"Next, let's have Captain Xiao Lin say a few words."
Qin Ming spoke and even began clapping.
Clap clap clap!
"Ah, well, I'll just say a few simple things."
Xiao Lin stepped out from the trio of himself, Tang San, and Xiao Wu, and swept his eyes across all the members of the Royal Fighting Team.
"It's my first day as captain, so I don't really know what to say. But everyone—just keep training the way you usually do. Don't worry about the three of us."
"Otherwise… you might end up crying."
As soon as Xiao Lin finished speaking, a playful smirk spread across his face.
Of course, Xiao Lin wasn't belittling the Royal Fighting Team. He simply felt that they couldn't keep up with his and Tang San's training intensity.
Even though both Xiao Lin and Tang San were busy researching self-condensed spirit rings and soul tools, it didn't mean their training would fall behind.
On the contrary, their usual sparring matches were full-on combat.
Tang San would launch endless attacks using Blue Silver Grass, then stealthily unleash hidden weapons and soul tools to catch Xiao Lin off guard.
Sometimes, Xiao Wu would also join in the assault.
When facing attacks from both Tang San and Xiao Wu, Xiao Lin had no choice but to use his ultra-powerful first soul skill, or else he'd get completely overwhelmed.
A slight misstep, and Tang San would have him bound in Blue Silver Grass, rendering him completely powerless.
At Tian Dou Royal Academy, neither Xiao Lin nor Tang San planned to reveal their trump cards.
Such as Xiao Lin's external soul bone: the Giant Strength Bull Demon Horn, or Tang San's chaotic cloak hammer technique with the Clear Sky Hammer, or his incredibly destructive hidden weapons.
Even so, Xiao Lin didn't think anyone else on the team could join the fray when he, Tang San, and Xiao Wu were going all out.
Even the supposedly weakest of them, Xiao Wu, when she went full throttle—
Even Yu Tianheng might get instantly KO'd.
Trying to keep a powerful fourth soul skill in reserve?
Xiao Wu wouldn't give Yu Tianheng that chance. Flying Thunder God + Raikiri—who could block that?
Of course, Xiao Lin's speech was simply to inform the Royal Fighting Team members that they wouldn't be participating in Qin Ming's regular training sessions.
Unless they were intentionally practicing for team matches or building synergy.
At first, Qin Ming wanted to object after hearing Xiao Lin's words.
But now… even he wasn't sure how Xiao Lin's group should be trained.
So he just frowned and let them train independently for the time being.
Some of the Royal Fighting Team members were clearly displeased.
While they acknowledged Xiao Lin and his team's combat power…
Qin Ming's training program was designed to improve a soul master's physical body, allowing them to absorb higher-level spirit rings.
To them, skipping that meant Xiao Lin and his group were acting high and mighty—arrogant—and it made them feel a bit of contempt.
It was like they were thinking, "If you stop training, eventually you'll fall behind us."
But Xiao Lin didn't know what they were thinking—nor did he care.
In the end, he casually said "See you tomorrow," and left to explore Heaven Dou City.
Tang San and Xiao Wu followed closely behind.
Each of the trio had their own goals:
Xiao Lin wanted to buy the best-aged whale glue.
Tang San was looking for rare metal ores to craft hidden weapons and soul tools.
Xiao Wu just wanted to see what kind of tasty food Heaven Dou City had.
The three soon arrived at the academy gate and split up.
Xiao Lin went alone to buy whale glue, while Tang San and Xiao Wu went shopping together.
Re-entering Heaven Dou City, Xiao Lin was once again shocked by its massive scale—it was so big, he thought he might get lost.
Thankfully, he had the noble identity of a soul master, so whenever he asked for directions, passersby were happy to help.
But when Xiao Lin asked for:
The largest entertainment venue
The largest auction house
The largest shop for adult products
Every pedestrian he asked gave him a knowing smirk.
Although Xiao Lin was rather tall, his face was still too youthful compared to true adults—he looked like a 13- or 14-year-old kid.
And in this world, where many people married and had children at 13 or 14, Xiao Lin's appearance didn't seem out of place.
So, a kind and accommodating local personally escorted Xiao Lin to his first destination—
One of the biggest adult novelty stores in Heaven Dou City:
The Sentiment House (Qing Xin Lou).
Looking up at the towering, yet highly suggestive building, Xiao Lin froze for a second.
Qing Xin Lou was built from massive redwood beams. From a distance, red and purple lights shimmered from within—bright enough to reflect off neighboring buildings.
If it were nighttime, it would no doubt attract a huge crowd.
As he stepped inside, four beautifully dressed girls at the entrance gave a graceful bow and greeted him in unison.
Under the lighting of the Sentiment House, their cheeks were rosy, their smiles enchanting, and their curves prominent beneath slightly revealing short skirts—it was a visual feast.
A real pervert might've lunged forward right then and there.
"Sir, is there something in particular you're looking to purchase?"
One of the girls, noticing the puzzled look on Xiao Lin's face, stepped forward, bent slightly, and welcomed him.
Her movements casually revealed certain "blessed" areas under the light.
With a charming smile, she led Xiao Lin up to the second floor.
She seemed to realize it was his first time at a place like this, so she went all out—constantly brushing against him and nearly made him blurt out "What are you doing?!"
"Sir, this is the second floor of Qing Xin Lou. Everything here should be more than enough to choose from."
She gave a sweet laugh and even threw him a flirtatious wink before leaving, leaving Xiao Lin feeling baffled.
He figured these girls were trained slaves bought by the establishment—their movements were too practiced and professional.
Not that Xiao Lin liked judging people harshly, but in this world, slavery did exist—including cat-eared and rabbit-eared variants.
He wouldn't believe for a second that a well-known place like this in Heaven Dou City wasn't involved in the slave trade behind the scenes.
Damn this feudal society…
Xiao Lin quickly shook his head to dispel those uncomfortable images.
He went straight toward the second-floor manager's desk, uninterested in wasting time.
"Hey, you over there—do you guys sell whale glue? The older, the better. I want three pieces. Don't worry—I'm loaded."
Xiao Lin fully embraced the role of a spoiled young master, exuding the image of a wealthy noble looking to indulge his desires.
"Hello, my name is Qinya. Yes, we have whale glue. We currently have two pieces over 10,000 years old and one piece over 5,000 years. Would you like them?"
Qinya, the second-floor manager, had a curvaceous figure and gave off a mature, sultry vibe—a stark contrast to the younger girls downstairs.
She slowly approached and spoke in a seductive voice that stirred Xiao Lin's usually composed mind.
A temptress!
Xiao Lin hadn't expected someone without any soul power to be this seductive.
What would happen if he encountered someone truly skilled in charm techniques?
Silently activating his Diamond Body Inner Technique, he resisted her allure and snorted coldly:
"Bring them all up. I'll take everything."
Xiao Lin's face briefly showed some disdain.
He still felt that even the whale glue here was too young.
Ten thousand years ago, no one really knew the true purpose of whale glue—and even now, it's that rare?
(End of Chapter)