CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: REUNION WITH OLD CLASSMATE_1

"YAWN." Ruan Tian yawned. His dark circles were rather severe, but his spirits were high. "You went back early yesterday and missed the show."

"You were right; it was a sycophant, not someone being cheated on."

Ruan Tian chattered on, unstoppably telling Wang Linchi about what happened last night.

"The other guy immediately challenged Yan Ming King to a duel. The stakes? Yan Ming King would have to leave that renowned performing artist."

"And guess what Yan Ming King said?"

"His words—that he wouldn’t use a beauty as a betting chip—moved the renowned performing artist so deeply that she threw herself right into his arms."

"The challenger’s face immediately turned green."

"Given how things went, anyone could see who had won without even thinking. But the other party was still relentless and scheduled the duel for three days later."

"Of course, the stakes were changed."

Listening to this, Wang Linchi knew how these things usually went. That was why he’d left early last night instead of following Ruan Tian to watch the spectacle. It would have been pointless.

What good would watching have done anyway? What if he ended up attracting trouble?

He wasn’t affected by the aura surrounding Yan Ming King. It wouldn’t be good if the other party sensed something amiss about him.

"Where will the duel take place in three days?" Wang Linchi casually asked.

"On the arena stage in the Discussion Martial Hall. How about we take the day off to go watch? It’ll definitely be exciting!" Ruan Tian didn’t usually have many pastimes, but ever since Yan Ming King’s arrival, there had been plenty. Yan Ming King dueled every three days and fought every five, frequently bringing a lot of excitement to Yi Ning Prefecture.

"I’ll pass. It’s too bustling for me; I wouldn’t feel comfortable," Wang Linchi declined without hesitation.

His Soul Secret Technique was nearing perfection. It was best not to wander around stirring up trouble lately.

He had only just reached this stage of progress last night. Otherwise, he might have gone, though he would have definitely watched the excitement from a safe distance.

"Eh? You don’t seem like the type to be scared of crowds. You must have something else going on, right? Deliberately making excuses?" Ruan Tian smirked, a sly look on his face, clearly misunderstanding something.

The two were like partners in mischief, getting along harmoniously despite their age difference.

"Actually, I do have something," Wang Linchi nodded.

"Oh, you do? That’s a shame. Guess I’ll have to go watch alone then." Ruan Tian didn’t seem to mind much.

In his eyes, the two of them would likely just muddle through their lives here, unlike Mo Yan, who had aspired to become a combatant.

Ruan Tian had already embedded a common-grade Soul Kind in his Potential position and lacked a Soul Forging Method. This made him more than adequate as a clerk, but he knew he could never hope to be a fighter in this lifetime. Fortunately, he was a content person and hadn’t entertained thoughts of defying fate.

Ruan Tian had observed Wang Linchi’s attitude recently and felt that Wang Linchi was the same type of person as himself—not the restless sort. That’s why whenever something fun or interesting came up, he would always ask Wang Linchi to join him.

Having a companion always makes things more lively.

However, since Wang Linchi said he had something to do, Ruan Tian wouldn’t insist. If Wang Linchi didn’t elaborate, he wouldn’t press for details.

As for offering to help if Wang Linchi needed anything, Ruan Tian wouldn’t say such things yet. They had only been colleagues for a month, so he naturally wouldn’t offer to take on all responsibilities. He would wait until their relationship deepened before making such offers.

「In what felt like the blink of an eye, it was time to get off work.」

Wang Linchi returned to his dormitory. Thanks to his connections, he had been assigned a single room. At one hundred square meters, it was spacious enough for one person.

Upon entering, he saw a familiar face.

"Old classmate! You came to Yi Ning Prefecture, why didn’t you let me know?"

The visitor was none other than Yan Ming King, who looked as if he had been waiting for quite some time.

"You only just returned yourself. Even if I wanted to find you, old classmate, I wouldn’t have known where to look," Wang Linchi said, a practiced smile on his face.

He stepped inside and casually closed the door before asking in a low voice, "I heard you have a duel in three days?"

"News certainly travels fast." Yan Ming King was momentarily surprised, then added, "But I’m confident about this duel. He’s just a pig fattened up on resources."

"Of course. You’re the foremost prodigy of the Hundred Prefectures, old classmate. For someone to be so blind as to challenge you—they’re simply courting death," Wang Linchi said, offering a bit of flattery.

Yan Ming King was clearly pleased by this. He then asked, "I was wondering, old classmate, have you made any headway on the fourth-generation Soul Seed Boiling?"

The Soul Skill, Soul Seed Boiling, had been of immense help to Yan Ming King. However, the third-generation version had him stuck at LV3. While it provided a thirty percent enhancement, he craved more.

Thus, upon learning through his connections that Wang Linchi had arrived in Yi Ning Prefecture, he had come over without a second thought.

"No. The fourth generation requires an Epic Level Soul Kind as a sample. You know my situation; the highest I can access is the Excellent Level. So, I gave up on it a long time ago." Wang Linchi spread his hands, feigning helplessness.

He did, in fact, possess an Epic Level Soul Kind, but this was something he absolutely could not reveal. He wasn’t sure if Feng Zhu knew about it. However, regardless of whether Feng Zhu knew or not, the man hadn’t made any moves, which suggested he didn’t care about the matter.

Yan Ming King paused for a moment upon hearing this. Give up? How could he just give up? However, on further reflection, he realized that obtaining an Epic Level Soul Kind would indeed be a major challenge for Wang Linchi.

"If—and I’m saying if—I were to provide you with an Epic Level Soul Kind, what are your chances of developing it?" Yan Ming King wasn’t about to give up; after all, this was a way for him to become stronger.

For Wang Linchi, an Epic Level Soul Kind was beyond his reach. For Yan Ming King, however, it was merely a somewhat more precious resource.

"Just an Epic Level Soul Kind isn’t enough. I’d also need Excellent Level and Excellent Level Soul Kinds, along with other resources and a fully equipped laboratory. Developing a Soul Skill isn’t that simple. Back at the academy, I had their support and didn’t have to worry about such things. Now, even if you gave me an Epic Level Soul Kind, I couldn’t do anything if the other conditions aren’t met," Wang Linchi explained matter-of-factly.

"This... What if I were to fund you? With all the necessary conditions met, how long would it take you to complete it?" Yan Ming King was well aware that Soul Skill development, especially research, was incredibly expensive.

"Let me think..."

"If everything goes smoothly, the fourth generation could probably be developed within a year," Wang Linchi said, giving a conservative estimate.

"If you were to join my Ming King Palace, then..." Yan Ming King began, immediately trying to recruit him.

"Old classmate, that’s where you’re mistaken. Just look at how many people you’ve offended. If I were to actually join your Ming King Palace, I wouldn’t last long. As for developing the fourth-generation Soul Seed Boiling, that would have to be done in secret. Our association cannot be revealed; otherwise, I won’t do it."

"You know my life is quite comfortable as it is. If it weren’t for our old friendship, I wouldn’t even consider taking such a risk to help you." Wang Linchi naturally wasn’t going to let Yan Ming King dictate terms.

If he really joined the Ming King Palace, he’d lose his current job. A position that offered such privileged access to a large number of Soul Kinds wasn’t easy to come by.

Yan Ming King gazed intently at Wang Linchi for a moment before saying, "I’ll go back and consider it."