Chapter 58: A Butterfly Flapping Its Wings
Lin Bai carefully listened, making sure no one from the Haotian Sect was nearby and that the Wuhun Palace had set up their camp elsewhere. Once he was sure, he saw no point in continuing the conversation. Raising a hand, he cut off the still-bickering representatives.
"Thank you for your kindness," Lin Bai said calmly. "But I need to return and discuss this with my family. If anything comes up, I'll contact you. As for the camp's management and cleanup — that's your responsibility. I won't be staying any longer."
The Soul Saint from the Qibao Glazed Sect sighed. If anyone was to blame, it was himself for being too eager. Trying to recruit Lin Bai publicly had backfired. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"I'll be heading to the dungeon for training later this month. If you change your mind, you know how to find me."
"I will," Lin Bai replied, more out of courtesy than interest. Without further delay, he left the camp with Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu.
After such a drawn-out battle, he had no intention of sticking around. He'd already drawn enough attention, and lingering here would only complicate things. It was better to lay low for a while.
Not far away, Ma Hongjun stood with his arms crossed, nostrils flaring as he watched Lin Bai leave.
"Tch. So popular," he muttered bitterly. "Why hasn't anyone come to recruit me?"
Unlike Lin Bai, who attracted attention naturally, Ma Hongjun felt invisible. He'd killed at least five hundred monsters, yet no one seemed to care.
Beside him, Oscar smirked. "Probably because Teacher Zhao's here. Everyone assumes we already belong to someone. Don't worry — maybe someone will come poach you later."
Then, with a teasing grin, he added, "If you're tempted, just tell the dean. No shame in finding yourself a backer."
Oscar's smug expression perfectly matched his usual cocky, playful attitude.
Ma Hongjun scowled. "Don't jinx it! The dean's terrifying when he's mad."
His face twisted as he remembered past 'lessons.' "I once told him I wanted to quit being a soul master and focus on my Phoenix Messenger class. Know what he did? Tied me up and left me hanging for a whole day. Then beat me a dozen times before he calmed down. What kind of teacher does that?"
Oscar burst out laughing. "Still traumatized, huh?"
Before Ma Hongjun could complain more, a cold voice cut through the air.
"Sounds like you've got a lot to say about me."
Both boys froze. Ma Hongjun stiffly turned around, and his face drained of color. Standing right behind them was none other than Flanders.
"T-Teacher…" Ma Hongjun stammered, then immediately pointed at Oscar. "It was him! He started it! Tried to turn me against you!"
Oscar didn't flinch. In fact, he doubled down shamelessly. "Dean, you know I've always admired you. I was just telling the fat man how amazing you are, but he kept complaining. I swear, I'm innocent!"
Flanders raised a brow. "You think I'm buying that?"
Without another word, he flicked Oscar on the head. Oscar winced but knew it could've been worse. Ma Hongjun wasn't as lucky. Flanders gave him a swift kick, sending him stumbling.
"Enough fooling around," Flanders said flatly. "I get it. Killing monsters feels good. It's addictive. Compared to dungeon grinding, traditional soul master training must seem dull and slow. But our profession's been honed for tens of thousands of years. Follow the right path, and you'll become strong in time."
He crossed his arms and swept his gaze over them. "The dungeon's adventurer classes are powerful now. But what if they disappear one day? You'll have nothing left. That's why you can't abandon your martial soul training. Master both paths. That's the way to become truly strong."
"Understood?" he asked sharply.
"Understood!" Oscar quickly replied. He'd never intended to give up his martial soul anyway.
Dai Mubai, standing nearby, nodded. His White Tiger Martial Spirit had been passed down through generations of the Dai family. He believed in its power, but also valued the advantages the adventurer system offered.
Ma Hongjun grumbled under his breath but gave a reluctant nod.
Flanders sighed. He knew Ma Hongjun's frustrations well. The boy's martial spirit was flawed — painful and limiting. No amount of training would change that. Flanders only wished he had the strength to fix it.
Still, that wasn't why he'd come back. He pushed those thoughts aside and spoke again.
"This time, the teachers and I explored the 30th floor. We're close to level 50 now. But we came back early because we discovered something important. The teleportation array on the 30th floor can connect to other dungeon exits."
The students' eyes widened. This was the first they'd heard of it.
Flanders smirked. "I've got an old friend — one with a unique take on cultivation. Turns out, he's somewhere in the dungeon. We've exchanged a few letters, and now that we've got a fast way to travel, I figured I'd drop by."
He paused, then added, "Apparently, he's taken on a student. Can't stop praising the kid. Claims he's brilliant and talented."
Flanders snorted. "Didn't take it seriously at first, but since we can reach him now, I'll check it out. You lot — behave while I'm gone. Don't embarrass me."
A rare, nostalgic smile touched his face. Memories of old days with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong resurfaced.
Meanwhile, back in Notting City, Yu Xiaogang was completely unaware of Flanders' plans.
After a failed boss attempt, he and Tang San took a short break before diving back in. Their combined strength was about equal to a Fourth Ring Soul Sect, but their progress was slow. They hadn't made it past the sixth floor.
The problem was Tang San's combat style — lacking wide-range attacks meant dealing with enemies one by one. His hidden weapons were effective, but retrieving them after every fight slowed them down.
As for Yu Xiaogang, his lack of combat ability made things even harder. He didn't have the means to contribute much in a fight.
Instead of charging ahead recklessly, they opted for a slower, more efficient approach. After scouting around, they found a spot on the sixth floor with the highest monster spawn rates and camped there to grind.
While Lin Bai had been dealing with the beast tide, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang fought their own uphill battle.
Eventually, they tracked down and challenged the sixth-floor boss — a metallic pangolin.
It was a brutal fight. In a moment of crisis, Tang San broke through his limits and managed to bring the beast down.
The rewards were worth it. The pangolin's body yielded thousands of metallic scales, perfect for refining into lethal hidden weapons.
They also got lucky. A skill book dropped — one containing a native attribute ability.
Tang San's eyes lit up with excitement as he picked it up.
The butterfly had flapped its wings, and the ripples had only just begun.
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