Chapter 7: Zhao Bufan's Invitation
The appearance of Yu Xiaogang was like finding half a fly in a piece of fragrant bread while eating; it was utterly revolting.
This also caused Lin Yang's good mood for the day to instantly crumble.
After hurriedly finishing dinner in the cafeteria, Lin Yang prepared to return to the dormitory to cultivate.
However, before reaching the dormitory entrance, he saw Zhao Bufan pacing around the vicinity from a distance, seemingly waiting for someone.
Lin Yang didn't think much of it, but after taking just two steps, Zhao Bufan took the initiative to walk over.
"Boss, can we talk?"
Lin Yang was somewhat surprised; although he and Zhao Bufan were both in Dormitory Seven, their relationship was only average.
Nonetheless, he nodded: "Sure!"
Finding a quiet spot near the dormitory, the two stood still.
Zhao Bufan was a sixth-grade student, already twelve years old this year, and more than a head taller than Lin Yang.
Yet in front of Lin Yang, Zhao Bufan acted like an elementary school student, appearing extremely ill at ease.
Lin Yang got straight to the point: "Is there something you need?"
Zhao Bufan hesitated for a moment, then whispered,
"Boss, are you planning to hunt for a soul on your own?"
"Correct," Lin Yang nodded.
The school allowed students to hunt for souls themselves, but if something went wrong, the school would not be held responsible.
After all, though the academy was small, there were occasionally students with power and influence whose Soul Rings naturally didn't require the school's concern.
"I knew it," Zhao Bufan nodded, not at all surprised,
"Boss, I want to hunt for a soul myself too, and I want to cooperate with you."
Lin Yang was somewhat surprised: "How would we cooperate?"
"I can find a way to get a soul hunting token, but I need a Soul Ring of at least two hundred years," Zhao Bufan said, making no effort to hide his ambition.
Lin Yang murmured softly: "A soul hunting token..."
In Nuoding City, those wishing to obtain Spirit Beasts could only go to the Soul Hunting Forest outside the eastern part of the city.
The Soul Hunting Forest was a place specifically used by Spirit Hall to keep Spirit Beasts; a soul hunting token was required to enter.
This token required the guarantee of at least three nobles; ordinary people really had no way to get one, especially Work-Study Students.
Lin Yang had been worrying about how to get a token earlier, and just as he felt sleepy, someone had brought him a pillow—it couldn't be more coincidental.
"Fine, I agree."
Hearing this, Zhao Bufan breathed a secret sigh of relief.
However, Lin Yang looked straight at Zhao Bufan: "Why look for me? I'm just a rank ten Soul Warrior without a Soul Ring."
"Because I feel that you are very strong, Boss," Zhao Bufan's eyes flickered as he spoke quickly,
"In previous training classes, I always felt that you weren't showing your full strength, Boss, even appearing at ease under the teacher's hands, so..."
Before he could finish, Lin Yang's eyes fixed on Zhao Bufan, and he said one word at a time,
"I want to hear the truth."
Zhao Bufan suddenly felt as if his neck were being squeezed, and his flowery flattery came to an abrupt halt.
Looking into those black eyes that resembled a deep, cold pool, an invisible pressure enveloped his entire body.
Zhao Bufan felt as if he were being seen through from the inside out by the person in front of him.
A flash of panic appeared in his eyes; after a long silence, Zhao Bufan sighed softly and said,
"Actually, that token... was left to me by my father, and my Uncle knows about it too."
"He is a Two-Ring Great Soul Master, and he will also come during the soul hunt, but I... I don't trust him."
Although Zhao Bufan tried his best to avoid it, Lin Yang keenly sensed the loopholes in this story.
The origin of this token was likely illegitimate, Lin Yang mused to himself.
Furthermore, this classmate of his was certainly not just a simple farm boy.
Farm boys didn't have a Great Soul Master for a Uncle.
But... what did that have to do with him?
He only needed to use the token to enter the Soul Hunting Forest; he couldn't be bothered to get involved in any other messy affairs.
"Alright, I have no more questions."
Lin Yang's crisp and straightforward answer left Zhao Bufan stunned; the words he had prepared in his head were instantly stifled.
After sputtering for a long while, Zhao Bufan finally exhaled and quickly smiled,
"Good, Boss, then it's a deal."
"I need to request three days of leave to get the token. In three days, we'll meet at the Soul Hunting Forest."
"Fine!"
Afterward, the two returned to the dormitory, both tacitly choosing not to tell anyone else about the soul hunt.
The next day, Zhao Bufan requested leave from the school, while Lin Yang attended classes and cultivated as usual.
The back mountain of Nuoding Academy.
This place was remote, and few students ever came here, so it became the place where Lin Yang practiced his sword techniques on a daily basis.
In an open clearing, the Blue Silver Grass on the ground swayed with the wind, while in the middle of the clearing, Lin Yang stood silently, holding Scarlet Edge.
Suddenly, the air changed.
Centering on Lin Yang, the surrounding air began to flow and swirl, kicking up dust and weeds from the ground.
Hiss—!
A long, deep sound of breathing emerged from Lin Yang's mouth.
Along with this breath, the slightly cool breeze around him became tinged with a hint of scorching heat.
At this moment, Lin Yang had quietly activated the Transparent World.
The World in his eyes instantly changed its appearance.
He could "see" every one of his muscle fibers twitching slightly, as if they could explode with terrifying power at any moment.
He could "see" that during his breathing, he wasn't just inhaling air; the Soul Power within his body also began to resonate with his breath according to a specific rhythm.
Soul Power flowed through the meridians of his entire body, reaching every limb and bone to provide energy for his whole being.
Compared to using oxygen to stimulate muscles and bones, using Soul Power "breathing" provided a much more significant boost to his physical constitution.
If it were said that the original Breathing Technique raised the upper limit of basic physical fitness,
Then the Sun Breathing combined with Soul Power now raised the lower limit of physical fitness and allowed for a more thorough excavation of the body's potential.
Soul Power in this World was inherently full of various possibilities.
Suddenly, Lin Yang moved.
His movements weren't fast; the one-meter-long Scarlet Edge in his hand carved a graceful and simple arc in the air.
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance!
Boom!
Wherever the blade went, the air was sliced open, and substantial flames carrying a surging heat wave drew a three-to-four-meter-long circular arc.
This was not the end.
Lin Yang's movements changed again, the Scarlet Edge in his hand flashing with a sharp light.
Second Form: Clear Blue Sky!
Third Form: Raging Sun!
Fourth Form: Fake Rainbow!
...Every form was standard to the extreme, yet carried a unique flair.
Waves of fire danced; every move carried a deadly killing intent, yet was filled with a sense of uprightness and grandiosity.
Like the sun in the sky, it could not only bring destruction but also give people hope.
When all twelve Sword Forms had been performed, Lin Yang slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
As the progenitor of breathing styles, the difficulty of Sun Breathing was universally acknowledged.
After combining it with Soul Power, the difficulty of the Breathing Technique increased exponentially.
Not only did he have to maintain the rhythm of his breathing, but he also had to make his Soul Power coordinate synchronously with it.
It was like one hand rotating forward while the other hand rotated backward simultaneously.
If even a tiny mistake occurred, the body would suffer irreversible damage.
That Lin Yang could achieve this now was thanks to his extremely high compatibility with Sun Breathing and the super regeneration of his Demon Blood Martial Soul.
Fortunately, he had succeeded; Sun Breathing and Soul Power had perfectly combined.
Each Sword Form paired with Soul Power became incredibly powerful, rivaling even Soul Ring abilities.
To put it another way, these were self-created Spirit Abilities, much like the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes of the Clear Sky Sect... the only downside was that the consumption of physical strength and mental energy had also increased several times over.
Even with his current physique, completing the full twelve Sword Forms was a massive drain.