Night fell quietly over Shrek Academy.
Deep within the forest perimeter—far from training grounds and prying eyes—Lin Chen stood beside a natural spirit spring. Moonlight reflected off the water, faint soul energy drifting like mist.
Zhu Zhuqing stood to his left.
Xiao Wu to his right.
Two girls. Two paths. One turning point.
Neither spoke.
They both felt it—the pressure beneath the calm, like the moment before a beast lunges.
"This won't hurt," Lin Chen said softly. "But it will be uncomfortable."
Xiao Wu tilted her head, red eyes curious rather than afraid. "You always say that before something scary."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't respond. She only nodded once.
"Sit," Lin Chen said.
They obeyed.
The system interface unfolded before him, layers of light cascading like a ritual array.
[Bonded Targets Confirmed][Zhu Zhuqing — Shadow Cat | Compatibility: High][Xiao Wu — Soft Bone Rabbit | Compatibility: Abnormal][Ring Evolution Function: Partial Unlock]
Lin Chen raised both hands.
"Your rings won't change in color tonight," he said. "Only in nature."
The first pulse spread outward.
Zhu Zhuqing felt it immediately.
Her first soul ring trembled beneath her feet—yellow light flickering erratically. A sharp pain lanced through her spine as shadow energy surged, compressing instead of expanding.
She gritted her teeth.
Her martial spirit appeared instinctively, shadow cat crouched low, claws digging into the earth as if resisting transformation.
"Don't fight it," Lin Chen said calmly. "Guide it."
Zhu Zhuqing inhaled slowly.
She remembered his words from before.
Advance into the shadow.
The trembling stopped.
The yellow ring darkened—not black, not purple—but deepened, gaining weight. Faint black veins appeared along its surface, pulsing like a heartbeat.
The system chimed.
[Zhu Zhuqing — First Soul Ring Reinforced][Effective Age Increase: +3,200 Years][Skill Mutation Probability: 14%]
Zhu Zhuqing exhaled sharply, sweat dripping from her chin.
"…I can feel more," she whispered. "Not power. Precision."
Lin Chen nodded. "Your ring learned how to hunt."
Then—
The pressure shifted.
Xiao Wu gasped.
Her reaction was completely different.
Her soul rings didn't resist.
They welcomed it.
A warm, ancient aura surged from her body, causing Lin Chen's eyes to narrow slightly.
As expected, he thought. Her origin is already abnormal.
Xiao Wu's first ring glowed brightly, red light bleeding faintly into the yellow. Her rabbit spirit appeared, ears upright, eyes sharp—not playful.
"Whoa…" Xiao Wu muttered. "It feels like… remembering something."
The ground beneath her cracked slightly.
The system reacted instantly.
[Warning: Bloodline Resonance Detected][Xiao Wu — Soul Origin: High-Level (Restricted)][Ring Evolution Limited — Auto-Suppression Engaged]
Lin Chen stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on Xiao Wu's head.
"That's enough for tonight," he said gently.
The energy settled.
Her ring stabilized, brighter, denser—but carefully restrained.
[Xiao Wu — First Soul Ring Reinforced][Effective Age Increase: +1,800 Years][Hidden Seal Integrity: Maintained]
Xiao Wu slumped forward, catching herself with a laugh. "Heh… guess I overdid it."
Zhu Zhuqing stood slowly.
She looked at Xiao Wu.
Then at Lin Chen.
"…This was only the beginning," she said.
"Yes," Lin Chen replied. "And it will never be fair."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't flinch.
Xiao Wu grinned.
"Good," she said. "I hate fair."
The moon reflected in the spring water, rippling softly.
Two soul rings had changed tonight.
Not visibly.
But fate had felt it.
And far away—
Something ancient shifted in its sleep.