After stopping Zhou Yi from making another move, Yan Shaozhe first looked at Xiao Yi with admiration and praise in his eyes, mixed with a trace of gratitude and lingering fear.
If Xiao Yi hadn't stepped in to stop her and keep the pink-and-blue-haired young man from getting hurt, Shrek Academy would have had to face the fury of a Level 98 Super Douluo and a Level 99 Limit Douluo.
At the same time, Yan Shaozhe was astonished by Xiao Yi's strength. As useless as Zhou Yi was, she was still a Soul Emperor of Shrek. Yet this twelve-year-old boy had sent her flying with a single basic attack. Even allowing for the element of surprise, that was enough to show how powerful he was—not to mention that reaching Level 39 at his age was already astonishing.
Only then did Zhou Yi suddenly realize that she had just acted with murderous intent. It had long gone beyond the bounds of simply teaching someone a lesson. Seeing how Yan Shaozhe looked ready to tear her to pieces, she immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"Dean, this brat called Tang Wulin insulted me, I..."
Before Zhou Yi could finish, Yan Shaozhe cut her off. He sighed, feeling utterly helpless.
Although she was Fan Yu's wife, the vice dean of the Soul Tool Department, Shrek simply couldn't afford to incur the wrath of a Limit Douluo and a Super Douluo at this point.
The Tang Wutong of this world was whole, so she naturally mattered far more than Wang Dong, who had lost her memories. When she came to Shrek, two Super Douluos had personally escorted her.
"There's no need to make excuses. Attacking a student has violated the academy's rules. I hereby announce that you're expelled. Get out."
Yan Shaozhe showed no mercy and sentenced Zhou Yi on the spot.
Zhou Yi froze, then stared at him in utter disbelief. She was just about to explain when Yan Shaozhe cut her off.
"Get out, now!" Yan Shaozhe truly thought Zhou Yi was beyond saving. Had she still not understood the situation? He had made himself perfectly clear. The other girl obviously had an extraordinary background, or he wouldn't have expelled Zhou Yi.
Even if Tang Wutong had been the one to insult and provoke her first, the other girl's fists were bigger.
At that, Zhou Yi swallowed the words she had been about to say. She shot Tang Wutong a venomous look, then, not daring to say another word, fled the classroom in disgrace like a dog with its tail between its legs.
"You two, come with me for a moment." Yan Shaozhe beckoned them over quite amiably and led them away, leaving behind a mess and a roomful of people who hadn't quite come to their senses. Before long, the classroom erupted in discussion.
"So strong! Did I see that right? It looked like he had three purple Soul Rings."
"You saw right. Three purple Soul Rings. That's incredible."
"Finally, we won't have to be taught by that kind of teacher anymore. This is so satisfying."
"Am I the only one who thinks they're both really handsome?"
"Why am I kind of shipping them?"
Xiao Xiao and Huo Yutong exchanged glances. Huo Yutong knew Xiao Yi was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong. Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, was simply dumbfounded, her eyes sparkling with little hearts.
"Big Sister Tian Meng, how do you think Big Brother Xiao Yi cultivates so quickly? I feel like even my Soul Power flows more smoothly when I'm near him."
Inside Huo Yutong's Sea of Consciousness, her spiritual form asked the petite figure before her.
"I don't know either, but being near him really does seem to speed up cultivation."
Dressed in a hooded pajama set printed with silkworm babies, Tian Meng propped her chin on her hand and pondered, the feelers on her forehead twitching gently. Then, all at once, she slapped her thigh.
"Could he be the Child of Destiny in your human world?"
"The Child of Destiny?" Huo Yutong was clearly puzzled by the term. Her spiritual form tilted her head and looked at Tian Meng curiously.
Tian Meng was quite pleased by that look.
"Our Soul Beast Clan has an Emperor Auspicious Beast. Wherever it is, Soul Beasts cultivate faster, and their chances of surviving a tribulation rise dramatically. I guess the Child of Destiny among you humans is similar. Yu Tong, you should get close to him. It's best to befriend someone like that."
Huo Yutong nodded her adorable little head with all her might and said earnestly, "Got it, Big Sister Tian Meng." At the same time, she felt a little amazed. So Big Brother Xiao Yi was a Child of Destiny?
In truth, that boost to cultivation speed was merely an instinctive effect of the Fallen Heart Flame. It worked just like the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower in Battle Through the Heavens: the closer you were, the more pronounced the effect. That was with Xiao Yi's Martial Soul unreleased. If he released it, the effect would be even better, and the cultivation boost greater.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi and the others followed Yan Shaozhe to the dean's office.
Once they entered, Yan Shaozhe gestured for them to sit.
Tang Wutong paid no attention to Yan Shaozhe's status. She plopped down and tugged at Xiao Yi's sleeve, signaling for him to sit too.
After Xiao Yi had saved her, Tang Wutong had unilaterally accepted him as her underling. She was also grateful to him, and she hadn't even noticed that she seemed to have grown closer to him.
Xiao Yi didn't think much of it. He was an upstanding, law-abiding citizen.
"This time, one of our teachers at Shrek Academy was indeed at fault. We'll compensate both of you, and Zhou Yi has been punished. How about we put this matter behind us?" Yan Shaozhe spoke gently, without putting on airs.
That surprised Xiao Yi. He had expected to be punished, at least a little; after all, there was no denying that he had hit a teacher. But he glanced at Tang Wutong out of the corner of his eye, and the reason immediately became clear.
So her background was pulling strings.
After Tang Wutong nodded and Xiao Yi said he had no objections, Yan Shaozhe nodded in satisfaction. Then he changed the subject.
"Student Xiao Yi, is that Nether Cold Ice Python your Martial Soul?" What he really wanted to ask was how Xiao Yi's Soul Rings had come to be those colors. He was already considering looking into the boy's background. Even at Shrek, a genius like this was rare.
"Dean Yan, my Martial Soul is my eyes. It's a special kind of Body Martial Soul, and it comes with its own space. Each Soul Ring slot can absorb a snake-type Soul Beast, and as my cultivation improves, the Soul Beast can evolve and grow. This is how that change manifests in my Soul Rings."
Xiao Yi gave the explanation he had prepared long ago. He had always intended to reveal this much. He needed to show not only how quickly he could cultivate, but also his potential, so he could secure more resources and attention.
Yan Shaozhe and Tang Wutong stared at Xiao Yi in astonishment. In an instant, they both imagined the terrifying potential of this Martial Soul and drew in sharp breaths.
"Then, Student Xiao Yi, does that mean you'll be able to have nine Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings in the future?"
Xiao Yi smiled and nodded.
With his guess confirmed, Yan Shaozhe valued Xiao Yi even more. At the same time, a few other ideas began to take shape in his mind.
Tang Wutong was also shocked. She had only ever seen nine Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings on her father, Tang San. To think there was such a genius in the lower realm! Sure enough, Douluo Continent was far more interesting than the Divine Realm. She grew even more curious about Xiao Yi.
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