Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The food at the Spirit Hall was indeed far superior to that of the work-study students' canteen; Lin Wan even felt that her silver hair seemed to have a better shine.

However, things are different today.

As Lin Wan walked out of the college gate with the crowd, she immediately saw Lin Zao standing in the same spot.

The setting sun shone on him, but instead of waving excitedly as usual, he stood there quietly, his head slightly bowed, his toes unconsciously grinding the pebbles on the ground.

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere enveloped him.

Lin Wan's eyes narrowed slightly, and she understood.

It seems that Lin Zao is about to set off for the Soul Master Academy in Wuhun City.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, quickly put on his usual smile, and strode over.

"Zaozao! Why are you so listless today? Did you not enjoy the food at the Spirit Hall?"

Lin Zao raised her head and gave a silly smile.

"No, Brother Wan. Let's go eat."

Lin Zao's voice was somewhat deep.

Seeing this, Lin Wan took the initiative to put her arm around his shoulder and led him toward the Spirit Hall, then chatted with him casually.

Chapter 14 Lin Zao's Departure

"Iron-Faced Zhao went crazy again today, making us run fifteen laps! It almost broke my old arms and legs."

By the way, the braised pork yesterday was good, I wonder if they still have it today...

Lin Wan talked about the trivial things that happened at the academy today, trying to distract Lin Zao.

Lin Zao only responded with "uh-huh" and "ah-huh," her eyes somewhat unfocused, clearly preoccupied.

Lin Wan sighed silently.

Good morning! Your brother only knows how to charm 18-year-old girls, not 6-year-olds!

The two walked to the side entrance of the Spirit Hall, showed their badges, and entered the familiar public dining area.

The sumptuous food still smelled enticing, but dinner was eaten unusually quietly tonight.

Lin Zao absentmindedly poked at the food on his plate. He could usually eat five large bowls of rice, but today he only ate three large bowls before putting down his chopsticks.

Lin Wan saw this and sighed inwardly. He could tell that Lin Zao was genuinely upset; she was even eating less. He didn't try to start a conversation with her anymore.

After dinner, Lin Wan stood up and prepared to leave.

"Let's go, Zaozao, I should go back. I have class tomorrow."

Lin Zao suddenly raised her head, her lips trembling as if she had made a great decision, and spoke in a muffled voice with a heavy nasal tone.

"Brother Wan, I'm leaving."

Lin Wan stopped and turned to look at him, her face showing the calm she had expected.

"Ok, I know."

Those three simple words seemed to open the floodgates of Lin Zao's emotions.

His eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in them as he tried to hold them back. His voice choked with emotion: "Brother Wan, I can't bear to leave you and the people in the village! I don't want to go that far."

The Spirit Hall Academy is located in Spirit City, which is an unreachable distance for Lin Zao, who has never left Hanbei Village.

Lin Wan walked up to him, raised her hand and patted his shoulder firmly, her voice steady and reassuring.

"Fool, what are you crying for? Going to the Spirit Hall Academy is a good thing. It's an opportunity that many people would kill for. You should cherish it."

He paused, then softened his tone, saying, "It's not like we'll never see each other again. Besides, you can write to us when you miss me. At least for the next six years, I'll still be at the Tian Shuang City Junior Academy, and the address won't change."

"Really?"

Lin Zao looked up with some confusion. In his mind, leaving meant losing contact. He had originally planned to have Lin Wan go to the Martial Soul Academy to find him.

"Of course it's true." Lin Wan nodded firmly.

"I, Lin Wan, keep my word."

"Brother, remember to write to me that night," Lin Zao quickly requested.

"Okay, I'll definitely write it." Lin Wan agreed with a smile, even though he might not write it often.

Lin Zao seemed to feel a little relieved, and hurriedly took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and stuffed it into Lin Wan's hand.

"Brother Wan, here! This is the address of the Spirit Hall Academy that I specifically asked Lord Moraki for. You must write to me in the future, don't forget." He emphasized repeatedly.

"Okay, I won't forget it."

Lin Wan took the note and carefully put it into her pocket.

"Brother Wan, wait for me here for a moment."

As if suddenly remembering something, Lin Zao turned around and ran quickly towards the corridor leading from the restaurant to the inner accommodation area.

Lin Wan was a little confused, but she still stood there and waited, watching Lin Zao disappear at the end of the corridor.

He had some guesses about what Lin Zao was going to get.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Lin Zao came running back, panting, and shoved a heavy little package wrapped in thick cloth into Lin Wan's arms without saying a word.

"Brother Wan, this is for you!"

Lin Wan opened the cloth bag with a puzzled look. When he saw what was inside, even with his calm and composed nature, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment.

Inside the package were two items: a small, smooth white jade bottle and a heavy bag of gold soul coins. There seemed to be a considerable number of gold soul coins, at least several dozen.

"Zaozao! What's this?"

Lin Wan's voice was filled with disbelief. He knew that Lin Zao valued him, but he never expected that it would go to this extent.

The pills in that jade bottle were clearly no ordinary medicine! And there were so many gold soul coins too.

"This was given to me by Lord Moraki!"

Lin Zao eagerly explained to Lin Wan, "The jade bottle contains a Soul Condensing Pill. Lord Moraki said it's especially helpful for cultivating soul power. I asked him, and he said this pill is particularly good for building a foundation for soul masters, especially suitable for those whose soul power level is not yet high. It will definitely be useful for you, Brother Wan."

“These gold soul coins are also a stipend given to me by Lord Moraki. Wan-ge, you should take them all. Don’t deprive yourself while you’re working as a part-time worker,” Lin Zao said, pointing to the money bag.

"how about you?"

Lin Wan frowned and pushed the things back, "If you give me the pills and gold soul coins, what will you do? The expenses in Martial Soul City will definitely be even greater."

"It's alright! Lord Moraki will give it to me again."

Lin Zao shook her head vigorously, her eyes unusually firm.

"Lord Moraki is so kind to me. I'll just ask him for it when I get back, and he'll definitely give it to me. Brother Wan, just accept it! Consider it a loan! You can pay me back when you become a powerful Soul Master."

He was afraid Lin Wan would refuse, so he made sure to say no.

Looking into Lin Zao's stubborn eyes, Lin Wan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

This honest and stubborn young man gave himself the best he could get from the Spirit Hall.

Lin Wan knew that refusing again would only make Lin Zao feel more upset and uneasy.

Lin Wan remained silent for a few seconds, then finally sighed deeply, rewrapped the package, and clutched it tightly in her hand, her voice low and solemn.

"Okay, I'll take it. Thank you, Zaozao."

Upon hearing that Lin Wan had accepted the gift, Lin Zao finally showed a simple and honest smile.

"Goodbye, Brother Wan."

He waved his hand forcefully, his voice choked with emotion, but he tried his best to smile.

Goodbye, Zaozao. Take care of yourself.

Lin Wan also waved vigorously, with a gentle and encouraging smile on her face.

Lin Zao glanced at Lin Wan one last time, then turned abruptly and ran quickly into the corridor leading into the Spirit Hall. His figure soon disappeared into the dim light, and he never looked back.

Lin Wan stood there, clutching the heavy package tightly in her hand, gazing in the direction where Lin Zao had disappeared.

After a long while, he slowly sighed.

He knew that once Lin Zao left, the mountains and rivers would be vast, and he didn't know when they would meet again.

However, a talented orphan joining the Spirit Hall would likely receive excellent training.

Lin Wan turned around and slowly walked out of the side gate of the Spirit Hall.

Instead of returning to the academy immediately, he found a quiet, deserted street corner in Tianshuang City, leaned against the cold wall, and opened the package that Lin Zao had handed him.

He took out the contents and examined them carefully.

Chapter 15 First Soul Ring

Soul-Condensing Pill accelerates the condensation of soul power.

Lin Wan looked at the white jade bottle, her sea-blue eyes sparkling.

This pill, while useful to him, is not of great significance. It is clearly a pill developed for people with low innate soul power.

He weighed the bag of gold soul coins in his hand again; it was quite heavy.

Lin Wan raised her head and looked towards the magnificent and solemn main hall of the Spirit Hall, her eyes becoming deep and complex.

Lord Moraki is indeed a shrewd investor. With Lin Zao's talent, he will at least reach the Soul Saint level in the future.

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. At this moment, he took advantage of the fact that Lin Zao had not yet risen to prominence and prescribed the right medicine, thus gaining great favor from Lin Zao.

The cost of this investment was not high; it was merely a common elixir among nobles and a mere few dozen gold soul coins.

He carefully packed the package and placed it close to his body. The cold night wind ruffled his silvery-white hair.

Even a peaceful college life requires strength as its foundation.

He also needs to find a suitable time as soon as possible to absorb a spirit ring and truly step into the threshold of becoming a spirit master.

Back in the crowded work-study dormitory, Lin Wan went to her bunk by the window, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate her soul power.

……