Chapter 142: Two Years Later, The Start of the Exchange
Tang Ya and Bei Bei left in silence.
The figures of the two drifted further and further away in Lin Xuan's sight, their steps heavy, exuding an indescribable sense of desolation.
Tang Ya leaned against Bei Bei's shoulder, her shoulders trembling slightly; Bei Bei held her, saying nothing, but his tightly furrowed brows never relaxed.
Lin Xuan stood where he was, watching the two figures disappear at the end of the tree-lined path, and shook his head gently.
He could understand their feelings; they had taught him everything they knew, cared for him meticulously, helped him in every way possible, and given him everything they could. Asking himself honestly, even the most responsible master could do no more than this, right?
Yet Huo Yuhao had just left like that, without a word, without even saying goodbye.
It was only because the Tang Sect now only had the two of them left, combined with their deep affection, that things were this way; if it were the Tang Sect of the past, or any other normal power, they would probably have sent people to hunt down the traitor by now.
Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly.
Was Huo Yuhao wrong? To be honest, he didn't think so. It's every man for himself; feeling that revenge was hopeless at Shrek and the Tang Sect and thinking of defecting to the Body Sect was beyond reproach. Since he did it, he should just be prepared to be scolded.
But unfortunately, this kid was still too naive.
Did he really think that when the Body Sect said they would treat every Body Martial Soul possessor as their own child, they actually meant it?
Perhaps for the sake of the Martial Soul, one could join unconditionally and obtain some resources, but it was fundamentally impossible to have the same treatment as other highly talented disciples.
After all, they weren't related, and he wasn't Du Busi's grandson, nor did he have the capital worth the Sect paying a great price for. Why should they treat him as an equal?
In this World, there are too many powers that talk a good game, each wishing they could promote themselves as a kingdom of heaven or a carefree utopia.
But in reality? Competing to see who is less terrible is the norm.
As he was thinking, a sudden burst of hurried footsteps came from behind him.
"Lin Xuan!"
That voice was as crisp as a silver bell, carrying irrepressible joy and excitement, sounding exceptionally pleasant in the morning light.
Lin Xuan turned around, and a familiar figure was running quickly toward him.
Ning Tian was wearing a pale pink long dress today, the hem fluttering gently in the morning breeze like a blooming lotus.
On her delicate little face, there was now an unhideable joy; her eyebrows were curved, the corners of her lips were upturned, and even the tip of her nose was tinged with a faint pink.
She was running very fast, a few strands of platinum hair sliding from behind her ears and flying in the wind; her cheeks were flushed from running, and her breathing was somewhat hurried.
But her eyes never left Lin Xuan for a moment, as if fearing that if she blinked, the person in front of her would disappear.
Looking at her like this, Lin Xuan's heart softened. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he opened his arms, letting the girl crash into his embrace in the morning light...
...
That night, the moonlight was like water, spilling onto Sea God Island, dyeing everything with a layer of silver-white brilliance.
Lin Xuan returned to Sea God Island and pushed open the door to his dormitory bedroom. Inside, a pink spirit tool lamp was quietly lit.
The light was soft and ambiguous, enveloping the entire room in a hazy warm color, and the air was filled with a faint, delicate fragrance.
Lin Xuan's footsteps paused slightly. Beside the bed, a graceful figure was leaning against the wall.
Ice-blue long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, shimmering with a faint luster under the pink light.
She was wearing a short white lace nightgown, the hem barely covering the tops of her thighs, revealing a pair of long, straight legs that gleamed like ivory in the warm light.
The neckline of the nightgown wasn't deep, but it perfectly outlined the swelling curves beneath her collarbone; the lace trim clung to her skin, making her appear indistinctly visible.
Ling Luochen's cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, and those habitually cold ice-blue eyes appeared exceptionally soft under the light at this moment.
She looked at the stunned Lin Xuan at the door, raised an eyebrow slightly, and a half-smile played on her lips.
"Junior Sister Ning Tian was actually willing to let you come back?"
Lin Xuan came back to his senses, leaned against the doorframe, and smiled, "What? Were you hoping I wouldn't come back?"
Ling Luochen didn't answer, instead asking, "Did you have fun?"
"It was alright." Lin Xuan walked into the room and casually took off his coat, hanging it on the back of a chair. "Just wandered around the city a bit."
Ling Luochen gave a light snort, though it was unclear if she was laughing at him or something else.
Lin Xuan walked up to her and looked down at her.
The two were very close, close enough that he could see the slight trembling of her eyelashes. Ling Luochen didn't dodge, only tilting her head up slightly to meet his gaze.
Ling Luochen suddenly spoke, reaching out to tidy his collar. Her movements were light, her fingertips brushing past his collar and bringing a slight itch.
"How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
"About a week or so."
"Be more specific."
Lin Xuan thought for a moment and replied, "Ten days, I think."
"Ten days..."
Ling Luochen nodded, drawing out her voice. Her eyes, however, grew brighter and brighter, like a pool of spring water scattered with peach blossoms, shimmering and so soft they almost overflowed.
The corner of Lin Xuan's eye twitched slightly. He knew this look; he knew it all too well. Its meaning was self-evident—she just wanted to make it all up at once. However... he wasn't flustered at all.
She was just a weakling. She looked formidable, but actually... hmph hmph.
Their eyes met, everything understood without words. The pink light spilled down, overlapping their shadows until they were indistinguishable.
Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, the Sea God Lake was shimmering, and the night breeze blew gently, carrying a burst of fine sounds.
After a few hours had passed, the two figures finally separated. Ling Luochen was half-covered by the quilt, her long hair scattered across the pillow, her body leaning limply against Lin Xuan's side as she squinted her eyes slightly.
That habitually cold face was now flushed with satisfaction, her eyelashes trembling slightly, like a lazy cat.
Lin Xuan leaned against the headboard, one arm around her, the other casually playing with a strand of her ice-blue hair.
After a moment of silence, Ling Luochen suddenly let out a long sigh, her tone as deep as if she were contemplating some ultimate truth of heaven and earth.
"Lin Xuan, why do you think people live this life?"
Lin Xuan glanced down at her, his gaze slowly moving down from her intentionally deep-looking face, and said flatly,
"Wipe yourself clean before you speak."
Ling Luochen: "..."
She was silent for a long while, then silently pulled the quilt over herself, wrapping herself tighter, even the tips of her ears turning red.
When the heat on her face finally subsided, she spoke again, her voice returning to its usual coldness. "On a serious note, I've had a question I've wanted to ask you for a while."
"Hmm? Go ahead."
"What are your plans for the future? Just stay at the academy?"
Ling Luochen turned her head to look at Lin Xuan, her eyes serious. "With your talent, the position of Sea God Pavilion Master is practically guaranteed. Or, do you want to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Lin Xuan smiled at the words. "What? Are you worried we'll go our separate ways?"
Ling Luochen rolled her eyes at him. "Who's worried about that? I'm telling you, I've got you for life."
Lin Xuan chuckled and shook his head. "Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Maybe I'll start my own business and build a power of my own?"
Ling Luochen's eyes lit up. She flipped over, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. "That sounds pretty good. Have any ideas? What would the power be called?"
The corners of Lin Xuan's mouth curled up. "Spirit 985."
"What does that mean?" Ling Luochen blinked, looking confused.
"Not telling you." Lin Xuan smiled and shook his head.
Ling Luochen curled her lip, flipped over, and directly mounted him, her hands propped on either side of him as she stared down at him intently.
In those ice-blue eyes, it was as if two small flames were burning, hot and bright.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Ling Luochen was decisive and concise: "Doing it!"
...
Two years later, inside the Sea God Pavilion, sunlight spilled through the ancient window frames, casting mottled shadows on the floor.
Lin Xuan stood before a long table. His stature had grown several inches taller than two years ago; his shoulders were broad, and his figure was as upright as a pine tree.
That already handsome face had shed the last trace of youthful greenness, his eyes were more steady, his jawline was increasingly defined, and his whole being exuded an introverted yet sharp aura.
Sitting at the head of the table, Mu En looked at him, his cloudy old eyes full of gratification.
Two years had passed, and Lin Xuan had changed much; Mu En had also changed much.
He was older than two years ago. He still lay quietly on the lounge chair at one end of the long table as usual, his figure becoming increasingly thin.
The wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by a knife, his silver-white hair clung sparsely to his scalp, and those eyes that could once see through everything were now covered with an even heavier cloudiness.
The twilight of his life, with one foot in the grave.
He was as ancient as this Sea God Pavilion, and like this Sea God Pavilion, he would sooner or later be replaced by something new.
Mu En pulled Lin Xuan down to sit, rambling with instructions like an ordinary elder. "In a little while, the Hall Master of Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen, will arrive with his team. This trip will last nearly three years. Being in a foreign land, you must pay attention to your safety."
He paused, then added, "It's not that Jing Hongchen will harm you; he won't sacrifice his precious grandson and granddaughter. I'm talking about the other powers within the Sun Moon Empire; those people won't care about that much."
Lin Xuan nodded. Mu En continued, "I heard from Qian Duoduo and Xian Liner before that you also have no small talent for spirit tools. If you are willing, you can learn more of Illustrious Virtue Hall's spirit tool technology."
"Although we are all Soul Masters in the traditional sense, the development of spirit tools is the general trend. Perhaps our generation can still achieve suppression, but what about the future? No one can say for sure where the limit of spirit tools lies."
Lin Xuan nodded slightly. He agreed with this; even without mentioning the future development level of spirit tools, just looking at the present, spirit tools were already an undeniable part of things.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
But even so, he did not want to spend too much time on this; after standing at the peak, there would be plenty of opportunities to learn.
Mu En watched his calm and composed demeanor, feeling both gratified and emotional. After giving a few final instructions, he waved his hand.
On the shore of Sea God Lake, the morning light spilled down, turning the lake surface into a sheet of broken gold. By now, quite a few people were already standing there.
Leading them was Yan Shaozhe, dressed in white, standing with his hands behind his back, his face bearing his usual gentle smile. As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, it was a gesture of equal respect for him to come out and welcome the arrival of Jing Hongchen.
Standing beside him was Fan Yu, who had recently been named a candidate for Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department; he was the lead teacher for the Shrek side of this exchange student program.
Behind the two of them were the exchange students heading to the Sun Moon Empire this time.
Six of them were outstanding students from the Soul Tool Department, all of whom were at the Soul King level or above, and their spirit tool ranks were all around level five.
Even though the Soul Tool Department had received significant support over the past two years, these top students from the Soul Tool Department still could not compare in quality to the Inner Court Disciples of the Martial Soul Department. However, being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility to be sent to the Sun Moon Empire to learn advanced knowledge, they naturally all had their own exceptional qualities.
He Caitou was one of them.
He had grown even sturdier than he was two years ago, standing out conspicuously in the crowd, and was grinning and winking at Lin Xuan.
On the other side were those who had come to see them off: Yan Shaozhe, Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, Ning Tian, and others.
As soon as Lin Xuan walked out, several figures surrounded him.
Ma Xiaotao was the first to speak, looking him up and down with a stiff tone, "Three years is not a short time, don't die out there."
Lin Xuan smiled, "Rest assured, I won't die."
Ling Luochen stepped forward and reached out to adjust his collar, her movements as natural as if she had done it countless times. She looked up at Lin Xuan and said in a calm tone, "Stay safe."
Lin Xuan nodded, "Mm."
Zhang Lexuan stood to the side watching this scene, the corners of her mouth slightly raised. After everyone had finished speaking, she stepped forward and said gently, "Take care of yourself, and don't let Elder Mu worry."
"I know, Senior Sister." Lin Xuan nodded seriously.
Han Ruoruo also walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and after leaning in a little closer, lowered her voice, "When you come back, Senior Sister will give you a little gift."
"Alright."
Xu Sanshi watched Lin Xuan surrounded by the women from the side, clicking his tongue and shaking his head, teasing, "Tsk tsk tsk, such a display; those who didn't know might think you were going to war. Lin Xuan, you'd better take it easy. Don't let it be that in a few years, I'm still single while you have enough kids to form a competition team."
Everyone burst into laughter, and the faces of the women flushed simultaneously. Bei Bei, however, had no reaction, just standing to the side with a faint smile on his lips, though there was no real warmth in his eyes.
Xu Sanshi's smile faded, and he tilted his head to look at him, lowering his voice, "Still thinking about that brat Huo Yuhao?"
Bei Bei did not speak.
Xu Sanshi frowned, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction, "I've already told you and Tang Ya, two years have passed. That kid is either dead or must have joined another faction. It's naturally disappointing if he's dead, but what if he defected?"
He paused, his voice dropping even lower, "It's just that you and Tang Ya have good tempers and value relationships and righteousness. If this were in our Xuanming Sect, if anyone dared to defect, they would be dragged back and executed by cannon fire immediately."
Bei Bei was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "It's different."
"What's different? Does the Tang Sect not have Sect rules?" Xu Sanshi was unconvinced.
Bei Bei did not answer, just looking into the distance, wondering what he was thinking.
Just then, Yan Shaozhe's voice suddenly rang out, "They're here."
Hearing this, everyone looked up towards the east together. In the crimson morning sun, a point of golden light quietly emerged, then rapidly grew larger.
As it drew closer, everyone finally saw the true appearance of that golden light.
That was no light; it was clearly a flying spirit tool constructed with two pairs of massive light wings.
The light wings spread out to dozens of meters wide, the entire body shimmering with a pale golden radiance. Each flap carried a strange rhythm, breathtakingly beautiful.
On the main body of the spirit tool, standing at the very front was the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen.
He wore a luxurious dark golden robe, his white hair combed meticulously, his face smiling, and his demeanor composed.
Standing beside him was the lead teacher for this trip, Elder Ma, the leader of the previous Sun Moon Team and a high-ranking member of Illustrious Virtue Hall. He was thin, with a cold and hard face, and his eyes held a restrained brilliance.
Behind the two of them stood the eight exchange students for this program, with the Hongchen siblings prominently among them.
It is said that laymen watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique. Some students from the Soul Tool Department looked on in surprise, murmuring in low voices, "Has the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool technology already reached the level of bionics? Truly terrifying..."
Fan Yu said in a flat tone, "Indeed, after all, they have been ahead of us by over a thousand years from the very beginning. Even though we have been vigorously supporting the Soul Tool Department for these past two years, how could it be caught up with in a single day?"
A few breaths later, Jing Hongchen brought everyone down beside Sea God Lake.
"Dean Yan, long time no see." Jing Hongchen jumped off the spirit tool and happily extended his right hand toward Yan Shaozhe, "I didn't expect you to come for the handover. It seems your academy attaches great importance to this exchange student program. That's good; I believe everyone will benefit greatly after three years."
Yan Shaozhe chuckled twice and shook his hand, "Hall Master Hongchen coming in person, doesn't that also show that your country attaches great importance to this program?"
After a few pleasantries, Jing Hongchen immediately looked at the indifferent-looking Lin Xuan standing to the side.
"This must be Student Lin Xuan, right?" He squinted and looked him up and down, "Seeing you today, you truly have an extraordinary bearing, a dragon among men."
Yan Shaozhe seemed not to want to waste time on these meaningless pleasantries and went straight to the topic, "That's right. Since the students from both sides have been brought, let's begin the exchange student program."
Jing Hongchen suddenly waved his hand, his smile undiminished, "No rush, no rush. Before the program officially begins, may we add a small segment?"
Yan Shaozhe frowned slightly, "What segment? Hall Master Hongchen, this was not part of the previously discussed arrangements."
Jing Hongchen waved his hand happily, "Dean Yan, don't be so serious. It's not a big deal. It's just that my good-for-nothing grandson, ever since losing to Student Lin Xuan in the last Soul Master Competition, has deeply realized his own shortcomings. Over these past two years, he has been studying diligently and striving for self-improvement, just to spar with Student Lin Xuan once more."
He paused and continued, "It's just a pity that the exchange student program is coming up, and they won't be able to meet for another three years. So, I was thinking, why not let them have a match right now? It would allow both young people to see their current standing, and it would also allow me to witness for myself just what kind of stunning talent this Lin Xuan, now known as the continent's number one prodigy, actually possesses. How about it?"
Jing Hongchen looked at Yan Shaozhe with a smile, "Of course, all of this depends on whether Student Lin Xuan agrees. We, as teachers, shouldn't interfere; it's better to give the young people some respect and let them have the right to decide for themselves."
Yan Shaozhe's face darkened; he disliked it most when things exceeded his expectations. But since Jing Hongchen had already spoken to this extent, wouldn't it seem disrespectful to Lin Xuan if he refused directly?
He looked at Lin Xuan and saw that Lin Xuan had an interested smile on his face, his gaze fixed on the white-haired, heterochromatic-eyed figure in the crowd.
Yan Shaozhe felt relieved and asked, "Lin Xuan, what do you think?"
"Sure." Lin Xuan smiled, his tone extremely casual.
Yan Shaozhe nodded and said to Jing Hongchen, "Then we shall do as Hall Master Hongchen says."
Jing Hongchen's smile grew even wider, "Good! Splendid!"
Afterwards, the group headed towards the Inner Court Soul Fighting Arena in a grand procession. During this time, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen broke away from their group and approached Lin Xuan.
Two years had passed, and Xiao Hongchen had grown quite a bit taller. His figure was slender and upright, his face had lost the roundness of his youth, and his features had become more defined. His heterochromatic eyes were still sharp, but they now held a bit more composure.
Meng Hongchen had also changed. The young girl's stature had grown taller, her curves were becoming increasingly exquisite, and that already delicate little face had blossomed into something even more vibrant and beautiful.
"Long time no see, Lin Xuan. You've become even more handsome." Meng Hongchen walked up close, greeted him properly, her voice crisp.
Xiao Hongchen stood by her side. Seeing the figure of Lin Xuan that he had been thinking about day and night, he could no longer take his eyes off him.
He had trained desperately for two years just to catch up to him. Even if he couldn't catch up, as long as he could close the distance, even by just a small step, that would at least show that he hadn't been left behind by Lin Xuan.
With that, he would be satisfied.
"Two years."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, "Mm, two years."
"Do you know how I spent these last two years?" Xiao Hongchen asked.
Hearing this very familiar line, Lin Xuan thought for a moment and replied, "Should I say I'm sorry?"
Xiao Hongchen:???
He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and finally decided not to dwell on this guy with the bizarre train of thought anymore.
Forget it, I can't win the argument anyway.
The Soul Fighting Arena was already right before them, the ancient architecture casting a large shadow in the morning light. Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath and walked towards the center of the arena with large strides, his pace firm, his robes fluttering in the wind, and he said without looking back,
"Do you know, Lin Xuan, back where we are, many people say this: I am the strongest genius of the current generation in the Sun Moon Empire, and you are the strongest genius in the history of Douluo."
He turned his head back, and in those heterochromatic eyes, the fighting Martial Soul was like a raging inferno, burning so hot it almost seemed to overflow.
"It sounds like you might be stronger." He curled the corners of his mouth, his smile filled with provocation, excitement, and a yearning that had been suppressed for two whole years.
"But, the waves behind push the waves ahead. I might lose to you many more times, but I will eventually win, sooner or later."
Lin Xuan watched his hot-blooded appearance, his eyes gradually becoming a bit strange.
Strongest of the current generation vs. strongest in history?
These words shouldn't be said lightly; be careful about becoming a laughingstock...
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