Lin Xishan bowed again, turned, and walked outside.
"Wait a moment!"
Just as Lin Xishan was about to step out of the Elder Hall, Lion Douluo suddenly called out to him.
"What is it? Teacher." Lin Xishan asked, looking back.
"Sigh, look at you, so weak, yet you want to set up your own faction. You're just a Spirit Emperor; if someone comes looking for trouble, they'll kill you." Lion Douluo said, tossing a golden token engraved with an angel to Lin Xishan.
"Take it. If you run into someone you can't handle, you can use this token to find help at the Spirit Hall in Heaven Dou City." Lion Douluo said.
"Thank you, Teacher." Lin Xishan rubbed the token, smiled, and then said, "However, I don't think I'll need this token."
"I told you to take it, so take it. Why so much nonsense?! If you don't get out now, I'll kick you out." Lion Douluo said irritably.
Lin Xishan smiled, then turned and left.
Having spoken his mind, Lin Xishan felt much more comfortable.
Besides, Qian Daoliu didn't object, which was not bad.
After seeing Qian Renxue, Lin Xishan had been thinking about this matter the whole way back. He had to repay the debt to the Qian family, but he couldn't fully commit himself.
Following that madwoman Bibi Dong meant he wouldn't even know how he died. As for Qian Daoliu, just like what he saw today, he was too civilized to accomplish anything significant.
Neither side had a good path forward, so it was better to maintain a relationship with the Elder Hall and then strike out on his own.
Even if he had to imitate the late Qing Dynasty at first—using the resources of the faction to buy the favor of the Elder Hall—that was still better than getting stuck himself.
Before that, it wouldn't be bad to lightly stir up some trouble for Bibi Dong.
With his mind made up, Lin Xishan turned and headed toward Spirit Hall Academy.
At this moment, the future "Golden Generation" of Spirit Hall happened to be walking this way.
Xie Yue and Yan recognized Lin Xishan at a glance, and the three of them stopped almost simultaneously.
"It's you!" Hu Liena had grown taller and more graceful, and with the foundation laid by her second spirit ring, she looked even more beautiful. She immediately pounced on him.
Lin Xishan only felt a fragrant body throw itself into his arms, followed by a furry sensation rubbing against his chin.
"I missed you so much! You didn't even write to me, you bad person!" Hu Liena said, looking at Lin Xishan.
The expressions of Xie Yue and Yan were a bit stiff. Especially Yan; seeing Hu Liena's actions, it felt as if something had shattered inside him.
"Haha, I've been through a lot this year. I went to places where even beasts might not be able to climb, let alone people." Lin Xishan stroked Hu Liena's fox ears.
"Your aura has improved a lot. What is your cultivation level now?" Xie Yue asked, looking at Lin Xishan with curiosity.
"Level 66 Battle Spirit Emperor." Lin Xishan said.
"Si—sixty-six!"
It wasn't just Xie Yue and Yan; even Hu Liena in his arms raised her head and looked at Lin Xishan in surprise.
"Yeah, I've been running around all this time, so I've neglected my cultivation a bit." Lin Xishan explained.
"If you hadn't neglected your cultivation, I'm afraid you'd be aiming for Titled Douluo by now." Yan complained.
"Exactly, we've only just entered the Spirit Ancestor realm." Xie Yue said.
"You two are quite in sync." Lin Xishan smiled, then said, "Since that's the case, do you want to join me?"
"Join you?" Xie Yue and Yan raised their heads to look at Lin Xishan, then repeated the question.
"Yes, I want to establish my own force. A force as solid as a mountain that protects everyone within it from being bullied." Lin Xishan said.
"That sounds interesting!" Hu Liena said with a smile, "Count me in!"
"Nana can't just leave with you by herself." Yan hesitated and said.
"Well, I'm not going." Xie Yue said at this moment.
"Why, Brother?" Hu Liena asked, puzzled.
"Just like what Lin Xishan once said to you, he won't forget whose rice he ate. We still owe a debt of gratitude to Spirit Hall. It's not appropriate for all three of us to leave." Xie Yue said.
"But, but if that's the case..." Hu Liena hesitated.
"Nana, just follow Brother Lin. Brother Lin is definitely not someone who will remain in a small pond. I will repay the things Spirit Hall has provided us." Xie Yue said.
"By the way, Xie Yue, can you still contact the teacher who helped us hunt spirits?" Lin Xishan asked.
"Of course, that teacher hasn't been transferred." Xie Yue said.
"Then, please give this to him." Lin Xishan took out a card and said to him, "You're right, I really do need to repay his kindness first."
That card contained fifty thousand gold coins, more than enough to hire a Spirit Master to help with spirit hunting. Lin Xishan didn't have much to give right now, and giving an Immortal Herb would be too outrageous; that Spirit Saint would find it hard to keep such a secret.
It was better to give some tangible money.
The next morning, on the carriage.
"By the way, are you sure it's okay for you two to just leave like this?" Lin Xishan asked.
"It's fine. Although it sounds heartless, we are actually still in the final stage of the assessment. It's no problem to just submit a written application to withdraw from the assessment and leave." Yan said.
Hu Liena was still a bit sleepy at this moment and fell asleep leaning on Lin Xishan's shoulder.
Lin Xishan gently moved her head to the other side and rolled up his own clothes to use as a pillow for her.
"You're actually being picky about Nana!" Yan said, watching from the opposite side, lowering his voice in anger.
"If she stays like that, she'll get a stiff neck. Love is about taking care, not just indulging." Lin Xishan said.
"You... fine, you win!" Yan said, speechless.
At noon, by a small stream.
"Old Yan, start a fire." Lin Xishan greeted Yan while scraping the fish scales with a dagger.
"It's not like you don't have a fire starter, why do you have to make me start the fire!" Yan complained, but still lit the fire.
"Look at you, you've already done it, why do you have to complain? You don't get any credit for doing it." Lin Xishan said, "Nana caught the fish in the river, and I processed it. Don't you have to contribute something? Otherwise, how can you eat it?"
"What's there to be unable to eat? If you have a good appetite, you can eat anything!" Yan sat down carelessly, watching Lin Xishan throw pieces of sliced fish into the pot.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll ignore you." Hu Liena walked over with her bare, white feet, sat down gracefully, and said after changing her shoes.
"Alright, to save some money, I'll have to wrong you two original shareholders. Once the business in Heaven Dou City is stable, I will compensate you both."
Lin Xishan said while putting the fish into the pot.
"That's more like it. But it doesn't matter, this fish stew of yours is quite fragrant." Yan, who was not a petty person, added some fire and said.
Walking along the way like this, they finally arrived at Heaven Dou City.