Inside Illustrious Virtue Hall, Lin Xiao sat at the experiment table, his carving knife dancing in his hand. Strands of metal shavings fell rapidly from between his fingers, and soon, a soul tool core gradually took shape in his hands.
Exhaling lightly, Lin Xiao placed the newly formed soul tool core in front of him. There were already two identical cores on the table.
He lightly tapped with his hand, and as soul power was infused, the newly crafted soul tool core emitted a gentle milky-white glow. The other two cores, though not in direct contact, also trembled slightly, with crystalline light shimmering faintly.
It was done.
A glint flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and he finally felt at ease.
The core of an array soul tool differed from other soul tools primarily in the mutual transmission of soul power between different soul tools. Achieving this through a soul tool array was no easy feat.
Though it seemed simple, it had taken Lin Xiao a full two and a half years to go from studying and experimenting to successfully creating it. Now, he was a certified Level 5 Soul Engineer at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. According to Jing Hongchen, if he could complete a full set of array soul tools, he would be able to step into the ranks of Level 6 Soul Engineers.
However, time was no longer sufficient for him to attempt it. If this attempt had failed, he had even planned to temporarily set aside his soul tool research.
Glancing around, he saw the other soul engineers engrossed in their experiments at their tables. Over the past two and a half years, they had grown accustomed to Lin Xiao, the intern student, and few paid him any attention.
Quietly standing up, Lin Xiao picked up the soul tool cores from the table and walked into the nearby corridor.
"Why are you back so early today? Run into some problem?"
In the soul tool testing area, Lin Jiayi looked at Lin Xiao, who had arrived earlier than usual, with a hint of curiosity.
Lin Xiao glanced to the side, where two students were enthusiastically testing their newly crafted soul tools. They were Lin Jiayi's new disciples over the past two years.
"No, Teacher. I came here to request a long leave."
"A leave?" Lin Jiayi frowned. "How long? You have the opportunity to study in Illustrious Virtue Hall right now. Leaving the academy would be a waste of that opportunity."
"I know, Teacher, but I am still a soul master," Lin Xiao said, his eyes flickering. "As for the duration, I'm not sure. Maybe half a year, or perhaps a year."
"That long?" Lin Jiayi's frown deepened. "Why not wait a bit longer? The Illustrious Virtue Hall assessment is just around the corner. With your current level, getting into Illustrious Virtue Hall shouldn't be too difficult."
Lin Xiao shook his head. It was almost the end of the year, and he wasn't certain when the event from his memory would happen. It was better to act sooner.
Seeing Lin Xiao's insistence, Lin Jiayi fell silent for a moment. "Alright, I approve. Go pack up quickly."
"Yes, Teacher."
"Oh, by the way," Lin Jiayi called out as Lin Xiao started to leave.
"Teacher?"
"When you're done with your business, come back as soon as possible. You might still have a chance to participate in the next Illustrious Virtue Hall assessment."
"I understand, Teacher."
Lin Xiao nodded and turned to leave. A few steps later, he ran into Ji Juechen, who was heading this way. Over the past two years, Ji Juechen's aura had become increasingly restrained, and he made fewer moves, sparking some discussions among others. However, Ji Juechen himself offered no explanations and remained as he always had.
"Want to spar?"
"Next time. I'm leaving for a while. We'll have a match when I get back."
"Alright." Ji Juechen didn't ask further, simply nodding and heading toward the arena.
Lin Xiao glanced over. The arena had many new faces, while those familiar to him were changing day by day. Though it didn't seem much different from before, Lin Xiao had a feeling that, soon enough, this world might undergo some changes unlike anything before.
Back in his dormitory, Lin Xiao didn't have much to pack. He merely gathered some scattered parts around him and checked his storage soul tool.
Inside were items he might need, the most eye-catching being a large number of Star Soul Ingots, gleaming like stars. Some were engraved with various complex array patterns, their specific functions unclear.
Lin Xiao gave a slight smile. Over the past two years, his greatest satisfaction came from his research on Star Soul Ingots. Not only had he managed to obtain more raw materials from Shangguan Qing to refine new ones, but he had also discovered many of their wondrous uses. Unfortunately, these uses wouldn't be revealed to others for now.
After carefully inspecting the dormitory to ensure nothing was left behind, Lin Xiao finally turned and left the room.
The Holy Spirit Cult's branch altar in Mingdu City had undergone significant changes. The underground hall had expanded considerably, with many new disciples, though only Nightmare Douluo remained as the sole elder.
Lin Xiao guessed that, with the Holy Spirit Cult's expansion over the past two years, new branch altars had been established across the Sun Moon Empire, and the other elders were likely stationed elsewhere.
"I told you back then not to rush, but I didn't expect you to actually wait this long," Nightmare Douluo said slowly from within the altar, his voice growing increasingly hoarse. "This trip of yours, it's to prepare for the final step toward breaking through to the Soul Sage bottleneck, isn't it?"
"Yes," Lin Xiao didn't deny it.
The higher one's cultivation, the slower meditation became. Over two and a half years, while researching soul tools and cultivating without any external aids, he had risen six levels through meditation alone, reaching Level 69. Such talent was already quite impressive.
To have strength close to a Soul Sage in his early twenties was something not all students at Shrek Academy could achieve. However, in the Holy Spirit Cult, with its "diverse" cultivation methods, this wasn't considered particularly outstanding.
"Very well. I won't go back on the promise I made to you. But, as I said before, don't leave too obvious traces. If you need a soul ring, come back, and I'll lend you a hand," Nightmare Douluo said, eyeing Lin Xiao up and down.
"Thank you, Teacher. I understand."
"Go on, then."
Nightmare Douluo waved his hand, and Lin Xiao took a couple of steps back before turning to leave.
It wasn't until his figure disappeared that Nightmare Douluo opened his eyes again, staring in the direction Lin Xiao had gone.
Lin Xiao didn't know what happened after he left, and even if he did, he likely wouldn't show any reaction. At this moment, he was already outside Mingdu City. The nozzles of the flight soul tool on his back spewed incandescent streams, and the folded wings at his sides sliced through the air, carrying his figure into the sky.
Looking at the ever-changing scenery below, a sense of exhilaration rose in his heart.
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