As Lin Feng followed the others toward the dormitories, he simultaneously opened his trait panel for review.
[Loyal and Righteous (White)]: You are deeply devoted to loyalty and righteousness. You always repay kindness, and when injustice arises, you're the first to draw your blade in defense.
Lin Feng hadn't planned to pay much attention to the traits of others, but this particular one—Loyal and Righteousness—caught his eye.
While walking, he began to ponder.
This was exactly the type of person he needed by his side.
If the system allowed him to apply traits to others, he'd consider duplicating this one. Anyone he recruited, he'd immediately assign them this trait.
Even better—if there were a trait purely about loyalty, that would be ideal.
But Lin Feng knew he was getting ahead of himself. Right now, he couldn't even apply traits to others.
"Maybe only red-tier traits can be duplicated and applied elsewhere…"
Continuing downward through the trait list, his eyes landed on another:
[Glorify the Family (Green)]: You devoted your life to war and were granted the title of Marquis Yu Kuang by Emperor Xue Beng. Even in death, you bless your descendants for a hundred years.
In terms of destiny-type traits, this was one of the better ones he'd seen.
[Rage Awakening (Green)]: When consumed by fury, your strength and stamina drastically increase, but afterward you'll enter a weakened state.
Not bad either. Probably related to the martial soul.
And since it had manifested as a trait, it likely stemmed from some innate ability of the martial soul—proving that this Yu Kuang had decent talent.
"System, refresh the traits!"
[Ding! Trait refresh successful.]
[Ding! Congratulations, trait [Glorify the Family] has evolved into a higher tier.]
Lin Feng's eyes lit up with surprise. So this was where the system had been hiding a purple-tier trait!
He skimmed through the other two again, but since neither triggered any advancement, he decided to keep them as-is.
The trait [Somewhat Gifted] didn't trigger any upgrade either.
He then turned to inspect the newly evolved [Glorify the Family].
[Thunderous Tribulation (Purple)]: Every time you break through a major level, a dangerous tribulation lightning will be summoned. If you survive it, immense rewards await.
[Windborne Stride (Purple)]: You are favored by the wind. You can freely command the power of the windstorm.
[Earth Escape Technique (Purple)]: You can dive underground and travel at extreme speed.
Thunderous Tribulation looked terrifying. If someone chose it purely for the potential benefits, they were likely in for a miserable future.
Lin Feng made a mental note to avoid traits with major drawbacks unless absolutely necessary.
[Windborne Stride], however, seemed like an excellent fit for Yu Kuang—his martial soul was the Gale Bird, after all.
As for Earth Escape, while burrowing underground offered stealth, it didn't seem that useful for his purposes.
In the end, [Windborne Stride] was the most suitable for Yu Kuang.
Still, Lin Feng didn't make a selection immediately.
If a trait wasn't changed or saved, it would remain in a pending selection state until he made a final decision.
On the way back to the dorm, the moonlight was clear and cold.
The Shi brothers chatted excitedly about how their bodies had changed after absorbing immortal herbs earlier.
Shi Mo, looking adorably naive, his round eyes sparkling with curiosity, tugged on his older brother's sleeve.
"Hey, bro… when do you think our family will help us hunt for soul rings?"
Shi Mo patted his head, feigning wisdom.
"No rush. Mom and Dad are visiting soon. I'll just ask Teacher Qin for leave tomorrow."
Then he turned to Lin Feng and teased, "But Boss Lin, while Shi Mo and I are away, don't miss us too much, okay? We'll be sure to serve you well when we get back!"
But Lin Feng's mind was elsewhere.
He was still thinking about Yu Kuang, whom they had passed earlier—and imagining the possibilities ahead.
He hadn't heard a single word of what Shi Mo said.
"Lin Feng? Lin Feng!"
Shi Mo noticed his absent look and strode up to him, poking him in the shoulder.
"Where'd your soul go? You're completely zoned out!"
Lin Feng snapped out of it, feigning a yawn to cover up.
"Just tired. Zoned out a bit."
"Then let's get back quick."
"Yeah, let's go," said Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling as they approached. Dugu Yan looked at him with visible concern, while Ye Lingling offered a gentle smile.
"You've got your sweethearts to keep you company. I'll take my leave," Shi Mo said, shaking his head before dragging Shi Mo away with him.
After saying their goodbyes in the square, the group split up toward their respective dorms. Being from different grades, their living quarters were also in different areas.
Only after confirming that they were out of sight did Lin Feng hurry off toward the dining hall—he didn't want to miss Yu Kuang.
People like him—loyal and righteous—were hard to come by.
Late night. Academy dining hall.
The lighting was dim and subdued. The atmosphere was quiet, with only a couple of students still finishing their meals in the corners.
Yu Kuang sat alone at a table.
The food in front of him had long gone cold. He held his chopsticks, but only mechanically stirred the dishes. His eyes were filled with confusion.
He was about to graduate, yet the road ahead felt blank. A quiet sorrow welled up in his heart.
"Am I really going to return home and inherit the title of Viscount?"
"That kind of life… feels like something's missing. Too peaceful."
He brooded in silence.
Just then, a shadow appeared and sat down across from him.
Yu Kuang looked up—and frowned. It was Zhao Li, son of the Marquis Zhao.
Zhao Li wore what appeared to be a friendly smile.
"Yu Kuang, help me out in tomorrow's match," he said.
"I'm cultivating tomorrow. I don't have time."
Yu Kuang put down his chopsticks, his tone frosty.
He wasn't naive. He could guess that this was likely a fixed match.
After all, he had participated in Soul Arena matches before, desperate for money. He knew how the game worked.
And everyone knew—Yu Kuang was the honest type. He'd never easily agree to anything that went against his principles.
"It's not fixed. Just fight and win fair," Zhao Li replied casually.
Then, as if already prepared, he took out a pouch and placed it on the table. The clinking sound of coins echoed clearly.
"As long as you win, this is yours."
Yu Kuang stared at the gold, conflicted.
Zhao Li added fuel to the fire:
"Oh, and your brother owes a thousand gold coins at the Soul Arena. Agree to this, and that debt disappears."
Yu Kuang's face turned stormy.
He was furious—his brother had racked up such a huge debt?
Deep down, he also knew this might be a trap.
But at this point, he had no other option.
With gritted teeth, Yu Kuang finally agreed and signed the Soul Arena contract Zhao Li offered.
Zhao Li gave a satisfied nod and left.
Yu Kuang had no appetite after that.
He stood up to leave—only for another figure to sit across from him.
30 Advance Chapters on !
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