Her Disgust Soars

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed unconsciously, and the resentment in his eyes vanished, replaced by a clear gaze.

He hadn't expected Xia Ran to be so ruthless, ready to attack at the slightest disagreement.

"I... I can give you everything valuable I have. Please, let me go."

As he spoke, he kept watching Xia Ran's expression.

But Xia Ran didn't move. He simply continued staring at him with those golden eyes.

"These are all my Gold Soul Coins, along with some ore..."

"My patience has limits. I'll give you one last chance. What are you willing to trade for your life?"

Xia Ran was so exasperated by Tang San that he almost laughed. Even with his life on the line, Tang San was still clinging to a sliver of hope, thinking he could resolve things with a few Gold Soul Coins and a pile of scrap metal.

He really was a schemer.

As the blade drew closer, Tang San, still kneeling on the ground, immediately undid his belt...

The sight made the two girls watching hurriedly cover their eyes. Ning Rongrong was bolder than the other girl; she peeked through her fingers, curious about what was happening.

"This is my Storage Soul Tool. All my savings are in here. Please spare me..."

The belt in Tang San's hands was the Storage Soul Tool Yu Xiaogang had given him: Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

It held all his savings from the past several years. Apart from the Tang Sect Secret Arts, it contained every asset he owned in this world.

Holding the belt up with both hands, Tang San felt cold sweat trickle from his temples. He was genuinely afraid of the murderous intent radiating from Xia Ran, whose blade was right before him.

He was sure that if he couldn't offer a bargaining chip that satisfied this God of Slaughter, his head would be rolling on the ground the very next second.

Xia Ran reached out and took the belt, sending his spiritual power inside.

"Oh? There's quite a lot of good stuff in here."

Tang San had made plenty of little gadgets over the years: Sleeve Arrows, Godly Zhuge Crossbows, Sand-Shooting Shadow, and a pile of bizarrely shaped throwing darts.

There was also the Dragon Whisker Needle he'd obtained recently. The rest was just ore, iron ingots, and things like that.

Xia Ran swept the valuable items into his Storage Ring, then dumped the useless clothes and daily necessities in front of Tang San.

"Add one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, and we'll call it even."

Without waiting for Tang San to refuse, he left those words behind, recalled his Martial Soul, and walked out of the Trial Grounds.

Once Xia Ran was gone, Tang San's body went limp where he knelt, like a punctured ball, all his strength leaving him in an instant.

"That was too close. He really would have killed me."

That icy killing intent was still vivid in his mind. Those golden eyes, devoid of emotion, had shattered the confidence he'd built up over the years.

Since coming to this world, he'd never met a peer who could stand against him.

In all of Notting City, apart from Xiao Wu, there wasn't a single child whose strength came close to his.

Now, not only had his Hidden Weapons been completely useless against Xia Ran, but his Soul Power Level had also been entirely suppressed, and Xia Ran had those strange skills on top of that.

"Blue Silver Grass! Is it really a Trash Martial Soul?"

"No! My greatest strength is using poison. Giving Blue Silver Grass a poison attribute through its Soul Rings was definitely my wisest choice. Teacher's theories can't be wrong."

Xiao Wu, lying on the ground nearby, murmured softly. Her eyelids fluttered, and she looked as though she was about to wake up.

Poor Xiao Wu. Tang San had shoved her to the ground, yet even in her dazed state, she was still worried about her brother.

"Brother, are you okay?"

Tang San, caught up in his own turmoil, hadn't noticed the girl stirring in his arms. He only looked down to check on Xiao Wu when he heard her voice.

"Xiao Wu, you're awake!"

"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

"I'm fine. I was only briefly stunned."

Thinking back to how Xiao Wu had stepped forward to stop Xia Ran, Tang San felt deeply moved.

His little sister really did care about him.

"Xia Ran, you've sealed your own fate!"

Only the group remained in the empty grounds, staring at one another in bewilderment.

Before long, a figure with a full head of white hair walked over.

"Are you the new students? Come with me. I'll take you to the dorms."

The old-looking person spoke with a young man's voice. Ning Rongrong took a closer look and realized he was about the same age as they were.

Tang San helped Xiao Wu to her feet, and she followed at the very back of the group.

Now that all his money had gone to Xia Ran, Tang San had nowhere to go even if he wanted to leave the academy.

He could only wait for Yu Xiaogang to arrive and see if he could get some of his belongings back through the dean. After all, the belt still held plenty of Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.

Ning Rongrong curiously sized up the strange senior. He was clearly about her age, yet he'd made himself look like an old man. What a weirdo.

"My name's Oscar. You can call me Xiao Ao."

"Uncle, how old are you? Why are you dressed like that?"

"Uncle? I'm only fourteen! You're calling me Uncle?"

Oscar turned to look at Ning Rongrong, who had spoken. The moment he turned around, he couldn't take his eyes off hers.

He'd been focused entirely on Tang San and Xiao Wu earlier, and then on Zhu Zhuqing's voluptuous figure. But the moment this cute pink-haired girl appeared, he was smitten.

Sometimes fate was just like that. To Oscar, Xiao Wu's long legs and Zhu Zhuqing's stunning figure were both top-tier, but when Ning Rongrong's peerless beauty appeared, he was bewitched. He never wanted to fall for anyone else again.

From Ning Rongrong's perspective, however, a scruffy, middle-aged man was staring straight at her without even blinking. He couldn't have looked more lecherous.

"Are you sick? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Chapter 5: Her Disgust Soars

Now she understood what Xia Ran had meant earlier. This guy really was creepy!

He looked creepy, sounded creepy, and even his gaze was creepy.

Realizing he'd let himself get carried away, Oscar hurriedly composed himself.

"I'm sorry, beautiful lady. Your beauty is truly breathtaking. Please, may I know your name?"

"Ew!"

Oscar's words left Ning Rongrong covered in goosebumps. It was as if some filthy thing had latched onto her. She hurried from the front of the group to hide behind Tang San and Xiao Wu.

"You really are sick! Stay away from me!"

But to Oscar, that look of disgust paired with her peerless beauty made her even more perfect.

"My God! That look, that expression! If I can't have a passionate romance with her in this life, then what's the point of becoming a Soul Master?"

He led the way, sneaking glances back at Ning Rongrong as he walked. Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San couldn't help feeling speechless.

Was there something wrong with this guy? At least the one on the receiving end was Ning Rongrong...

Compared to this pervert, Xia Ran had seemed downright proper and outstanding.

"Xia Ran, where are you? Why did you make this creepy uncle show us around the academy?"

After walking for more than ten minutes, the group arrived at Shrek Academy's dormitory area, where several dilapidated wooden cabins came into view.

"Is this the students' dormitory?"

Xiao Wu had thought the work-study students' dormitory was already crude enough. She hadn't expected Shrek Academy to lower her standards for the meaning of "crude" even further.

The wooden cabins in front of them were clearly old houses from many years ago. It was a wonder they didn't leak whenever it rained or got windy.

And there were four of these run-down cabins...

"Don't mind the fact that the dormitories are a little shabby, but..."

There was really no "but" to speak of. Oscar, who had lived here for years, couldn't think of a single advantage Shrek Academy had.

If he hadn't grown up here and been unconcerned with material comforts, he would have left long ago.

Just then, a blond young man emerged from one of the wooden cabins, yawning.

"Hey, Xiao Ao, are these all new students? Why are there so many of them?"

He looked lazy, his hair tousled and messy. Only his mismatched eyes gave him an air of demonic authority.

Zhu Zhuqing recognized him at a glance.

Dai Mubai, the Third Prince of Star Luo who'd fled the Imperial Throne Succession War, feared death, refused to face reality, and abandoned her, his fiancée.

Oscar looked puzzled. Everyone usually started training by this time. What was going on today?

"Boss Dai, look at the time! Why are you only waking up now?"

"Don't ask. Those twin sisters wore me out last night. Still, I came out on top in the end. Otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing me today."

As Dai Mubai said this, he wore a proud, triumphant expression, as though he were boasting about his impressive exploits.

[Zhu Zhuqing's Dislike of Dai Mubai: 50%]

[Reward for Host: Weapon—Black Blade: Dark Moon]

Xia Ran, who'd been taking stock of his spoils, was caught off guard by the sudden system reward.

"What's going on? Why did it suddenly hit 50%?"

"Black Blade? Dark Moon?"

At a thought, a pitch-black, standard-issue long blade floated before him.

The blade was black as ink. Even under the sunlight, it showed not the slightest gleam.

Only the edge gave off a faint, cold light. As it shimmered, it resembled a new moon rising in the night sky.

The ebony handle was wrapped in black cord, though the material was unknown. Mysterious patterns marked its surface.

This unadorned long blade radiated an utterly pure dark attribute.