Return to the City

The February wind still carried the dry chill of late winter.

Ning Buhui stood outside the south gate of Spirit City, looking up at the familiar white city wall. Flags fluttered on the city wall, and patrolling soldiers marched in neat rows between the battlements. He had been away on his training for almost a year, and everything before him was exactly the same as when he left. Even the old, crooked locust tree at the city gate was still the same, except that no new buds had sprouted on its branches yet.

He took a deep breath and stepped through the city gate.

The Thousand-Transformation Illusory Mask had been removed before entering the city gates. The gray-haired boy's face was stored in the ring, revealing his original appearance. His nine-year-old face had matured somewhat compared to a year ago, and the calmness in his eyes had deepened. He wore ordinary leather armor bought in Star Luo City, covered by a faded old robe, and carried a worn-out bundle on his shoulder, looking like a boy who had traveled quite a distance.

But the people of the Spirit Hall don't judge a book by its cover.

Just as he turned into the main street, he bumped into Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing was carrying a stack of documents and walking towards the mission hall. The moment he saw him, he stopped in his tracks, almost dropping the documents.

"Your Highness?" Zhou Qing's eyes widened, scanning him up and down several times. "You... you're back? It's been almost a year! Where have you been? His Holiness the Pope said you went out to gain experience, but we never got a straight answer. We all thought you..."

"You thought I died out there?" Ning Buhui chuckled.

"Pah, pah, pah, that's not what I meant." Zhou Qing quickly waved his hand, then took two steps closer and lowered his voice, "But you've been gone for too long. Although His Holiness the Pope hasn't said anything, he has asked about it occasionally. You should go see her as soon as possible."

"I'm just about to go." Ning Buhui nodded. "Brother Zhou, let's talk again later."

He continued walking forward. The deacons and disciples he encountered along the way all reacted similarly: they were first stunned, then their faces showed an expression of "Why is this person back?" Several familiar young Soul Master nodded at him from afar, their eyes filled with scrutiny. Ning Buhui did not linger and walked straight towards the Pope Hall.

As he passed the training ground, he heard someone shout behind him.

"Junior Brother?"

"Ning Buhui turning back." Three people stood in front of the low wall beside the training ground. Hu Liena was wearing training clothes, clutching a short dagger in her hand. Her hair was longer than a year ago and tied back with a leather rope. Yan stood next to her, wearing only a thin shirt on his upper body, radiating the heat of training. Xie Yue leaned against the wall, his Moon Blade resting on his lap, looking up at him.

"It really is you!" Hu Liena rushed over, looked him up and down, and patted him on the shoulder. "You little rascal, you've been gone for almost a year without even writing a letter. The teacher said you were safe, but we didn't even know where you were."

"I stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest for more than half a year," Ning Buhui said.

"Star Dou Great Forest?" Yan strode over, his brows furrowed. "You were alone? You've been deep in Star Dou for more than half a year?"

"Um."

The three exchanged glances. Xie Yue didn't get up, but his gaze lingered on him for a while, as if reassessing something. After a moment, he spoke, "What level are you?"

"Forty."

Yan gasped. Hu Liena blinked, then burst out laughing, "I told you he wasn't human."

"And you?" Ning Buhui asked.

"I'm forty-three," Xie Yue said. "Yan is forty-two, Nana forty-one. They've both obtained their Fourth Soul Ring, both of which are ten-thousand-year-old."

"Congratulations." Ning Buhui nodded.

"Don't just congratulate us." Hu Liena leaned closer and lowered her voice, "You're only nine years old and level forty. Do you know what the Spirit Hall is saying about you now? Since you left, thanks to the promotion of the Whale Rubber Method, the core disciples have all made rapid progress in the past two years, but none of them have been as outrageous as you. You're simply a monster."

"Senior sister, you're a monster too," Ning Buhui retorted.

Hu Liena rolled her eyes at him, but a smile played on her lips. Yan chimed in from the side, "Alright, alright, it's good that she's back. Let's have dinner together tonight, it's your treat. You owe us a meal for almost a year."

"Alright," Ning Buhui agreed.

After exchanging a few more words, the three went their separate ways. Ning Buhui continued walking towards the Pope Hall, memorizing the three's levels along the way. Xie Yue was at level 43, Yan at level 42, and Hu Liena at level 41, all with their fourth-level Fourth Soul Ring. This was faster than he had expected. It seemed that the Whale Rubber had indeed had an immediate effect on the Golden Generation's growth, and with Bibi Dong's resource allocation, the three's growth rate was significantly faster than their counterparts in the original story.

Upon reaching the entrance of the side hall, the gatekeeper showed a hint of surprise upon seeing him return, then quietly announced his arrival. A moment later, the door opened.

Bibi Dong sat behind her desk. Compared to a year ago, she looked almost unchanged; her face remained stern, and her gaze was still sharp. She put down her pen and looked up at the doorway.

Ning Buhui went in and bowed.

"I'm back," Bibi Dong said.

"Um."

"Didn't you say it would be at least two months and at most half a year? Calculate how long you've been gone?"

"Almost a year," Ning Buhui said. "I stayed in Star Luo City for two months, but then the plans changed, and I spent more than half a year deep in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, her gaze sweeping over him twice. She didn't ask why he'd been gone so long, nor what he'd encountered. She only asked one question, "What level are you?"

"Forty."

Bibi Dong was silent for a moment. Then she nodded slightly, the coldness on her face fading for a moment, as if there was a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction.

Tell me about your experiences this past year.

Ning Buhui recounted the most important events of the past year: the Star Luo City Soul Fighting Arena, the Silver Soul Fighter, the Soul Ancestor Group competition, and then entering the Star Dou Great Forest, where she spent half a year hunting Soul Beast in the rocky mountain area, leveling up from level 36 to level 40.

He spoke of it casually, but anyone listening could hear the hardships involved. A level 35 Soul Master challenging Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was something that would have been unthinkable before, yet he accomplished it.

After listening, Bibi Dong didn't press him about the parts he had deliberately omitted. She only asked, "Did you come back this time for your Fourth Soul Ring?"

"Yes," Ning Buhui said, "Because of my special circumstances, the required Soul Ring age is too high, and I cannot obtain it on my own. I can only trouble you, Master."

"You're quite impolite."

"It's all because the teacher spoils me." Ning Buhui scratched his head and chuckled, "This time, during my training trip, I discovered many of my shortcomings. I'll need the teacher's advice on choosing my Soul Ring."

Bibi Dong looked at him but didn't reply immediately. She picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"Tell me your own thoughts," she asked.

Ning Buhui frowned and said, "During this training trip, I found that my methods were somewhat inadequate against Soul Master and Soul Beast with Invincible Body. Once the opponent is immune to control, I will have a hard time fighting and can only fight a war of attrition. Therefore, I think it would be best to choose Soul Ring with a non-control type negative effect Soul Skill this time."

"That's a good idea, but these kinds of Soul Beast aren't easy to find."

"So I was hoping that the teacher, being knowledgeable and experienced, could offer some advice," Ning Buhui said.

"Go back and rest for a while. I'll make a list of Soul Beast for you. You can also go to the library and choose some that suit you." Bibi Dong waved her hand and said.

Ning Buhui rose, bowed, and turned to leave.

Emerging from the side hall, he stood on the steps, took a deep breath, and felt the cold, dry February wind fill his lungs. He then headed towards his quarters. Nearly a year had passed since he left, yet the house remained spotless, clearly regularly cleaned. He unloaded his belongings, took a bath, and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

During the year away from home, although I didn't have to worry about my safety every night, I still couldn't feel the same sense of relaxation as at home. My nerves were constantly on edge, afraid that I might accidentally get hurt. Now I can finally relax and rest a bit. Before I knew it, Ning Buhui had fallen into a deep sleep.