Chapter 15: Two Years Later

After beginning his cultivation under Zhang Lexuan, Ye Xixuan’s life at Shrek Academy gradually settled into a stable routine.

Most of the time, he lived in the Sea God’s Pavilion, making only one weekly trip to Tang Ya’s residence in Shrek City.

Tang Ya had rented a small, exquisite courtyard. Though it looked somewhat old, she greatly enjoyed the privacy it offered. Perhaps it was also because the courtyard resembled the style of the Tang Sect estate.

The lease lasted two years, precisely matching the period before she would take the entrance examination for Shrek Academy.

Over the following two years, Ye Xixuan formally came into contact with soul tools. Under Fan Yu’s guidance, he specialized in close-combat soul tools.

At first, Fan Yu had accepted Ye Xixuan only because the Sea God’s Pavilion had ordered him to do so. It did not take long, however, for Ye Xixuan’s talent to win him over—especially his gift for engraving core arrays.

What troubled him was that Ye Xixuan had absolutely no intention of studying any type of soul tool besides those meant for close combat. He showed no interest in ranged soul tools or fixed soul cannons. In fact, even among close-combat soul tools, he specialized solely in those with dark attributes.

According to Ye Xixuan, his sole purpose in learning to craft soul tools was to make the power of his first soul skill even greater.

Ultimately, soul tools were merely external aids. The martial soul was the foundation. With his talent in that regard, he would never lack soul skills with formidable destructive power in the future.

As for soul tools such as fixed soul cannons, learning how to use them was enough.

In this era, the people who truly stood at the pinnacle of humanity were still traditional soul masters. When an individual’s power surpassed everything else, so-called technology was nothing more than a joke.

According to the memories of his previous life, even Huo Yuhao had scarcely used soul tools in the later stages. Not everyone could become someone like Kong Deming.

Shrek Academy, outer courtyard Soul Engineering Department, Laboratory Twelve.

Ye Xixuan sat beside a massive matte-metal table, holding his hands before him.

A black, hexagonal metal block, only about the size of a walnut, floated strangely above his palms. It was as deep as obsidian, yet possessed a metallic sheen. Black currents of energy swirled around it. Whenever a strand drifted away and vanished, another fine line appeared upon the metal block.

The lines gradually joined together, forming a complex circuit—the core array, the most crucial component of a soul tool.

The black metal was naturally created through Ye Xixuan’s first soul skill, Shadow Condensation. He could transform it into any shape he desired. The grooves of a core array were, in essence, formed by using an engraving knife to alter the shape of the metal or gemstone serving as its base. Ultimately, the two methods led to the same result.

He was using his spiritual power in place of an engraving knife, carving the lines of the core array directly into the Shadow Condensation. Because it was an ability belonging to his own martial soul, his control was even more precise—provided his soul power and spiritual power could sustain the process.

Ye Xixuan stared intently at the black metal block hovering and shifting in midair. A trace of weariness appeared in his dark eyes. His body trembled slightly, and the metal block instantly shattered, dissolving into black currents that vanished without a trace.

“Just as I thought. My soul power still isn’t sufficient.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The Heart-Demon Markings covering his skin rapidly receded. With the amplification provided by this innate ability, his spiritual power could still hold out, but successfully engraving a third-grade core array truly required a greater cultivation of soul power.

“It seems it’s time to obtain my second soul ring.”

At that thought, Ye Xixuan rose from his chair.

Two years had passed. Nourished by abundant food and soul power, he had grown considerably taller. He now looked little different from an ordinary boy of eleven or twelve.

His soul power had reached rank twenty a month earlier. The reason he had not immediately gone to obtain a soul ring was that he had been waiting for Beibei.

Over the years, Beibei’s soul power had advanced just as rapidly—and Ye Xixuan was largely responsible for it.

It would be no exaggeration to say that Ye Xixuan’s Son of Light constitution had an effect on light-attribute soul masters comparable to the influence of the Emperor Auspicious Beast on the cultivation speed of the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest. Beibei often cultivated alongside him, and naturally received the greatest benefits. When Ye Xixuan had only just reached rank twenty, Beibei had entered the underground world beneath the Golden Tree to undergo secluded cultivation and break through the bottleneck at rank thirty.

Even now, however, Beibei had yet to emerge.

At that moment, a tall, broad-shouldered boy with dark skin entered Laboratory Twelve through its metal gate.

“Little Brother Ye, Senior Sister has come to fetch you again.”

“I know, Big Brother He.” Ye Xixuan gave the honest-looking, sturdy youth a slight nod.

The boy was He Caitou, Fan Yu’s only direct disciple. The two had met because they both studied soul tools under Fan Yu, and he appeared to be no different from the He Caitou in Ye Xixuan’s memories of his previous life.

As Ye Xixuan stepped out of the Soul Engineering Department’s laboratory, he immediately saw Zhang Lexuan standing outside in a pure white gown.

Zhang Lexuan was not particularly tall among female soul masters, but her gentle, otherworldly bearing was exceptionally striking. The moment she saw Ye Xixuan, a tender smile appeared on her breathtakingly beautiful face.

“Xixuan, Elder Mu wants me to take you to the Sea God’s Pavilion.”

“Has Senior Brother Beibei broken through?” Ye Xixuan asked without thinking, as though he had sensed it already.

Zhang Lexuan nodded. As she pulled Ye Xixuan into the air, she explained, “Although Beibei is one of Elder Mu’s descendants, the Radiant Sacred Dragon bloodline within him is not pure. Over the years, influenced by your constitution, the power of the Radiant Sacred Dragon bloodline in his body has gradually stabilized. Now that he is breaking through the bottleneck at rank thirty, Elder Mu intends for him to hunt a thousand-year dragon-type soul beast carrying the bloodline of the Radiant Sacred Dragon. That should allow his martial soul to evolve completely into a Radiant Sacred Dragon. Soul beasts possessing that bloodline can only possibly be found in the Star Dou Forest.”

Ye Xixuan naturally knew about his own constitution. Two years earlier, after he had absorbed his first soul ring in the underground world beneath the Golden Tree, Elder Mu had spoken with him about it in detail.

Zhang Lexuan had reached the Soul Sage realm long ago, which was enough to support brief flights through the void. With Ye Xixuan in tow, she soon returned to the Sea God’s Pavilion.

Besides Elder Mu and Beibei, Elder Xuan was also there, eating roast chicken and drinking wine.

Beibei looked spirited as he raised his brows at Ye Xixuan.

“Now that everyone is here, I’ll explain,” Elder Mu said kindly. “The soul ring Beibei needs must be sought in the Star Dou Forest. As for you, Xixuan, there is another place with soul beasts more suited to you—the Mingdou Forest, located in the southern part of the Star Luo Empire, at the border with the Sun Moon Empire. The Mingdou Forest is rich in powerful mutated soul beasts, including quite a few with dark attributes. Xuan Zi and Lexuan, take the two of them there separately.”

“Elder Mu, let Sister Lexuan take me. There’s no need to trouble Elder Xuan.”

Ye Xixuan’s heart gave a frightened thump. Anyone would panic at the thought of being escorted by Elder Xuan, that terrifying “Human-Shaped Whale.”

To everyone else, however, his request seemed perfectly reasonable. The Star Dou Forest was more dangerous, and having a rank-ninety-eight Super Douluo like Elder Xuan accompany them was obviously the safer choice.

Elder Xuan took another bite of his chicken leg without concern, while Beibei cast a surprised glance at Ye Xixuan.

Xixuan’s reaction seems a little excessive. Why would he still be worried with Elder Xuan accompanying him?

“I’ll take Xixuan to the Mingdou Forest,” Zhang Lexuan said at the same time, stepping forward of her own accord.

The way Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan had echoed one another finally allowed Beibei to vaguely realize what was happening.

When had this begun? Since when had Xixuan and Senior Sister become so close?

I was here first.