Battle Through the Heavens II: Three Phases of Peerless Power, One Soul and Four Bodies

Yan'er's palm strike was so solid that Luo Ranyu almost choked.

"Cough cough~"

He said irritably, "Tch, I'm not interested. I just want to earn some money to support myself right now."

Hearing Luo Ranyu say such unambitious words, Yan'er was also furious and said angrily, "Hey kid, you're short of money? Don't you have two hundred gold soul coins? Do you think your older brother and sister gave you too little money?" As she spoke, she fiercely pulled him closer, glancing at him with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Luo Ranyu quickly waved her hand: "Oh! No! Sister Yan'er, I was just joking, please let go."

Seeing Luo Ranyu's obedient appearance as she admitted her mistake, Yan'er couldn't bear it and let go of her hand. "Oh, by the way, Ranyu, if you're short of money, just participate in various competitions and win the championship. Wouldn't that be a lot of money? Do you know what the rewards are for the All-Continent Soul Master Competition?"

Luo Ranyu seemed to have some fragmented memories in her mind, and asked weakly, "Three soul bones?" Yan'er immediately answered.

"There are three pieces..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and Yan'er looked at Luo Ranyu with a strange expression.

"Huh! How did you know it was three soul bones?"

Luo Ranyu looked at Yan'er with a strange expression: "Just guessing, could it be four pieces?"

Hearing that Luo Ranyu said it was a guess, Yan'er didn't think too much about it and said confidently, "It's definitely three soul bones, plus 100 million gold soul coins!" As she spoke, she snapped her fingers, slightly raised her head, and glanced sideways, revealing a dreamy expression.

But Ran Yu quickly interrupted her reverie, asking, "What rank do we usually get in our college?"

Yan'er was slightly taken aback, but did not speak.

Yu Mengdi pondered for a moment and explained, "Our academy is considered one of the better academies in the entire continent. We occasionally manage to make it into the top sixteen, but it's difficult to advance any further after that. However, we were quite impressive in the last competition, successfully making it into the top eight. Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals, we lost to the 'perennial runner-up'—Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."

"Pfft! Always second best!" Luo Ranyu almost burst out laughing.

Yu Mengdi's expression was serious: "The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is the strongest academy in the Sun Moon Empire, and their soul tool technology is extremely powerful. But despite this, they have never defeated the continent's number one academy, Shrek Academy!"

"Shrek..."

Upon hearing those three words, something seemed to explode in Luo Ranyu's mind, and scattered fragments of memory surged forth, with a glimmer of light flashing within them. Why did this name feel inexplicably familiar, yet also mixed with an inexplicable sense of aversion? He frowned, trying hard to recall, but found nothing, only a complete blank.

Yu Mengdi, unaware of Luo Ranyu's unusual behavior, continued, "For ten thousand years, Shrek Academy has been the highest institution of learning on the entire continent. Countless geniuses have been vying to enter Shrek for further studies. Their origins can be traced back ten thousand years, making it an ancient and long-standing institution."

At this moment, Yan'er chimed in, "I've heard that every time they participate in the Soul Master Competition, their teams have several students at the six-ring Soul Emperor level! Even our lower-grade teachers at the academy might not reach the Soul Emperor realm! And compared to Shrek Academy, some academies don't even have a single Soul King among their regular team members; they're simply not on the same level!"

Listening to the two explanations, Luo Ranyu's longing for the Soul Master Competition grew stronger, and she couldn't help but dream about it:

How exhilarating it would be to stand on that stage under the spotlight, bring glory to the academy, and achieve great results!

But then he thought about it again. He was only a two-ring Soul Master at the moment, still a long way from that goal. He shook his head slightly. Forget it, he decided to focus on the task at hand first.

As the three chatted, they unknowingly walked to a fruit tea stall, where a rich, fruity aroma wafted towards them. Luo Ranyu stopped and called out to the stall owner, "Boss, three cups of fruit tea, please."

After all, the two senior students must have been thirsty after talking with him for so long.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As time passed, Luo Ranyu still hadn't found out about his origins. So he stopped obsessing over the past and devoted all his energy to cultivation, focusing on refining his two martial souls—the three powers of the three-phase martial soul: Shadow, Sanctuary, and Void, and the three elemental powers of the three-element martial soul: Flame, Ice, and Purple Lightning. He explored the path of fusion in his daily cultivation.

But the sense of urgency of fate grew heavier. In this life, the curse upon him came even faster.

Several months later, one morning, he sleepily walked towards the teaching building again. Soon, a fresh scent of lilacs wafted from behind him, waking Luo Ranyu from his drowsy state.

He knew that Hua Xi'er was secretly following him again. He didn't know when it started, but this pink-haired girl had become like a little tail, sticking to him every day to and from get out of class. What frustrated him even more was that the way she addressed him had also changed without him realizing it.

I used to call out softly, with a touch of shyness and respect, "Ran Yu, classmate~"

But now they're becoming increasingly outrageous.

"Good morning, Brother Ranyu! Hehe!"

A vibrant young girl emerged from behind Luo Ranyu, patting his shoulder. She was like a joyful butterfly or a mischievous kitten, her pink hair fluttering in the morning light, her eyes always sparkling.

Luo Ranyu turned her head and looked at the girl beside her listlessly. She yawned for a long time and said in a hoarse voice, "Whoa~~ Xi'er, good morning!"

"Hmm? Brother Ranyu, why do you look so sleepy?" The girl looked at Luo Ranyu's eyes with a puzzled expression, noticing the faint dark circles under his eyes.

Luo Ranyu rubbed her eyes and said casually, "Yes, I've been busy cultivating these past few days and forgot to rest, so I'm a little sleepy now~"

Looking at his exhausted appearance, Hua Xi'er's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if she had thought of something bad. With a hint of worry in her voice, she asked, "You...you haven't had a proper rest for several days?"

"Hmm, it's been a week already. Looks like I really need to get a good rest tonight!"

At this moment, Hua Xi'er's cheerful expression suddenly changed, and she looked at Luo Ranyu with a hint of worry, a bad premonition rising in her heart.

Upon arriving at the classroom, Xi'er was still sitting next to Luo Ranyu. Ranyu seemed to be in better spirits, diligently reading books about martial spirits. The girl would occasionally glance at him, lost in thought.

"Okay! Quiet!"

As the young female teacher walked onto the stage as usual, Luo Ranyu put away her books when she suddenly noticed a gaze fixed on her. Upon closer inspection, she was startled and all her drowsiness vanished.

Outside the classroom, a girl stared intently at him, her long golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, shimmering with a faint sheen.

His purple eyes were like a deep starry sky, cold and mysterious;

Her skin was as white as snow, and her exquisite face exuded an aura of purity and majesty.

Although her gaze was sharp, her face was like that of an angel, so stunning that it made Luo Ranyu's eyes light up and her soul tremble.

Luo Ranyu quickly turned around, but her image seemed to be deeply imprinted in his mind. In front of him was clearly a young female teacher wearing black silk stockings, but in his vision, the illusory figure of that girl still vaguely appeared.