Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River

"Based on the freshmen's performance in the assessment, the core disciples who have passed the final review are: Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Lan Susu, and Lan Luoluo."

Du Weilun stood on the stage, holding a folder as he made the announcement.

The students:!

The students below exchanged looks, each seeing the confusion in the others' eyes. None of the three captains from the top three teams—An Zhen, Huo Yutong, and Huang Chutian—were on the list. Everyone instinctively looked toward the most dazzling big shot of this freshman assessment.

An Zhen: expressionless.

But it was not because of himself. He had already told the girls around him that he had become a core disciple. It was because of his Xiao Yutong.

An Zhen looked toward the team on the other side and met a pair of somewhat aggrieved deep-blue eyes. At that moment, even the brilliant stars seemed to have lost their light.

Why? Ever since entering Shrek, she had given it her all. While others rested, she worked hard. While others slacked off, she worked hard too. With An Zhen's status refresh, aside from eating and traveling, she spent more than twenty hours a day working.

The loli's small body swayed slightly.

Huo Yutong felt as though all her efforts had been denied in that instant.

An Zhen suddenly felt a stifling anger lodged in his chest.

"Move."

An Zhen slipped out of the line.

At the fastest speed he could manage without activating his Martial Soul, An Zhen rushed to the dormitory building.

A black-haired beauty with long straight hair was pushing the wheelchair of a white-haired old man.

An Zhen blocked their path.

An Zhen sat down on the ground.

An Zhen: (#￣~￣#)

Mu En: ...

The dissatisfaction on the youth's face was practically overflowing. He looked pitifully aggrieved, like a child whining to an elder.

"Sigh~"

A hint of helplessness appeared on Mu En's face, like an elder being blocked by their own crying, fussing child.

Zhang Lexuan watched the scene with a smile at the corner of her lips.

"You're unhappy that Shao Zhe didn't list that child as a core disciple?"

"I am!"

An Zhen moved closer to the old man's side. "Old man, I'm a reasonable person too, but Dean Yan was wrong about this!"

"Tell me. If Shao Zhe truly was wrong, I'll uphold justice for you." The aged voice slowly rang out with a touch of helplessness.

"Teacher Zhou Yi and Teacher Fan Yu can testify to Yutong's diligence. At night, she even reviews knowledge and practices Tang Sect secret arts in my dream world. She works hard for twenty-two or twenty-three hours a day."

"On that point alone, no one in the entire academy can compare to her!"

"Mm." Mu En nodded lightly. "She truly is a hardworking, good child."

But that was not enough.

A white Soul Ring lit up, and eyes as bright as stars opened. "Although Yutong only has a ten-year Soul Ring, this soul skill is exceptionally miraculous."

Spiritual Probe.

Spiritual Sharing.

"And its range can grow as Yutong grows stronger."

"Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were only able to perform beyond their usual limits because of this. Don't you think a control-type soul master with such a soul skill is important?"

Mu En's cloudy eyes brightened as he nodded slightly. "A born soul master commander."

A full-map, 360-degree view without blind spots.

Anyone with even a little relevant knowledge knew just how powerful this soul skill was.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm might have been useless, but that was only in the context of a million-year soul beast. The soul skills she had provided were genuinely powerful.

"If this kind of detection condensed into a solid line, it could produce a spiritual shock."

An Zhen used the excuse Yutong had originally used to fool Wang Dong.

A spiritual shock blasted into the air.

Others might not have sensed anything, but this Dragon God Douluo could see it all clearly.

"Is this really a ten-year Soul Ring?!"

Zhang Lexuan felt that such an ability would only be reasonable on a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

An Zhen lit up his white Soul Ring.

Believe it or not, Yutong's Soul Ring had been this color when it appeared. An Zhen had copied it over and disguised it as well.

"There's also a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that can break apart a Soul Douluo's protective Soul Power. Isn't that stronger than the Hell White Tiger? Why can Zhu Lu get selected while Yutong can't?"

"Because of her talent, boy An."

The disheveled old man appeared beside An Zhen at some point. Taking a bite from a chicken leg, Xuan Zi slowly said, "The most important thing about an Original Martial Soul is potential and mutation. Even giving her a Xuan Water Pill failed to change that. Her Innate Soul Power is too low."

"With your dream world, she may be able to keep up during the early stages of cultivation. But will every Soul Ring she gains in the future be as miraculous as her first?"

An Zhen opened his mouth, but said nothing.

"Of course, the academy can also grant Huo Yutong the status of a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department." A refined middle-aged man appeared. Yan Shaozhe looked at An Zhen and slowly said, "But that would be because of you, An Zhen."

"?" An Zhen.

No, why had two Super Douluo appeared?

Were they that free?

"Forget it."

An Zhen shook his head.

Huo Yutong would not accept the status of core disciple if she obtained it this way.

An Zhen turned to leave.

An Zhen was lifted up.

An Zhen was put back where he had been.

"What?"

An Zhen glanced around. One was level 95, one was level 98, and one was level 99. He was not Di Tian, so why were they surrounding him?

"Shao Zhe, you tell him."

"Student An Zhen." Yan Shaozhe looked at An Zhen expectantly. "Don't you intend to fight for an opportunity for that adorable girl?"

"No."

Shaking his head, An Zhen said seriously, "I will advise Huo Yutong never to entertain the thought of becoming a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department."

Today, you look down on me.

Tomorrow, I'll be beyond your reach.

Yan Shaozhe:?

"Dean Yan, I think this result is fair and impartial. Yutong truly is not suited to develop in the Martial Soul Department." The youth said with a smiling face.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Xuan Zi's cloudy gaze swept over the smiling youth. He always felt that this kid was holding back some trick.

Could that girl have some hidden talent?

Had he misjudged her?

"Student An Zhen, I came because of the strike with which you defeated the Hell White Tiger that day." Yan Shaozhe could not understand An Zhen's sudden change in attitude, but honestly, he shared Xuan Zi's opinion. Huo Yutong's talent truly was lacking.

"It was done using a phantom copied from the old man." An Zhen told the truth. "It was basically one of the old man's clones borrowing my body to use it. I can't do it myself."

"Are you willing to learn it?"

Mu En's aged voice rang out.

The world seemed to fall silent at that instant.

An Zhen's talent was simply too exceptional.

He had the bearing of an Ultimate Douluo, a copying Martial Soul, a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and had even used Elder Mu's Ruler of the World. A Three-Ring Soul Elder who could use soul skills at the level of a four-ring Soul Ancestor, with an unfathomably deep reserve of Soul Power.

And the reason Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe could no longer sit still and had personally come was Ning Tian.

If they did not come now, the other side might directly take the entire pot away.

Why had that girl Lexuan not told them any intelligence at all?

"Teacher?"

An Zhen asked for Electrolux's opinion.

"This fellow is strong enough. If you want to learn, you can, but you must complete the assignments I set for you." Electrolux's voice rang out.

Electrolux did not mind his disciple having other teachers. He vaguely remembered having quite a few teachers himself back then. Besides, what was there to argue over with someone who was about to die?

"I'm willing, of course I'm willing." An Zhen nodded.

It seemed Xu Tianran truly handled things well. No wonder Grandfather had been so certain back then when he said An Zhen could roam freely; there would absolutely be no problem with his background.

"Teacher." An Zhen immediately pressed his advantage. "What is that move called?"

"Ruler of the World."

A smile spread across Mu En's aged face. He was very satisfied with this final disciple of his life, an inheritor perfectly suited to his legacy.

A smile appeared on Yan Shaozhe's face.

They had secured him.

They had investigated An Zhen's hometown and past.

"Little Junior Brother."

Yan Shaozhe gently patted An Zhen's shoulder. "You must stay strong."

Was he fragile?

An Zhen was confused.

"Because we previously granted you the status of a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department, we investigated your background. We found traces of your biological parents, but they had already passed away many years ago. From now on, we are your family."

"Huh?"

What nonsense.

Xu Tianran had clearly arranged for him to be an orphan. Where had parents come from?

Forget it. As long as there was no issue with his background, it did not matter. He would ask Grandfather when he returned during the break.

Yan Shaozhe brought his little junior brother back to complete the freshman assembly procedures, then finally reminded him, "The extra reward for first place is a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, specifically the leg bone of an Empty Nether Demon Leopard. Little Junior Brother, do not absorb it. Teacher will prepare a better one for you."

Ning Tian and An Zhen, who had registered as an auxiliary-type tool soul master, were assigned to Class Three.

"An Zhen."

Ning Tian took out a Soul Bone wrapped in a leather pouch. "Wu Feng and I barely contributed anything, so you should decide what to do with this."

"My family has already arranged one for me, and this one does not suit Feng Mei either."

Compared to An Zhen, what was a mere Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?

If he wanted one, they could arrange a full set for him.

Ning Tian's words reached her lips.

"I just became a disciple of His Excellency the Dragon God Douluo."

The smile on Ning Tian's face froze for a moment.

Someone had stolen her home?

Just now?

"Congratulations."

The Golden-Haired Young Miss wore a genuinely happy smile.

Given the nature of Shrek Academy and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, they could never become enemies. Even if An Zhen became the Sea God Pavilion Head, it would not affect his status as the husband of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's sect master.

But she still felt as though someone had gotten ahead of her.

"I can't use it either. Senior martial brother Yan won't let me absorb it, so let's sell it and split the money among the three of us."

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

For others, it truly was a rare treasure.

But An Zhen genuinely did not care for it. Neither Yutong nor Wang Dong could use it, and as for using a Soul Bone to court Xiao Xiao, this was not his reward alone.

Virtual World.

"Yutong."

An Zhen hugged the little blue-haired cutie.

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Do not bully a poor young girl."

"Brother An Zhen."

Huo Yutong sniffled.

"A million-year soul beast's choice was never accidental."

"You are someone favored by Fate and cherished by the world."

An eleven-year-old girl who had lost her mother and carried deep hatred—she was already incredibly strong and remarkable.

"Exactly, exactly."

The lazy golden-haired homebody girl appeared. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm clenched her fists. "Those people are blind. You're Sister Tianmeng's host, and our goal is to become gods."

"Thank you, Brother An Zhen. Thank you, Sister Tianmeng."

He had leaped to become Shrek Academy's joint second-highest in seniority, on equal footing with Xuan Zi, Mu En's grand-nephew, and Yan Shaozhe.

Beibei and Zhang Lexuan's great-grandfather!

Uh, what a mess.

"Satisfied now?"

Excitement and passion still lingered on the flawless cheeks as An Zhen released the black "reins."

"Very satisfied."

The soft, black-haired senior sister praised him.

An Zhen felt like the two of them were not on the same wavelength.

The black-and-white silk traced the curves of the beauty's shapely legs. Her fair hand straightened the slightly crooked bull-horn ornament on her head, and her slender arms drew the boy into her soft, fragrant embrace. The senior's shy voice rang out. "Although they're big, I'm not pregnant. Not yet, anyway."

An orphan deprived of familial love—though an extraordinary genius, he was still only an eleven- or twelve-year-old child.

Zhang Lexuan thought with some heartache.

"Mm."

An Zhen felt like he could barely breathe.