Only after entering the village did Lin Feng realize that the academy's facilities were even more basic than he had imagined.
Several rows of wooden houses surrounded an open space, with farmland just beyond them. Even the training ground was nothing more than a patch of hard-packed dirt.
Seeing him looking around, Flender pushed up his glasses and said, "The accommodations may be simple, but the teachers are no slouches. Spend a few days here, and you'll see for yourself."
Lin Feng nodded without replying.
"Since you managed to defeat Mubai, you've passed the practical combat test as well. Go pick an empty room first, then familiarize yourself with the academy this afternoon."
With those instructions given, Flender turned and left.
Lin Feng chose a room near the edge, set down his luggage, and placed the wooden box containing the Blue Silver Emperor beside the window.
Golden patterns faintly emerged on the leaves.
He added some water to the soil, then closed the outer wooden panels, leaving only gaps for ventilation. Only then did he go outside to look around the grounds.
Before long, Dai Mubai came in with four boys and girls.
The boy at the front wore blue clothes and a belt inlaid with jade. Beside him, a girl with a long scorpion braid was looking around curiously.
Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Lin Feng recognized them at a glance, but his gaze did not linger on either of them.
For now, they did not know him.
When Dai Mubai saw Lin Feng standing beside a tree, his shoulder seemed to ache again. He promptly averted his gaze and led the four newcomers over to Zhao Wuji.
Hearing that the new students were all quite talented, the vice dean grew interested and actually decided to test their abilities himself.
Lin Feng did not approach, merely watching from a distance.
Meanwhile, in the shade of some trees outside the academy, Yue Guan's expression suddenly changed.
"Old Ghost, that girl..."
Gui Mei followed his gaze, and his body, concealed in the shadows, went still for a moment as well.
Xiao Wu was standing beside Tang San, completely unaware of the two gazes directed at her from afar.
The two men fell silent for a moment. When their eyes met again, there was a trace of delighted surprise in them that neither could conceal.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"
Yue Guan kept his voice extremely low, but his fingers involuntarily tightened.
He had never imagined that accompanying Lin Feng to such a remote place would let him stumble upon such good fortune!
And it was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had already taken human form but had yet to mature.
Capturing her now would be far easier than venturing deep into the forest to hunt her.
Yue Guan was just about to step forward when Gui Mei raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't rush. Check whether anyone else is nearby first."
The two concealed their presence and carefully monitored the area around the academy.
On the training ground, Zhao Wuji had already released his Martial Soul. Seven Soul Rings rose, and the four new students' expressions changed.
Xiao Wu, however, visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
That small change did not escape Yue Guan's eyes.
"No wonder she dared to come here," he said quietly. "The teachers here can't see through her at all."
Gui Mei did not reply and continued observing their surroundings.
Even by the time the assessment ended, neither of them had spotted any other powerful figures appearing nearby.
Zhao Wuji had been struck by quite a few hidden weapons, while Tang San had also been injured. The academy was briefly thrown into a flurry of activity, yet no one ever realized Xiao Wu's identity.
Yue Guan finally withdrew his gaze.
"I'll go back and report to Her Holiness. You stay here. Keep an eye on that rabbit, and don't let anything happen to the little fellow either."
"Very well."
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was a matter of great importance. Naturally, the Supreme Pontiff should decide how to handle it.
The night deepened.
Sitting at his desk, Lin Feng wrote the final few words. After waiting for the ink to dry, he folded the paper.
Bibi Dong's voice then sounded in his mind.
"You want her to leave that rabbit alone for now?"
While watching the assessment during the day, Lin Feng had hidden the spider inside his collar. She had recognized Xiao Wu as well.
"If she's captured now, how am I supposed to carry out what comes next?"
"You want to use her to draw out those two Soul Beasts?"
After a moment's thought, Bibi Dong guessed part of his intent. Naturally, she also remembered the events of their previous lives.
"That's one part of it."
"Then send word back first," Bibi Dong said gravely. "The Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python won't be easy to deal with. If we truly intend to act, we must arrange for several more Titled Douluo."
Lin Feng nodded and added another sentence at the end of the letter: until the timing of the hunt was decided, he would not act on his own.
With his current strength, he had no use for a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring yet. But if those two Soul Beasts could be eliminated ahead of time, Tang San would have two fewer important sources of support in the future.
For now, however, he had something more immediate to do.
Lin Feng sealed the letter, stood, and pushed the door open.
He walked some distance along the path outside the village. Only after confirming that no other students were around did he stop beneath a tree.
"Elders, please come out for a moment."
The shadows beneath the trees shifted. Yue Guan stepped out from the side, and Gui Mei's figure appeared as well.
"It's so late. Why aren't you resting?" Yue Guan looked him up and down. "I was just about to find you and leave you with a few instructions."
"Are you preparing to return to Spirit City?"
Yue Guan paused slightly.
Lin Feng smiled and continued, "It's because of that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, isn't it?"
This time, both men's expressions changed.
"You know too?!"
"I do. That's why I have a letter I'd like Elder Ju to deliver to my teacher."
Lin Feng handed over the letter.
Yue Guan took it but did not open it immediately. Instead, he stared at him and asked, "You're only at rank forty. How did you recognize her?"
"I found some clues earlier. Seeing her today finally confirmed it."
"What clues?"
"I'll explain that to my teacher later. Please look at the arrangements in the letter first. Whether I can pull this off will depend on help from both of you."
Seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate for the moment, Yue Guan frowned and lowered his head to unfold the letter.
He skimmed the few lines in which Lin Feng reported enrolling in the academy and reaching rank forty Soul Power. As he read on, the surprise on Yue Guan's face immediately deepened.
"Teacher, your disciple already knows that Xiao Wu is a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. With the two elders secretly keeping watch, she has no chance to escape for the time being. Please give your disciple a little time, and do not move to hunt her down immediately."
"Your disciple still needs her to accomplish certain things. Capturing her now would disrupt the arrangements that follow."
"In addition, she has close ties to the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python in the Star Dou Great Forest. Your disciple wishes to use her to draw out those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Once the situation is clear, I will ask you to arrange personnel to hunt them together."
At this point, Yue Guan abruptly raised his head.
"The Titan Giant Ape? The Sky Azure Bull Python?!"
Gui Mei also stepped closer, his gaze falling on the letter.
Those were two powerful Soul Beasts capable of making even Titled Douluo wary. This little fellow actually had his sights set on them too?
"Are you certain?" Gui Mei asked gravely.
"I'm certain about her relationship with those two Soul Beasts. As for when to act, we'll still have to wait for an opportunity."
Lin Feng said seriously, "That's why I'm asking my teacher not to beat the grass and startle the snake for now. With you two watching from the shadows, wouldn't letting her remain at the academy be more appropriate than capturing her right away?"
Yue Guan did not answer immediately.
If what Lin Feng said was true, this rabbit's value did indeed extend far beyond her own Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
But the two of them alone were nowhere near enough to take on those two Soul Beasts.
He folded the letter again and tucked it inside his robe.
"I'll pass the message along. Until Her Holiness agrees, you are not to alert her on your own, much less think of taking risks with that little bit of Soul Power you have."
"Of course."
Lin Feng nodded with a smile.
Looking at him, Yue Guan suddenly felt rather moved.
He had thought that discovering a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was already a heaven-sent windfall.
Yet this little fellow had actually included the other two in his calculations as well!