Before long—
"Wangwang! You were behaving so well before—what's with you today? If you run off like that again, I'll lock you up, you hear me?"
The stunning beauty approached and gently scooped the little pup into her arms, lightly tapping its forehead with a hint of reproach.
"Whimper~"
Wangwang seemed to understand. It drooped its little ears and whimpered softly, nuzzling into the girl's arms in a pitiful, coaxing manner.
"Alright, alright—it tickles! Stop wriggling~"
The girl laughed softly, rubbing the pup's fluffy little head.
Suddenly, she seemed to notice the figure standing quietly before her—Su Ba.
But before she could say anything, Su Ba simply nodded at her with a calm expression, then turned and continued walking forward.
Even though the girl was a rare, peerless beauty, Su Ba only spared her a brief glance before his gaze returned to serenity.
To him—
Aside from the pursuit of martial mastery, everything else in life was mere illusion.
Women, wealth, power?
Let fate decide.
Since the little dog had an owner—and she had come to retrieve it—there was no reason for him to linger.
"Whimper~"
As Su Ba walked away, the little pup suddenly lifted its head and let out a soft, reluctant whine.
"Hmm?"
The young woman's long lashes fluttered slightly. Her gaze followed the man's retreating figure, a touch of curiosity flickering in her eyes.
This wasn't just any puppy. Wangwang was the cub of a royal-rank spirit beast, the White Wolf Qing Emperor Hound.
In the spirit beast hierarchy, there were nine levels, corresponding to the martial path's One to Nine-Star stages. Their classifications were common, rare, royal, and imperial.
A royal-rank spirit beast was born with Tier 3 strength—and when fully matured, was comparable to a Post-Heaven realm expert!
Such creatures were incredibly wary of strangers. Even getting close could provoke a hostile response.
Yet this pup had voluntarily run into this man's arms?
And showed affection?
Even more baffling—
Qin Jiuyue knew her own beauty well.
Most men, even if they didn't openly ogle her, would still sneak glances, eyes filled with desire.
But this man?
He glanced at her once and moved on—his eyes clear and unmoved, as though she were no different than anyone else.
Qin Jiuyue could tell—it wasn't an act. He wasn't trying to play it cool or get her attention.
He was genuinely indifferent.
"This young man... a little cold, but... kind of cool."
Qin Jiuyue's brows arched ever so slightly as she whispered to herself.
Then—
She noticed the direction Su Ba was headed.
Her beautiful eyes flickered again.
That path only led to one place—Yunmeng Martial Institute.
She didn't recognize his face. Could he be… one of this year's new disciples?
Qin Jiuyue blinked thoughtfully but said nothing further. Cradling Wangwang in her arms, she turned and began walking in the same direction.
It was about time for her to head back anyway.
One incense stick of time later—
Su Ba stopped at the entrance of Yunmeng Martial Institute.
Looking up, he saw a seemingly endless chain of buildings stretching across several dozen miles. The entire Great Dragon Mountain was nearly engulfed by this majestic complex.
A sweeping, towering spectacle.
"As expected of the Wind Martial Kingdom's strongest institute… This grandeur belongs to Yunmeng alone."
Su Ba murmured his admiration.
And yet, as he thought about the challenges that awaited inside, his heart surged with anticipation.
No more hesitation.
He strode forward toward the gates of Yunmeng.
But he hadn't taken more than a few steps when—
"Who goes there?! This is Yunmeng Martial Institute! No trespassers allowed!"
Two guards stood at the gate. The one on the left, a burly man with a rugged face, stepped forward and barked sharply at Su Ba.
Su Ba remained calm, unfazed.
"I'm a graduating student. I was selected by your recruitment officer to participate in the Advancement Examination."
"New recruit token. Hand it over."
The guard extended his hand, his voice cold and emotionless.
"Ah, apologies. I… accidentally lost my token. But you can contact—"
"Stop."
Su Ba was immediately cut off.
The guard sneered, eyes cold, and raised a hand to point far into the distance.
One word.
"Scram."