Chapter 30: Taotie Douluo, Xuan Zi
The look of anticipation on Xu Sanshi's face instantly froze.
He blinked, as if he hadn't heard clearly, or perhaps he had heard but his brain refused to process it.
Lin Xuan no longer looked at him. He turned around decisively and strode out of the tunnel.
"Eh? Junior? Wait! Is there some deep meaning behind those words? It's a metaphor, right? Or is it some kind of... new pursuit technique?"
Xu Sanshi asked blankly from behind.
Lin Xuan didn't look back; he just waved his hand casually with his back turned to him.
"Figure it out yourself."
He's hopeless.
Just wait for death.
Farewell... Walking out of the Soul Dueling Arena, a cool night breeze brushed against his face, slightly dispersing the noise and heat from inside.
Just as Lin Xuan was about to return to the dormitory, he saw Han Ruoruo standing quietly under a simple, old-fashioned street lamp not far away.
The dim yellow light spilled over her like water, outlining her slender and elegant silhouette, forming a sharp contrast with the deepening night around her.
The halo touched the tips of her hair and her shoulder line. Even though she was just standing casually, she possessed an elegant and quiet beauty, like a secluded orchid blooming alone in the night.
"Senior?"
Lin Xuan approached, somewhat puzzled. "Why didn't you go with them, and why haven't you returned to the Inner Court?"
Han Ruoruo turned her head and gave him a slight smile. That smile looked exceptionally soft under the lamplight.
"I was waiting for you. Someone wants to meet you."
"Someone wants to see me?" Lin Xuan was taken aback.
Who would need to pass a message through Han Ruoruo? A teacher from the Inner Court? Or... Just as this thought flashed through his mind—
Boom!!!
An unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly pierced into his spine like an ice pick! It was as if he were being stared at by some prehistoric giant beast in the darkness; his soul was screaming!
There was no time to think, nor could he even see where the threat was coming from.
It was purely a combat instinct honed over two lifetimes on the edge of life and death that drove Lin Xuan's body to react.
"Shadow Substitute!"
The second Soul Ring under his feet flickered slightly, and Lin Xuan's figure instantly vanished from the spot.
Almost at the same instant—
A withered, grease-stained hand quietly reached out from behind where he had just been standing and made a gentle grab.
However, it only caught a clump of soft white fur that suddenly exploded.
"Hmm?"
A slightly surprised exclamation sounded.
Dozens of meters away, Lin Xuan's figure emerged. He landed with one knee slightly bent, his breathing steady, but his eyes were as sharp as knives.
His hands formed a hand seal in front of him to summon Mahoraga, his gaze locked firmly onto the direction from which the crisis had come.
Only then did he see the attacker.
It was a slovenly-looking old man with an old grey robe and hair as messy as grass. He held a wine gourd in one hand, and in the other... he was pinching a struggling, fluffy Tu Tu.
The old man looked down at the rabbit that had suddenly appeared in his hand, then looked up at Lin Xuan, who was facing a great enemy dozens of meters away. A flash of surprise passed through his cloudy eyes, followed by deep interest and appreciation.
"Not a bad reaction, kid."
He grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow by wine, and laughed cheerfully.
"I was just saying hello, but you slipped away faster than a rabbit."
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted slightly.
Chicken legs, a wine gourd, a slovenly appearance, elusive movements, and that unfathomable aura like an abyss... a name instantly jumped into his mind.
Xuan Zi.
One of Shrek Academy's highest combat powers, the Taotie Douluo, an Elder of the Sea God Pavilion.
Han Ruoruo also walked over quickly at this time, first bowing respectfully to Xuan Zi.
"Elder Xuan."
She then turned to Lin Xuan. "Junior Lin Xuan, this is Elder Xuan, an Elder of the Sea God Pavilion. He didn't mean to scare you just now; Elder Xuan just wanted to test your reactions personally."
Xuan Zi casually placed the Tu Tu on the ground. The rabbit turned into a black shadow, scurried back to Lin Xuan's feet, merged into the shadow, and disappeared.
He looked Lin Xuan up and down with great interest, especially at the hand seal he had never displayed at Shrek Academy.
"Kid, your reaction isn't quite right."
Xuan Zi took a swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and a hint of playfulness flashed in his squinted eyes.
"After escaping danger, instead of keeping your distance to observe, you immediately assumed an offensive posture... This is Shrek Academy."
"What, do you not trust the academy's security, or do you subconsciously feel that you will encounter a fatal threat even within the academy?"
This old fellow looks muddled, but his mind is frighteningly sharp... Lin Xuan's heart tightened, but his face remained calm.
He slowly withdrew his hand seal posture and gave Xuan Zi a solemn bow, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.
"To answer Elder Xuan, I have survived on my own since childhood. My Soul Rings were all obtained through fighting on the edge of life and death. Over time, I developed the habit of being constantly vigilant and ready to counterattack. Just now, it was an instinctive reaction in a moment of urgency. I ask for Elder Xuan's forgiveness."
"That makes sense."
Xuan Zi squinted and nodded cheerfully.
"I was already over twenty when I was constantly on edge like you. The younger generation is truly to be feared."
His tone shifted, and his cloudy gaze suddenly became clear and sharp.
"However, I am more interested in that punch you used to send Xu Sanshi flying."
"The Soul Power was condensed without dispersing, and upon impact, it actually distorted space, exploding with black and red lightning..."
Xuan Zi paced half a step forward and looked at Lin Xuan, asking,
"Kid, what is that move called? Did you create it yourself?"
Lin Xuan was silent for a moment before answering frankly,
"That move, I call it 'Black Flash'."
"Black Flash..." Xuan Zi repeated in a low voice, the light in his eyes growing even brighter. "The name is quite fitting. How did you train it?"
"It wasn't through deliberate training."
Lin Xuan had already prepared his explanation, and his tone was steady.
"My Martial Soul is special, mainly relying on summoning Shikigami to fight. Therefore, to make up for my own shortcomings in close combat, I have spent a long time exploring how to bestow some characteristics of the Shikigami upon myself, performing high-intensity physical training."
"Later, during a life-and-death struggle with a Soul Beast, the Soul Power eruption and the timing of the strike happened to coincide to a certain extreme, producing this effect. Since then, although I have occasionally performed it again, it is always difficult to control freely. I can only try to get infinitely close to it."
Xuan Zi rubbed his chin and took a sip of wine, seemingly digesting this explanation.
"Not bad, not bad. After knowing your shortcomings, instead of thinking about hiding them, you went to improve. Good kid, you have guts. No wonder your physical techniques are so strong."
He muttered, then shook his head again.
"However, I don't quite believe you when you say it's hard to control. How can there be a move in this world that relies entirely on luck? There is only one reason you can't master it, and that is that you are not strong enough."
Lin Xuan actually quite agreed with this. In the end, failing to produce a Black Flash was due to insufficient control over his body and Martial Soul.
For example, the "Legendary Black Flash King" Yuji Itadori; as long as he was in the right state, hitting a Black Flash was like child's play, and he had used Black Flash to pummel Mahito into the ground.
Xuan Zi suddenly grinned.
"How about this, kid? I've been quite free lately. I'll be your sparring partner for a few days and help you figure out the tricks of this 'Black Flash'. What do you say?"
Lin Xuan was stunned.
A rank ninety-eight super Douluo as a sparring partner? This condition was a bit too good to be true.
Xuan Zi seemed to see his doubts. He chuckled and fished out a palm-sized, simple wooden box from his robe, tossing it over.
"I won't let you consume your Soul Power for nothing. This can be considered payment."
Lin Xuan caught the wooden box. It felt warm to the touch, with a faint glow circulating over it.
Before he could even open it, Han Ruoruo, who was nearby, let out a soft exclamation.
"Golden Ancient Tree Young Leaf Tea?"
She looked at Lin Xuan with surprise and envy in her eyes as she explained,
"This tea must be specially made from the young leaves of the golden ancient tree on Sea God Island. It contains pure light aura and vast life energy. It is a top-tier treasure for consolidating one's foundation and nourishing the divine soul. In the entire academy, only Elder Mu is qualified to harvest and produce it, and the output is extremely low."
Lin Xuan's heart stirred slightly.
golden ancient tree? Light and Life attributes?
The essence of his Martial Soul, the "Ten Shadows Technique," was to control shadows. Although often associated with "darkness," it was actually closer to the "back side of light."
The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow.
This extreme Light and Life aura might not only fail to conflict with him but could instead stimulate the activity of his Martial Soul, allowing for refinement.
Moreover, the personal sparring of a rank ninety-eight super Douluo had a value that simply couldn't be measured by external objects.
No matter which way he looked at it, he was getting a huge bargain.
In a flash of thought, Lin Xuan made his decision.
He gripped the wooden box and bowed to Xuan Zi once more.
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Xuan. I am willing to try."
"Splendid!" Xuan Zi laughed heartily and took another large gulp of wine. "Since we've agreed, let's start now."
With that, Xuan Zi grabbed Lin Xuan's shoulder.
The next moment, the world spun!
The surrounding scenery was like it had been crushed and reorganized by an invisible giant hand, with light and shadow stretching into blurred bands of color.
When his vision became clear again, Lin Xuan found himself standing on a completely unfamiliar and wide Soul Dueling Platform.
Xuan Zi had already appeared at the other end of the platform, standing with his hands behind his back.
"This is the Soul Dueling Area exclusive to the Inner Court. Few people come here normally. From now on, you can come here at this time every day. If I'm not here, you can find Han Ruoruo."
He patted the wine gourd at his waist and continued,
"Alright, don't just stand there. Use all those skills from your shadows, and that 'Black Flash' or whatever it's called."
"Let me see just how many things you're hiding, kid."
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Within his chest, battle intent surged.
He no longer hesitated. He exerted force with his feet, his body sinking slightly.
The Soul Power inside him surged like an undercurrent. Three Soul Rings—purple, purple, and black—emerged in sequence under his feet, their dark light flowing.
Shadows quietly spread from where he stood, like ink dripping into water, silently soaking the surface of the platform.
"In that case—"
Lin Xuan looked up, the calm in his eyes completely fading, replaced by a sharpness like an unsheathed blade.
"Elder, please excuse my rudeness!"
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