Wang Dong'er, the Poor Student
Jiang Wu nodded. "I understand, Teacher."
Xian Lin'er waved a hand and pushed the brick-thick books on the desk toward him. "All right, go back and read these first. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me next time."
Jiang Wu put the books into his Storage Soul Tool, rose, and took his leave.
As he reached the door, Xian Lin'er suddenly called him back. "Jiang Wu."
"Teacher?"
Xian Lin'er leaned back in her chair and looked at him with ice-blue eyes. Her voice was level. "With that Dragon Transformation of yours, can you transform another part of your body every time you break through a major realm?"
"Yes."
Xian Lin'er nodded, as if doing some calculations in her head. Then she said, "When you reach rank forty, see if you can transform your left arm too. If you can transform both arms, you'll be advancing much faster along this path than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Jiang Wu acknowledged her words and pushed the door open.
The moment it closed, Xian Lin'er slumped back in her chair and let out a long breath. She lowered her head and looked at her hands, which were still trembling slightly.
She had seemed composed just now, but inside, rivers and seas were already churning.
For the Azure Flame Dragon to be suppressed so badly, the source of Jiang Wu's draconic might was definitely no simple thing.
There were plenty of dragon-type Martial Souls on the Douluo Continent, but she could count on her fingers the few that could suppress the Azure Flame Dragon bloodline.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?
No, the Azure Flame Dragon stood on equal footing with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Neither could suppress the other.
The Golden Dragon?
That was a Martial Soul of legend. No one had heard of anyone awakening it for thousands of years.
And beyond that...
Xian Lin'er rubbed the space between her brows, stopping herself from thinking any further.
Whatever his origins, he was her disciple now.
The stronger her disciple, the more it reflected on her as his teacher.
When Jiang Wu came out of the Soul Tool Department's teaching building, Wang Dong'er and Huo Yutong were already waiting at the entrance.
Wang Dong'er was squatting by the steps, drawing a rabbit on the ground with a pebble. Huo Yutong stood beside her, watching, while Gu Yue leaned against the base of a wall not far away, resting with her eyes closed.
"Xiao Wu!" Wang Dong'er heard the door and looked up. When she saw him, she tossed the pebble aside and sprang to her feet. "How did it go? What did that Dean Xian teach you?"
"She told me to read." Jiang Wu took the thick books out of his Storage Soul Tool and showed them to her.
He was a little surprised. He hadn't talked with his teacher for long, which meant the three of them hadn't gone back to the dormitory to rest, but had followed him to the Soul Tool Department's teaching building.
Wang Dong'er stared at the brick-thick books, the corner of her mouth twitching. "That many?"
"She said they're the basics of Soul Tools, and I have to memorize them first."
Huo Yutong leaned over and glanced at the titles on the spines. "I heard the Soul Tool Department's books are really difficult," she said softly. "A lot of people fall asleep after just two pages."
Jiang Wu put the books away. "It's fine. I'll take my time."
Gu Yue opened her eyes and sauntered over from the wall. She glanced at Jiang Wu. "The dean of the Soul Tool Department personally took you as her disciple and is even giving you private lessons. No one else at Shrek Academy gets treatment like that."
"Jealous?" Jiang Wu asked.
Gu Yue thought about it and answered seriously, "A little. My Martial Soul can control elements, but Soul Tools work differently from elements. If someone were willing to teach me, I'd like to learn too."
Wang Dong'er immediately gave Gu Yue a wary look. "What are you up to? That's my mother's teacher. Don't think you can tag along."
Gu Yue looked at her expressionlessly. "I didn't say I wanted to tag along."
"That look on your face just now said you did."
"What look?"
"That 'a little' look."
Jiang Wu put a hand on Wang Dong'er's head and pushed her aside. "All right, stop biting everyone you see. If Gu Yue wants to learn, I'll ask my teacher later if she can sit in on the lessons."
Gu Yue nodded and said no more.
With Jiang Wu's hand on her head, Wang Dong'er puffed out her cheeks but didn't make another peep.
Jiang Wu thought of something and said, "Oh, right, Yutong, you're well suited to learning about Soul Tools. Once I've finished the books, you can borrow them from me."
He thought it would be good if Huo Yutong could learn about Soul Tools from Xian Lin'er, though given Xian Lin'er's personality, she probably wouldn't take on a disciple lightly.
Huo Yutong froze for a moment and pointed at herself. "Me? Well suited to learning about Soul Tools?"
"Your spiritual power is much stronger than that of Soul Masters at the same level, and Soul Tools rely heavily on it." Jiang Wu put his Storage Soul Tool away. "I'll read them first and mark the important parts for you when I'm done, so you won't have to slog through them from the beginning."
Huo Yutong pressed her lips together. She didn't refuse, but nodded gently. "Thank you, then."
Wang Dong'er slipped out from under Jiang Wu's hand and smoothed down the hair he'd messed up. She muttered a few words but didn't pick another fight with Gu Yue. The four of them headed down the road in front of the Soul Tool Department's teaching building. The afternoon sun was bright, and plenty of students were coming and going through Shrek Academy. A few recognized Jiang Wu and pointed at him from afar, whispering among themselves.
"Is that the one who won ten straight matches in the Soul Fighting Zone?"
"That's him. I heard Dean Xian personally took him as her disciple."
"Ten straight wins with a Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul? That can't be true..."
Jiang Wu pretended not to hear. Wang Dong'er, however, had sharp ears. She turned and glared at them, and they immediately fell silent and dispersed.
"Xiao Wu, what are you doing this afternoon?" Wang Dong'er asked.
"Reading." Jiang Wu patted his Storage Soul Tool. "I need to go through the books Dean Xian gave me, at least enough to memorize the diagrams of the basic formations."
Wang Dong'er's face fell. "That's so boring. Why don't you come read in our dormitory? Yutong and I can keep you company, and when you get tired, you can talk to us."
Gu Yue cut in. "Can you concentrate on a book with people talking beside you?"
"I won't be noisy!" Wang Dong'er retorted. "I'll just sit there quietly."
Jiang Wu smiled and said nothing.
The four returned to the dormitory together. Jiang Wu took out the books on Soul Tools and started with From Soul Tool Beginner to the Grave.
Huo Yutong and Gu Yue each picked a book at random and began reading.
Seeing everyone else reading, Wang Dong'er felt she would be out of place if she didn't, so she picked up a book.
The quiet lasted less than ten minutes.
The book in Wang Dong'er's hands slipped half an inch lower. Her head bobbed, and her eyelids had already begun to droop.
She forced herself to turn another page and stared for a long time at the densely packed formation diagrams. The lines twisted into a ball of yarn before her eyes.
She yawned and let her head tip sideways against the quilt. The book slipped from her hands and landed face down on the floor with a smack.
A few seconds later, her breathing evened out.
Jiang Wu looked up. Wang Dong'er was curled up at the edge of the bed, one side of her face pressed into the pillow and her mouth slightly open, sleeping without a care.
He lowered his head and went back to his book.
More than half an hour later, Wang Dong'er rolled over and mumbled, "Braised pork, don't run away," then curled up even tighter.
Huo Yutong couldn't help letting out a laugh as she lowered her head.
Jiang Wu lifted his chin and lowered his voice. "Put the book beside her. When she wakes up, tell her she got to chapter three."
Huo Yutong smiled and nodded. She actually picked up the book, turned it to chapter three, and set it beside Wang Dong'er's hand.