Dai Huabin pointed at the resources on the table and turned to look at Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao, use the pills in the porcelain bottle for a medicinal bath tonight to expand your meridians. After some time, take the Whale Rubber in a gentler way to aid your cultivation."
"When you reach level twenty, we'll go to Star Dou Great Forest together and find you the best possible Second Soul Ring."
At the mention of Star Dou Great Forest, Wang Dong'er's eyes lit up at once. Her pink-and-blue hair bounced as she thumped her chest.
"Leave it to me! I've been looking for a chance to stretch my muscles for ages. Meditating in the academy every day is making my bones rust!"
Wang Dong'er raised her chin slightly, her haughty streak surfacing again.
She had always been confident in the Light Goddess Butterfly's combat ability, and she was eager to prove to Dai Huabin that she was no worse than that big tiger.
Cui Yajie brushed back her long pink hair and smiled as she linked arms with Xiao Xiao.
"Sounds good. The three of us will be teaming up for the Freshman Assessment anyway, so it'll be good to practice working together against some Soul Beasts beforehand.
"And with the class monitor and Lulu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill as backup, there's no need to worry about safety."
Zhu Lu stood beside Dai Huabin. She said nothing, only giving a slight nod.
She saw the current situation clearly. All three girls were talented people Huabin had deliberately drawn into his circle.
Wang Dong'er's Martial Soul had a thousand-year purple Second Soul Ring. Her background was undoubtedly unfathomable and certainly no less impressive than the White Tiger Duke Mansion of the Star Luo Empire.
Xiao Xiao had the rare Twin Martial Souls, and her potential was limitless.
Cui Yajie was also a close friend of hers, and her abilities were useful to the team.
Drawing all these talented and capable people into his camp—that was how Huabin did things now.
"Remember, Whale Rubber is a powerful tonic. When you take it, pay attention to how quickly your body absorbs it. Don't bite off more than you can chew."
Dai Huabin gave them a few careful instructions.
At the mention of Whale Rubber, Zhu Lu's face turned a little red.
She knew all too well that, besides strengthening the body, the stuff had another particular "side effect."
Zhu Lu stepped half a pace forward, pressed close to Dai Huabin, and rose onto her toes to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath brushed against his earlobe.
"Huabin, when we take this Whale Rubber... could we go outside the dorm?" Zhu Lu's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Dai Huabin turned his head and saw his fiancée's ears had gone scarlet. He flicked her smooth forehead with his fingers.
"Sure, you little minx," Dai Huabin replied in a low voice.
Mortified, Zhu Lu reached out and gave Dai Huabin's lower back a not-too-hard pinch, but all she got in return was a soft laugh.
After distributing the resources, Dai Huabin did something that afternoon that left the entire Outer Academy astonished.
He went straight to the Academic Affairs Office to see Du Weilun.
Relying on his absolute strength as a level-thirty-three Soul Elder, along with the stunning performance of his mutated Twin-Winged Hell White Tiger, Dai Huabin managed to talk Du Weilun around.
He had a solid reason: he and Zhu Lu had been engaged since childhood, and they possessed a highly compatible Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Living together would make it easier to practice Martial Soul resonance and dual cultivation at any time, greatly increasing their cultivation speed.
With Dean Yan Shaozhe keeping a close eye on Dai Huabin, Du Weilun signed off on a special exception, allowing Zhu Lu to move into Dai Huabin's single dormitory.
Though Shrek Academy had strict rules, it had always granted privileges to genuine prodigies.
Once Zhu Lu moved out, the outgoing, foxlike Cui Yajie didn't want to live alone in a single room.
She simply rolled up her bedding and moved straight into Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao's dorm.
The dorm had only two beds, but the three girls pushed them together, turning them into one enormous shared bed.
Night fell over the fourth floor of the girls' dormitory.
Three girls in loose pajamas tumbled together on the bed, their beauty on full display.
"Hey, what do you think our class monitor is really like?" Cui Yajie asked, her words muffled by the seaweed mask on her face.
Wang Dong'er was hugging a carrot-shaped bolster. At this, she rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Arrogant! Conceited! Full of himself!"
Wang Dong'er rattled off three insults and angrily punched the bolster.
"You should've seen that smug look of his, like he owned the world. He buys people off with Whale Rubber, and when there's a fight, he insists on taking on twenty people by himself. He's just asking for a beating!"
Xiao Xiao's petite figure was curled up under the covers, with only her head showing. She quietly objected:
"But... the class monitor really is amazing. At the Soul Fighting Arena that day, he charged through all those attacks to protect Lulu. If a boy were willing to protect me like that, I'd be so moved I'd die."
"She's his fiancée. Of course he'd protect her."
Wang Dong'er pursed her lips, but she couldn't help remembering how Dai Huabin had held her in a firm, steady embrace when Xu Sanshi had sent her flying at the East Gate night market the day before.
Damn, that guy's chest was pretty solid.
Wang Dong'er quickly shook her head, banishing the strange thought.
"Dong'er, when are you going to stop saying one thing and meaning another?"
Cui Yajie peeled off her mask and sat up.
"I don't think the class monitor is simple at all. His composure, his ruthlessness, and the way he outmaneuvered Ning Tian... Lulu won't regret sticking with him."
"Like I care. I'll definitely be stronger than him someday!" Wang Dong'er snorted, turned away, and pretended to sleep.
Moonlight shone bright outside the window. The three girls' late-night chats had become an essential part of their daily routine.
And refining the Whale Rubber with the three girls had brought them closer as well.
However, Dai Huabin's interference and its chain of consequences had made things around Shrek Academy feel a little strange in recent days.
Huo Yuhao, who should have been wandering by Sea God Lake, hadn't set foot there at all.
Every day, he did nothing but practice the Mysterious Heaven Skill in his dorm and, without fail, head to East Gate Snack Street to set up a stall and sell grilled fish.
With Huo Yuhao no longer there to throw things off, the red-clad senior from the Inner Academy, Ma Xiaotao, whose Evil Fire had turned against her, ultimately failed to control its rampage.
Ma Xiaotao lost control halfway there. The terrifying heat of her Phoenix Flame severely injured an unlucky freshman who happened to be passing by.
The academy's higher-ups reacted quickly. Yan Shaozhe personally subdued Ma Xiaotao and swiftly sealed off all information.
The Outer Academy students only knew that a freshman had been injured in an accident and withdrawn from school. They had no idea what had really happened.
Dai Huabin had naturally heard some rumors, but he had no intention of rushing over to see what was happening.
He didn't have Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice from the Million-Year Ice Silkworm, and he was only a little over level thirty. Going near a rampaging Ma Xiaotao now would be no different from asking for death.
Rushing to seize an opportunity without the strength to back it up was something only fools did.
Besides, did Dai Huabin really have to put himself in danger for a mere two Soul Ascension Pills? That was ridiculous!
Time flew by amid the day-to-day cultivation and adjustment.
A month later.
Before you continue