[In order to save money to buy whale Glue and increase the absorption limit of my second spirit ring, I began to use my identity as a Spirit Master to take on various part-time jobs and earn money.] The scene shifts.
The young Lin Qing began to appear in every corner of Nuoding City.
In the early morning, he helped load and unload goods at the warehouse by the city gate.
At noon, he went to the city’s martial arts hall to act as a sparring partner—restraining most of his strength, of course.
In the evening, he would even go to the pharmacy to help sort medicinal herbs.
“Mm.” In reality, Lin Qing nodded in approval.
“This is the right way.” Having a three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old incompatible first spirit ring was truly a desperate measure.
Therefore, he had to work hard to improve the quality of the second spirit ring.
Although thousand-year whale Glue was expensive, it was definitely worth the investment.
[In the time that followed, my daily routine consisted of repeating Cultivation and part-time work.
Occasionally, Xiao Wu would come looking for me and drag me along to buy carrots, which caused me a great deal of distress.] The narrator’s voice was filled with a sense of helplessness.
Seeing this, Lin Qing couldn’t help but rub his chin.
“The death of this parallel Lin Qing…
could it be because he got too close to Xiao Wu, was targeted by Tang Hao, and finally beaten to death?” It’s entirely possible!
That Haozi is quite petty.
Can’t afford to provoke him, really can’t.
[At nine and a half years old, my Soul Power Rank successfully broke through to Rank 20.] [At the same time, I used all the gold coins I had saved from working to buy thousand-year whale Glue.
After consuming it using the correct method, my physical fitness improved significantly.] [Due to consuming several pieces of whale Glue, I believed my Physique could absorb a thousand-year second spirit ring.] [This was no longer something the academy teachers could be responsible for, so I chose to hire a small Spirit hunting group to head to the Star Dou Great Forest for Spirit hunting.] A five-person Spirit Master team escorted the youth deep into the forest.
Fighting, searching, and fighting again.
[Finally, we successfully hunted a two-thousand-year-old Phantasm Fox.] It was a fox with a silvery-white body and eyes glowing with an eerie pink light, capable of various transformations.
When it fell to the ground, a purple spirit ring emerged beneath it.
Purple!
The hallmark of a thousand-year spirit ring!
[Two thousand years—the age was a bit high, but I still chose to take the risk.] [After enduring an hour of near-fatal agony, I finally succeeded in absorbing this thousand-year spirit ring and obtained an extremely compatible second Spirit Ability—Illusion!] The absorption process was much more difficult than the first time.
The youth’s whole body trembled, and fine beads of blood seeped from the surface of his skin.
But he held on.
When the purple spirit ring completely merged into his body, the markings of the Heavenly Eye turned into two.
One yellow, one purple.
“Hiss!” Seeing this, Lin Qing sucked in a breath of cold air.
“He actually did it.” Nine and a half years old, Rank 20, and a thousand-year second spirit ring.
No matter where this was placed, it was absolutely a Genius-level achievement.
While it didn’t compare to a monster like Tang San, it was still shocking enough.
“It seems the me in this parallel World has a rather hardworking personality.” A surge of complex emotions welled up in Lin Qing’s heart.
It was both admiration and a bit of regret.
Because he knew that this hardworking ‘self’ was already dead.
The last words continued.
[Due to having no background and no strength, I still chose to maintain a low profile.
Fortunately, my second Spirit Ability not only allows me to cast illusions but also to change the appearance of my spirit rings and myself.] In the image, the youth’s second spirit ring would be changed to yellow when released.
[I tried my best not to expose my second spirit ring casually.
I also continued to avoid deep contact with Tang San.] At the academy, the boy in blue would occasionally cast an inquisitive gaze.
But Lin Qing always nodded politely and distantly in greeting before walking away quickly.
[Until I was twelve years old, an accident forced me to expose my spirit rings.] Lin Qing sat up straight.
“What kind of accident?” He was very curious.
Exactly what happened to make this parallel Lin Qing, who had always acted cautiously, expose himself?
[At twelve years old, my Soul Power reached Rank 29, only one step away from Rank 30.] [On the day of graduation from Nuoding Academy, Xiao Wu invited me to go to Shrek Academy in Suotuo City with them.] “Lin Qing, are you really not coming to Shrek Academy with us?” Xiao Wu tugged at the youth’s sleeve, her eyes bright and sparkling.
“Even though the conditions there are a bit poor, the teachers are all very powerful!” “No.” The youth shook his head.
“I plan to…
head back to Emperor Soul Village first.” He looked toward the distant sky, his gaze somewhat drifting.
“See everyone, and then decide where to go.” [Xiao Wu said everyone was friends and noisily insisted on coming along.] “Then I’m going too!
I haven’t seen the village where you grew up yet!” “Xiao Wu, don’t be troublesome,” Tang San tried to dissuade her from the side.
“I’m going!
Lin Qing is my friend, what’s wrong with me going to take a look?” In the end, the girl in pink won.
[So, she and a helpless Tang San followed me back to Emperor Soul Village.] The scene shifts.
The familiar dirt road, the familiar old locust tree.
But the atmosphere of the village…
wasn’t right!
It was too quiet, eerily quiet.
[Upon returning to Emperor Soul Village, I discovered something strange: many households in the village were missing.] The youth walked along the village’s dirt road, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
The thatched cottages where smoke should have been rising were now empty.
Door panels were crooked, and window papers were tattered.
[Even Er Ni and Er Gouzi’s houses seemed to be abandoned.] That familiar courtyard.
The fence had fallen, and the house door was wide open.
Weeds grew thick inside; clearly, no one had lived there for a long time.
In reality, Lin Qing’s heart suddenly constricted.
“Er Ni…” He stared intently at the light and shadow screen, his breathing becoming rapid.
What happened to Er Ni?
[I asked the elderly people who remained in the village and only then learned that a major event had occurred in the village two years ago.] An old man leaning on a cane tremblingly recounted what had happened.
The old man’s voice was aged and sorrowful.
“That child Er Gouzi picked up a strange metal thing from the back mountain.
Holding it in his hand made his whole body feel full of vitality and comfort.” “Everyone said it was a treasure.” [Er Gouzi found a very strange, treasure-like piece of metal on the mountain, and news of this reached the ears of a group of Mountain Bandits.] [Later, the Mountain Bandits came to Emperor Soul Village.] The sound of horse hooves shook the heavens.
A dozen or so fierce-looking men charged into the village, beating people and looting everything in sight.
[The leader of the Mountain Bandits was a Rank 21 Spirit Grandmaster.] The leader was a one-eyed brute.
He released his Spirit—a hideous Earth Wolf.
Two yellow spirit rings floated up and down beneath his feet.
[They found Er Gouzi’s house and threatened him, demanding the treasure he had picked up.] “Hand it over!” The one-eyed brute kicked Aunt Li over.
Er Gouzi was lifted by his collar, trembling all over in fear.
“I…
I’ll give it to you…” He shakily pulled that piece of metal from his bosom.
[After getting the treasure, that bandit leader actually took a liking to Er Ni as well.] The one-eyed brute toyed with the metal, his eyes glancing toward the figure shrinking in the corner.
“This little girl is quite pretty.” He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
“Take her away!
She’ll be my bandit bride!” “No, don’t!” Er Ni screamed and backed away.
[Er Ni chose death over submission.] She grabbed a pair of scissors from the table and held them against her neck.
Her eyes were bloodshot and tears flowed freely, but her gaze was resolute.
“If you come any closer…
I’ll die right in front of you!” The one-eyed brute was stunned for a moment, then became humiliated and angry.
“Damn it!
You refuse a polite offer only to be forced!” He waved his hand sharply.
“Grab her for me!” Two bandits pounced forward.
[However, Er Ni chose to commit suicide.] The scissors pierced into her neck.
Blood spurted out.
The girl’s body slumped down softly.
Her eyes were still open, looking at the sky outside the door.