Golden sunlight filtered through the clouds, spilling onto the grass. Ning Fengzhi gazed at Gu La, his emotions fluctuating.
The legend of hundred-thousand-year soul rings had long circulated among soul masters, but now it paled in comparison to the casual ntion of "martial soul evolution" by this young man.
But could the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect offer sothing of equal value in return?
Ning Fengzhi's eyes flickered as he silently reached a conclusion.
Changing the subject, he said, "Has your master ntioned anything he might be lacking? The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has a long history—perhaps we can assist him."
Conversing with intelligent people was simple; there was no need to explicitly ask—they would offer solutions on their own.
However, Gu La naturally didn't jump at the opportunity and instead shook his head. "My teacher hasn't ntioned anything to , but I can ask for you next ti."
Ning Fengzhi's smile grew warr. "Then I thank you, young master. I ca empty-handed, so please accept this gold card as a token of my gratitude."
"Don't refuse. Rongrong will be studying at Shrek Academy soon, and that mischievous girl will need your guidance."
Ning Fengzhi handed over a gold card. A small sum of money—if it could help him establish a connection with Oak's disciple, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would profit imnsely.
Gu La didn't decline. Reciprocity was key to maintaining relationships. He had traded blueprints for super-evolution devices for many rare materials but hadn't exchanged much for gold coins.
At a glance, he recognized the card's balance—five hundred thousand. This amount would be more than enough to sustain them until the next tournant.
Ning Fengzhi didn't linger long. He still needed to visit Emperor Xue Ye at the palace. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he left the academy.
Before departing, he left an important ssage: "Last night, several rchant guilds, led by the Yongsheng Guild, were caught smuggling dicinal herbs to the Star Luo Empire. They've been arrested and await execution. Please remind Principal Flender to be cautious of potential retaliation born from their anger."
Gu La tilted his head back and chuckled. If Ning Fengzhi hadn't ntioned it, he would have forgotten about the Yongsheng Guild altogether. "Money over life—such people exist everywhere."
He couldn't be bothered to deal with it. Calling Ma Hongjun, he instructed him to discuss the matter with Principal Flender. He was still recovering from his injuries and couldn't handle others' affairs.
Gu La closed his eyes, continuing to refine the magma energy within his body.
---
Ma Hongjun stood outside the principal's office, taking a deep breath. The bronze-eyed dragon beast carved into the door knocker seed to stare at him intently.
As he pushed open the wooden door, Flender was frowning over a docunt, his crystal lenses reflecting his troubled expression.
"Hongjun, you've arrived just in ti."
Flender adjusted his wire-rimd glasses. "This is Xu Xiaoyan, a transfer student from the reclusive Star Crown Sect—a family no weaker than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. She's been assigned to our academy for study, with financial support from the empire. You're responsible for welcoming her."
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as he discreetly explained Xu Xiaoyan's background, then casually asked, "What brings you here?"
"Teacher..."
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun montarily forgot to admire the new student's beauty. His expression turned bitter as he relayed the ssage Ning Fengzhi had passed along.
Flender's face darkened significantly, and he glared at Ma Hongjun with clear displeasure. "You… you're not acting like a student—you're acting like my ancestor!"
"Hehe."
The girl covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. When Flender looked up, she quickly composed herself. Ultimately, he didn't reprimand her—he hadn't received the "imperial mandate" this ti.
After scolding Ma Hongjun, Flender reluctantly agreed to handle the troubleso aftermath.
Ma Hongjun led the girl back to the training ground. Everyone was curious about the delicate new girl he had brought back and quickly gathered around.
"Who's this, Fatty?"
Dai Mubai tossed a barbell onto the sandy ground, sweat rolling down the grooves of his muscles. He deliberately unbuttoned two buttons to reveal his collarbone, his honey-toned muscles gleaming under the sun. Flashing a toothy grin at the transfer student, he introduced himself.
Ma Hongjun eyed Dai Mubai warily, stepping in front of him. "She's a newly recruited student, and the principal specifically instructed to take care of her. Don't try anything funny."
Dai Mubai understood that the girl was soone important—otherwise, the principal wouldn't have emphasized it.
Flipping his hair nonchalantly, he shrugged. "It's fine. We're all classmates. What harm could introductions do?"
The two locked eyes, neither backing down.
The girl giggled softly, her voice like the ringing of wind chis. Her hair accessory swayed in the breeze. "You're all so interesting. Hello, everyone. I'm Xu Xiaoyan. Nice to et you."
"Hi, I'm Dai Mubai. Let show you around the academy."
Dai Mubai appraised the girl's cute face. Though not his usual type, her delicate, fair features compensated for any shortcomings in figure.
Xiao Wu pricked up her ears and swiftly inserted herself between them. Disgusted by Dai Mubai's flirtatious deanor, she scolded him: "Pervert! Do you want another beating? Leave the new student alone!"
"You!"
Dai Mubai's face darkened, his fists clenched—but he dared not retaliate.
During their sparring sessions, despite both being strong offensive soul masters, the gap in their soul rings made him no match for Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu approached, her guard dropping upon seeing Xu Xiaoyan's fragile, innocent aura. Taking her hand, she said warmly, "I'm Xiao Wu. If anyone bothers you, let know—I'll stand up for you."
Xu Xiaoyan nodded obediently. "Mm-hmm."
Gu La watched Xiao Wu enthusiastically lead the new student away for training, his gaze lingering on Xu Xiaoyan's subtly troubled expression.
"A character who didn't appear in the original story—is this related to what I sensed so ti ago?"
He noticed that the hairpin holding Xu Xiaoyan's hair in place was a soul tool, storing a significant amount of soul power. It was clearly a defensive soul tool ant for ergencies.
"I'm still curious."
Gu La sighed. Peering into the past consud far less energy than glimpsing the future.
But his body was currently flooded with fire-attribute energy, held in check only by the fla resistance of Groudon's martial soul. Switching to Celebi's martial soul might worsen his injuries.
"Without the aid of my martial souls, I don't know how far back I can see. Hopefully, her secrets aren't too distant."
Gu La's gaze went vacant as he focused on Xu Xiaoyan. Before his eyes, images flipped like photographs.
Gradually, his expression grew strange. "Still a clean-loving little girl… likes snacks… has two cousins and a grandfather… Emperor Xue Ye, so that's how it is."
Gu La stopped probing the past. The good news was that he had uncovered the source of the unease he'd felt earlier. The bad news was that the plot was evolving rapidly—even reclusive sects were being drawn in.
"What treasures does the Star Crown Sect possess? To give a protective soul tool to a young girl—even if she's favored—it suggests such tools are not their most precious. I wonder how many soul tools they've preserved."
Gu La speculated, his gaze fixed on the soul tool.
Soul tool technology on Douluo Continent had suffered a violent extinction. Nowadays, usable soul tools could only be unearthed from ancient ruins—most were damaged, though a few remained functional.
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