Xiao Chenyu

After spending quite a while at it, Zhao Ming pushed his bed together with Xiao Wu's. Zhao Ming's bedding was adult-sized and indeed very large, covering ninety percent of both beds.

"Why is your bedding so big?" Xiao Wu asked in surprise. Zhao Ming's bedding had been folded earlier, so she had not realized it.

"I like kicking off the covers and rolling around in bed, so of course I bought a bigger blanket," Zhao Ming said with a smile, looking at Xiao Wu.

"Really?" Xiao Wu looked doubtful. Looking at their two beds, she placed her bundle in the middle and chopped a line with her hand.

"See that? This line is the boundary. If you dare cross it, don't blame me for getting rough." Xiao Wu raised her little fist and spoke with feigned fierceness.

"That's hard to say. I already told you, I like rolling around in bed when I'm asleep. I can't guarantee what might happen then." Zhao Ming shook his head as he explained.

Zhao Ming found it rather amusing. The scene reminded him of the dividing line he used to draw with his female deskmate in elementary school.

Cross it, and you were a beast.

Don't cross it, and you were worse than a beast.

Which would you choose?

"You!" Xiao Wu's eyes widened. She felt as though she had entered a wolf's den. But after looking around, there did not seem to be anywhere better.

"Hmph, you'd better behave yourself!"

"It's time for lunch, Boss. Xiao Wu, let's go together," Wang Sheng said.

After checking the time, Wang Sheng spoke.

At the mention of food, Xiao Wu immediately jumped up and said excitedly, "Sure! What delicious food are we having?"

Wang Sheng and the other Work-Study Students looked at each other and smiled bitterly. "What good food can Work-Study Students eat? We just buy some cheap food in the cafeteria to make do."

The excitement on Xiao Wu's face abruptly froze. "Does eating cost money? Those Soul Coins or whatever?"

If it were not for the fact that she seemed to have some connection with their boss, Wang Sheng would probably have cursed her out. Of course meals cost money. Who would give out free lunches? Still, he could tell that she was probably short on funds.

"You call me Boss, so I can't be stingy. I'm treating today. Eat whatever you want," Zhao Ming said grandly after glancing at Xiao Wu.

There was quite a bit of money in Hu Liena's Spatial Ring. Zhao Ming had counted it, and there were over three thousand Gold Soul Coins, more than enough for him to spend. Aside from that, there were some personal clothes and such. However, Zhao Ming had no thoughts about those clothes. He, Zhao Ming, was not that kind of person. Once he won over his precious Xiao Wu, he would be able to live a happy life. Why would he harbor any other filthy thoughts?

Hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately beamed and patted Zhao Ming on the shoulder. Only then did she realize that Gold Soul Coins were needed in the human world.

The group of eleven left Dormitory Seven and headed toward the cafeteria under Wang Sheng's lead. The cafeteria was inside the teaching building, and they had to cross the entire field.

By then, the field had already become lively. Many students in academy uniforms could be seen heading toward the teaching building, clearly going to eat.

The cafeteria of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was very large, enough to accommodate more than three hundred people from six classes, including teachers. At that moment, long lines had already formed at the serving windows. The cafeteria had two floors, and the first-floor hall alone had three hundred seats.

"Isn't this Wang Sheng and his bunch of poor ghosts?" Just as Zhao Ming's group entered the cafeteria, an unpleasant voice rang out.

The voice came from the second floor.

Zhao Ming looked toward the sound and saw a group of people looking down at them from above.

"Poor ghosts will always be poor ghosts. They'll probably never get to eat on the second floor."

"What are you? What's so great about the second floor?" Seeing someone looking down on them and provoking them, Xiao Wu immediately flared up.

"What a pretty little girl. Too bad she's a Work-Study Student. Wang Sheng, I'm going to eat now, so I'll let you off this time," said a handsome male student around eleven or twelve years old, his eyes lighting up.

"Who says we can't eat on the second floor? I'm treating today. We're all eating upstairs," Zhao Ming said coolly, his gaze turning cold.

The second floor of Nuoding Academy's cafeteria was relatively expensive. Generally, only children of nobles ate there. Ordinary self-funded students and Work-Study Students could not afford the food upstairs.

"Huh? Wang Sheng, when did you become someone's underling? That doesn't seem like your style. Don't tell me you can't even beat this little kid?" the student asked in surprise.

"Who is he? Why is he so arrogant?" Xiao Wu asked angrily, her jade-like legs wrapped in tight trousers tracing circles on the ground as she itched to make a move.

"His name is Xiao Chenyu. He has the highest cultivation in the academy. He's usually the one leading the others in bullying us Work-Study Students," Wang Sheng whispered into Zhao Ming's ear.

"Just because his cultivation is high, he can bully people? Doesn't the academy care?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened in confusion.

"Why would the academy care about this? At a Soul Master Academy, as long as nothing too serious happens, they won't interfere," Wang Sheng said helplessly.

"Don't worry. Since you call me Boss, I won't just stand by and ignore you. Brothers, let's go up." Zhao Ming stepped directly onto the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Oh, you actually came up. But do you have the money to eat here? Don't put on a brave face and suffer for it," Xiao Chenyu said disdainfully.

"They're all my underlings now. You'd better show some respect." Reaching the second floor, Zhao Ming frowned.

"Or what? What, you want to fight me? Fine. Beat me, and I'll give you some face. Otherwise, why should I?" Xiao Yuxuan laughed wantonly.

"Then today, I'll teach you a proper lesson," Zhao Ming said coldly.

With that, he stepped forward, releasing Soul Power at the Soul Master level.

"You're a Soul Master too?" Feeling Zhao Ming's Soul Power, Xiao Yuxuan's expression changed. He had not expected this guy, who looked like a new student, to be a Soul Master.

The students on Xiao Yuxuan's side also changed expression. There had originally been only one Soul Master among the students of Nuoding Academy, and that was Xiao Chenyu. Yet now, another had appeared—and such a young Soul Master at that.

"Hmph, so what if you're a Soul Master? You're so young, you must have only just obtained your Soul Ring. How can you compare to me?" Xiao Chenyu said coldly.

As he spoke, Xiao Chenyu released his Martial Soul.

A layer of green light emerged from Xiao Chenyu's body. Amid its flickering glow, the muscles on his body began to swell. His eyes gradually turned light green, his arms slowly rose, and his clawed hands stretched forward as his nails became sharp. A white Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. This was the appearance of Martial Soul Possession.

"Xiao Chenyu, sixth-year student. Martial Soul: Wolf. Level-eleven one-ring Battle Soul Master."

"Zhao Ming, first-year student. Martial Soul: Puppet. Level-eleven one-ring Battle Soul Master."

When Zhao Ming named his Martial Soul, everyone around him showed puzzled expressions. They had clearly never heard of such a Martial Soul.

However, they were even more astonished soon afterward.

As Soul Power slowly surged, Zhao Ming's distinctive Orange Soul Ring appeared beneath him.

An Orange Soul Ring? What was that?

The students stared at Zhao Ming with their mouths agape, as though they were looking at a monster.

What kind of monster is this? Xiao Chenyu cursed inwardly.

"Boss, cripple him! He's only a first-year student. I think he's just putting on an act," one upper-year student could not help saying.

"Shut up!" Xiao Chenyu snapped angrily.

How was this possible?

The appearance of Zhao Ming's Soul Ring could be said to have overturned these students' understanding of Martial Souls.

Moreover, being in the first year meant he was only six or seven years old. No one in the entire history of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy had reached the Soul Master realm in their first year. Not to mention that his Martial Soul also seemed completely unheard of.