Diverting Trouble Eastward?

Zhao Wuji scratched his messy hair and grinned, baring two rows of white teeth.

"It was that kid Jiang Chen who told me last night. He said this could train those little monsters' overall abilities."

"I thought it made some sense, so I used it on them today."

"That kid again?"

A sharp glint flashed behind Flender's lenses.

"Come to think of it, that suggestion of his isn't bad."

Zhao Wuji smiled. "After this whole routine, the little ones' Soul Power circulation has clearly sped up, and their endurance and agility have improved quite a bit too."

"That kid sure has plenty of tricks..."

Flender stroked his chin, a calculating smile curling across his lips. "Tell me, if we compiled his training methods into a handbook, could we charge more tuition when recruiting students in the future?"

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched.

As expected of the dean—even his own students were fair game for his schemes.

"By the way, Dean, weren't you training that one from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Why are you here?"

A smug look appeared on Flender's face. "I left Ning Rongrong to that kid Jiang Chen."

Zhao Wuji froze. "That girl is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's precious treasure. Can Jiang Chen really keep her in line?"

"Whether he can keep her in line doesn't matter. As long as that little princess doesn't vent her anger on us, that's enough." Flender's voice sank.

"But didn't Sect Master Ning write to us and ask us to properly discipline her?"

Zhao Wuji did not understand.

Sect Master Ning had already said so. What the hell was Flender afraid of?

"What do you know?"

Flender shot him a look. "Rumor has it that the one who dotes on Ning Rongrong the most in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect isn't Ning Fengzhi."

"You mean..."

At his words, Zhao Wuji seemed to recall something as well.

"That's right. Rumor has it that the two elders of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are the ones who spoil Ning Rongrong most."

There was a trace of reverence on Flender's face. "And among them, Sword Douluo treats her like his own precious granddaughter."

"If we make that little princess unhappy, even if Sect Master Ning doesn't pursue the matter, that man won't let us off easily."

"Even if he doesn't cause trouble for the academy, he might not let us off easily either!"

After hearing that, Zhao Wuji felt a chill run down the back of his neck, as if Sword Douluo's peerlessly sharp sword aura were already hanging over his head.

He swallowed, his voice weakening. "Then... then you still dared to dump Ning Rongrong on Jiang Chen? I feel like that kid hits even harder than we do!"

In truth, Zhao Wuji's training method today had already been a toned-down version.

The plan Jiang Chen had proposed last night included another element: external interference.

While carrying weights and enduring Gravity Enhancement, the little monsters would also have to deal with outside disturbances.

But Zhao Wuji felt that there was no need to make their first session so intense, so he had decided to take it step by step.

"That's exactly why Jiang Chen is the most suitable."

Flender smiled. "If he trains her well, then our academy taught her well. If he makes her cry, then it was Jiang Chen's 'personal conduct.' Even Sword Douluo wouldn't do anything to a child, right?"

"Damn... Dean, your heart is way too black!" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. "Jiang Chen is our student, after all!"

"Besides, your scheme is way too obvious. Do you really think that kid won't see through it?"

"Of course he saw through it. He even took the chance to fleece me."

Whenever Flender thought of several treasures disappearing from his little treasury, his chest ached.

Hearing this, Zhao Wuji understood.

No wonder that kid had agreed—he had gotten treasures from the dean.

"Alright, alright. Keep training them. I'll head over to Oscar's first. Tomorrow, we'll arrange for those little monsters to get acquainted with one another."

With that, Flender waved a hand and slowly walked into the distance.

Not long after he left, Zhao Wuji bellowed at the three people on the mountain.

"Had enough rest? Get ready for the eighth run!"

Elsewhere, on the muddy training ground.

Ning Rongrong's originally fair, pretty face had long since turned crimson. Strands of hair stuck to her face with sweat, and her slender legs trembled uncontrollably.

Her consciousness was already hazy, and her strength had reached its limit. She was walking entirely on instinct.

A few minutes later, Ning Rongrong's vision went dark. It felt as though all strength had been drained from her body, and she limply pitched forward.

Smack.

A hand steadily caught her by the shoulder, while soft emerald light seeped into her body from behind.

Ning Rongrong groggily opened her eyes and saw Jiang Chen's face close at hand, looking at her with a half-smile.

This guy... when he isn't making her hate him, he's actually quite good-looking.

"Counting those three pebbles, you still owe me fifteen laps."

"..."

Ning Rongrong took back her previous thought.

This guy was always so annoying.

Night fell. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing dragged their exhausted bodies over and leaned against a large tree, limping badly.

Before long, Ning Rongrong, dressed in white, came over as well. Not caring whether it was dirty or not, she plopped down beside Xiao Wu.

Seeing Ning Rongrong's flushed cheeks and bedraggled appearance, with mud staining the hem of her dress, Xiao Wu could not help but snort with laughter.

"Rongrong, aren't you a Support-type Soul Master? Why are you this tired too?"

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes weakly. "Don't mention it... Jiang Chen is practically a demon..."

"No wonder." Xiao Wu felt a little sorry for her too.

After all, she had experienced Jiang Chen's methods herself.

Other than Tang San, almost no one could endure them.

"Although it's exhausting, I can clearly feel my body improving." Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly from the side.

Under this kind of extreme pressure, she could distinctly feel herself growing stronger.

This was something running laps alone could never achieve.

"Pfft, what does this level even count for?"

Xiao Wu kneaded her calves and said carelessly, "Once you experience Jiang Chen's Second Soul Skill, then you'll understand what it means to be completely transformed."

At those words, both girls turned to look at Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu, what do you mean by that?"

Ning Rongrong asked curiously, "Could Jiang Chen's Second Soul Skill improve our strength too?"

Zhu Zhuqing did not ask anything. She merely stared at Xiao Wu with her dark eyes.

"Uh, well..."

Realizing she had let something slip, Xiao Wu scratched her head. "You can ask Jiang Chen yourselves. It's not really my place to explain it in detail."

Seeing that she was unwilling to say more, the two girls did not press her further.

"Dinner's ready, dinner's ready."

At that moment, Tang San carried a food box over to the three girls. When he lifted the lid, steam rose along with the fragrance of food.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly lit up. Even Ning Rongrong struggled to sit upright.

"Eat up. It just came out of the kitchen."

The three girls no longer cared about appearances. Taking the bowls and chopsticks, they lowered their heads and began wolfing down the food.

Xiao Wu's cheeks were stuffed full, and she muttered indistinctly, "Teacher Zhao was way too ruthless... My legs barely feel like they belong to me anymore..."

Zhu Zhuqing ate quietly, but even the hand holding her chopsticks trembled faintly.

Ning Rongrong ate even more ravenously, completely lacking her usual young lady's poise.

Watching this scene, Tang San found it rather amusing.

If Xiao Wu learned that today's training had also been Brother Chen's idea, he wondered what she would think.