The beauties of Skywater Academy all had skin as fair as ice and jade, and slender, graceful figures.
A dozen pairs of eyes landed on Li Jiuxuan, openly curious and surprised.
"Captain, who is this...?"
Xue Wu was the first to step forward. Her gaze swept lightly over Li Jiuxuan, her smile gentle but probing. "We haven't had a male student at Skywater Academy in ages."
Shui Yue'er, who followed close behind, was even more direct. She blinked her lively eyes and leaned in, sizing Li Jiuxuan up from head to toe. "Wow, he's actually quite handsome! Sister, when did you hide away such a little cutie?"
Her words drew soft laughter from the girls around them, and even the air seemed to grow a little more suggestive.
Hide?
The tips of Shui Bing'er's ears flushed faintly, but she maintained her captain's composure. She gently withdrew her hand and said coolly, "What do you mean, hide him...? Yue'er, don't make things up. Starting today, Xiao Jiuxuan is a special student temporarily staying at Skywater Academy."
"A special student?"
Yu Hairou, Qiu Ruoshui, Shen Liuyu, and Gu Qingbo exchanged glances, interest flickering in their eyes.
Skywater Academy had always accepted only exceptionally talented female Soul Masters, and they had to be pretty, too. Its rules were famously strict.
Now, they had made an exception for a boy—and the captain herself had brought him in. If word got out, the whole academy would explode.
In fact, half the academy had already exploded.
Xue Wu, Shui Yue'er, and the others had just heard students gossiping that Shui Bing'er, the academy's top student, had personally brought back a boy. So they had hurried over to see what was going on.
Surrounded by a group of stunning young women, Li Jiuxuan felt the faint fragrance of snow and ice lingering beneath his nose. He found himself a little uncomfortable.
He could clearly sense several wisps of Soul Power probing him, as if they were quietly assessing his strength.
Looking up at the tall, pretty big sisters before him, Li Jiuxuan realized they were the core members of the Skywater Academy Team!
Xue Wu, an auxiliary-type Soul Master, had the Delicate Dance Snow Forging Martial Soul.
Shui Yue'er, an agility-attack-type Soul Master, had the Jade Dolphin Martial Soul.
Yu Hairou, a power-attack-type Soul Master, had the Coral Barracuda Martial Soul.
Qiu Ruoshui, a power-attack-type Soul Master, had the Jade Lotus Perfumed Perch Martial Soul.
Shen Liuyu, a power-attack-type Soul Master, had the Enamel Crocodile Martial Soul.
Gu Qingbo, an agility-attack-type Soul Master, had the Azure Marlin Martial Soul.
Skywater Academy was the most elite breeding ground for female Soul Master teams on the continent.
Clearly, his presence here was a glaring anomaly.
"Oh my, his Soul Power is so pure! How old are you, little guy? What level are you?"
Shui Yue'er crouched down and grinned as she rubbed Li Jiuxuan's little head.
"I just turned six. I'm a level-ten Soul Scholar..."
Li Jiuxuan's face reddened a little. Shui Yue'er was so close to him that their faces were almost touching, and her warm, fragrant breath brushed against his cheek.
"Six years old and level ten?"
At those words, not only Shui Yue'er, crouched in front of him, but Xue Wu and the others beside her were stunned.
"I-Innate Full Soul Power?!"
Xue Wu and the other four covered their mouths with their slender, pale hands.
Even Shui Bing'er, acclaimed as the greatest genius in Skywater Academy's history, had only possessed level-nine innate Soul Power!
This little guy's talent far surpassed that of his peers!
"D-Did he come from some great family?"
With her hand still on Li Jiuxuan's head, Shui Yue'er felt her legs trembling.
Not even the Upper Three Sects had anyone with Innate Full Soul Power!
At that, the light in Li Jiuxuan's eyes suddenly dimmed.
Shui Bing'er sighed when she saw his expression. She had no choice but to reopen Li Jiuxuan's "wound" once more.
After hearing the story, everyone fell silent. "..."
Shui Yue'er stood rooted to the spot. Her smile had frozen a moment ago, but now she couldn't say a word.
After a few seconds of silence, Xue Wu was the first to react. She gritted her teeth, stretched out her long, pale leg, and kicked Shui Yue'er right in the backside. "Move aside, you blabbermouth!"
Taking Shui Yue'er's place, Xue Wu crouched down and cupped Li Jiuxuan's face. Pouting with sympathy, she said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Jiuxuan. We were just too curious. Don't take it to heart, okay?"
Li Jiuxuan shook his head and gave them a faint smile, showing that they didn't need to worry.
Worried that Li Jiuxuan might feel awkward, Shui Bing'er stepped forward and drew him behind her protectively. Her voice was cool but firm. "Xiao Jiuxuan may not be an official student, but from today onward, I hope you'll all look out for one another."
"Of course! Xiao Jiuxuan is so adorable. We'd never bully him!"
Shui Yue'er got back to her feet, looking a little disheveled. She brushed the dust off her backside, raised her fist, and said, "It's all right, Xiao Jiuxuan. Don't be too sad. If you ever want revenge, your big sister will help you. Once my Condensed Cold Qi is perfected, I'll freeze that old bastard Yu Yuanzhen to death!"
Perhaps Shui Yue'er had been speaking without thinking, because Xue Wu spat and scolded her. "Pah, all you do is brag! That old monster is a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo with the Number One Beast Martial Soul. One glare from him would kill you several times over!"
"So what? I'll cultivate hard. It's not like I can't become a Titled Douluo!"
Shui Yue'er wasn't convinced. "Does being part of the Upper Three Sects mean they can do whatever they want? His people have committed every kind of atrocity. He can't wash his hands of it!"
There was no direct evidence that Yu Yuanzhen had personally ordered it. But if there was even a chance that the Number One Beast Martial Soul had been shaken, there was no way the highest ranks of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wouldn't know!
The Upper Three Sects had such prestige and influence. Would they really let their subordinates run wild, burning, killing, and pillaging?
Yu Hairou, Qiu Ruoshui, Shen Liuyu, and Gu Qingbo also thought it made sense. Xiao Jiu'er's family had died so terribly, and there was no justice at all.
Yu Hairou covered her mouth and quietly told the others, "I heard that Yu Yuanzhen is cold and heartless. He personally drove his own son, whose Martial Soul had undergone a mutation, out of the family and humiliated him in front of everyone. He didn't care about family affection at all!"
Qiu Ruoshui nodded and added, "That's right. But I also heard his son wasn't exactly a good person either. As if a Martial Soul Mutation weren't enough, he somehow fell in love with his own cousin. They nearly got married!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
The beauties of the Skywater Team rolled their eyes, looking thoroughly disgusted.
So this was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect? It was enough to make the whole world's jaws drop!
"..."
Li Jiuxuan was touched. Watching the big sisters bristle at injustice and stand up for him, he suddenly felt that the students at this academy weren't all like Dean Shui Yuerong, who "despised" him.
The little detached house by Calm Heart Lake wasn't nearly as run-down as he had imagined. It was a little remote and a little old, but it was exceptionally clean and tidy.
With the help of the seven big sisters, Li Jiuxuan's new little home was soon furnished into a particularly cozy nest.
Shui Yue'er brought him a bed.
Xue Wu brought him a desk.
Qiu Ruoshui brought him several chairs.
Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, and Gu Qingbo brought him tableware and cooking utensils.
Shui Bing'er secretly gave Li Jiuxuan a purse.
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