After washing up and changing, the two headed for the freshman teaching building.
Freshman Class One. Tang An looked at the room plaque. Sure enough, this was that old hag Zhou Yi's class.
He stepped inside and quickly scanned the room. In a corner sat a petite girl, her long black hair tied into twin ponytails that swayed gently as she turned her head.
Her skin was fair, her features delicate, and her large, bright green eyes timidly surveyed her surroundings.
She was none other than Xiao Xiao, gentle on the outside but strong-willed within, just as she'd been in the original story.
Tang An withdrew his gaze, the corner of his mouth lifting. She really was as cute as she'd been in the original story.
Xiao Xiao noticed Tang An looking at her and turned her head slightly. Their eyes met.
A flush sprang to the girl's cheeks. She quickly lowered her head, her small hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Why was this handsome boy staring at her? For some reason, her heart had skipped a few beats.
Tang An frowned slightly. He didn't see Wang Dong'er.
His little niece, who should have been waiting for him in Freshman Class One, wasn't in this classroom at all. It seemed his involvement had indeed changed some things. Had Wang Dong'er been assigned to another class?
"Brother Tang An, over here." Huo Yutong led Tang An to a seat by the window.
The bell rang, and an elderly woman in a black business suit, her face stern, walked up to the lectern.
Zhou Yi pushed up her glasses and swept her sharp gaze across the class. She was about to deliver her famous opening line—
"My class has no room for deadweight."
But her gaze stopped on Tang An. The academy's senior staff had held an emergency meeting late last night. She hadn't been qualified to attend, but someone she knew had let slip a few details:
"A major figure has joined the new students. Even the dean has to tread carefully around him."
A youth in white, with an extraordinary bearing and a tall, straight figure despite his young age. The student before her fit the description perfectly.
Zhou Yi had been a homeroom teacher for many years. She was arrogant and domineering, but she knew better than to step on a land mine.
She cleared her throat, swallowed the order she'd been about to give for a morning run, and changed tack. "This year's freshmen are of decent quality. I'll skip the formal physical fitness tests."
"But let me make one thing clear: my class operates on an elimination system. Anyone who can't keep up will be expelled."
Tang An raised an eyebrow, feeling a little regretful.
He'd wanted Zhou Yi to experience the Evil Spirit Perception Illusion and get a taste of what it was like to be at the mercy of her own students.
He hadn't expected her to be sharp enough to rein herself in after hearing the rumors. No matter. There was plenty of time.
Zhou Yi surveyed the class, then fixed her gaze on Tang An and forced an ugly smile. "Tang An, how about you be class monitor?"
The whole class erupted. On the first day, their homeroom teacher was actually asking a freshman to be class monitor?
"Not interested." Tang An didn't even lift his eyelids. "I recommend Huo Yuhao as class monitor and Xiao Xiao as vice monitor."
Xiao Xiao froze, blinking her big eyes. How did this handsome boy know her?
Several boys in the back row exploded at once. "We can accept you, but why should a Soul Master with only fourteen levels like Huo Yuhao be class monitor?"
Tang An glanced at them coolly. "I'll give you a chance. Pick someone to challenge her. If they win, they'll be class monitor. You get one shot."
Tang An turned his head and leaned close to Huo Yutong's ear. His warm breath brushed her earlobe, and his lowered voice carried the faintest hint of amusement. "Yutong, any problem with that?"
As he spoke, Tang An gently blew against her ear.
Huo Yutong's ear turned red at once. Her heart raced, her mind buzzed, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
Even so, Huo Yutong took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "No problem."
In the Sea of Consciousness, Silver Fox chuckled. "Your Brother Tang An sure is close to you. With your current mental strength, one Soul Shock will take care of a same-level opponent who isn't prepared. Don't worry—go fight."
Huo Yutong cried out in her heart, mortified, "Sister Silver Fox, stop talking!"
As soon as Zhou Yi heard there would be a match, she waved her hand. "Everyone downstairs. Meet at the Martial Arts Arena. It'll be a good chance to get familiar with one another's strength."
At the Martial Arts Arena, a tall boy stepped forward first. He was a level twenty-five Power Attack System Soul Grandmaster, and his Martial Soul was an Iron Arm Bear.
He released his Martial Soul and was just about to charge when silver light flashed in Huo Yutong's eyes. Soul Shock—activated.
An invisible mental assault struck his consciousness with pinpoint accuracy. His gaze went unfocused at once, and after swaying twice, he fell flat on the ground with a thud, unconscious.
The arena fell silent, then erupted in disbelieving cries. "A level twenty-five Power Attack System Soul Grandmaster was taken down without even getting one move off!"
Zhou Yi took a deep breath and turned to Tang An. "Tang An, now that we've chosen a class monitor, why don't you show us what you can do, so your classmates can get familiar with your strength too?"
The other students chimed in. Huo Yuhao was already so powerful—how strong was the youth he called "brother"?
Tang An considered it. A quick demonstration would save him trouble later.
He walked to the center of the Martial Arts Arena and looked around. "Come at me together."
The crowd erupted. One person against the whole class? What arrogance!
"What a big mouth!" Several boys charged first.
More and more students joined them. Over twenty freshmen surged in from all directions, their Martial Souls released, their Soul Rings shining in a brilliant mass.
Tang An stood where he was, without even releasing his Martial Soul.
He sidestepped a punch and lightly slapped back. One boy went flying. A quick sweep of his foot sent another sprawling.
His movements were as casual as a stroll, yet every strike landed with pinpoint precision and just the right amount of force. Those who were knocked down grimaced in pain, but not one of them was seriously hurt.
In less than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, more than twenty students lay sprawled across the ground.
Tang An brushed at nonexistent dust on his clothes and looked toward the only person still standing at the edge of the arena: Xiao Xiao.
She hadn't joined the attack from the start. She'd simply stood in the corner, her big eyes carrying a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.
"You were smart not to charge in with them," Tang An said, his tone playful.
Xiao Xiao blinked and answered honestly. "I didn't think they could beat you, even if they all attacked together. And how do you know my name? We've never met before, have we?"
Tang An walked over to her. "Xiao Xiao. Twin Martial Souls. Your Soul Power was level twenty-one in the entrance examination."
"I'm the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect. I've left the sect to revive the Tang Sect. You have a lot of potential. Would you be interested in joining?"
Xiao Xiao's eyes flew wide, astonishment written all over her little face.
The young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, here to revive the Tang Sect? No wonder he'd caused such a stir on his first day. Even their homeroom teacher didn't dare provoke him.
And he'd already looked into her background. That meant he was seriously looking for talent, not just making an offhand offer.
Xiao Xiao suppressed her shock and gave it some thought before answering brightly, "I'd be happy to!"
Tang An nodded with a smile. "Good. You and Yuhao should work well together. Yuhao is a Tang Sect disciple too."
The fight had already drawn students and teachers from several nearby classes to watch.
In the crowd, a boy stood with his brows tightly knitted, staring fixedly at Huo Yutong. It was Dai Huabin.
Beside him stood a boy with powder-blue hair, delicate, picture-perfect features, and a cool bearing. It was Wang Dong'er in male form.
Dai Huabin had only been drawn over by the commotion, hoping to see what was going on. But when he recognized that slight figure, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Huo Yuhao—his illegitimate younger brother, whom he regarded as a disgrace. What was he doing at Shrek?
And he'd just knocked out a level twenty-five Power Attack System Soul Master with a single move. That kind of strength was worlds apart from the timid boy Dai Huabin remembered.
Dai Huabin stared hard at Huo Yutong, his gaze full of disbelief and gloom.
"Brother Wang, could you beat that guy?" Dai Huabin suppressed his shock and anger and asked in a low voice, hoping to hide his feelings behind the question.
Wang Dong'er didn't answer. He stared blankly at the white-clad youth in the arena. A feeling he couldn't quite name welled up in his heart, like an affinity rooted deep in his blood.
Wang Dong'er pushed down the strange feeling and said coolly, "He hasn't used his Martial Soul, so I can't tell how strong he is. But his physical strength is terrifying."
Dai Huabin gritted his teeth. He turned to say something else, but Wang Dong'er was still staring intently at Tang An, his gaze so focused that it made Dai Huabin's heart feel blocked.
Brother Wang had never looked at him that way. An inexplicable irritation flared in Dai Huabin's chest. What made that guy worthy of such a look from Brother Wang?
Wang Dong'er was only his roommate. They were both men, so why did it bother him who Wang Dong'er looked at?
Beside Dai Huabin, a petite girl silently watched his profile.
She was Zhu Lu, Dai Huabin's fiancée. Her Martial Soul was the Hell Spirit Cat. She had short black hair and catlike emerald eyes. Her tight black leather pants outlined her slender waist, and beneath them, her jade-white legs were long and straight.
But now, a complicated, aching look had surfaced in her eyes. She had been watching Dai Huabin's expression and complexion the whole time.
Dai Huabin had always been cold toward girls, including his own fiancée. He avoided her whenever he could. But when it came to boys, he...
Could it be?
Zhu Lu clenched the hem of her clothes, staring at Dai Huabin's profile as a storm surged through her heart.
"Dai Huabin, he... he couldn't be... into guys, could he?"
Before you continue