King Arthur

The explosion subsided, the Black Lotus vanished, and Zhao Wuji staggered out from within, his expression terrible.

But what drew the most attention was his current appearance. The skin on his left side was a scorched red, while the skin on his right side was an icy blue from frostbite.

The two were clearly divided, each claiming equal territory without interfering with the other.

But Zhao Wuji, as the host of it all, was having a miserable time.

The feeling of ice and fire alternating, heat and cold colliding, was anything but pleasant!

There was no need to compare. Zhao Wuji's injuries were far more serious now than after his fight with Tang San.

"Teacher Zhao, are you all right?"

Xiao Tianyang stepped forward and asked with concern, "How about we call it here today? The incense has burned out anyway."

Zhao Wuji: "..."

This brat was slyly wicked!

He slapped another label onto Xiao Tianyang in his heart.

But then again, being able to force a Soul Emperor like him into such a state while still at the Soul Master level was quite an achievement.

Besides, he had even used his Sixth Soul Skill. If he lost, he had nothing to complain about.

Still, he felt as though this brat had played him, so it was only natural that he was unhappy.

Xiao Tianyang said carefully, "You're the Immovable Ming King, renowned throughout the Spirit Master World. Back then, you beat Spirit Hall so badly that they didn't dare pursue you too closely. Someone as capable as you surely wouldn't nitpick with a child like me, right?"

"This kid sure knows how to sweet-talk."

That flattery immediately made Zhao Wuji feel much better, and he was even a little pleased with himself.

"Fine, all of you pass today's test."

Zhao Wuji curled his lip, then looked at Oscar. "Little Ao, get over here! Are you having fun watching from over there?"

He was hungry, exhausted, and injured. Though the injuries were not too serious, having treatment was still better than having none, right?

As soon as he finished speaking, two notifications sounded in Xiao Tianyang's mind.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the Main Quest, [Shrek Academy]!"

"Reward obtained: Random Character Bond Card!"

"Congratulations, Host Xiao Tianyang. You have obtained Servant King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon!"

"The Servant will later arrive at the Host's side through normal means!"

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the Side Quest, [Challenge]!"

"Reward obtained: Level 2 Draw ×2!"

Xiao Tianyang froze on the spot, because he had never expected the Character Bond Card to work like this.

And what the hell was with dragging the King of Sighs into this world?

"Brother Tianyang, what are you thinking about?"

Tang San lightly nudged Xiao Tianyang from the side and whispered, "Teacher Zhao is calling you again."

"Oh."

Coming back to his senses, Xiao Tianyang hurriedly looked at Zhao Wuji. "Teacher Zhao, do you need something?"

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched. "Little Ao's sausages are useful, but they're just a drop in the bucket for me. Don't you have healing abilities? Hurry up and help!"

Xiao Tianyang gave an awkward laugh, quickly using his First Soul Skill and sending all nine clusters of Green Fire into Zhao Wuji's body at once.

At that moment, Zhao Wuji could not help closing his eyes, a muffled groan escaping his throat.

But it was not because it hurt too much. It felt too good!

His body felt as though it had been reborn, unbelievably comfortable!

Zhao Wuji finally understood why those little fellows who had clearly fainted and needed a night's rest before waking up the next day recovered so quickly.

Even treatment like this worked on a Soul Emperor like him, let alone Soul Masters in their twenties.

If Tang San had defeated him through all sorts of methods, it might have been opportunistic, but he could still be called a monster.

Then Xiao Tianyang was a beast in the absolute sense. His unreasonable strength was simply beyond imagination!

Before long, Zhao Wuji opened his eyes. Though his injuries had not fully recovered, they were nearly healed.

"Mubai, take them to the dorms. As for you..."

Zhao Wuji glanced at Xiao Tianyang, then finally pointed behind him. "You made those pits. Fill every last one before going back!"

Xiao Tianyang: "..."

Did he have to be so vengeful?

But just as Xiao Tianyang was left speechless, a voice suddenly came from the distance behind him.

"Wuji, there's another new student here!"

Zhao Wuji, who had been about to leave, turned around and glanced back. "Yusong, didn't registration end long ago?"

"Can't be helped. This new student is rather special."

The newcomer was Li Yusong, who was in charge of registering new students at the village entrance. A Young Lady followed behind him.

Xiao Tianyang turned around, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

Of course, it was not Li Yusong who caught his attention, but the Young Lady behind him.

She was around one meter seventy tall, with well-proportioned curves that were pleasing to the eye.

Her golden hair was tied up with a blue ribbon. She had emerald-green eyes, exquisite and flawless features, and skin as snowy and delicate as Ning Rongrong's.

She wore a white blouse and a light-blue knee-length skirt. A blue ribbon was tied around her neck in a bow, making her look fresh and beautiful.

But what truly made Xiao Tianyang recognize her was the iconic cowlick atop her head!

Artoria Pendragon!

She was clearly much more mature than the Saber he had seen in the manga.

She no longer had the body of a little girl, instead showing signs of developing into a Mature Woman.

That was great!

At the same time, while he observed Saber, she was also observing him.

And in the Next Second, Saber took the initiative to step forward, ignoring everyone else, including Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong.

It seemed that after arriving here, Xiao Tianyang was the only person in her eyes.

"Tianyang, it's been a long time."

Saber's smile was like a spring breeze brushing across one's face, soothing and pleasant. The tenderness in her eyes also seemed reserved only for the person before her.

"It has been a long time."

Xiao Tianyang could only go along with the nonsense.

After all, Saber had appeared through the system's arrangements, and he had no idea what memories she possessed.

But he had experience handling situations like this.

With a smile of his own, Xiao Tianyang extended his hand and said, "We'll be classmates from now on. Please take care of me."

"Mm."

Saber's choice was somewhat unexpected.

Because rather than taking Xiao Tianyang's hand, she hugged him!

Isn't this a little too forward?

Should I accept it actively, or be a little more passive?

Xiao Tianyang froze for a moment, but he quickly decided that being passive was better.

Still, there was one thing he could not understand. The system had clearly arranged for her to be a Servant, not a lover, so why was Saber acting so proactive?

Moreover, Saber's personality seemed much the same as it had been in the manga.

Gentle and virtuous in daily life, dignified and graceful, yet persistent and brave in battle, upright and serious.

Could it be that Saber knew from the moment she arrived that he was her type?

He found that completely baffling.

However, he was worrying too much. Characters arranged by the system first had to meet two requirements.

First, their identities had to be traceable. In other words, they had to be people truly living on the Soul Beast Continent, people whose traces could be found, and they would naturally possess corresponding memories.

Second, they had to be loyal to the host. This did not mean they would never betray him, but unless he did something especially extreme, such a situation would generally never occur.

As for why Saber had immediately developed a favorable impression of Xiao Tianyang, it was mainly related to her memories and his current charm.

With his natural charm, plus the system's two enhancements, not only would system-arranged characters feel close to him, even Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing felt drawn to him.

It was just that the former was bolder.