Chapter 26:
Xiao Wu was too stunned to speak. She cultivated through dual cultivation, and with her heightened sensitivity as a transformed soul beast, she couldn't possibly miss the terrifying bloodline aura Lin Bai exuded. Even if he wasn't a transformed soul beast himself, he had to be deeply connected to them.
Her curiosity piqued, she secretly cracked open her eyes and stole a glance at Lin Bai. His strikingly handsome face, coupled with his natural confidence and masculine aura, sent a shiver down her spine. Unconsciously, she pressed her legs together and forced herself to focus on refining her origin.
Meanwhile, Lin Bai had also caught sight of Xiao Wu's martial spirit—a pink-eyed white rabbit with an alluring presence. However, hidden beneath its charm was a formidable power: the essence of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. As their soul power intertwined, the immense energy within Xiao Wu's body was continuously refined, transforming into pure soul power and accelerating her cultivation.
The first session of dual cultivation, even if it was purely focused on soul power, was always the most effective.
Lin Bai couldn't immediately gauge the extent of his own progress, as he hadn't yet acquired his second soul ring. However, the fluctuations in Xiao Wu's soul power were undeniable.
Level 18... Level 19... Level 20!
Xiao Wu's breakthrough was rapid, her soul power surging at an astonishing rate upon coming into contact with Lin Bai's. A faint yellow soul ring appeared around her as she reached the critical threshold for her next advancement. Unlike regular soul masters, transformed soul beasts did not need to hunt for soul rings. Instead, they could manifest their own, perfectly suited to their needs, through refining their origin.
Just as Xiao Wu was about to condense her second soul ring, Lin Bai abruptly withdrew his soul power and stopped her.
"Xiao Wu, stop."
Her eyes fluttered open, slightly dazed. Her pink lips parted as she let out a confused sound, a thin thread of saliva connecting them momentarily before she absentmindedly wiped it away. "Huh? Why did you stop?"
Lin Bai resisted the urge to flick her forehead and leaned in closer, his voice low. "This isn't the place to condense a soul ring. We'll go to the Star Dou Forest tomorrow. You can condense your soul ring there, and I'll hunt for mine as well."
"Oh, okay..."
Still intoxicated by the exhilarating rush of cultivation, Xiao Wu agreed absentmindedly. Only when the familiar noises of the dormitory reached her ears did she fully regain her senses. Her pupils refocused as she became aware of her surroundings.
She quickly realized that many of the work-study students had been sneaking glances at them. While Lin Bai and Tang San's earlier duel had established a level of intimidation, preventing them from making crude jokes, their curiosity was undeniable.
After all, they had just witnessed Lin Bai and Xiao Wu sitting on the same bed, seemingly engaged in an intimate exchange for over half an hour. It was enough to fuel countless rumors.
And in a place like Qishe, filled with boys around the age of twelve—an age when noble families often arranged engagements—those rumors wouldn't be innocent.
Xiao Wu's expression darkened. She shot up from Lin Bai's bed, one hand on her hip while the other swept across the room in a warning gesture. "What are you all looking at?! Stare any longer, and Sister Xiao Wu will make sure you regret it!"
The dorm immediately fell silent. Every head lowered in feigned indifference, avoiding her gaze as if their lives depended on it.
Xiao Wu huffed in satisfaction, then turned to Lin Bai and puffed out her chest, smugly asserting her dominance.
Lin Bai merely rolled his eyes and got up. "If you're done, we can leave today."
"Then I'm going to get permission!"
Without waiting, Xiao Wu hopped off the bed, slipped into her pink cloth shoes, and dashed out of Qishe.
Her leave request was quickly approved. As one of the academy's three innate full soul power geniuses, she was a prized student. As long as her requests weren't unreasonable, the academy had no reason to deny her.
When Tang San returned from Yu Xiaogang's dormitory, he was met with surprising news.
"Xiao Wu is going to get her second soul ring?" He froze in shock. "She reached level 20?!"
His mind raced. He had trained to his absolute limit every single day, yet he was still behind?
Tang San clenched his fists. He was already aware that Lin Bai's progress was abnormal, but now even Xiao Wu was surpassing him? It was clear now—no matter how hard he worked, there was a stark difference between those who possessed cheats and those who didn't.
Still, he refused to accept it. Gritting his teeth, he resolved to push himself even harder.
—
On the road, outside Notting City.
Inside a carriage, Lin Bai leaned back with his eyes closed, resting.
Xiao Wu, still processing everything, suddenly spoke up. "Why are we going to the Star Dou Forest? Isn't there a Soul Hunting Forest nearby?"
Lin Bai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "How old do you think the soul ring you were about to condense was?"
Xiao Wu thought for a moment. "Around seven hundred years, I guess?"
Lin Bai nodded. "That's already above the recommended limit for normal soul masters. You should have noticed how strong my body is during our cultivation. I can handle a thousand-year soul ring. But the Soul Hunting Forest mostly has century-old soul beasts. Thousand-year soul beasts are rare there. If I want a proper soul ring, I need to go to the Star Dou Forest."
Xiao Wu blinked, then suddenly looked at him with suspicion. "Wait... The Star Dou Forest isn't far from Notting City. That's where I came from."
She hugged her knees, her expression shifting slightly. Given that Lin Bai already knew about her identity as a transformed soul beast, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Lin Bai, feigning casual curiosity, smirked. "By the way, why did I sense two different martial souls inside you? Are you a twin martial soul user?"
Xiao Wu tilted her head. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? You also had two different martial souls just now. Are you a twin martial soul user?"
Lin Bai chuckled. "Something like that. Keep it a secret for me. Otherwise, it might cause some unnecessary trouble."
Xiao Wu grinned mischievously. "Then you'd better start treating me like your big sister!"
"Hah. Keep dreaming, little maid."
—
The two continued chatting as they traveled, alternating between resting and practicing. Along the way, they paused to cultivate together, allowing Xiao Wu to condense a 750-year-old second soul ring.
Three days later, they arrived at a small town near the Star Dou Forest.
After returning their carriage, they slipped into the forest under the cover of night.
The Star Dou Forest was far more dangerous at night—most soul beasts hunted during this time, making soul masters prime targets.
Yet, Xiao Wu finally witnessed Lin Bai's true strength.
Under the pitch-black sky, Lin Bai's mental power controlled thirteen elongated Ruyi Universe Spears, exuding an overwhelming killing intent. Soul beasts in the vicinity instinctively backed away, clearing a path for him.
Only a few metal-attribute soul beasts, feeling challenged by his aura, dared to approach.
In the outer perimeter of the forest, most soul beasts were under a thousand years old. With Lin Bai's mental strength rivaling that of a Soul King, even thousand-year-old soul beasts posed no threat to him.
Deep within the core region, however, a towering 20-meter Titan Giant Ape stirred.
It sniffed the air, its deep voice rumbling with excitement. "Sister Xiao Wu's scent! She's back in the Star Dou Forest!"
Without hesitation, it pounded the ground, leaving a massive crater in its wake. Ignoring the calls of its companion, the Sky Azure Bull Python, it tore through the dense forest, heading straight for the outer region.
At the same time, beneath a vast lake, a massive hundred-meter-long python surfaced. It watched the Titan Giant Ape's departure but didn't stop it.
After all, it missed Sister Xiao Wu too.
**********
if you want to read more there's 15, 30, 50 chapters there of my written fanfictions and translated works in my Pat.Reon.
Here is the link:
https://patreon.com/LordFisherman?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
And if you can't find it just type my name: patreon.com/LordFisherman