A year later, Nuoding City, on the streets.
"Whoa!"
The coachman hurriedly pulled the reins, barely managing to stop the carriage before it struck the girl on the road. He glared at her furiously and cursed:
"You little brat, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"The road is so wide, yet you had to walk right down the middle!"
At once, nearby pedestrians gathered around to watch the commotion.
Suddenly, a refined male voice called out from within the carriage:
"That's enough. It was clearly your poor handling that nearly got the carriage to hit her."
Immediately afterward, a handsome young man in white robes stepped down from the carriage.
In an instant, everyone's attention was drawn to him.
He carried himself with noble grace and extraordinary bearing; one look was enough to tell that he came from an aristocratic family!
More importantly, his face was as handsome as that of an immortal cast down from the heavens, making all the men present burn with envy and the women secretly swoon...
"Young Master is right. This servant knows his mistake!"
The coachman hurried before Jin Lingfeng, bowing low as his body trembled slightly.
Jin Lingfeng looked up and saw that the girl had already risen from the ground, gazing curiously at him.
She had silky, supple black hair braided into a neat scorpion braid that hung past her calves, brimming with youthful vitality.
On her head was a pair of pink rabbit-ear accessories. They looked incredibly lifelike and adorable, making one want to grab them and give them a good rub.
Her face was exceptionally pure and sweet. Her large eyes were bright and clear as crystal, paired with a delicate nose and soft pink lips.
She wore a pink outfit that tightly outlined her exquisite figure. Her slender, alluring legs were especially pleasing to the eye, and her entire body radiated an innocent, lovable charm.
Jin Lingfeng's eyes lit up. Xiao Wu truly deserved to be the only female lead of the original Douluo Continent story. Though she was still young, her beauty had already begun to show.
"Little sister, are you all right?"
"The carriage frightened you just now, and my servant even spoke rudely. I apologize on his behalf."
Jin Lingfeng walked up to the girl and spoke apologetically.
Xiao Wu stared at the extraordinarily handsome man before her, and her panicked heart gradually calmed.
It was as though he possessed some kind of magic that made her instinctively feel close to him.
A smile curled her lips, revealing two sweet dimples on her cheeks as she said:
"Big brother, I'm fine."
Jin Lingfeng understood that Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. The Third Offering, the level 97 Holy Dragon Douluo hidden nearby, had likely discovered her long ago...
He smiled and nodded, deliberately asking:
"Xiao Wu, where are you going all alone on the street?"
Xiao Wu hesitated. Her mother had clearly warned her to be wary of humans, yet when she looked at the man's handsome face, she found herself staring in a daze for a moment before hurriedly saying:
"Big brother, Xiao Wu is going to Nuoding Academy to register, but I got lost."
"Could you help Xiao Wu and take me to Nuoding Academy?"
Then, Xiao Wu looked at him expectantly with her watery eyes.
Jin Lingfeng pretended to be pleasantly surprised.
"Xiao Wu, I happen to be heading to Nuoding Academy too."
"How about this? Ride in my carriage, and we can go there together."
Xiao Wu glanced at the luxurious carriage beside them and nodded her little head excitedly.
"Okay, big brother. Thank you."
"Wow, so this is a carriage! It's so big and so pretty."
"Xiao Wu has never ridden in a carriage before. I'm so happy!"
Xiao Wu trotted over, dove straight into the carriage, and cheered excitedly.
Jin Lingfeng shook his head with a smile. He had not expected Xiao Wu to be so uninhibited, cheerful, and lively.
"Continue on."
He gave the coachman an order and lifted the curtain, intending to enter the carriage.
But at that moment, Jin Lingfeng saw an elderly man in black standing among the crowd. It was actually the Holy Dragon Douluo!
His expression turned solemn. He gave the Holy Dragon Douluo a meaningful look before stepping into the carriage.
Seeing this, the coachman resumed driving toward Nuoding Academy, while the surrounding pedestrians gradually dispersed...
Along the way, Jin Lingfeng and Xiao Wu chatted happily. The little girl seemed to hold no hostility toward him and wore a smile throughout.
Although Xiao Wu was adorable, Jin Lingfeng harbored no improper thoughts toward her. His eyes held only the girl he loved, Qian Renxue. How could another woman shake his heart?
About half an hour later, the carriage came to a stop.
The coachman's respectful voice sounded from outside:
"Young Master, we've arrived at Nuoding Academy!"
Xiao Wu was extremely excited. She was the first to step down from the carriage, cheering nonstop at the sight of the enormous academy before Jin Lingfeng followed her down.
Their appearance instantly drew the attention of many nearby students. The male students drooled as they looked at Xiao Wu, while the female students gazed at Jin Lingfeng with lovestruck expressions.
After giving a few instructions, Jin Lingfeng and Xiao Wu entered the academy gates side by side. Before long, a stern-faced man with close-cropped hair approached them with his hands behind his back.
Behind him followed a boy of about six or seven. His sharp gaze flickered with wisdom that did not belong to someone his age.
Jin Lingfeng looked at the newcomers, a teasing smile rising on his lips. They were clearly Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang and the favored son of fate of Douluo Continent, Tang San...
Yu Xiaogang, a useless man with a mutated martial soul.
He had used the information Spirit Hall had accumulated over the years to propose that bullshit theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, yet shamelessly claimed it was his own research.
What was more, he had hurt Bibi Dong, causing that pitiful woman to develop an Inner Demon. Several times, she had nearly been devoured by the Rakshasa God's curse erupting within her body. He was simply despicable!
At that thought, Jin Lingfeng's gaze upon Yu Xiaogang flashed with icy coldness...
Nuoding Academy, before the main gates.
At this moment, more and more students gathered around.
"What are you two doing at Nuoding Academy?"
A man's hoarse voice came from afar. The students all turned to look, their faces filled with disdain.
Yu Xiaogang came before Jin Lingfeng and Xiao Wu. Seeing that they had just descended from a carriage bearing Spirit Hall's emblem, he naturally assumed they were from Spirit Hall.
"Could it be that Bibi Dong still can't let go of our old relationship and sent someone to bring me back?"
Yu Xiaogang felt that was entirely possible. After all, he was deeply learned, and his distinguished talent had not diminished since those days.
After Tang San approached, he watched the man in white warily. His instincts told him that this person was extremely dangerous.
But soon, his attention was drawn to the girl with the adorable scorpion braid. It was as though she were destined to become his wife...
Xiao Wu saw that this close-cropped uncle looked fierce. One glance was enough to tell he was not a good person!
She pursed her lips slightly and said timidly in a soft voice:
"Hello, my name is Xiao Wu."
"I'm a work-study student here to register at Nuoding Academy."
"This is my martial soul certificate..."
Xiao Wu then took out her certificate and handed it to Yu Xiaogang, believing him to be one of the academy's teachers.
Yu Xiaogang accepted the certificate, glanced at it, and cried out:
"Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul—another genius with Innate Full Soul Power!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze softened. He looked at Xiao Wu and nodded in satisfaction.
He smiled excitedly.
"Xiao Wu, I may not be a teacher at this academy."
"But when it comes to understanding martial souls, no one in all Douluo Continent can compare to me."
"Would you... be willing to take me as your master?"
Tang San was extremely excited. He had already fallen for the adorable girl before him.
If she became his teacher's disciple too, it would certainly be much easier for him to pursue her in the future.
However, Jin Lingfeng, who had remained silent all along, sneered mockingly:
"Yu Xiaogang, you useless trash."
"You only know how to talk theory. What makes you worthy of becoming Xiao Wu's teacher?"
His voice reached the ears of every student nearby. They all looked at Yu Xiaogang with disdain, pointing at him and whispering even harsher insults.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened like water. He snorted coldly.
"Boy, you have no idea what I'm capable of. I can't be bothered to argue with you!"
Then, he turned to Xiao Wu and said in a deep voice:
"Xiao Wu, I'll give you one final chance. Take me as your master."
"I will definitely nurture you into a powerful soul master!"
Tang San hurriedly turned to Xiao Wu and eagerly advised:
"Hello, Xiao Wu. My name is Tang San."
"I'm also a work-study student from this year's intake at Nuoding Academy."
"Moreover, just like you, I possess Innate Full Soul Power, and I have already taken Teacher as my master."
"Teacher's knowledge is profound beyond compare, and his understanding of martial souls is uniquely insightful."
"Quickly agree to become Teacher's disciple. Otherwise, if Teacher changes his mind later, you'll suffer a huge loss..."
Yu Xiaogang nodded at Tang San in satisfaction, clasped his hands behind his back, and assumed the air of a profound scholar.
Jin Lingfeng secretly laughed. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San truly deserved to be the two greatest charlatans of Douluo Continent.
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