Ma Xiaotao

Zhou Yi got to her feet from the ground in a somewhat sorry state, and a complicated look crept into her eyes as she gazed at Yang Jian.

She had never dreamed that one day she would lose to a twelve-year-old, three-ring Soul Elder—and that this would happen after she had given it her all.

Thinking back carefully, she had been under her opponent's control from the very beginning. It seemed that everything she did had been within his expectations.

His insight into and control over a battle were truly hard to believe in someone who was only twelve years old.

But a loss was a loss. She had no excuse to make.

"Yang Jian, you win. As agreed, the whole class won't have to run another hundred laps."

Zhou Yi's voice was still hoarse, and it also sounded somewhat weak.

After this incident, her authority as a teacher had been completely swept away. Managing this class would be much harder from now on. Even so, Zhou Yi still didn't think there was anything wrong with her teaching methods.

At the very least, all the students who graduated under her had been outstanding. Some of them had even advanced to the Inner Court.

Zhou Yi looked at the other students on Shrek Plaza and said coldly, "Of course, don't think this is your victory. From now on, I'll only be stricter. I'll say it again: if you can't do it, get out! But if any of you have Yang Jian's strength, you can challenge me."

"If you can do that, you can be just like Yang Jian."

As she spoke, Zhou Yi paused and glanced at Yang Jian.

She knew that teachers of a higher rank had definitely noticed their fight. With Yang Jian's strength, there was no way he would keep playing house with a group of new students in her class. It wouldn't be long before he advanced to a higher year, or even went straight to the Inner Court.

So she didn't linger on Yang Jian. She turned and walked toward the teaching building without looking back.

Though Zhou Yi looked rather comical, covered in dust and dirt, she was still a Six-Ring Soul Emperor. The students present obediently followed behind her.

Yang Jian and Ye Qingyuan exchanged a glance, then followed along as well.

Word of Yang Jian defeating his homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi, all by himself quickly spread throughout the first year. There hadn't been many outsiders on Shrek Plaza during their fight, but a teacher who had never gotten along with Zhou Yi had witnessed the entire thing—and she was the one who spread the news throughout the first year.

Of course, plenty of people still questioned whether the story was true.

Even if they were only in the Outer Court, the students who had made it into Shrek Academy were rare geniuses outside its walls. Naturally, they weren't willing to admit they were weaker than someone else.

And the idea that a three-ring Soul Elder could defeat a six-ring Soul Emperor was hardly believable to begin with.

"Hello, classmate. Could we get to know each other? My name is Wu Yanshan."

In the cafeteria, a girl who considered herself quite pretty walked up to Yang Jian, braving Ye Qingyuan's murderous glare. She smiled gently at him.

But Yang Jian didn't even look up. He simply replied calmly:

"Sorry."

The girl's expression shifted slightly at the cold reception. She stood there hesitating for a long while before turning away, somewhat unwillingly.

Only after she had walked off did Tang Ya shake her head with a sigh. "I mean, how many times has this happened lately? Yang Jian, you're way too popular!"

As she spoke, Tang Ya glanced at Ye Qingyuan, who was busy battling her food, and teased with a smile, "Look how mad you've made our Qingyuan."

Hearing this, Ye Qingyuan grew even angrier.

Of course, she wasn't angry at Tang Ya. After spending so much time together recently, the two had grown quite familiar with each other. And since Ye Qingyuan and Tang Ya were roommates, they had quickly become close.

She was really angry at the girls who wanted to get to know Yang Jian.

After Yang Jian became famous, the number of people paying attention to him shot up. Some older students even occasionally came by the first-year area for a look.

Then, who knew who had secretly drawn a portrait of Yang Jian and spread it around. Once the girls learned how strikingly handsome he was, they stuck to him like plasters, swarming over and refusing to let go.

Of course, it might not have been just his looks. His status as a three-ring Soul Elder probably played a part, too.

Among the thousand or so students in the entire first year, those who had broken through to become three-ring Soul Elders could be counted on one hand. Combined with his exceptional looks, Yang Jian certainly had what it took to become the object of many girls' affection.

But the problem was... couldn't they see her standing right beside Yang Jian?

What did they mean, ignoring her?

Outrageous!

Absolutely outrageous!

"All right, don't be mad. Eat your food."

Yang Jian raised his head and helplessly tried to comfort Ye Qingyuan.

He hadn't expected his fight with Zhou Yi to have this sort of consequence. A more flirtatious guy might have thought that attracting so many girls was proof of his charm, but Yang Jian could only sigh.

He couldn't help sighing at how this really was a love-brained continent.

He could understand the older female students asking to get to know him. After all, they were already fourteen or fifteen. But there were girls like that among the first-year students, too, and some had even gone so far as to ask him out.

That was hard to handle.

Seeing that Ye Qingyuan was still pouting angrily, Yang Jian reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "Don't worry."

"Second Brother! Don't pinch my cheek! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Ye Qingyuan couldn't help protesting.

But that was a lie.

She had no idea how much she enjoyed Yang Jian pinching her cheek. She even wished he would do it a couple more times.

"Why is someone from the Inner Court in the Outer Court cafeteria?"

Bei Bei, who had been quietly keeping an eye on Tang Ya and hadn't said a word, couldn't help widening his eyes.

Following Bei Bei's gaze, they saw a striking figure standing at the entrance to the cafeteria. The blood-red uniform she wore marked her as an Inner Court student.

She was exceptionally beautiful, too. A passionate, bewitching aura radiated from her. Her pretty face was flushed, and a faint red glow flickered around her.

"An Inner Court senior? Could she be here for Yang Jian, too?"

Tang Ya muttered under her breath, unaware that she had guessed right.

The woman in the blood-red uniform stood at the cafeteria entrance, looking around as though searching for someone.

When her gaze landed on Yang Jian, her eyes suddenly lit up. She immediately strode toward him.

Yang Jian was slightly taken aback.

Could this be... Ma Xiaotao?