Affection Maxed Out

"Heh... so you are the soul masters here to apply for teaching positions at our academy? A lively crowd, indeed..."

Just then, three teachers from the academy approached with steady, measured strides.

Their cheerful laughter broke the silence, effectively dispelling the tense and somewhat ambiguous atmosphere.

The three teachers were practically beaming with joy.

To them, Blue Tyrant Academy gaining so many teachers at once was a massive, unexpected windfall, and they couldn't help but let their smiles widen.

After all, Blue Tyrant Academy was merely an institution rooted in the commoner district.

Among commoners, awakening a martial soul was already a feat, let alone becoming a high-level soul master; such individuals were few and far between.

Those with outstanding soul power and high-grade martial souls were usually headhunted by the major powers of the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire with heavy rewards long before anyone else could reach them.

As a commoner academy, Blue Tyrant Academy's operating budget was always stretched thin.

Their teaching staff had been chronically understaffed for years, making even daily instruction a struggle.

Following this, the teachers from Shrek Academy exchanged glances and, with a tacit understanding, began a spectacular display of their prowess.

They released their martial souls one after another.

Three Soul Saints, four Soul Emperors!

The overwhelming, formidable pressure they unleashed forced the three Blue Tyrant teachers to retreat repeatedly, leaving them utterly stunned.

Their eyes widened, and their hearts were thrown into a state of turbulent shock.

Yet Yu Xiaogang, hidden within the crowd, simply kept his hands behind his back and did not release his martial soul.

He stood brazenly among the Shrek teachers.

He looked for all the world like someone intending to freeload and bask in their reflected glory.

The subsequent events mirrored the original story: the three Blue Tyrant teachers made an on-the-spot decision, and all the Shrek Academy teachers were hired as special instructors for Blue Tyrant Academy.

The students they brought along were also exempted from any tedious enrollment assessments.

They were able to join Blue Tyrant Academy directly on the strength of the Shrek name.

However, just as the three Blue Tyrant teachers turned to lead everyone to meet the Dean, Liu Erlong, one of the gray-haired teachers suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering Xiao Yexuan, who had been left on the fringes of the crowd.

After all, Xiao Yexuan was not part of the Shrek group; to enroll officially, he still had to go through the soul power test and identity registration process.

Xiao Yexuan decided not to beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

He raised his hand and released his martial soul.

It was an ordinary folding fan adorned with an ink-wash landscape painting.

As the fan slowly unfurled, one could see an ink-blue bird hovering with wings spread amidst the landscape.

A single yellow soul ring circled the blue bird.

Yet, the radiance of that soul ring was incredibly dense, far more intense than the second soul ring of an ordinary soul master.

As the halo shimmered, it appeared to be of an exceptionally high age.

Previously, Xiao Wu had only vaguely sensed that Xiao Yexuan's soul power aura carried a familiar, gentle warmth that felt exceptionally intimate.

But when Xiao Yexuan revealed that brilliant yellow soul ring, her heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and her body swayed slightly.

This was because she could clearly feel that there was not a shred of resentment from a soul beast within that ring.

It was as if, before being absorbed by Xiao Yexuan, that soul beast had loved him so deeply that it was willing to pour its entire being into his body without a single trace of resistance.

To have an ordinary hundred-year soul beast sacrifice itself so willingly left Xiao Wu, who was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, deeply moved, her eyes filled with astonishment.

One had to realize that the soul rings of everyone else in Shrek were obtained by personally hunting soul beasts in the soul beast forests.

Those soul rings would always contain, to some degree, the lingering resentment of the beasts.

This made Xiao Wu feel uncomfortable whenever she got close to them.

Yet, staying by Xiao Yexuan's side, she felt as if she were bathed in a spring breeze, and the soul power throughout her body became tranquil.

It was as if she had returned to the soul beast nests of the Star Dou Forest, back to her own most peaceful home.

Besides Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze flickered, and Ning Rongrong's eyes widened; both were having an unusual reaction to Xiao Yexuan's martial soul and his gentle, refined temperament.

This scene, witnessed by the boys of Shrek Academy, infuriated them, and they each clenched their fists tightly.

"Isn't he just a pretty boy? So he looks a bit good, what's so great about that! Hmph!"

Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth and snorted coldly, his cheeks puffed out in anger.

"To think he dares to have designs on my woman—he truly doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth! If this brat stays at Blue Tyrant Academy and hangs around us all day, I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace!"

Dai Mubai stood to the side, nodding in empathy.

He keenly sensed the crisis, his brows knitting tightly together.

After all, the reactions of the three girls—Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong—toward Xiao Yexuan were far too abnormal, completely defying common sense.

Unable to suppress the fire in his heart any longer, Dai Mubai clenched his fists and strode forward with heavy steps, each footfall causing the ground to tremble slightly as he approached Xiao Yexuan.

He was tall and sturdily built, his entire frame like a moving mountain, bearing down on Xiao Yexuan with an oppressive force.

Xiao Yexuan's mouth twitched, and the corner of his eye jumped.

Feeling more wronged than Dou E, he cursed his luck internally; he hadn't done anything, merely stood in place and released his martial soul, yet he had inexplicably provoked Dai Mubai.

Glancing at the other boys of Shrek, he saw Oscar curling his lip and Ma Hongjun glaring with wide eyes, all of them eyeing him with hostility.

He truly couldn't fathom how he had offended them, or what those three girls could have possibly said to make them so antagonistic toward him.

But Xiao Yexuan was by no means a man who feared death.

Having transmigrated from the modern world, he was a man who had seen his fair share of storms.

How could he be afraid of a Soul Elder like Dai Mubai?

He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and with a slight flick of his wrist, waved the folding fan in his hand. The fan's surface stirred a breeze, ruffling his ink-black hair.

He lifted his gaze to look at Dai Mubai and spoke in a calm, unyielding tone:

"May I ask, sir, what business you have with me?"

Dai Mubai's eyes widened, and he continued to press forward in a rage, his soul power faintly radiating from his body.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu in the distance had their expressions shift in unison.

Fearing that Dai Mubai might act on impulse and hurt Xiao Yexuan, they hurried over.

Xiao Yexuan's calm, unyielding words and his elegant, composed manner of fanning himself made the three girls' eyes light up. They praised him repeatedly, their gazes toward him filled with newfound favor.

Ning Rongrong cradled her soft cheeks in her hands, elbows propped up, her voice dripping with infatuated affection as she drew out her words:

"Wow, he is just so polite! Dai Mubai, look at yourself—compared to him, you're so crude! You're a dignified three-ring Soul Elder, yet you're actually nitpicking a soul master with only one ring. Are you trying to bully the weak and pick on a newcomer? If that's really the case, then this girl here will thoroughly despise you."

Ning Rongrong didn't fear Dai Mubai's intimidation in the slightest, her neck stiff as she spoke.

As she said this, she even held up both middle fingers at him. The disdain and contempt on her little face were so intense it felt as if she were about to take off her shoes and hold up the middle toes of her feet as well!

Dai Mubai felt as if his head were about to explode, the veins on his forehead bulging!

Being lectured like this by Ning Rongrong in front of so many people left him with nowhere to hide his face; it flushed red and then turned pale, looking exceptionally unsightly.

Yet, when his peripheral vision swept over Xiao Yexuan's soul ring—which was indeed only a single ring, making him look frail and weak—he found himself without a justification to attack.

He felt as if he were being roasted over a fire, unable to advance or retreat, caught in a difficult dilemma.

Facing a Soul Elder two rings higher than himself, he remains so composed and graceful, without even a flicker of evasion in his eyes.

A person like this... is definitely no ordinary man.

Just then, Zhu Zhuqing gazed at Xiao Yexuan, her eyes shimmering with undisguised admiration. Her voice was softer than usual as she continued:

"He just stands there, saying nothing, yet it's as if he's telling me, 'My fate is determined by me, not by the heavens.' No matter how powerful the enemy, they cannot shake our resolve. We are free; we must be masters of our own lives, never relying on anyone, never bowing our heads to fate!"

So that's it! So that's it! Why didn't I think of that before!

Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she had been enlightened, instantly resolving the confusion that had long plagued her heart, as if she had finally grasped the direction of her life.

She rushed to Xiao Yexuan's side, forgetting to maintain her usual cold demeanor.

Excitedly, she reached out and grabbed Xiao Yexuan's hands tightly.

Her face was full of gratitude and admiration, her eyes slightly reddened.

"Thank you, truly, thank you!"

"It was you who pointed out the path ahead for me, letting me know how to move forward!"

As she spoke, the face that was usually as cold as frost instantly melted, revealing a soft, charming smile.

A faint blush crept across her fair cheeks, spreading all the way to her earlobes.

She gripped Xiao Yexuan's hands even tighter, and with a hint of shyness, asked in a voice as thin as a mosquito's hum:

"My name is Zhu Zhuqing. Thank you so much for your guidance. Are you free tonight? Could I come to your room so we can have a proper, in-depth exchange regarding our cultivation insights?"

Xiao Yexuan was instantly stunned, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

He stood frozen in place, inwardly screaming that the plot shouldn't be like this! This development was simply too absurd!

He never imagined that Zhu Zhuqing would suddenly max out her favorability toward him, her attitude shifting so drastically.

From start to finish, he had merely stood there and offered the three women a faint smile, not even saying more than a few words, yet he had somehow "conquered" this icy goddess?

This was just too outrageous!

If he were back in his original world and a beautiful girl suddenly grabbed his hand like this, looking as if she wanted to pledge her life to him, Xiao Yexuan would have immediately felt suspicious and broken out in a cold sweat.

He would have assumed the other party was either after his money or his body parts, definitely harboring no good intentions.

But having arrived on the Douluo Continent, he knew the original plot like the back of his hand and was well aware of Zhu Zhuqing's character; she was aloof and proud.

She would never display such a state to someone she was meeting for the first time.

Moreover, Xiao Yexuan was currently penniless, his pockets cleaner than his face, and his strength was pitifully weak.

His only advantage, perhaps, was this handsome face inherited from his past life.

What could she possibly want from him? Could it really be love at first sight?

Since that was the case, what did Xiao Yexuan have to hesitate about? This was an opportunity delivered to his doorstep; wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?

He wanted to see exactly what kind of "in-depth discussion" Zhu Zhuqing had in mind.

Although this would thoroughly offend Dai Mubai, what did Xiao Yexuan have to fear? At worst, he would just have to cultivate harder in the future!

With that, Xiao Yexuan offered Zhu Zhuqing a shallow smile, his eyes filled with gentle warmth, and said softly:

"Alright, whatever cultivation questions you wish to discuss, I will tell you everything I know. Actually, we could just find a quiet pavilion or corridor right now. There is no need to trouble yourself by coming to my room late at night. A man and a woman alone in one room—if word got out, I fear it would be bad for your reputation and invite gossip."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho~~ He is actually... he is actually so considerate! Thinking of Zhu Zhuqing at every turn, what a true gentleman! If it were any other man, and a great beauty like Zhu Zhuqing took the initiative to invite him to a private room, he would have been overjoyed and grabbed her hand, refusing to let go, right? He actually managed to resist such temptation and consider things so thoroughly!"

As soon as Xiao Yexuan's voice faded, Ning Rongrong, who had been walking over slowly, cupped her chin and shouted in feigned surprise.

Her voice was pitched incredibly high, loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly, as if she were afraid someone might miss it.

She then quickened her pace, her heart filled with a sense of crisis, No, I absolutely cannot let Zhu Zhuqing snatch him away. I must think of a way!

As soon as these words were spoken, Dai Mubai's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and both Ma Hongjun and Oscar's expressions shifted as well.

Anyone with eyes could tell that this little witch, Ning Rongrong, was clearly mocking them for having lewd thoughts and wretched character!