Enrollment

As a top student who had read through most of the library at Nine Treasures Glazed Academy.

Ning Huan naturally knew quite a lot about the Phantom Nether Fox's abilities, preferences, habits, and every other aspect of its life.

Yet of all the records, the detail that had left the deepest impression on him

was not the powerful spiritual force and dark attribute inherited from its species,

nor its brutal and cunning beastly instincts.

It was the bloodline talent possessed by this kind of Soul Beast, which had only a tiny chance of awakening upon reaching the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast level. It was called...

[Erosion]!

The ability was simple: it infected and controlled everything about an enemy, subtly and imperceptibly.

Soul Power, spiritual power, words and actions, even ways of thinking!

Nothing lay beyond Erosion's reach!

Whenever it was exposed, it was either opposed by Soul Beasts as a whole or subjected to the frenzied hunting of human Evil Soul Masters.

The special effects it produced were just as brutal.

It ignored defenses!

It could not be resisted!

It was silent and imperceptible!

Together, these three traits directly raised the danger level of [Erosion] by several grades.

Those struck by it often did not realize they had already been completely eroded until they were on the brink of death.

Thus, the only path to victory was to kill swiftly.

Otherwise, death was certain!

Without a doubt, thanks to this near-unanswerable talent,

the species had swiftly become one of the rare top predators in the Star Dou Forest that did not pride itself on claws, fangs, or raw stats,

and one that few other species were willing to approach.

If nothing unexpected happened, that Hundred-Thousand-Year Phantom Nether Fox must have awakened the [Erosion] talent. That would explain how it could sacrifice itself to Huo Yuhao while keeping its soul intact.

Watching the three people laughing and playing in the distance, Ning Huan gathered his thoughts and mused to himself.

Then what comes after? Depending on each other for survival? A promise of resurrection? Or... taking over someone else's nest?!

Should I take this opportunity to intervene and test the World Consciousness and Tang San's attitude?

But as soon as the thought appeared, he shook his head under the puzzled gazes of Ning Tian and the other girl, casting every stray thought from his mind.

What did Huo Yuyao's death have to do with him?

He'd be better off sitting down and figuring out how to deal with that lot from Shrek.

Besides, the struggle between Tang San and the World Consciousness had only just begun.

He had no capital to risk on trial and error right now.

One wrong move, and he'd tumble into the abyss.

The only two times he'd taken a risk had both come after years of weighing the pros and cons before he finally made up his mind.

In this situation, forget reaching out to Huo Yuhao—he would have to keep even an eye on how things unfolded under wraps.

At this thought, Ning Huan couldn't help but heave a long sigh.

For once, he found himself longing for greater strength.

My cultivation is progressing more slowly, and Ning Tian and the others can't keep up with the pace either.

Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well soon. Should I wait for Electrolux to wake up?

Or...

"Brother Ning Huan, are you very interested in those three?"

A soft question from beside him suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

He lowered his head without thinking and met Ning Tian's puzzled, pale-gold eyes.

"Are they special?"

"That's right."

Ning Huan had spent the most time with this girl over the past three years, and she knew many of his secrets.

He never deliberately hid things from her.

It was only because there were still people gathered nearby that he had to lower his voice and whisper close to her ear.

"Of the three, one is the great-grandson of the strongest person of this era, and one is the last surviving sect leader of the Tang Sect."

"But the one who interests me more is the weakest of the three."

"The blue-haired boy..."

Warm breath, rather than the setting sun, painted Ning Tian's pretty face with a rosy glow.

Though she was painfully shy, the girl still instinctively followed the way her beloved usually thought and offered a suggestion.

"I see... Should we contact the academy and make a move before they do?"

"?"

Make a move?

What move?

Against Huo Yuhao and the others?

For a moment, Ning Huan's mind went blank. He stared at Ning Tian in disbelief.

"Xiao Tian, why would you think that?"

"Didn't you say it yourself, Brother Ning Huan? Make the unexpected controllable."

"Uh... There's nothing wrong with the logic, but there are always exceptions."

"Oh~ I see. That blue-haired boy is the 'that guy' you're always muttering about?"

Ning Huan: "..."

Damn it!

She had the exact same brain as her father!

"Just keep it to yourself. Don't tell Uncle Ning, or he'll start imagining all sorts of things again."

"Okay!"

As she spoke, Ning Tian nodded her little head, her beautiful eyes brimming with trust and affection.

But if Ning Hao knew what she was thinking, he'd probably cry out on the spot that his little girl had sprung a leak.

I know what Father knows, and I know what Father doesn't know.

I've done my part, haven't I~ Hehe~

"It's getting late. Let's go, Little Crazy. Stop daydreaming."

"Okay... No, wait! I'm not Little Crazy! Just wait until I'm strong enough to beat you!"

"Then keep waiting~"

"Ah! You jerk!"

Watching her sister get teased until she was fuming again, Ning Tian couldn't help sighing.

"How wonderful~"

With an official study-abroad application submitted by Nine Treasures Glazed Academy, the trio entered Shrek Academy without a hitch.

No provocations, no harsh words.

It went so smoothly that Ning Huan felt a little unaccustomed to it.

After all, he had long been prepared for someone to come looking for a beating, only to end up excited over nothing.

Then there was the matter of class assignments.

He didn't know whether it was the inertia of the plot at work or some other reason.

As an outsider, Ning Huan was three or four years older than the new students, so it made sense for him to enter the fifth year as a transfer student.

But Ning Tian and the others had clearly registered just before Huo Yuhao.

And their application form hadn't been filled out like the previous ones.

With everyone watching, how could they still end up in two different classes?

Of course, this wasn't because he wanted his two little girls to suffer under Zhou Yi.

It was simply that the matter was rather bizarre, forcing him to read more into it.

Still, from another angle, the fact that the plot hadn't changed much was more advantageous to him.

It left him feeling terribly conflicted.

"How does it look?"

"Not bad. Just not as good as home."

That was Wu Feng, as full of praise for Nine Treasures Academy as ever.

"The scenery is lovely, and the stone statues are finely made. The facilities look a little basic. Maybe... it's all gold and jade on the outside, but shabby within?"

Ning Tian's assessment seemed quite fair at first glance.

But if you read between the lines, you could still sense her disbelief.

It couldn't be helped. Shrek had long promoted the idea of "tempering the mind and toiling the bones," and had invested little in the Outer Court's facilities.

As far as the eye could see, white, yellow, purple, black, and gray classroom buildings stood row upon row, yet none had the slightest distinctive feature.

How could a girl accustomed to the luxurious, distinguished style of her own home accept this so easily?