Xia Yan poured himself a cup of water too.
"Then I arrived and saw a huge crowd of them—at least forty Wolf Bandits. I spotted them, and they spotted me..."
The leader was at least level forty, his face twisted in a savage snarl.
With a level-forty leader and more than thirty minions in the twenties and thirties, even Xia Yan, formidable as he was, would have struggled to deal with them when he was still below level thirty.
The Datura Snake's venom was limited, after all.
He ducked into the Demon Suppressing Pagoda at once and waited for half a day. When he came back out, he discovered that he'd been trapped at the teleportation point.
A huge crowd of Wolf Bandits was still outside, all watching him.
They unleashed wind blades as if they cost nothing at all,
whoosh after whoosh.
He was forced back into the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, where he waited another half day.
Eventually, he realized the Wolf Bandits seemed to be resting there, and he had no idea when they'd leave. Fortunately, Xia Yan had come prepared and blasted his way out with over a thousand jin of high-grade sulfur explosives.
He made it out safely.
"But luckily, there was still some distance between me and the Wolf Bandits. I ran, and they chased me from behind, but they couldn't catch up."
Ning Rongrong listened, enthralled, as though she could already see the scene unfolding.
To escape from the Wolf Bandits—
it must have been thrilling and dangerous!
For nearly the entire day, Ning Rongrong stayed with Xia Yan, asking him where he'd been, what he'd seen, what he'd encountered, and what he liked best...
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, blessed with a talent unseen in a century,
Ning Rongrong never had the chance to travel alone. Whenever she went out, someone always had to protect her.
That was why she yearned so intensely for the freedom of the outside world and the chance to have adventures without restraint.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Ning Rongrong finally skipped happily back.
Night fell. Xia Yan finished cultivating and headed to the meeting place. From a distance, he spotted a world-famous painting: Ning Rongrong battling Flender.
Both wore cold expressions.
The others stood nearby, dumbstruck.
Ma Hongjun, Tang San, and the rest stared in shock. So the usually sweet and obedient Ning Rongrong had such a fiery, unruly temper—
she wasn't even afraid of the dean!
"Who do you think you are?!"
Ning Rongrong had none of the gentle obedience she'd shown Xia Yan during the day. Her face was full of disdain. "You're just a lowly Soul Saint, and you dare threaten me? Believe it or not, I'll tear this lousy academy apart!"
Flender replied icily,
"My academy can't compare to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but here, you're just a little Soul Master. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda counts for nothing."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Ning Rongrong's chest heaved. There were only two things she was most proud of: her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, and being the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most gifted genius in a century.
Today, Flender had belittled both in one go.
"I reached level twenty-six at twelve! I'm the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's greatest genius in a century!"
"I'm an auxiliary Soul Master, so of course I can't beat a Battle Soul Master. But on the battlefield, I'm more useful than any of them!"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is the strongest auxiliary Martial Soul!"
Flender's expression was cold. "No. You're wrong. You wouldn't be any use at all, because you wouldn't survive on the battlefield."
He pointed at Dai Mubai. "He broke through to Soul Elder at thirteen, has the optimal Soul Ring Configuration, and possesses a top-tier White Tiger Beast Martial Soul."
"Xiao Wu reached level twenty-nine at twelve. She might break through to level thirty this year."
"Ma Hongjun entered Shrek Academy at eleven. His Martial Soul has a flaw, but his Mutated Martial Soul is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. There are few on the continent who can measure up to him."
"Zhu Zhuqing has the same Soul Power as you, but she has a steadfast and unwavering heart."
"Tang San has Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul, yet he cultivated to level twenty-nine at twelve. He's also mastered those strange weapons."
Tang San unconsciously puffed out his chest.
"Oscar is an auxiliary Soul Master like you, but his talent is second only to Xia Yan's and may even surpass Mubai's. Have you ever seen an auxiliary Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes flew wide open.
How could that be?! How could there be an auxiliary Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power on the continent?!
"As for Xia Yan, he was a level-thirty-five Soul Elder at eleven and a level-thirty-seven Soul Elder at twelve. He'll certainly break through to level forty at thirteen and become a Soul Ancestor!"
"A thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestor!"
"He's making history on the continent."
"Every person here is stronger than you. Every one of them has more reason to survive."
"An auxiliary Soul Master without companions is cannon fodder on the battlefield. Even your father wouldn't dare claim to be the greatest in the world."
"Let alone a little girl like you!"
Ning Rongrong's pupils trembled. She stared blankly at the others. Only now did she realize that the talent she'd always been so proud of was worth nothing here.
Every single person here was stronger than her, not to mention Xia Yan.
Even that lecherous Oscar completely outclassed her in talent. He actually had Innate Full Soul Power!
"If you think so little of this place, then please leave!"
Ning Rongrong's face went pale. With a cry, she covered her face and ran toward the dormitory, sobbing.
Silence fell. Everyone was filled with admiration.
Who would have thought that Dean Flender would stand so firmly by his principles and dare to reprimand even the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
He was truly... unbending, even if it meant breaking!
In everyone's hearts, Flender's image had grown taller and taller, bit by bit, from that of an Old Miser.
In truth, Flender had a handwritten letter from Ning Fengzhi, asking him to help discipline Ning Rongrong, so he had good reason to do it.
Otherwise, no matter how stubborn he was, he would still have had to consider the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's standing.
He could have just kicked her out.
Why go to the trouble of reprimanding her?
When Xiao Wu saw Xia Yan return, her body stiffened and her gaze wavered. After hesitating for a moment, she silently turned her head away, deliberately avoiding his eyes.
Tang San keenly caught Xiao Wu's movement.
He instantly burst with joy!
It was true! It was true! Master hadn't lied to me!
My chance had come!
When Flender saw Xia Yan approaching, his expression softened. "You saw what happened."
"Go get Oscar and have him rejoin us. He doesn't need to run anymore. After that, go comfort Ning Rongrong. She's not a bad person; she just needs discipline."
"We're going to the Great Soul Arena tonight. Remember to catch up after you've comforted her."
Xia Yan froze.
Why was he the one being sent?
Still, he nodded. "All right, Dean."
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun listened with envy and jealousy. Damn it, this was a golden opportunity!
Ning Rongrong had only just arrived. She didn't know anyone here, and she'd been scolded until she cried. This was the moment when she was at her most vulnerable and lonely—
and the moment when it would be easiest to get closer to her.
Everyone else had left.
Only two people would be left in all of Shrek Academy. This was a perfect opportunity!
Tang San, meanwhile, was entirely supportive.
That's right, that's right. The farther Xia Yan could be pushed away, the better.
Flender had a simple reason for doing this.
Tang Hao needed Xia Yan to stay away from Xiao Wu. And during the day, Flender had seen Ning Rongrong leave from the direction of Xia Yan's dormitory, looking cheerful. It seemed the two of them were on good terms.
So he could have Xia Yan spend more time with her. Perhaps that would keep Xiao Wu and Xia Yan at a distance.
Besides, Ning Rongrong was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the daughter of its sect master, Ning Fengzhi. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect especially enjoyed making friends with talented young people across the land.
If Xia Yan could build a relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,
that would offer him a measure of protection too.
Flender said, "All right. Once Oscar gets back, we'll set out at once."
Before you continue