Yu Xiaogang Arrives

Gu Ye looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was sleeping soundly in his bed, and sat down beside her.

He picked up the blanket and covered Zhu Zhuqing with it, once again fulfilling his promise to take care of her for a lifetime.

"Not bad. Sleeping cats are rather captivating." Seeing a faint smile on Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold, lifeless face as she slept, Gu Ye could not help looking at her a few more times.

Then, after gently stroking Zhu Zhuqing's heart-stirring face, he intended to leave and continue cultivating in another room.

But just as Gu Ye tried to pull his hand away, Zhu Zhuqing murmured "Mm" in her sleep. Instinctively, she grabbed his hand and hugged it against her chest.

Perhaps Gu Ye's hand gave Zhu Zhuqing an inexplicable sense of security. Once she held it, she did not let go, clutching it tightly.

Especially now that Zhu Zhuqing was Gu Ye's disciple—such a special relationship always inspired certain unusual thoughts.

"This is truly putting me in a difficult position!"

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing was unwilling to let go, Gu Ye turned his head away with difficulty, refusing to look at the alluring curves pressed out at her chest.

He tried to pull free again, but Zhu Zhuqing protected his hand like a cat guarding its food, showing no intention of releasing it.

From time to time, she would rub against it and edge a little closer to Gu Ye.

Helpless, and unwilling to wake the sleeping cat, Gu Ye simply sat beside her and began cultivating.

Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy, in the headmaster's office.

Flender listened in astonishment as Zhao Wuji recounted their journey to the Star Dou Great Forest, his expression changing several times.

Only after hearing that everyone had returned safely did he finally let out a breath of relief.

"It seems I was still too careless in letting you take them to the Star Dou Great Forest alone this time."

Flender sighed, his heart still filled with lingering fear. "The next time we go hunt soul beasts, I'll go with you. With two Soul Sages there, it will be safer. These children are all geniuses—I don't want to see them lose their lives like that."

"You can't be blamed for this. After all, no one could have expected to encounter the Titan Giant Ape, the king of the forest. Fortunately, the Titan Giant Ape did not intend to kill us. Otherwise, we would never have made it back."

"Still, Flender, there's one thing I simply can't understand. Xiao Wu was taken away by the Titan Giant Ape, yet she returned unharmed several days later and had even broken through rank thirty. According to her, a bull's roar frightened the Titan Giant Ape away."

"That bull's roar was likely from the legendary Sky Azure Bull Python." A somewhat stiff and strange voice came from outside the door.

Zhao Wuji was startled.

Earlier, he had already heard footsteps approaching, but he had not paid them much attention, assuming it was one of the academy's teachers.

Only upon hearing that voice did he realize something was wrong. No one in the academy had a voice like that.

"Haha, the man who knows has arrived. Xiaogang, come in." Flender looked toward the door and laughed.

The door opened, and a middle-aged man entered. His face was stiff, his back ramrod straight. At first glance, he seemed somewhat dull, yet there was a trace of urgency in his deep black eyes. If Tang San had been here, he would have recognized the man at once. He was Tang San's teacher, the renowned Grandmaster of the Soul Master world—Yu Xiaogang.

"Wuji, you haven't met him before, have you? This is Xiaogang, the famed theoretical Grandmaster of the Soul Master world, and also Tang San's teacher." As Flender introduced him, he pulled Yu Xiaogang inside.

Looking at Yu Xiaogang, Zhao Wuji's heart stirred. He said in surprise, "So you're the Grandmaster. I'm Zhao Wuji. I've long heard of your great name."

"Immovable Bright King Zhao Wuji, hello. You have returned, so Tang San should be safe as well, correct?"

"Yes. Tang San was exhausted by the trip to the Star Dou Great Forest. As soon as we returned, I had them all go back to their rooms to rest."

Only after learning that his disciple was unharmed did Yu Xiaogang finally sigh in relief.

Yu Xiaogang then explained to Zhao Wuji that the sound they had heard belonged to the legendary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Sky Azure Bull Python, along with a series of related matters.

"So Xiao Wu really was lucky." Having learned the truth, Zhao Wuji sighed.

No matter what, he could never have imagined that Xiao Wu's true identity was a Human-form Soul Beast.

She had only been taken away because Er Ming and Da Ming had not seen Xiao Wu in a long time and wanted to bring her home to talk.

After finishing his explanation, Yu Xiaogang continued, "Teacher Zhao, I have already carefully reviewed these students' records. You went to the Star Dou Great Forest to find third soul rings for Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing, who possesses the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul. What soul beast soul rings did they ultimately obtain?"

At the mention of soul rings, Zhao Wuji chuckled. "Our luck was quite good this time. Oscar obtained a millennium Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent soul ring, and he gained a rather impressive third soul skill as well."

Upon hearing that it was a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, the muscles on Yu Xiaogang's stiff face twitched. "Very good. This soul beast is similar to several soul rings I had originally considered suitable for Oscar. Phoenix-tail Crested Serpents are relatively gentle by nature, but extremely cunning and especially skilled at fleeing. They are not easy to cultivate. If my guess is correct, Oscar's third soul ring must be related to speed."

Hearing this, Zhao Wuji instinctively praised him. "As expected of the Grandmaster. You understood so much from only a few words. You are correct—Oscar's third soul ring is indeed related to speed. His third soul skill is a type of mushroom sausage. After eating it, one can fly for one minute, at the same speed as a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent."

Yu Xiaogang seemed taken aback. Clearly, he had not expected Oscar's soul skill to be like this. He declared decisively, "This child's talent in a food-type martial soul is unprecedented. Among all the food-type Soul Masters I have seen, he is the most outstanding. His future is limitless."

Flender chuckled. "Xiaogang, Shrek Academy only accepts monsters. Did you only realize that now?"

Yu Xiaogang cast Flender a bored glance before continuing, "But Zhu Zhuqing, who possesses the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, surprises me even more. Her records say that she has only just turned twelve, making her the youngest of the seven, yet she reached rank thirty before Oscar did. As far as I know, the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul does not possess such aptitude. Could Teacher Zhao tell me more about Zhu Zhuqing's circumstances?"

The moment Yu Xiaogang learned that she possessed the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, he had guessed Zhu Zhuqing's identity. After all, the Zhu Clan, known for the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, was quite famous throughout Douluo Continent.

"Well..." Zhao Wuji stole a glance at Flender and did not immediately speak, thinking of the age of Zhu Zhuqing's third soul ring.

After all, Yu Xiaogang was the famed theoretical Grandmaster of the Soul Master world and Flender's close friend. Saying it now would be like slapping him in the face right in front of Flender. Flender, however, told Yu Xiaogang why Zhu Zhuqing had broken through to rank thirty so quickly.

It was entirely because Gu Ye, that unusual physician, had developed something called Martial Soul Blood, and Zhu Zhuqing had broken through so quickly only after taking it.

This was also the first time Yu Xiaogang had learned of Martial Soul Blood.

But upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's already stiff face darkened further.

"Flender, how could you let these children take things indiscriminately? Don't you know that substances which rapidly increase one's strength are highly likely to be harmful? If it truly is harmful, it will only ruin Zhu Zhuqing's foundation."

"Have you forgotten the heretical Soul Masters who appeared in the past? Those Soul Masters used certain substances to increase their strength quickly. Do you not know how they ended up?"

Yu Xiaogang's rebuke left Flender somewhat embarrassed.

He hurriedly explained, "Xiaogang, you've misunderstood this. There isn't the slightest sign of instability in Zhu Zhuqing's foundation—in fact, it's exceptionally solid."

"The Gu Ye who gave Zhu Zhuqing that Martial Soul Blood is also a renowned physician in Suotuo City. No one in Suotuo City can match his medical skills. It's said that he can even treat Martial Soul defects."

"Previously, he spotted at a glance that Hongjun's Martial Soul had a defect. He even used a medicine to suppress Hongjun's evil fire, and told me that he might be able to develop a medicine capable of curing Hongjun's Martial Soul defect."

"Is what you're saying true?" After hearing this, Yu Xiaogang stared sternly at Flender with his stiff face.

Beneath that serious expression, there was actually a trace of excitement.