Xiao Yi looked helplessly at Tang Wutong, who had already fallen fast asleep across from him. A little drool still clung to the corner of her mouth, and her sleeping posture was far from graceful: she lay sprawled on her back across the bed, arms and legs spread wide.
Ever since they'd returned to the dormitory, Tang Wutong had been talking Xiao Yi's ear off. She'd clearly been bottling things up for years, and now she told him anything and everything. Later, she still wasn't satisfied, and even changed the backdrop of her stories about the Divine Realm before spilling them all out in one go.
Like how Uncle Zi was often made to kneel on a washboard by his wife, Auntie Green.
How Uncle Bai and Uncle Sausage sometimes sneaked off to visit other goddesses.
How Auntie Ning's home was full of pretty flowers, and so on.
Xiao Yi found it pretty interesting, since he knew who these people really were. At the same time, he was genuinely speechless. Who said Tang Wutong wasn't a fool? She was a total sweet, innocent airhead. Girls like her were the most terrifying once they fell head over heels.
Just imagining himself standing before Tang San years from now, with a pregnant Tang Wutong by his side and another child in his arms, made Xiao Yi struggle to hold back a laugh.
After all, Tang San had already reached out to him. Naturally, Xiao Yi would take him up on it—and repay him with a grand gift.
The next morning, Xiao Yi drew in the transparent flames that had risen around him and let out a deep breath of stale air. His Soul Power was still growing rapidly, but his physical constitution was struggling to keep up.
That was his biggest weakness at the moment. The color of his Soul Rings made it clear: the Soul Beast's evolution corresponded to both his physical strength and his cultivation as a Soul Master.
At this point, his cultivation was already sufficient for the Soul Beast to evolve and increase the age of his Soul Rings. But because his Soul Power was advancing too quickly, his body couldn't keep up. That was the downside of being a self-taught Soul Master—he had no money...
Xiao Yi pondered whether he should find a rich woman. There was one right by his side, but he had other plans for her. His main goal was to turn her into a love-struck fool and spite Tang San. After all, Tang San had been the one to put a leash on him first. They didn't have any other conflicts for now, but Xiao Yi still had to get even.
Xiao Yi's thoughts on Tang San hadn't changed. Books and reality were ultimately different; you never knew for sure until you met someone in person. But Tang San had a terrible reputation in his previous life, so Xiao Yi had always been wary of him. After all, if he wanted to become a god, he was destined to face Tang San. If the other man tripped him up or interfered, it would become a fight to the death.
As for what he'd do if that really happened—what would become of the sweet, innocent, love-struck Princess Tang? He'd just have to deal with that when the time came. Xiao Yi wasn't going to become a love-struck fool. If cultivation wasn't for showing off and chasing girls, it would be utterly meaningless. Don't say it was for the pursuit of strength—wasn't it all just for showing off in the end?
He woke the still-drowsy Tang Wutong, then got up to wash. After their long talk through the night, Tang Wutong's attitude toward him had changed completely. Aside from still being a little spoiled and arrogant, she didn't have any other real flaws.
It was just that this girl was a terrible actress. Even when pretending to be a boy, she kept acting like a girl. Maybe it only looked that way to him, though. In everyone else's eyes, Tang Wutong was a handsome young man who kept people at a distance and looked at everyone as if they owed her eight million Gold Soul Coins.
The academy worked with incredible efficiency. If they said Zhou Yi was fired, then fired she was; she had vanished without a trace by the next day. The teacher who came in was also an old acquaintance of Xiao Yi's.
Wang Yan, who in the original story had a Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul and was a Soul King.
His cultivation wasn't especially impressive, but his knowledge of Martial Soul Theory was formidable. He was also very curious about Xiao Yi's Martial Soul, and had come over specifically to ask about it, showing great humility.
"Student Xiao Yi, I heard your Martial Soul can summon Soul Beasts. Could you let me observe it? There's another new student in this year's intake who can summon Soul Beasts, but that student can only summon energy forms." Wang Yan pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining with curiosity.
Xiao Yi naturally had no reason to refuse. It was no trouble at all.
Three purple Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath Xiao Yi's feet, drawing startled gasps from the surrounding students, even those who had seen them before.
Tang Wutong pursed her lips to the side, silently grumbling about how this guy loved showing off.
Huo Yutong and Xiao Xiao gazed at Xiao Yi with longing.
Huo Yutong longed for strength. Xiao Xiao longed for Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi's third Soul Ring lit up, and ripples spread through space. A giant blue python poked its head out of the void and affectionately rubbed it against Xiao Yi's palm.
Wang Yan's face glowed as he recorded everything before him. His notebook filled with words in an instant, and he muttered under his breath.
"An embodied Soul Beast as a Martial Soul—is this a special state of the Martial Soul Avatar?"
"This state also bears similarities to an external Beast Martial Soul."
"There are small bumps on its head and two little protrusions on its belly. Could it evolve as its Soul Master grows?"
Wang Yan trembled with excitement, running his hands over Nether Cold Ice Python's scales, then examining its belly and head.
Only after filling several pages did he finally seem satisfied. He bowed deeply to Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi waved it off, indicating that it was fine. He always showed great kindness and patience toward researchers like this. Besides, their findings and research could also help with his own cultivation. He wasn't good at this kind of thing himself, so having someone else study it and simply give him the results was obviously ideal.
Xiao Yi put away his Martial Soul, and the students watching scattered like startled birds and beasts. He didn't really like being surrounded, but he could tolerate it once in a while.
Once the crowd dispersed, only a few people remained: Tang Wutong, looking impatient; two little girls, one blue and one green; and Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan, waving to them from nearby.
When the four of them walked over, Jiang Nannan looked a little surprised. She hadn't expected that the junior Tang Ya had mentioned was this student.
Tang Ya could never keep a secret. Jiang Nannan hadn't even needed to ask before she blurted everything out. She'd said she was coming to see her little junior sister, and that Xiao Yi was in the same class, so Jiang Nannan had grown curious and come along to have a look.
"Senior Sister Tang Ya, and you must be Senior Sister Jiang Nannan. Nice to see you again."
After they'd all greeted one another, Tang Ya looked surprised.
"Xiao Yi, you know Nannan?"
"We don't know each other. I just happened to register with Senior Sister Nannan earlier," Xiao Yi answered honestly.
Tang Ya visibly looked relieved. Jiang Nannan's forehead creased with irritation. There was probably something wrong with her best friend's head.
Xiao Yi chuckled and looked at Tang Ya with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Tang Ya coughed awkwardly, shifted her gaze away, and looked at Huo Yutong instead.
"Come on, little Yu Tong. I've already prepared a stall for you. Let's get going." Lively as ever, Tang Ya was full of energy. The four girls, each with her own charm, made a striking sight as they headed for the night market.
Xiao Yi sighed, "Youth is wonderful," and didn't join in.
"What do you mean, 'youth is wonderful'? Why are you acting all mature? You're not even that old," Tang Wutong said, baffled by Xiao Yi's remark.
Xiao Yi only smiled.
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