Zhu Zhuqing had always been a sensitive girl. From the very beginning, she had sensed that Lin Jie harbored feelings for her. And now, after what had just happened between them—especially the kiss, which she'd instinctively responded to—her heart was a bit of a mess. She raised a delicate hand and gently touched her flushed cheek, whispering under her breath, "Shameless."
Whether she was scolding Lin Jie or herself—only she knew.
Though she had once been betrothed to Dai Mubai as a child, she had long since lost all hope in him.
As she entered the bathroom, a complicated mix of emotions churned in her chest. Even though she'd only known Lin Jie for a few days, she found herself genuinely drawn to him. But she had always repressed her emotions, never allowing them to show. Expressing feelings wasn't something that came naturally to her.
Maybe it was because she had grown up in that cold, emotionless family. She had learned to bury her heart deep beneath the surface.
—
Back in his room, Lin Jie lay on his bed, lost in thought.
His battle with Zhao Wuji today had given him a better understanding of his own strength. He hadn't gone all out, but clearly, Zhao Wuji hadn't either—it was just a spar for him. Even so, the Soul Saint hadn't been thrilled with the result.
Lin Jie understood: in a true fight to the death, he wouldn't win. Sure, with his speed, he could probably escape—but what if his opponent in the future was faster, or had a way to restrict him?
He glanced down at the ring on his hand.
From his soul tool storage ring, he pulled out a long, cylindrical object. It resembled a railgun—a project he had been developing for some time now.
An electromagnetic railgun.
A highly advanced kinetic weapon, unlike traditional firearms that rely on explosive powder to fire rounds, the railgun used magnetic fields to launch projectiles. It was powered by electromagnetic force, which gave it extended acceleration time and vastly superior projectile speeds—potentially up to subsonic or even hypersonic velocity. The design consisted of two parallel rails with a conductive armature placed between them. Once electric current flowed, it created a powerful Lorentz force, propelling the projectile at extreme speed.
Thanks to his Lightning Martial Soul and knowledge of electromagnetic theory, Lin Jie had nearly finished his version of this weapon.
Next, he pulled out something that looked strikingly familiar to anyone from Earth—a sphere that looked just like a grenade.
Indeed, it was one of Lin Jie's own inventions: a Thunderblast Grenade, or more precisely, a Soul Power Grenade. He'd spent quite a bit of money and effort sourcing the materials, running through dozens of prototypes before finally getting the right one.
Right now, it was just an empty shell. To activate it, he—or anyone—would need to inject soul power into it. Regular soul power worked too, though it wouldn't be as potent as Lin Jie's lightning-based soul energy.
One flaw of the grenade was that once soul power was infused, it could only hold the charge for up to three days before the energy began to dissipate.
He hadn't yet found a material capable of storing soul power long-term. Maybe one day he would. After all, soul power in this world was a strange and unique energy—and his Lightning Martial Soul made it even more specialized. Many of his ideas relied heavily on the properties of this very energy.
Lin Jie had tested the Thunderblast Grenade before—on inanimate objects, anyway—and the result was… impressive. If someone below the Soul Ancestor rank were caught off guard, they might not survive a direct hit. Against a Soul Emperor, it might even be fatal if the grenade landed undetected and in numbers. Soul Saints, though… that was another story. Their overall strength made them difficult to kill with such tricks.
Still, with some improvements, who's to say he couldn't one day refine it further?
He put the items away and returned to his bed, sitting cross-legged as he resumed his daily cultivation.
Cultivation is like sailing against the current—stagnation is regression. Only persistence leads to progress.
Time always passed quickly in meditation. Before he knew it, the night had passed.
—
The next morning, Lin Jie opened his eyes just as someone knocked at the door.
He stood and opened it.
Standing outside was a young man in gray clothes, neatly cropped hair, charming peach-blossom eyes, and a rather handsome, aristocratic air about him—if not for the slightly thick eyebrows that made him seem just a little bit sleazy.
"You must be Lin Jie, right? Let's get acquainted!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm Oscar, a 29th-rank Tool Soul Master. My Martial Soul is a sausage. People call me Sausage Vendor, or you can just call me Little Ao!"
Lin Jie blinked. That was quite the introduction.
He nodded politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lin Jie. Is there something you need?"
Oscar replied rapidly, "The headmaster asked me to take you to breakfast. Then we're all supposed to gather—he's got something to announce."
Flender being so thoughtful? Lin Jie raised an eyebrow but followed anyway.
—
They arrived at the so-called "canteen," which turned out to be nothing more than a few hired villagers cooking simple meals for the students. Still, it was filling enough.
By the time Lin Jie arrived, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were already there. Tang San and Xiao Wu were seated as well. The three girls sat at one table, chatting quietly. Zhu Zhuqing's face had more color today, and though her demeanor remained cool and reserved, Ning Rongrong's bright smile—with her signature dimples—lit up the group.
Across the room, Ma Hongjun was staring at the girls, especially Rongrong and Zhuqing, nearly drooling.
Dai Mubai elbowed him and whispered, "Get ahold of yourself. Better suppress your… 'evil fire.'"
Ma Hongjun growled, "Why? Don't tell me you want to make a move again. Come on, Boss Dai—if you're eating meat, at least leave some soup for the rest of us!"
Dai Mubai jabbed him again, sneaking a glance toward Zhu Zhuqing.
She didn't seem to notice them, focused solely on her meal, face still cold as ever.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were giggling, whispering something. Judging from the looks they were giving Ma Hongjun, he guessed (correctly) that they were talking about him. Deflated, he plopped into his seat and took out his frustration on the breakfast.
Dai Mubai's face changed the moment Lin Jie entered the room. His joking expression vanished, replaced by cold hostility.
Oscar, unfazed, led Lin Jie over to Tang San, greeted them, and sat down.
Lin Jie grabbed some food and naturally sat down beside Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu both looked at him curiously.
"…Why are you staring at me like that?" Lin Jie asked casually. "Eat, eat."
He lowered his head and began eating, ignoring them.
Nearby, Ma Hongjun nudged Dai Mubai. "Boss Dai, that's the guy, huh? That's Lin Jie?"
Dai Mubai, eyes red with resentment, stared daggers at Lin Jie. He didn't even hear the question the first few times. Only after Hongjun repeated it did he mutter: "Yeah."
Some people had a pleasant breakfast. Others… not so much.
—
Just then, a series of bell chimes echoed from outside.
Dai Mubai, despite his sour mood, stood up. "That's the headmaster's signal. Fatty, you take them to the main field. I'm heading out first." He turned and left quickly.
The group walked to an open space where a middle-aged man approached from the far side of the field.
The moment Lin Jie saw him, he recognized Flender.
He looked to be around fifty, solidly built, with a distinct appearance—a sharp, protruding chin, wide cheekbones, and a hooked nose. His glasses were square-rimmed, thick black frames, making him look both stern and calculating.
As Flender neared, Lin Jie turned to glance at Tang San and smiled faintly. Not yet. Our relationship isn't close enough for me to ask about the immortal herbs.
Gotta wait for Yu Xiaogang to show up… or build a little more trust first.
Truth be told, Lin Jie's main goal in joining Shrek Academy was the Immortal Herbs Directory. Anything else—like flirting with girls or the occasional "philosophical conversation"—was just a bonus.
Fine… he admitted it. He was tempted by more than just conversation.
He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu.
All three girls were stunning in their own right, each with unique charm.
Zhu Zhuqing's allure lay in her cold demeanor, calm maturity, and devastating curves—a dangerous combination that made one want to cherish her.
Ning Rongrong exuded elegance and nobility, her beauty gentle and refined.
As for Xiao Wu… her legs were mesmerizing. With her years of combat training and near-170 cm height, her legs alone were nearly a meter long.
Forget golden ratio—those things were god-tier.
He wondered—if they clamped down… could a man survive?
Tsk. Dirty thoughts. Stop it!
Just as he started spiraling again, Flender finally began to speak.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin