Xie Xie: Beauty, Who Are You?

In his sleep, the moment Xie Xie locked eyes with those dragon pupils, the void of space surged with monstrous waves, instantly swallowing him whole.

The sudden sensation of suffocation caused Xie Xie to snap his eyes open.

Upon opening them, he once again found himself staring into those familiar, large black eyes.

"What is it this time?" Xie Xie asked, sounding annoyed.

"For you." Tang Wulin placed ten thousand Federal Coins in cash on Xie Xie's bedside table.

The distinct scent of the cash instantly perked Xie Xie up. He forcefully suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling upward, kept a straight face, and said coldly, "What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to avoid our fight?"

Tang Wulin shook his head.

"I had no choice before; I really didn't have the money. But since I was the one who primarily destroyed the public property, I can't let you pay for it. I'm returning ten thousand first, and I'll give you another ten thousand later."

After saying this, Tang Wulin thought for a moment and added, "I keep my promises. Find a place after school tomorrow."

The moment Tang Wulin finished speaking, Xie Xie snatched up the Federal Coins and stuffed them into his storage Soul Tool.

Only a fool would refuse money.

The next morning, Xie Xie was woken up by Tang Wulin.

Xie Xie's soul sat up first, turned around, and slapped his own physical body, which then sat up, bleary-eyed and drowsy.

His consciousness was hazy as he mechanically brushed his teeth and washed his face.

It wasn't until he followed Tang Wulin to the cafeteria and took a sip of piping hot porridge that he woke up.

"Hiss—hot, hot, hot!"

The freshly cooked porridge burned Xie Xie's consciousness into full alertness.

Xie Xie put down the porridge, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. Through the haze, he vaguely saw what looked like a... small mountain? That couldn't be right; where would a mountain come from in the Eastsea Academy cafeteria?

Xie Xie squinted to get a better look—ah, it was just a Bun Mountain. Nothing to worry about.

Indeed, sitting across from Xie Xie was Tang Wulin, his table covered in food: milk, eggs, sausages, and buns. The buns were the most numerous, neatly stacked into a small mountain.

Xie Xie calmly drank his porridge while watching Tang Wulin across from him eat one bun after another, barely even bothering to chew.

After watching the live eating show, Xie Xie ended up drinking an extra bowl of porridge for breakfast.

Tang Wulin, sitting opposite him, seemed to feel embarrassed by Xie Xie's gaze; he slowed his eating speed and began sipping his milk in small mouthfuls.

Don't let the fact that Xie Xie only had two bowls of porridge and an egg fool you—this was a Grade A Meal.

The porridge Xie Xie had just finished was made from premium Spirit Grain Rice, slow-cooked over a low flame until the grains had completely dissolved, leaving a thick layer of rice oil on the surface—the very essence for nourishing a soul master's vitality.

Combined with ten-year-old Spirit Grain Potato Dices, Soul Plant Fruit Crumbs, and Qi-Nurturing Fruit, the nutritional value far surpassed a hundred buns.

When the sun was high, the opening ceremony began.

"Students, hello."

"Every year at this time, I am filled with emotion!"

"Because a group of students from the Intermediate and Advanced Divisions have graduated and left the academy. But at the same time, some students have promoted from the Intermediate to the Advanced Division, and new students have joined the Intermediate Division! In my view, the academy is like the circulatory system of the Federation..."

No matter where you are, it seems that if it's the start of a school year, there must be a principal's speech.

The Advanced and Intermediate Divisions were all gathered on the plaza.

Xie Xie stood at the very back of the Intermediate Division, listening until he was drowsy, his head bobbing as sleep bubbles formed at the tip of his nose.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep before a voice from the plaza startled him awake.

"Class teachers, take your students back to your classrooms to familiarize yourselves with the academy."

Through bleary eyes, Xie Xie saw someone walking toward them. He rubbed his eyes, and when he saw who it was, he was completely stunned.

The newcomer wore a plain white martial outfit, the fabric spotless.

Her long hair, the color of deep-sea ice blue, cascaded to her waist like a frozen waterfall, accentuating the pale, slender grace of her neck while carrying an air of aloofness that forbade approach.

Her brows and eyes were exceptionally clear and cold, those ink-green pupils identical to Xie Xie's own.

With a delicate nose and pale lips, her eyes seemed to have condensed a thousand years of ice and snow, clear and untainted by the mundane world.

Every step she took was as light as falling snow, yet it caused the entire plaza to fall into instant silence.

Without any extra adornment or a hint of softness, she was nothing but cold and solitary.

Just standing there, she was like an ice lotus blooming alone on a snowy peak, breathtakingly and peerlessly beautiful.

Everyone on the plaza was dumbstruck, their gazes fixed on her, their breathing subconsciously slowing.

Xie Xie's jaw hit the ground in shock.

Wait, who are you, beautiful?

"You lot, follow me."

The woman's lips parted, her voice as clear as jade striking a silver plate. Having said that, she turned and headed toward the teaching building.

Xie Xie followed her in a daze until they reached the classroom for Class Five.

The classroom contained thirty sets of desks and chairs, with the podium at the very front.

"Take your seats," the woman said coldly.

Xie Xie sat down blankly in the seat by the window, with Tang Wulin sitting in the seat to his right.

Once everyone was seated, she merely lifted her gaze indifferently, sweeping her eyes across the entire class. There was not a ripple of emotion, yet it felt like ice blades passing through, instantly silencing the noisy room.

But the words she said immediately afterward caused Xie Xie to crack on the spot.

"My name is Wu Zhangkong."

The woman said calmly, "For the next six years, you will all be my students."

Wu Zhangkong stood before the podium, her posture as upright as a sword, her white clothes whiter than snow, her features cold and stunning, as if she carried a layer of chill around her.

"The first point I must emphasize is that you should just pretend you never heard what the Dean said earlier."

"Even if you are a bunch of trash, I will make you the strongest among your peers. Unless you drop out, this is the goal you will strive for over the next six years."

She spoke the most arrogant words in the most indifferent tone, yet no one in the classroom dared to question her.

With a temperament like that, it was obvious she was a big shot; was there any need to question her?

"Do you all understand?"

However, no one replied; the entire class was immersed in Wu Zhangkong's magnificent beauty.

Wu Zhangkong did not mind, continuing, "We will now begin self-introductions. State your name, Martial Soul, Soul Power Level, and what kind of Soul Master you wish to become. Begin."

Wu Zhangkong pointed in a direction at random, and Yun Xiao happened to be the first person in the first row of that direction.

Although Yun Xiao was also a bit dazed, he reacted quickly and stood up in a hurry, his tone still tinged with nervousness:

"Hello everyone, my name is Yun Xiao."

"My Martial Soul is the Star Disk, and my Soul Power is level twelve. My goal is to become an Intelligence-Support Battle Soul Master."

Wu Zhangkong did not speak, merely shifting her gaze indifferently to the next person.

Behind Yun Xiao was Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin stood up, and when Wu Zhangkong's gaze fell upon him, he suddenly felt inexplicably nervous. "Tang Wulin, Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, level eleven. My goal is..."

At this point, Tang Wulin paused before speaking again: "I do not have a goal yet."

Just as Tang Wulin finished speaking, an abrupt voice rang out from diagonally in front of him:

"Haha, his Martial Soul is the trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, of course he has no goa— gag!"

Mid-sentence, a box of chalk flew out like a guided missile, landing precisely in the student's mouth and stuffing it completely full.

The bitterness of the chalk immediately made the student start retching uncontrollably.

It wasn't over yet; just as the student bent over to retch, the chair beneath him suddenly tilted, causing him to fall flat on his face. The chalk he had just spat out was forced back down his throat.

Tang Wulin turned his head and happened to catch Xie Xie whistling, nonchalantly retracting his lower leg.

Noticing Tang Wulin looking his way, Xie Xie held a finger to his lips and gave a sly wink with his left eye.

"Shh~"

Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, followed by a faint smile spreading across his face.

He also winked back at Xie Xie without making a sound.

It was a silent expression of gratitude.

Finally, Tang Wulin stood up straight again, meeting the cold gaze on the podium, his expression now calm and devoid of any embarrassment.