Douluo: Unlocking the Great Secrets of the Human Body, Becoming a Heavenly Demon

"It seems you don't completely understand human emotions either. Otherwise, how could you have failed to foresee ending up in such a miserable state?" Gu Yue said with a smile.

Na'er was displeased, but she had no way to refute it. After separating, she had been adopted by Tang Wulin's family. Later, after her memories awakened and she returned to the soul beasts, Yun Ming had taken a liking to her and brought her directly into the inner court. She truly had never suffered many cold stares.

She had only slightly experienced the goodwill of a few people, yet she had made a bet with Gu Yue to save her brother's life.

Gu Yue continued, "After that year of being with him, I understood that the chances of me falling for Tang Wulin because of our bet were very, very high. So high that, if Bai Xu hadn't appeared, I would have sunk into it."

Na'er froze. "Why?"

Gu Yue was equally stunned. "You didn't know?"

Na'er shook her head.

Speechless, Gu Yue explained, "Bai Xu once had me stop by the roadside and carefully observe the emotions between ordinary people—familial love, romantic love, friendship, and so on. There were several things that left a deep impression on me.

"I once observed a couple who were deeply in love. Almost every day, I saw them embracing and whispering sweet nothings to each other. But later, they separated."

"Hm? Why?"

"Because their backgrounds, talent, and strength didn't match. The man had level-seven Innate Soul Power. If he cultivated diligently, reaching the rank of Soul Douluo in the future was not impossible. The woman had level-one Innate Soul Power. She might never break through level ten in her entire life.

"Although they loved each other deeply, they ultimately did not stay together.

"Later, the man married a woman from a great family who also possessed level-seven Innate Soul Power. Her appearance and temperament were far beyond what that woman could compare to. In the end, he compromised and gave up his first lover, because he too felt that only this woman was worthy of him.

"As for that woman, after their separation, she was despondent for a while before throwing herself into another relationship."

Gu Yue sighed. "There are countless cases like this. Even ordinary people care about being well matched in social status and ability, about spouses being on the same level. Even if you and I do not understand it, it is carved deep within us.

"In this world, aside from Tang Wulin, who possesses the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, no one else can catch our eye. Even Yun Ming, the number one person on the continent today, is nothing more than dirt beneath our feet to us.

"Subconsciously, only Tang Wulin is worthy of us. Everyone else is an ant.

"So your plan had a high chance of success. But in this life, Bai Xu appeared, and everything changed."

Na'er curiously looked at Bai Xu, who was cultivating nearby. "That day, you said... you weren't worthy of him?"

Gu Yue nodded. "He is so outstanding that he makes you feel somewhat inferior. The abilities he displayed in the arena were only one-fifth of what he possessed. His physical body is enough to rival a golden dragon, and his elemental control is even above mine. That manipulation of the Gold Element—forming sharp Golden Swords and golden light shields, capable of both offense and defense—I don't think I could transform it into two entirely different forms.

"And that would be one thing. He can also show you the way forward. His perspective, strength, and even foresight are all beyond yours and mine. The more clearly you understand human emotions, the easier it becomes to develop feelings for him.

"The key is that you can clearly feel yourself falling in love with him, yet you do not become obsessed. You still live your life rationally, and everything about your ordinary life together becomes incomparably beautiful."

Bai Xu gradually seemed taller in Na'er's eyes. After all she had gone through, she had also become somewhat indifferent toward others. But when it came to her brother, she still could not stay uninvolved.

Then she asked curiously, "You've always been talking about liking him, but I've never heard that he likes you?"

Gu Yue coughed lightly and whispered into Na'er's ear, "If he had no feelings for me, he would never have said so much to me. Sometimes he's just like that. He won't say it directly."

"By the way, do you want to know how he evaluated you?"

"Oh? How did he evaluate me?" Na'er's curiosity had not stopped since she arrived.

"I'll tell you."

Thus, when Bai Xu woke from cultivation in the latter half of the night, he was met with Na'er's resentful, questioning face.

Bai Xu asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I disturb your sleep?"

"No. Gu Yue told me how you evaluated me."

!!!

Something was wrong with Gu Yue.

He looked at Gu Yue, but she merely turned over.

"Although... some of it was indeed quite accurate, some of it was completely undeserved. I absolutely refuse to admit it." Na'er was angry, yet unable to argue back. She shouted that before turning over and lying down on the bed to sleep.

Bai Xu: "..."

The next day

"What are you going to do? You still can't attend class now, right?" Bai Xu asked.

Na'er nodded. "I'll cultivate in the dormitory. You go ahead. Just don't let anyone else discover me."

"That's true, but you'll have to face it sooner or later. Treat this time as mental preparation. We're leaving!"

Time passed day by day. Three days later, their first semester at Shrek Academy had reached its end.

"The teaching for the first half of the academic year is about to end, and the final exam you have all been looking forward to is about to arrive." Shen Yi's smiling words made every student in the class unconsciously sit up straight.

"For the final exam, you will have fifteen days. Within those fifteen days, you must travel to Mingdu. Along the way, you must pass through at least ten cities, including Mingdu. In every city, you must defeat an opponent whose cultivation is at least five ranks higher than your own. You may not receive any outside assistance. How you find your opponents, how you defeat them, and how you travel to Mingdu are all your own problems."

"Also, before you depart, all your Storage Soul Tools, communication Soul Tools, and all personal resources and money will be left behind. You will leave with nothing and travel alone. Remember, you only have fifteen days. If you complete the task and return within fifteen days, you pass. Your score will be determined by the strength of your opponents. If you fail to complete the task and return within fifteen days, no matter who you are, you fail. Half of all your earned points will be deducted. You need not worry about how your scores will be calculated during the exam. The academy's teachers will naturally follow you in secret. However, they absolutely will not intervene, even if your lives are in danger. Therefore, throughout the final exam, I hope you will proceed cautiously and do not face opponents you cannot handle."

Gu Yue poked Bai Xu's sleeve and gave him a meaningful look.

The next morning

Early in the morning, all the students of Class One, Grade One had gathered at Spirit Ice Plaza, fully prepared to depart.

After undergoing strict searches by Shrek Academy's teachers, all their belongings were confiscated. Their pockets were cleaner than their faces.

Bai Xu and Gu Yue exchanged a glance before going their separate ways.

Rather than setting out immediately, he headed toward the Work-Study Student dormitory. He pushed open the door, woke Na'er from her meditation, and said, "Let's go. Come with me for the final exam. Gu Yue should have told you already."

Na'er asked, "Doesn't the exam require you to travel alone? Wouldn't being with me mean you fail? Besides, teachers should already be monitoring you now, right?"

Bai Xu glanced behind him and smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter. I'm not interested in grades. Besides, those proctors won't show themselves even if our lives are in danger, so just treat them as if they don't exist."

"Oh, then let's go."

Na'er also wanted to go out and see the world, to experience through Bai Xu's eyes how he viewed all living beings.

"Oh, wear a mask and hat," Bai Xu added.

Na'er was puzzled. "Why?"

"You're too pretty. Drawing attention isn't always a good thing."

"Fine."

The two got dressed and prepared to leave. One after the other, they walked out of the Work-Study Student dormitory. There was nothing remarkable about that scene, but Xu Xiaoyan happened to still be at the academy. Her plan to act cute and scam money had failed, and she had originally intended to return to the dormitory to retrieve something. To her surprise, she witnessed the scene.

Xu Xiaoyan looked at the strange girl following behind Bai Xu and could not help sighing. "Who would have thought Bai Xu was keeping a beauty hidden away? Doesn't he share a dormitory with Gu Yue? I have to tell Gu Yue."

She instinctively reached toward her waist, only to grasp empty air. Her Storage Soul Tool had been taken away, and her Soul Guidance Communication device was inside it. She would not be seeing Gu Yue anytime soon.

Na'er poked Bai Xu and asked, "But we don't have money right now, do we? How are we supposed to take a Soul Guidance Train?"

"Let's borrow some money from a passerby first. We'll go to Spirit Pagoda Headquarters. Gu Yue should have gone there already."

As Bai Xu spoke, he stood at the street corner and surveyed the pedestrians passing by. "Excuse me, uncle. I'm a student at Shrek Academy, but I forgot to bring my Storage Soul Tool. Could you lend me a hundred Federal Coins for a taxi to the Spirit Pagoda?"

The uncle looked Bai Xu over. His bearing truly was extraordinary, and the man did not question his words at first glance. From what he had just seen, Bai Xu had come from the street opposite, and that direction indeed led to Shrek Academy.

Most importantly, a hundred Federal Coins was not much to him.

"Sure, young man. But why don't you go back to the academy and get it?" the uncle asked as he took out his wallet.

"Sigh, it's because of those teachers. They set up some final exam and confiscated our Storage Soul Tools. No money, no identification, so I can only borrow money for a taxi. Oh, right, uncle, leave me your Soul Guidance Communication number. I'll pay you back after the exam." Bai Xu struck up a conversation with him.

The uncle seemed to feel the same way. "The teachers in there really are something else. My son studies there too, and the pressure is immense. I hear they're extremely strict."

"A little."

"Here, a hundred Federal Coins. No need to leave your Soul Guidance Communication number, young man. Good luck on your exam. I'll be going now!"

The uncle seemed to have other business, so he left.

"It was that easy? I thought that with your strength, you could rob a huge sum of money!" Na'er watched the uncle leave happily, seemingly seeing the world from another perspective.

"Considering Shrek Academy's motto of 'those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre,' robbing money would indeed be appropriate. But... it goes against my principles. Don't seek trouble, but don't fear it either. Let's go to the Spirit Pagoda."

Bai Xu raised a hand and hailed a taxi by the roadside.

The driver was very talkative. "Well, isn't this something? I've got a top student from Shrek in my cab. You can tell from your bearing that you're different. By the way, why didn't you have your family come pick you up? Why take a taxi yourselves?"

Bai Xu did not deny it. "Uncle, not every Shrek student comes from a great family. I'm still carrying tens of millions in loans. I'll pay them back after graduation," Bai Xu said.

The driver nodded. Bai Xu's words felt very approachable. "You really are different from those soul masters from great families. Their family stewards drive luxurious Soul Guidance Cars to pick them up. Those cars are truly impressive—stretched models, too.

"Although you owe a lot of money, it'll be easy enough to repay after you graduate. You spent it all buying soul rings, right? These days, you really can't be a soul master without money. Even the Star Dou Great Forest, where you could once go whenever you wanted, now charges admission, and it's ridiculously expensive."

Na'er quietly listened to their conversation without saying a word, merely staring curiously at Bai Xu's profile. She thought, Why can this guy lower himself so easily? Why can he talk to an ordinary person? He is even willing to call him uncle?

She did not understand. Even her brother... no, her brother had never encountered people like this.