Zhou Yi looked at the group in the distance, perplexed.
She could only just make out something about accepting a disciple.
Her heart leapt. Surely her mission hadn't failed again?
At least she'd seen the person when the last mission failed. If she failed this time without even seeing him, System, you might as well turn me into a pig.
Zhou Yi thought viciously.
She was already imagining the worst.
Keeping her eyes on Xuanyuan Sheng's group, she didn't dare let her attention waver. Then she saw a familiar scene from Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's memories.
It was a different way of accepting a disciple from kowtowing: offering tea.
With Grandmaster's experience, Zhou Yi was thoroughly familiar with such things, as if she'd experienced them herself.
"Don't accept him as your disciple... Don't accept him!"
Fortunately, Ma Xiaotao was the one holding the teacup in the end.
Zhou Yi felt she couldn't just sit by and do nothing. What had just happened was far too nerve-racking.
As it happened, she'd met Zhang Lexuan once. Maybe if she swallowed her pride, she could join them and look for a chance to build rapport.
Every step along the way had felt like walking on thin ice.
After a sigh, Zhou Yi decided to keep watching and wait for a chance to join them.
Killing Intent Sense!!
"Whoa... I keep feeling like someone's watching us."
Xuanyuan Sheng looked around, trying to spot the source of the uncomfortable gaze, but he couldn't see anyone spying on them.
Ma Xiaotao nudged Xuanyuan Sheng's shoulder with her elbow. "There's a whole group of beautiful girls standing in front of you. It'd be strange if nobody was looking."
"This is a school. How could there not be people watching? If you felt this way out in the wild, that would mean real danger was approaching."
Xuanyuan Sheng found himself agreeing.
True. In the middle of the academy, with everyone around, of course people were looking.
"In that case, Xiao Xiao, you should become Sister Lexuan's student too," he said to Xiao Xiao.
Judging by Sister Lexuan's attitude, she seemed to want to take Xiao Xiao along as well.
"Me? I can't, I can't."
Now that Xiao Xiao had heard she was to become Zhang Lexuan's student, she grew timid instead.
If it were anyone else, she might have agreed right away, but this was Zhang Lexuan, Xuanyuan Sheng's older sister.
That put a lot of pressure on her.
Looking at the little girl, who was flustered and at a loss,
Xuanyuan Sheng stretched his limbs, threw an arm around Xiao Xiao's neck as if she were a pet, and went off with Ma Xiaotao to give the little thing a pep talk.
Zhang Lexuan smiled.
Her younger brother had never really had any friends, so she'd always wanted him to make some.
She hadn't expected him to find a close friend he could play around with before the new students were even divided into groups for their entrance assessment.
As his older sister, she loved seeing this warm scene around Xuanyuan Sheng.
Her gaze turned to the mission she'd received a few days ago.
[Advanced Mission: The Strongest Older Sister.]
[Surrounded by wolves and tigers, you are still far from becoming the strongest older sister. You are nowhere near that title. Only true strength can give you the power to protect.]
[Advanced Mission Reward: As this is the first time an existing mission has been upgraded, your luck will be doubled immediately. From then on, each level gained will increase your luck by 30% of its current value.]
She was still some way from that goal, but it wasn't beyond her reach. Whether it was her skills as a Soul Engineer or her own strength as a Soul Master, she still had a long road of hard work ahead of her.
"Sister Lexuan!"
Zhang Lexuan felt someone wrap their arms around her waist.
When she turned her head, she saw it was little Xiao Xiao.
Gently smoothing her stray hair back into place, she smiled warmly. "Well? Still don't want to be my student?"
Xiao Xiao guiltily burrowed into Zhang Lexuan's arms. Her muffled voice came from against her chest. "I do! I was just wondering what kind of gift I should give you when I become your student."
Hearing how embarrassed she was, Zhang Lexuan stopped teasing her.
Instead, she got straight to the real business of the day.
Her clothes hadn't changed, but the air about her had shifted. Now she had the serious demeanor of a teacher.
She'd seen Xiao Xiao a few days ago and, out of a teacher's diligence, had used her system to look into Xiao Xiao's background.
To Zhang Lexuan's delight, Xiao Xiao was an unheard-of Three-Life Martial Soul wielder.
A cauldron, a flute, and a pair of gauntlets.
Her Soul Power Level had already reached 30. She needed to hunt a Soul Beast and obtain her third Soul Ring.
After committing Xiao Xiao's information to memory, Zhang Lexuan had left.
Now that Xiao Xiao had accepted her as her teacher, Zhang Lexuan was responsible for her. She would take Xiao Xiao to find a suitable Soul Beast and Soul Ring.
"Xiao Xiao is already at level 30. We'll head to the Star Dou Great Forest from here."
Xiao Xiao and Xuanyuan Sheng naturally had no objections.
Ma Xiaotao, however, felt awkward.
She didn't know whether to go with them or stay behind. Either way, she felt caught in an awkward position.
If she went, she'd only be a lowly Soul Emperor.
The smaller Soul Beasts wouldn't need her to step in, while she wouldn't be allowed to handle the stronger ones. There was no reason for her to go along.
"What's wrong, Xiaotao?"
When Zhang Lexuan looked at her, Ma Xiaotao hurriedly shook her head. "Nothing."
She'd just have to put aside her pride. This trip was a chance to get closer to them; how could she miss it?
Besides, she'd noticed that standing beside Xuanyuan Sheng helped calm her mind. Her Evil Fire couldn't affect her at all.
What was more, her mission still had half a day left on its countdown. If she left, the system would surely force her to follow them later and punish her.
She might as well stay by their side.
"Are we leaving now?"
Zhang Lexuan thought it over, then nodded. "Let's go now. We can spend the night on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and give the two little ones a richer experience."
And so, the matter was settled.
They headed for the Shrek Academy gates.
"Wait a moment."
They were still some distance from the gate when a hoarse, unpleasant voice called out to them.
They turned and saw an old woman striding toward them.
"Teacher Zhou Yi, what do you need?"
Zhang Lexuan's attitude toward this teacher, whose conduct was questionable, hadn't changed.
After all, she cared more about Xuanyuan Sheng. As long as he wasn't in Zhou Yi's hands or in danger,
the fierce protectiveness within her wouldn't flare up.
Zhou Yi knew Zhang Lexuan was leading the group, which was why she'd swallowed her pride and come over.
Xiao Xiao seemed to have become Zhang Lexuan's student too.
Fortunately, she hadn't seen Xuanyuan Sheng make the same gesture just now. Otherwise, wouldn't her plan to ask Fan Yu to hold a Teacher Selection Meeting for her own class have fallen through again?
At this point, she couldn't be bothered to hide the mismatch between her stooped appearance and her straight-backed movements. Grabbing Zhang Lexuan's hands, she said earnestly, with no shame at all:
"Lexuan, I need to go to the Star Dou Great Forest to gather an herb and have the Xuanming Sect refine it into a pill. So I wanted to ask if you could take an old woman like me along."
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