Xiao Wu frowned as she continued massaging Ye Qiu's waist. Her gaze grew alert and cautious. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and blocked Ye Qiu behind her, shielding him instinctively.
Zhu Zhuqing watched with a quiet intensity. Her gaze occasionally flicked toward Ye Qiu and especially toward Xiao Wu. She seemed curious, perhaps a little surprised by Xiao Wu's cultivation level.
Only after Xiao Wu glared at her with puffed cheeks did Zhu Zhuqing back down, withdrawing her sharp gaze.
Xiao Wu turned and looked at Ye Qiu suspiciously.
She had a feeling. This guy had definitely taken a good look at someone else's 'big ones' earlier.
On the side, Dai Mubai furrowed his brow but didn't say anything. He wasn't too worried. After all, Ye Qiu already had a Soul Elder woman by his side. A man who had someone like that probably wouldn't two-time.
He stopped thinking about it and looked ahead.
Tang San had just taken his legs off the table and was sitting upright.
Li Yusong nodded. "Okay. Go ahead and release your Martial Spirit."
Tang San responded with a nod. He raised his hand, and a faint blue light flashed. From his palm emerged an ordinary Blue Silver Grass. As his soul power surged into it, the grass thickened, growing into a vine as thick as his wrist.
Two yellow soul rings rose slowly from his feet.
"Level 30?"
"Blue Silver Grass? This trash Martial Spirit actually cultivated this fast?"
Although it wasn't as visually impactful as Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu's displays, it still stirred some surprise.
Li Yusong raised his eyebrows, clearly intrigued but not overly impressed.
Zhu Zhuqing was surprised again.
Tang San smiled lightly. "My teacher once told me, there are no useless Martial Spirits in this world, only useless Soul Masters."
"Well said." Dai Mubai's eyes lit up.
It sounded like a line out of a storybook, but for some reason, it resonated.
He looked at Tang San with a renewed sense of interest.
Li Yusong, however, frowned slightly.
He didn't interrupt Tang San, but inwardly, he disagreed.
In the Douluo Continent, everyone awakened a Martial Spirit. But not everyone had innate soul power. Those without it couldn't cultivate at all.
So were they all useless?
The soul master world was cruel. Talent decides your future, and that was the cruel reality.
Still, he nodded to Tang San. "For you, this sentence seems fitting."
Zhu Zhuqing paused her step just as she was about to come forward. Moments ago, she too had felt inspired by the phrase. But now, after watching Li Yusong's response, she understood something.
That phrase wasn't an absolute truth.
It was just something Tang San's teacher had told him. Encouragement. Not reality.
And the man who had once coined it had eventually become what he feared most.
A person incapable of cultivating.
Beside them, Ye Qiu chuckled softly and patted Xiao Wu's head, his fingers running through her silky hair.
"Alright, next."
"Looks like my shift's done," he added casually. Li Yusong waved Tang San off and examined Zhu Zhuqing's bone age.
Tang San walked over and stood beside Ye Qiu, chatting with Dai Mubai. "Didn't expect you to be a student here too, Senior Dai. About yesterday…"
"Let's not mention it," Dai Mubai replied. "Sometimes, a fight is the best way to get to know someone. We're classmates now."
His eyes couldn't help drifting toward Zhu Zhuqing.
"What are you staring at?" Xiao Wu's voice cut in coldly. "You want to mess with another girl?"
She didn't bother lowering her voice. Zhu Zhuqing heard it clearly.
Zhu Zhuqing turned to look at Dai Mubai coldly, expressionless.
Dai Mubai frowned slightly. This freshman actually looked down on him?
He was about to speak but held back when he remembered Xiao Wu and Ye Qiu's strength. He smirked. "You don't understand."
"I just feel a familiar aura from her. Our Martial Spirits might be compatible enough to form a Martial Spirit Fusion Technique."
Naturally, he didn't reveal his true identity. Claiming a potential fusion technique was the safest excuse.
Tang San raised an eyebrow. Of course, he knew what a Martial Spirit Fusion Technique was. Rare beyond belief.
One in ten thousand didn't even begin to describe it. He just didn't expect that the people standing next to him had already achieved that.
Xiao Wu couldn't help but laugh. "If that's the case, then her Martial Spirit must also be a big cat, right?"
Dai Mubai coughed awkwardly. "That's possible."
Suddenly, he felt a cold sensation run down his spine. Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze swept over him. A feline cry echoed in the air, and two yellow soul rings rose beneath her.
"A cat?"
Xiao Wu looked at the small lemons in front of her, cheeks puffing out again. Compared to that pair of boobies, her own looked... small.
She reached out and pressed Ye Qiu's arm tightly to her chest.
She had one, too, okay?
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes. This little bunny really got jealous fast. He reached out and pinched her cheek, leaving a faint red mark.
"Ye Qiu." Xiao Wu pouted and glared at him.
"Alright, Xiao Bai," Li Yusong called. "Take them inside."
"Yes, teacher."
Under Dai Mubai's guidance, the group entered Shrek Academy. Though calling it an academy was generous—it looked more like a small village.
Xiao Wu clung tightly to Ye Qiu's arm and gently shifted him farther away from Zhu Zhuqing.
Tang San smiled. This side of Xiao Wu was always a little childish.
The buildings were all made of wood and quite simple.
Before long, they arrived at a large open area surrounded by wooden cabins. The space was about five hundred square meters, the central grounds of Shrek Academy.
The students who had passed the first test were gathered there. Soul power fluctuations filled the air, distorting the surroundings.
Ye Qiu spotted Ning Rongrong at first glance, dressed in white and glowing with energy.
Xiao Wu pouted again but didn't say anything.
Dai Mubai led the group forward.
Naturally, Ning Rongrong noticed them, especially Ye Qiu. She scowled and gave him a fierce glare. It was kind of cute, honestly.
Tang San chuckled softly.
"Alright, Tang San, wait here a moment. I'll go report to the teacher. As for you…" Dai Mubai looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "Go line up over there."
He didn't know if Zhu Zhuqing had reached level 25 or not.
Even after he left, Zhu Zhuqing didn't move.
Just then, a soft voice rang out.
"Selling sausages. Fresh sausages for sale!"
"Come and see, Oscar-brand sausages. Delicious and sweet, just five copper coins each! Very cheap!"
"Don't miss it!"
Ye Qiu looked over. Not far away, a bearded man who looked like an old uncle was pushing a food cart and shouting his slogan.
The scent of meat drifted through the air.
The cart rolled to a stop right in front of them.