"Yu Xiaogang—you know him, right?"
"He's that so-called renowned master of Martial Soul theory. He even wrote a book called The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, made quite a name for himself across the continent," Lin Jie said.
"I've heard of him, but I'm not familiar," Zhu Zhuqing replied flatly.
"I remember one of his most famous quotes: There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless soul masters. What do you think about that, Zhuqing?"
Zhu Zhuqing scoffed. "If there really were no useless Martial Souls, then the continent would be overflowing with soul masters."
Whoa. Lin Jie didn't expect that kind of response from her—but he had to admit, it was sharp and on point.
Frankly, Yu Xiaogang himself was the biggest contradiction to his own theory. If there were truly no useless Martial Souls, then why did his mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—nicknamed Luo Sanpao—only bring him to rank 29?
Was that because he didn't work hard enough? Obviously not. The truth was, Martial Soul quality directly determined one's potential.
Take Qian Renxue, for example. She was born with innate rank 20 soul power. Meanwhile, those with Martial Souls like farming tools, chickens, or other low-tier animals could barely reach rank 10 in their entire lives. And if a mutated form of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon still turned out mediocre, what hope was there for the rest?
Lin Jie snapped back from his thoughts and sighed. "I actually went to him when I was little. Tried to become his student. But he turned me down... probably thought my talent was too low."
Zhu Zhuqing shot him a curious glance. "If your talent is considered 'too low,' then what does that say about the rest of us?"
Lin Jie scratched his head with a grin. "Well... to be fair, my talent was a bit lacking back then. And I don't blame Yu Xiaogang. Every teacher wants a gifted student."
"But looking back now, I guess I should be grateful. If he hadn't rejected me, I wouldn't have gone on to create my own way to cultivate so quickly."
Of course, what Lin Jie really thought was: Grateful my ass. Everything I've achieved is through my own hard work. Yu Xiaogang doesn't get credit for any of it.
Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment, then asked, "So your rapid cultivation… it's all because of that ability?"
"Exactly. But I hope you won't tell anyone about it."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded solemnly. She understood better than most—if word got out that someone possessed a method to drastically accelerate soul cultivation, certain people would stop at nothing to seize it.
Her tone softened for the first time, carrying a faint warmth. "Don't worry. I won't tell a soul. And… thank you—for trusting me enough to share something so important."
Hearing that unusually gentle tone from Zhu Zhuqing, Lin Jie couldn't help but stare at her, surprised.
Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, but her always-cold face flushed slightly with color.
"…What? Is there something on my face?" she asked.
"No. You just… look really good," Lin Jie replied instinctively.
"Are you saying I don't look good normally?"
"No, no! I mean—you look great all the time. I just think if you smiled more, you'd look even better."
"Hmph." Zhu Zhuqing snorted softly and quickened her pace.
Before long, they arrived at Soto City. After traveling so far, they were both tired. It didn't take long for them to find a well-known inn—Rose Hotel.
The name rang a bell for Lin Jie. Wasn't this the place where Tang San and Dai Mubai had their scuffle?
Rose Hotel was located in Soto City, the second-largest city in the Balak Kingdom, second only to the capital. With strong economic development and high prestige, it was a city bustling with life—and the Rose Hotel was famously popular.
Of course, from the name alone, anyone could guess: this was a romantic couples hotel.
The hotel's owner clearly knew how to do business. If a man and woman walked in together, there was always only one room left.
Lin Jie walked up to the desk. "Two high-tier rooms, please. Cost isn't an issue." He reached for his coin pouch.
But the front desk clerk interrupted, "Apologies, sir. We only have one room left. Perhaps the two of you could make do?"
Lin Jie glanced at the clerk, then turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing.
Her face was clearly cold—no way she'd agree to share a room.
After all, they weren't a couple, and Zhu Zhuqing was clearly someone with a strong sense of discipline and self-respect. No chance she'd go for that.
Lin Jie's tone went frosty. "I know you still have rooms. Two high-tier suites."
"Sir, I really must apologize, but we only have—"
He didn't even get to finish the sentence before Lin Jie shot him a cold glare.
"R-right… two high-tier suites, coming right up," the clerk stammered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Lin Jie took the keys and handed the better-located one to Zhu Zhuqing.
As he gave it to her, he caught her giving him a suspicious look.
"What?" he said. "You don't think I told him to only give us one room, do you?"
"…Didn't you?"
Okay, Lin Jie had to admit—he did kind of want to share a room with her. And hey, if something "just happened" during the night, that'd be even better.
But of course, he was a gentleman! A man of integrity! He would never force anything!
Still, he thought to himself, in this world, people matured early. Twelve years old was practically adulthood by Douluo Dalu standards. Just look at Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai—those two had basically moved into brothels by now. Not that Dai Mubai was still twelve anymore…
Anyway, yeah, Lin Jie was definitely feeling that kind of urge.
He glanced out toward the street, a little disappointed.
He had been hoping to stumble across Dai Mubai draping his arms around two girls, maybe even getting into a fight with Tang San—right in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
Now that would've been perfect. Seeing her fiancé partying it up while she suffered might have snapped any remaining affection she had for him.
No rush, Lin Jie thought. Shrek Academy's entrance exam is in two days. We'll get our chance.
He and Zhu Zhuqing headed up to their rooms. Sure enough, the suites were side-by-side.
As Zhu Zhuqing stepped into her room, Lin Jie leaned in and said quietly:
"If you really want to speed up your cultivation, come find me. I can help. That is… if you trust me."
"…Alright. I'll keep that in mind," Zhu Zhuqing replied softly.
Lin Jie could tell she was tempted. He could see it on her face. But for some reason, she held herself back.
He let her go without pressing the issue and entered his own room.
The inside was impressively lavish—ornate windows, detailed stonework, an elegant blend of romantic and regal. Very fitting for a high-end establishment.
Lin Jie set his belongings aside, found the bathroom, and took a long, refreshing bath. Afterward, room service delivered dinner. Once he ate, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating.
He was now a rank 32 Soul Elder. As expected, absorbing soul power at this level was slower than back when he was in the 20s. But it wasn't a big problem.
Right now, his priority was continually tempering his body with lightning to push the cellular activity of his body to the max. The stronger his body, the faster his cultivation. It was a key part of his plan to become a true powerhouse.
He wondered how long it would take to fully awaken his body's potential. And once that happened… just how strong would he be?
Meanwhile, in the room next door, Zhu Zhuqing was also meditating.
She never wasted a single minute. For someone raised in the ruthless environment of a noble clan, power was the only way to feel safe.
She had been abandoned—by her fiancé, by her family—and hunted by her own sister.
Right now, she had no sense of security. The only thing she could rely on… was strength.
Lin Jie's offer still echoed in her mind. And yes, she was tempted.
But deep down, a part of her still clung to hope—hope that maybe, just maybe, Dai Mubai hadn't truly given up on her.
She wasn't ready to let go completely.
Time passed quietly.