Official Start of Classes!

Tang Ya pulled Yu Beibei toward the cafeteria, while Jiang Nannan headed for Sea God Lake with Zhu Ziyang.

There was a lakeside path circling Sea God Lake, perfect for running. They had already checked it out during dinner yesterday, so there was no need to find another place now.

Sea God Lake was a landmark area of Shrek Academy, a somewhat irregular circular lake that occupied one-third of the entire academy. An island stood at its center, where Shrek Academy's Inner Court was located. Along the shore ran a lakeside path known as the Lakeside Path, which was roughly thirty li around. Lush vegetation lined the path, forming small forests. The air was fresh, and it was a holy ground for many Outer Court students on dates.

Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan arrived by the lake. Sea God Lake was shrouded in thick morning fog, leaving visibility very low. There were only a few figures on the Lakeside Path; at this hour, few students came here.

"Alright, we'll start here." Zhu Ziyang took out two pairs of iron wristbands from the Emerald Jade Bracelet and handed one pair to Jiang Nannan.

Both pairs of iron wristbands were Fourth-Grade Soul Tools called Gravity Wristbands. They had a Soul Skill known as Gravity Control inscribed upon them, allowing the wearer to control their own gravity and achieve the effect of weight training. The Gravity Wristbands had four settings, which could increase the wearer's gravity to two, three, four, or five times their normal weight.

The two pairs of Gravity Wristbands had been gifts from Hong Zhen, the lord of Anyang City, after Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan had each reached the rank of Soul Grandmaster. As Fourth-Grade Soul Tools—and relatively rare cultivation-type Soul Tools at that—the Gravity Wristbands were worth at least a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

This showed just how high Hong Zhen's expectations were for Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan.

At present, Zhu Ziyang's physical strength allowed him to withstand five times normal gravity. For a Soul Master publicly known as a Tool Martial Soul Soul Elder, that was absolutely shocking. Many Beast Martial Soul Soul Elders could not endure such gravity.

Jiang Nannan fell a little short, able to withstand only three times her normal gravity. Even so, the young girl's physical strength far surpassed that of Soul Masters her age and rank. This was evident from the fact that her second Soul Ring was as old as nine hundred years.

The young man and young girl began running around Sea God Lake.

Two hours later, after completing two laps around the lake and resting, they headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

After breakfast, the two returned to their Dormitory to bathe and change, then wandered around the Shrek Academy campus together, familiarizing themselves with the academy grounds. This would be where they lived for the next twelve years, perhaps even longer.

Over the entire day, Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan went everywhere in the academy, gaining a preliminary impression of Shrek Academy's environment and layout.

Another two days passed.

Shrek Academy's admissions for the year had ended.

This year's first-year cohort had seven classes and a total of six hundred and eighty-eight new students, making it the smallest intake in nearly thirty years.

Today marked the official start of classes.

After finishing their run, Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan returned to their Dormitory to wash up and change into their school uniforms, then met at the entrance to the dormitory building.

Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan's roommate, appeared alongside Jiang Nannan. The three waited for Yu Beibei, then headed toward the teaching building together.

After three days together, Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya had become very close. Tang Ya was Jiang Nannan's first friend besides Zhu Ziyang.

Tang Ya was lively and active, always chattering nonstop, while Jiang Nannan was calm and gentle. Their personalities were complete opposites, so it was quite remarkable that the two girls had become good friends.

Zhu Ziyang and Beibei walked behind the two girls. Both were deep-minded people who did not know much about one another, so they remained relatively silent.

"By the way, Zhu Ziyang, do you want to join our Tang Sect?" Tang Ya, who had been talking with Jiang Nannan, suddenly turned around and asked Zhu Ziyang. "Our Tang Sect used to be the number one sect on the continent!"

"I know, the Tang Sect." Zhu Ziyang paused, then smiled. "It was supposedly founded ten thousand years ago by Tang San, the Thousand Hands Douluo, one of the original Shrek Seven Devils who ascended to godhood!"

"That's right!" Tang Ya's eyes lit up. She had not expected Zhu Ziyang to know the Tang Sect's origins. With the Tang Sect having fallen into decline, there were very few people who still knew this. Delighted, she said excitedly, "Then do you want to join our Tang Sect? I can, um, make you my second disciple!"

"I'll pass. I have no plans to join a sect." Zhu Ziyang smiled and politely declined.

What a joke. With his talent, how could he possibly join a sect that had been declining for thousands of years?

"Ah! Alright!" Tang Ya felt a little disappointed, but she did not take it too much to heart. She had only been trying her luck, and Zhu Ziyang's rejection was within her expectations. Thus, she smiled and said, "But if you ever want to join a sect, you must consider our Tang Sect first!"

"I will." Zhu Ziyang nodded, a faint glimmer flickering in his eyes.

"Xiaoya, why are there only you and Beibei left in the Tang Sect?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.

As Tang Ya's roommate, Jiang Nannan had naturally received an invitation from her as well. However, Jiang Nannan had not agreed immediately, saying that she needed to discuss it with Zhu Ziyang first. Now that Zhu Ziyang had clearly stated that he would not join any sect, she naturally would not join either. Still, that did not stop her curiosity.

"Ah!" At Jiang Nannan's question, Tang Ya, who had been smiling all along, rarely revealed a trace of sorrow and worry. "To be honest, Nannan, our Tang Sect has long since fallen into ruin. Now, only Beibei and I remain. Even our old sect grounds were taken away from us!"

As she spoke, a flash of hatred appeared on Tang Ya's delicate face.

"Don't worry, Xiaoya. We'll definitely take back the sect!" Beibei stepped forward, took Tang Ya's hand, and comforted her.

"Mhm!" Tang Ya rallied her fighting spirit once more. "That's right. We definitely will!"

Perhaps seeing something in Tang Ya that resembled herself, Jiang Nannan encouraged her as well. "That's right, Xiaoya. You're a student of Shrek Academy now. You'll definitely be able to revitalize your sect in the future."

"Mhm! Thank you, Nannan!" Tang Ya looked grateful.

"Tang Ya, you're the Tang Sect's leader, so your Martial Soul must be Blue Silver Grass, right?" Zhu Ziyang suddenly asked.

"That's right." Tang Ya looked at Zhu Ziyang in surprise and nodded. "According to the rules of our Tang Sect, only Soul Masters with Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls can become sect leaders. But why do you ask, Zhu Ziyang?"

"Nothing. I'm simply curious." Zhu Ziyang smiled. "After all, the Tang Sect is the only place on the continent where Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters still exist, and I'm very interested in the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."

"This..." Tang Ya was momentarily left speechless.

"That's perfectly normal." Yu Beibei glanced at Zhu Ziyang, then said with a smile, "The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is steeped in legend. If it were me, I'd be curious too."

"Yes." Zhu Ziyang nodded in agreement, thoughtfully stroking his chin without speaking further.

Tang Ya did not pay it any mind and resumed talking with Jiang Nannan. Yu Beibei, on the other hand, gave Zhu Ziyang a deep look before lowering his head as well, pondering something.

The group of four soon arrived at the Freshman Teaching Building.

The Freshman Teaching Building had three floors. The first and second floors contained classrooms, with five classrooms on each floor, and each classroom could hold one hundred students. The third floor contained the teachers' offices, where the freshman classes' homeroom teachers and subject teachers worked.

Freshman Class 4 and Freshman Class 5 were adjacent classrooms, respectively the first and second rooms at the far left end of the first floor.

"Beibei, we're going in first." Tang Ya stood at the door to Class 4 and waved to Beibei.

"Mhm! Wait for me after school." Beibei replied, then headed toward the Class 5 classroom on the left.

Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan entered the classroom after Tang Ya. There were already seventy or eighty people inside. The moment they saw the three of them, everyone's gazes converged on them.

A handsome boy and beautiful girls were the kind of combination that became the center of attention wherever they went.

Zhu Ziyang ignored the others' gazes, found two empty seats, and pulled Jiang Nannan over to sit down.

Seeing this, Tang Ya immediately became a little angry and said to Jiang Nannan, "Nannan, look at Zhu Ziyang! He didn't even think to find seats for three! He really has no gentlemanly manners at all!"

Jiang Nannan looked at Tang Ya, who was stamping her feet in anger, and said apologetically, "Sorry, Xiaoya. You should find another seat."

"No, I have to sit with you!" Tang Ya declared firmly.

Then, something happened that left both Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan dumbfounded.

Tang Ya actually pulled the girl sitting on Jiang Nannan's other side away, then chattered to her for a long while. In the end, that girl actually gave up her seat without any resistance!

Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan were both stunned by that move. Was this the legendary ability to instantly become familiar with anyone?

Impressive, impressive!

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