After successfully entering the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Lin Yan did not rush to approach Dugu Yan.
As the granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan possesses outstanding talent and stunning beauty, enjoying immense popularity within the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. She is always surrounded by admirers and companions. More importantly, as a member of the Royal Fighting Team, her daily activities consist mainly of attending classes, training with her team members, or spending time with a few close friends, leaving very few opportunities for outsiders to interact with her.
Lin Yan tried to "bump into" them outside their training ground and inquired about her schedule in an attempt to create some interaction, but either he couldn't find a suitable time to strike up a conversation, or he was invisibly blocked by Dugu Yan's slightly aloof and somewhat distant attitude.
After several attempts, Lin Yan realized that approaching her directly and rashly would not only be inefficient, but might also arouse her suspicion and resentment.
Since there was no time to rush it, he calmed down and spent most of his spare time in the library of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The library's collection far surpasses that of Nuoding City, covering a wide range of fields including Soul Master cultivation, Martial Soul Theory, Soul Beast illustrations, and continental history and geography.
Lin Yan absorbed knowledge voraciously, partly to make up for his lack of understanding of this world, and partly to search for a suitable Soul Beast for his Third Soul Ring.
He reads a wide range of subjects, with a particular focus on Plant-type Soul Beast, toxicology, and pharmacology.
Learning about toxicology and pharmacology is partly for the sake of my own Hundred Herbs Hall medicine clinic), and partly to gain more knowledge in toxicology so that I can have more in common with Poison Douluo in the future.
The days flowed peacefully amidst the turning of pages, until one afternoon.
Sunlight streamed through the library's tall glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Lin Yan weaved through the towering bookshelves, his gaze sweeping over the rows of book spines before finally settling on a book titled " Record of Strange Flowers and Exotic Grasses: A Study of Rare Plant-type Soul Beast ".
He had been eyeing this book for a long time; it seemed to contain detailed information about special Plant-type Soul Beast, and perhaps it contained the information he needed about life-type Plant-type Soul Beast.
Just as he reached out to pull the book away, another slender, fair hand reached for the same book almost simultaneously.
Their fingers nearly touched.
Lin Yan was slightly taken aback and turned his head to look. He saw a girl standing beside him, wearing the uniform of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. She had a slender figure and a cool and aloof temperament.
She had soft, light blue short hair and a beautiful face, but what was most striking were her eyes—clear yet carrying a faint, seemingly innate melancholy, like a lake shrouded in a thin mist. She gave off a quiet, even somewhat lonely, feeling.
She is a member of Ye Lingling's Imperial Fighting Team, the owner of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, and also Dugu Yan's closest best friend in the academy.
Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat; this was truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly."
He quickly composed himself, a perfectly timed, slightly apologetic, gentle smile appearing on his face, and withdrew his hand. "Excuse me, would you like to read this book too?"
Ye Lingling seemed surprised to find herself choosing the same book as someone else. She gently shook her head, her voice soft and calm, revealing no emotion. "It's alright, you can read it first."
"This book seems to be quite popular." Lin Yan didn't immediately reach for the book, but instead struck up a conversation, his tone relaxed and natural. "I'm very interested in Plant-type Soul Beast, especially those with unique shapes or unusual attributes. I've heard that this book records many rare creatures."
Upon hearing this, Ye Lingling nodded slightly in response. She seemed rather awkward in conversation and remained somewhat silent.
Lin Yan was not discouraged and continued, "My Martial Soul is Mutated Blue Silver Grass, so I always want to learn more about it, to see if I can find similar beings, or understand the direction of mutation."
He timely revealed his "identity" information, explaining why he was interested in the book and providing a topic for further discussion.
Sure enough, a hint of curiosity flashed in Ye Lingling's eyes when the topic of Martial Soul Mutation was mentioned.
The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul is an extremely special existence, and can be understood as a special Mutated Martial Soul. Therefore, she was also somewhat curious about Lin Yan, who also had Mutated Martial Soul.
" Mutated Blue Silver Grass..." she repeated softly, her gaze returning to Lin Yan, "It's quite unique."
Seeing her response, Lin Yan was slightly pleased, but remained calm on the surface. "Yes, it's not easy to figure it out. By the way, my name is Lin Yan, and I'm a new student. Senior, do you also have research on Plant-type Soul Beast?" He asked knowingly, his attitude humble and polite.
" Ye Lingling." She simply gave her name, then glanced at the book. "I just... need to look up some information." She didn't specify what she needed to look up, but her tone was more gentle than before.
"That's perfect," Lin Yan said with a smile. "This book is quite thick; perhaps we can read it together? Or, you can look up the parts you need first; I'm not in a hurry."
He offered a reasonable suggestion that avoided conflict while creating opportunities for coexistence.
Ye Lingling hesitated for a moment, looked at Lin Yan's sincere and gentle smile, then at the thick book, and finally nodded gently. "Okay."
So the two sat down in a quiet corner by the window in the library and flipped through the book " Record of Strange Flowers and Exotic Grasses " together. Lin Yan was not in a hurry to show off, but patiently waited for Ye Lingling to look up the parts she needed first. Occasionally, when Ye Lingling paused, Lin Yan would offer her own insights on certain illustrations or descriptions in the book.
These insights are not mere idle talk, but rather based on his extensive reading during this period and some vague understanding from his previous life. They often offer fresh perspectives and touch upon details that are easily overlooked. For example, he might point out the relationship between the root characteristics of a certain Plant-type Soul Beast and its living environment, or the warning significance that the patterns on a certain poisonous Soul Beast might carry.
His speech was clear and logical, and his tone was not pretentious at all. As a result, Ye Lingling, who was originally just listening quietly, gradually began to ask a question or two from time to time, or express simple agreement with his views.
"You know a lot about these things." After a discussion about vine-like Soul Beast whose special patterns could only be revealed under a certain moonlight, Ye Lingling said softly, the melancholy mist in her eyes seeming to dissipate slightly, revealing a hint of genuine surprise.
"It's just out of interest; I've read a lot of miscellaneous books." Lin Yan smiled modestly. "It's all theoretical knowledge; it can't compare to the experience gained from actually fighting soul beasts. However, sometimes the accumulation of theoretical knowledge can provide different ideas at crucial moments, such as healing or dealing with the abilities of certain special Soul Beast."
He skillfully steered the conversation toward "healing," knowing that the Nine Heart Begonia was a top-tier Healing System Martial Soul, Ye Lingling would undoubtedly be sensitive to it.
Sure enough, when Ye Lingling heard the word "treatment," her eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of something. However, she did not ask further, but simply glanced at Lin Yan again and softly hummed in agreement.
This chance encounter at the library and our shared reading experience was a good start.
Since then, Lin Yan seems to have encountered Ye Lingling more often in the library. Sometimes it's a genuine coincidence, and sometimes Lin Yan intentionally or unintentionally appears in reading areas where Ye Lingling might go, based on his observations.
The two would nod to each other when they met, and sometimes exchange a few words about a book they were both interested in.
Lin Yan's extensive knowledge (especially compared to his peers), his gentle and patient attitude, and his unhurried and comfortable pace of interaction gradually made the aloof Ye Lingling less wary of him.
Occasionally, Lin Yan would ask her questions about the courses at the Heaven Dou Academy or cultivation (although he knew most of the answers), and Ye Lingling would give concise answers. Over time, although they weren't exactly close friends, they became quite familiar with each other.
Because of Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan's inseparable relationship, Lin Yan began to see Dugu Yan more and more often around Ye Lingling.
At first, Dugu Yan was somewhat scrutinizing and wary of this handsome young man who had suddenly appeared beside her friend.
However, upon observation, Dugu Yan found that Lin Yan's words and actions were proper, and his interactions with Ye Lingling were limited to academic discussions and ordinary friendships, without any transgressions. In addition, Ye Lingling did not seem to mind talking to Lin Yan, so Dugu Yan gradually lowered her guard.
Sometimes, when they were discussing something, Lin Yan would happen to pass by, and Ye Lingling would even take the initiative to invite him to join in. Dugu Yan would listen at first, occasionally interjecting a word or two, her tone carrying her unique languidness and arrogance.