The next day in class, a gentle-looking teacher smiled at them and said, "I never expected something like this to happen right as the school year began. It's also an honor to be your homeroom teacher."
"Hello, everyone. My name is Mu Jin. Starting today, I'll teach you how to use your Martial Souls, as well as combat and other related subjects. I hope you'll all cooperate." Mu Jin spoke gently.
Mu Jin's gaze swept across the class. Noticing how quiet everyone was, she smiled and said, "I've taken a look at everyone's strength and decided who will be class monitor. Xu Yanli will be the monitor of Class One. Does anyone object?"
"No." Except for Wang Dong, every student in the class answered in unison.
"Good. Then let's begin class. Everyone knows about Martial Souls..."
Xu Yanli listened to the whole lesson and felt as though he hadn't heard a thing. It looked like he could forget about learning anything in the first few classes...
As soon as class ended, Xu Yanli got up and headed straight for the snack street by the school gates.
He looked at the bustling scene outside the school and paused for a moment. Suddenly, he felt as if he'd gone back to the past. But sadly, he knew this wasn't his previous life.
Xu Yanli strolled down the snack street, occasionally stopping to buy something that caught his eye.
"Delicious grilled fish! Don't miss it as you pass by!"
Xu Yanli paused at the voice, then looked in surprise at Huo Yuhao, who was selling grilled fish at the stall beside him.
Xu Yanli stepped forward and tapped the stall. "What are you doing here? Didn't Xiaoyao Pavilion give you enough money? That doesn't seem right. I thought you got paid just for joining."
Huo Yuhao gave an awkward little nod. "They did, but I just wanted to sell grilled fish. Mostly, I'm using it to build up my spiritual power."
Xu Yanli was silent for a moment, then smiled. "All right, but don't neglect your cultivation. Whatever you do, you'll need enough strength to support it."
Looking at the fish sizzling with grease, Xu Yanli smiled and said, "Give me two—no, four. How much?"
"Sixteen Copper Soul Coins." Huo Yuhao smiled as he handed him four fish.
Xu Yanli dropped two Silver Soul Coins into Huo Yuhao's money jar.
"Give me one more. Keep the change." Xu Yanli said casually. He gathered up the five grilled fish and turned to leave.
Not long after Xu Yanli left, a crowd of senior students came over to buy grilled fish.
Huo Yuhao looked at the sudden swarm of Shrek Academy seniors in confusion and asked, "What's going on?"
"Kid, do you know him? He's been my idol since yesterday."
"He's not just your idol. He's ours too. Anyone who can stand up to that old witch at the academy is the coolest person in the world!" someone shouted from the back of the line.
Without knowing it, Xu Yanli had gained a huge following at Shrek Academy...
It was clear that the students had suffered under Zhou Yi for a long time.
He didn't know why so many people disliked her. Maybe she was simply annoying.
Carrying the grilled fish, Xu Yanli planned to return to the dorm first, then go see Yan Shaozhe that afternoon.
When Xu Yanli reached the dormitory, he saw Mu En lying in the sun again, rocking in his chair.
After hesitating, Xu Yanli handed Mu En a grilled fish.
"Grandpa, last time I noticed a hint of nostalgia in your eyes when you looked at me. Did you know my mother? Or perhaps one of my other relatives? Could you tell me about her? I'll treat you to some grilled fish." Xu Yanli smiled.
Xu Yanli was curious. He'd always wanted to know what kind of person his mother had been.
He'd pieced together bits and pieces from what people told him, but the picture was still incomplete. All he knew was that his mother had an Angel Martial Soul.
Sadly, he'd heard that someone had crippled her.
Mu En turned his gaze from the sun to Xu Yanli beside him, then slowly accepted the grilled fish.
"I remember the first time I met your mother. She was only six years old. Your maternal grandfather was so excited that he held her up and told me she was a child of extraordinary talent. Unfortunately, your mother didn't join Shrek Academy back then. She went to Star Luo Royal Soul Engineer Academy instead." Mu En took a bite of the grilled fish, his eyes brightening, then began to reminisce.
"Was my mother's Martial Soul like mine?" Xu Yanli asked after a moment of silence. "I never really saw her use it. It was as if she didn't have one at all."
The last part was obviously made up. Sometimes, it was best to mix the truth with lies.
"It was similar, but not the same. Your mother's Martial Soul seemed to have the Star Crown ability of the Xu Clan, and it had also undergone a certain mutation. Like your Martial Soul, it could control the powers of the Sun Moon Star." Mu En spoke slowly, like an elder. "I'm afraid that's all I know. I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Grandpa." Xu Yanli smiled, bowed respectfully, and left.
Xu Yanli rubbed his hands, cracked his knuckles, and glanced at the fish he was holding. It seemed this fish had been well worth the price.
He'd also learned something: his Sun Moon Holy Prayer Angel might be a fusion of his mother's Martial Soul and the gift from the system.
Xu Yanli put those thoughts aside and slowly walked into the dormitory. Smiling at Tang Ling, who was diligently cultivating, he asked, "Want some fish?"
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, selling fish outside, had run into a major problem.
Xu Sanshi.
Xu Yanli had barely sat down when he received an urgent message from Huo Yuhao—or rather, a distress signal.
It was something he'd developed years ago with a group of Soul Engineers.
At first, it hadn't been possible to gather a group of geniuses for the project. But as soon as he proposed the idea, Xu Tianran took it seriously.
The device could be used on the battlefield and would make a handy communication tool.
So three or four Level 9 Soul Engineers teamed up with Xu Yanli, the man who'd come up with the theory, and worked day and night for half a month. They finished a small communicator that could reliably send messages across two or three cities.
Xu Yanli had wanted to name it "Big One," but Xu Tianran had simply called it a "communicator," refusing to let him use the familiar name.
At first, Xu Tianran hadn't planned to get involved, but when Xu Yanli tried to name it, a whole group of Level 9 Soul Engineers objected.
Xu Tianran had no choice but to seize the naming rights.
That was too much. Simply too much.
What was wrong with "Big One"?
In the time it took Xu Yanli to turn around, a whole host of thoughts had already raced through his mind.
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