Douluo Dalu 3: Legend of the White Fox

When Wu Jin turned away, Xia Yi, who was the closest to him, noticed a faint flicker of red light in his eyes.

Because the red glow was so subtle, anyone standing a bit further away wouldn't detect it. Even Wu Zhangkong, with his Purple Demon Eyes, didn't notice; his focus was solely on Wu Jin's self-created soul skill.

Of course, this didn't apply to Holy Spirit Douluo Yali. Her cultivation level was so high that she had spotted the red glow in Wu Jin's eyes even earlier than Xia Yi.

"An evil soul master?" Na'er's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her face became serious in an instant. Clearly, she was well aware of how terrifying evil soul masters could be. Still, she couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Wu Jin's martial soul is the Snow Jade Lion. How could he possibly be an evil soul master?"

"I don't know what's going on either, but there is undoubtedly an evil soul master's power within him," Yali said gravely.

"If he's an evil soul master, why not eliminate him directly?" Na'er's voice turned icy.

Yali shook her head and offered a faint smile. "He does have the power of an evil soul master inside him, but I can also tell that he's trying his best to suppress it. This suggests he doesn't want to do evil. If that's the case, why not give him a chance? Perhaps one day, he'll fully overcome the power of the evil soul master."

Though evil soul masters were undoubtedly deserving of death, Yali's inherently kind nature made it impossible for her to take action against a soul master who merely harbored such power but had committed no wrongdoing.

"I see," Na'er replied, her tone tinged with disappointment, though a glimmer of resolve flashed in her eyes.

"If he's attending the same academy as my brother, he'll inevitably become his rival in the future. And with someone as strong as him, I must eliminate him for my brother's sake," Na'er silently vowed to herself. Not once did she consider eradicating Wu Jin because he was an evil soul master, her true intent was to remove a competitor for Tang Wulin.

Yali could never have imagined what her adopted daughter was truly thinking.

"It seems we'll need to stay in Eastsea City for a few days. I need to observe Wu Jin to ensure he won't succumb to the power of the evil soul master," Yali said solemnly. Though she hadn't acted against Wu Jin, she still felt uneasy.

With Wu Jin's already terrifying talent, if he ever merged with the power of the evil soul master within him, it wouldn't be long before the soul master world would have another evil soul master at the level of a Titled Douluo.

Yali would never allow such a thing to happen.

At Eastsea Academy, accommodations were assigned based on class. For example, the students of Class Zero each had their own private dormitory.

In contrast, Class One and Class Two shared double-occupancy dormitories, while Classes Three through Five shared four-person dormitories.

However, Wu Jin was an exception. His dorm room had two beds, but one was always unoccupied.

When Ye Yingluo led Xia Yi to the dormitory, Wu Jin was already meditating to restore his energy.

Cold, sinister energy radiated faintly from Wu Jin, making Xia Yi feel uncomfortable all over once again.

"Thankfully," Ye Yingluo muttered as she looked at Wu Jin, clearly relieved. Things weren't as bad as they could have been.

"You don't have a student ID yet, so you'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, after I've handled your enrollment paperwork, I'll arrange a new dormitory for you," Ye Yingluo said. True to her word, since Wu Jin had voluntarily conceded earlier, Xia Yi had passed her test. She no longer made things difficult for him.

Moreover, judging by his earlier clash with Wu Jin, Xia Yi had proven himself. Aside from his relatively low soul power, he wasn't lacking in other areas.

"Why switch dorms? I think this one is fine," Xia Yi replied, glancing curiously at Wu Jin. His fascination with Wu Jin was palpable.

"Many students from Class One have shared a dormitory with him. But unfortunately, none lasted more than one night before requesting a transfer," Ye Yingluo explained calmly.

Wu Jin's unparalleled talent and cultivation naturally attracted students eager to room with him, hoping to gain his guidance.

But not a single one stayed longer than a night.

"Why?" Xia Yi asked, intrigued.

"You'll find out after tonight," Ye Yingluo replied curtly.

Xia Yi nodded, then asked, "What's his deal, exactly?"

Ye Yingluo shook her head. "I don't know the full story either. All I know is that Wu Jin has a force of deathly stillness and ferocity inside him, constantly eroding his spiritual world. He must ensure his soul power is sufficient at all times to resist it. Otherwise, do you really think you would've stood a chance against him?"

Xia Yi nodded, not arguing. It was true—whether it was Na'er or Wu Jin, their strength far surpassed his own.

Still, Xia Yi remained puzzled and pressed further, "Why can he use soul skills without activating his soul rings?"

"That's a self-created soul skill. If you're talented enough, you might one day create a soul skill that doesn't rely on soul rings either," Ye Yingluo explained patiently. At Xia Yi's age, it wasn't unusual to be unaware of self-created soul skills.

In fact, if it weren't for Wu Jin, who had prompted her to research the topic, Ye Yingluo might not have known much about them herself.

She sighed softly. If it hadn't been for Wu Jin's internal conflict during the promotion tournament, which had prevented him from participating, his talent and strength might have posed a real challenge to Wu Zhangkong's Class Zero.

Then again, perhaps it was for the best. When Zhang Ziyang and Wang Jinxi had revealed their talent, the academy had forced her to transfer them to Class Zero.

Wu Jin had been spared from such a fate only because he hadn't fought.

"Alright, stay here for the night. Wu Jin won't wake up until tomorrow morning. Follow him to class then," Ye Yingluo instructed. Although she had approved Xia Yi's transfer to Class One, the administration had yet to be informed, and she needed to handle the formalities.

After Ye Yingluo left, Xia Yi glanced out the window, noticing the sky was gradually darkening.

Reflecting on everything that had happened that day, Xia Yi felt as if it were all a dream.

"I guess it's time to break through to Soul Power Level Eleven." Without a proper blanket, Xia Yi simply sat cross-legged on the bed. His battles with Na'er and Wu Jin had made him acutely aware of his lack of soul power, and he was eager to improve.

Glancing at Wu Jin, who was still meditating, Xia Yi slowly entered a meditative state himself.

Back in Star Dou Forest, he had already been capable of breaking through, but he had delayed it until now. With his current state optimized, he was ready to take the next step.

As Xia Yi began his meditation, Yali quietly appeared in Wu Jin's dormitory.

She did nothing, simply watching over Wu Jin and Xia Yi in silence. She had to ensure that Wu Jin wouldn't fall to the influence of the evil soul master within him before she could leave with peace of mind.

Meanwhile, in a small courtyard in Eastsea City, Na'er stared icily at Gu Yue and asked, "Why haven't you killed Xia Yi yet?"

Gu Yue returned Na'er's glare with a look of disdain. "Why should I?"

"You brought Xia Yi here to remind me of my identity. But even if he was acting under your orders, the mere fact that a mere hundred-thousand-year soul beast dared to insult the Beast Lord is reason enough for execution!" Na'er retorted coldly.

"I've told you already—Xia Yi isn't a ten-thousand-year soul beast," Gu Yue replied with a shake of her head. Calmly, she added, "Do you really think a hundred-thousand-year soul beast at the Soul Master level could escape the notice of a Titled Douluo like Yali?"

Na'er froze. Indeed, an immature ten-thousand-year soul beast would be easily detected by a Titled Douluo. As the Silver Dragon King's avatar, she knew this better than anyone.

Yet Yali hadn't seen through Xia Yi.

Still unwilling to concede, Na'er pressed, "If he's not a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, why does he listen to you?"

"Listen to me?" Gu Yue chuckled self-deprecatingly and muttered softly, "I wish he would."

Xia Yi wasn't a Hundred-thousand-year soul beast. At most, he was a ten-year soul beast.

Perhaps it was because Xia Yi had been forcefully transformed by the Plane Lord that even a being like Di Tian couldn't discern his true nature.

And naturally, neither could Yali.

(End of Chapter)