel on foot for now. With soul power bolstering them, however, they were not much slower than they would have been using Flying Soul Tools.

The only drawback was having to take detours around difficult terrain, rather than maintaining a straight course as they could in the air.

Along the way, Ye Xixuan proved the reason for his confidence through his actions.

His pace did not lag behind the other Inner Court Disciples at all. He was almost on par with Gongyang Mo, an Auxiliary System Soul King.

Ma Xiaotao naturally led the pack, followed by Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng, the two Power Attack System Battle Soul Kings.

Although Xixi was an Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master, her specialty was explosive bursts of speed. Sustained travel demanded greater stamina and endurance from her soul power, making it something of a weakness for her instead. Her speed was only about the same as Dai Yueheng's and Chen Zifeng's.

Ling Luochеn and Yao Haoxuan, the two newly admitted Inner Court Disciples who had yet to break through to the Soul King Realm, actually fell to the rear.

Remembering how she had shamelessly boasted earlier that she would bring Ye Xixuan along, even the cool, reserved Ling Luochеn could not help feeling her cheeks burn. She grew even quieter along the way.

Yao Haoxuan, meanwhile, perked right back up at being able to run beside Ling Luochеn. Judging by his occasionally wandering, unfocused gaze, he had probably spent quite a bit of time lost in fantasies.

As he ran at high speed, Gongyang Mo smiled and praised Ye Xixuan beside him. "Just what I'd expect from a Soul Master with a soul ring configuration beyond the norm. Xixuan, your stamina and the density of your soul power probably aren't far behind mine. When you break through to rank forty, you should at least be able to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring, right?"

"Senior Gongyang, my third soul ring is actually already eight thousand years old." Ye Xixuan said this not to boast, but simply to show everyone his sincerity.

Gongyang Mo's eyes widened in surprise.

"An eight-thousand-year third soul ring?!"

Aside from Ma Xiaotao, who already knew, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Xixi running up ahead all kept glancing at Ye Xixuan.

The combined ages of Ye Xixuan's three soul rings probably came close to those of Five-Ring Soul Kings like them, trained in Shrek Academy's inner court. No wonder his physical strength was so astonishing. After all, the older a soul ring was, the greater the enhancement it gave a Soul Master's body.

As for Ling Luochеn and Yao Haoxuan at the back, even the combined ages of their soul rings fell short of Ye Xixuan's third soul ring alone.

To accommodate Ling Luochеn and Yao Haoxuan, everyone gradually adjusted their pace and settled into a relatively stable formation.

Ma Xiaotao came up beside Ye Xixuan and teased him with a mischievous look. "You little brat, feeling pretty pleased with yourself now, aren't you?"

"What is it, Sister Xiaotao?" Ye Xixuan gave her a puzzled look.

Ma Xiaotao snorted and pursed her lips. "Ling Luochеn treats all the other male students in the inner court with icy indifference, but she's especially warm toward you. You must be secretly gloating right now. Don't think your Sister Xiaotao doesn't understand how you adolescent boys think. An ice-cold beauty untouched by the dust of the mortal world, tsk, tsk."

"Sister Xiaotao, how can you just assume what my tastes are?" Ye Xixuan looked bashful, but he was growing bolder by the day. He promptly turned the tables and teased Ma Xiaotao instead.

"Isn't it possible that, rather than an icy beauty like Senior Ling, I prefer a warm, straightforward older sister like you?"

"At least you know what's good for you." Ma Xiaotao immediately beamed and pressed him with interest.

"Then tell me, who's prettier, Ling Luochеn or me? Oh, right, what if we include your eldest senior sister?"

"Then of course it's my eldest senior sister." Ye Xixuan paused for a moment, pretending to think, then blurted out his answer while Ma Xiaotao was off guard. Chuckling, he immediately picked up speed and ran away.

Caught between laughter and exasperation, Ma Xiaotao spat out a complaint.

"You little brat! It's always 'eldest senior sister' this and 'eldest senior sister' that. I swear you've practically made her your mother."

Hearing Ma Xiaotao's grumbling behind him, Ye Xixuan faltered briefly. On second thought, his excessive dependence on his eldest senior sister might indeed have something to do with his lack of familial affection since childhood. He simply chose not to argue.

At some point, Gongyang Mo had also drawn closer. In his soft, delicate voice, he said, "Xiaotao, why does it smell a little sour over here?"

"You're the sour one!" Ma Xiaotao shot Gongyang Mo a disgusted glare.

"I'm warning you, stay away from me. Come any closer and don't blame me for getting rough!"

"All right, all right, all right." Gongyang Mo waved helplessly, his delicate, handsome face full of melancholy. To think there isn't even a place for me in this whole team.

His situation was rather unusual. He could never really fit in with Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and the others, who themselves tended to shun him-or, more precisely, fear him. In truth, he had more in common with the three girls, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochеn, and Xixi.

Ling Luochеn was aloof, however, and Xixi was also a woman of few words, so he was closest to Ma Xiaotao.

Unfortunately, Ma Xiaotao was even fiercer than a man, and Gongyang Mo often found himself on the receiving end of her disdain. Luckily, he was already used to it.

The group hurried onward, reaching the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire that afternoon, having crossed almost the entire Lima Plain.

Once inside the Star Luo Empire, they faced an endless expanse of mountains and hills. Ahead, a sprawling Star Luo Empire military camp blocked their path.

Everyone stopped to rest, taking chunks of dark food and clean water out of their Storage Soul Tools.

This was essential travel food for Inner Court Disciples, made from more than a dozen medicinal ingredients and dozens of highly nutritious foods. It was extremely nourishing and could quickly restore stamina. There was just one problem: it did not taste very good.

Only Dai Yueheng slipped mysteriously into the camp. He soon emerged again and nodded to Ma Xiaotao.

"I've already spoken to the Star Luo Empire Military. They'll let us through, but we have to cross these mountains and hills as quickly as possible before tonight and reach the Star Luo Empire's interior. From there, we'll head west all the way to the Ming Dou Mountains."

"There's one problem, though. If we want to reach the Star Luo Empire's interior before dark, we'll have to fly. But only Xiaotao and Gongyang Mo can fly on their own. The rest of us will have to use Flying Soul Tools." As he spoke, Dai Yueheng took several bulky iron boxes out of his Storage Soul Tool. Folding wings were attached to either side of each box, and once extended, their wingspan would reach at least four meters.

Chen Zifeng frowned slightly. "Are these things safe?"

Resistance to Soul Tools was strongest in the Heaven Dou Empire, especially among Soul Master families with long-standing legacies.

Yao Haoxuan also swallowed instinctively and timidly chimed in. "Besides, learning to use Flying Soul Tools should take time, shouldn't it? Why not just have Gongyang Mo fly us over?"

"Suit yourselves, then. Work it out among yourselves. I know how to use a Flying Soul Tool, anyway." Dai Yueheng shrugged, then looked at Ye Xixuan again with a smile.

"Xixuan, looks like I'll have to bring you along this time."

"Senior Dai, I actually have a Flying Soul Skill. It also helps restore soul power, so I should be fine." Ye Xixuan smiled apologetically.

"Looks like I'll have to turn down your kind offer again."

Xixi walked over to Ma Xiaotao. Her face rarely seemed to betray any emotion, and she said evenly, "Xiaotao, you can take me."

"No problem." Ma Xiaotao readily agreed.

Finally, everyone's gaze fell on Ling Luochеn. In a choice that was surprising yet entirely reasonable, she picked Ye Xixuan again. Her cool, ethereal voice carried a note that brooked no refusal.

"You take me."

Hehe, everyone, spare this little mouse some monthly tickets and recommendation votes. The third Soul Skill's effect has finally revealed its dagger now that the map has unrolled.

(End of chapter)