Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone

"You, why are you standing so close!" Wang Dong covered his forehead, glaring at Mu Chen in a fit of shame and anger.

His voice was still raspy from just waking up, and the tail end of his sentence drifted upward unconsciously; it didn't sound like an interrogation, but rather like he was acting spoiled.

Mu Chen rubbed his chin, looking at him expressionlessly: "I called you three times. The first time I patted your head, the second time I called your name, and the third time I used Zhou Yi to scare you. You were the one who sprang up yourself."

Wang Dong opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but realized he was indeed in the wrong. He resentfully pulled the quilt over to hug it to his chest and turned his face away, refusing to speak. The tips of his ears were red enough to drip blood, whether from the bump or some other reason.

Mu Chen didn't tease him further and turned to pack his things. He stowed the textbooks issued yesterday into his storage Soul Tool and checked once more to ensure everything in his wristband was accounted for. A rustling sound came from behind him; it was Wang Dong changing his clothes.

"What classes do we have today?" Wang Dong's voice came from behind, his tone having returned to its usual coldness.

"The first period this morning is Zhou Yi's Martial Soul Theory Class," Mu Chen said without turning his head. "The second is Introduction to Soul Beast Knowledge. This afternoon is Introduction to Combat Techniques; rumor has it we'll be taking it with Class Two."

Upon hearing the name "Zhou Yi," Wang Dong's movements noticeably sped up. The shadow of being punished with two hundred laps on the first day of class clearly hadn't dissipated yet.

Although he had actually been carried at Mu Chen's waist for that run, the feeling of being hauled around like a sack was something he never wanted to experience a second time in his life.

Before long, the two were ready and walked out of the dormitory one after the other.

The morning at Shrek Academy was already bustling. The trees on both sides of the campus path cast long shadows in the morning light, and the aroma of breakfast from the direction of the cafeteria drifted through the air.

Students walked out of the dormitory buildings in twos and threes; some were bleary-eyed and still yawning, while others were already spiritedly discussing the day's class schedule.

Mu Chen and Wang Dong walked side by side along the campus path.

After only a few steps, Mu Chen noticed some unusual gazes.

A few senior female students holding textbooks walked toward them from the opposite direction. They had been laughing and talking, but their voices stopped abruptly upon seeing Mu Chen.

Their gazes fell squarely on him, then they huddled together to whisper, occasionally erupting into suppressed squeals. One girl with a ponytail was shoved by her companion, her face turning as red as a ripe apple.

"That's him! Yesterday at the Arena..."

"My god, he's even better-looking than the rumors say..."

"Who's that next to him? He's so pretty too..."

"I heard it's his roommate, from Freshman Class One..."

Mu Chen continued walking forward without changing his expression, as if those whispers had nothing to do with him.

Back in Coastal City, he had grown accustomed to being the center of attention, though back then it was only because he was better looking than others; now, there was an additional layer: strength.

Wang Dong's expression, however, was not very pleasant. His gaze swept coldly over those girls, his chin lifted slightly, and his pace unconsciously quickened, moving half a step ahead of Mu Chen.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Mu Chen's voice came from behind.

"Hungry." Wang Dong's reply was concise and to the point, and he didn't even turn his head.

Mu Chen looked at his back, feeling that this guy had an exceptionally big temper today. However, he didn't dwell on it and quickened his pace to catch up.

The two ate a simple breakfast in the cafeteria. Wang Dong buried his head in his food the entire time, not saying a word, as if he had a grudge against the fried egg on his plate. Mu Chen didn't initiate conversation either, eating his own breakfast in a leisurely manner.

The cafeteria grew more crowded, and the gazes cast toward Mu Chen increased as well.

There were freshmen, seniors, and even a few people wearing teacher uniforms. Everyone's gaze carried inquiry and curiosity; it was clear that the news of last night's battle had fermented overnight and spread throughout the entire Outer Academy.

When they walked out of the cafeteria after eating, Wang Dong finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You're quite the celebrity now." His tone was hard to read—whether it was mockery or something else, it was awkward regardless.

Mu Chen glanced at him: "Aren't you the same? Walking with me, even you've been remembered."

Wang Dong was choked up; he opened his mouth to retort, only to find that what the other said was indeed the truth. He let out a muffled huff and stopped speaking, but his pace remained perfectly in sync with Mu Chen's, neither falling a step behind nor getting too far ahead.

When the two arrived at the Freshman Class One classroom, quite a few people were already seated.

The moment Mu Chen pushed the door open, the noisy chatter in the classroom was like someone had pressed a pause button; all sound vanished at the same instant.

Dozens of pairs of eyes turned in unison toward the doorway.

Mu Chen stood in the center of the door frame, the morning sunlight shining from behind him, outlining his figure in a slender silhouette.

His azure short hair shimmered with a soft luster in the sunlight, and a pair of blue eyes swept calmly over every face in the classroom, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

The silence lasted for about three seconds.

Then, the atmosphere in the classroom became subtle. Some people excitedly tugged at their seatmate's sleeve, some lowered their voices to pass messages to those in front of or behind them; the boys in the back row looked at Mu Chen with eyes full of awe, while the cheeks of the girls in the front row flushed with a faint, noticeable crimson.

Mu Chen ignored it all and stepped into the classroom. His gaze swept across the seats and finally stopped at a spot by the window, where Huo Yuhao was sitting and waving at him.

"Brother Mu! Over here!"

There was obvious excitement in Huo Yuhao's voice. The seat next to him was empty, clearly left specifically for Mu Chen.

Mu Chen nodded at him, walked over, and sat in the empty seat. Wang Dong followed behind him, his gaze lingering on Huo Yuhao's face for less than half a second before he sat down on the other side of Mu Chen with an expressionless face.

"Brother Mu, the news about last night has spread all over the Outer Academy!" Huo Yuhao leaned in and lowered his voice, his thin face full of admiration. "Everyone is saying you took down the fifth-year Xu Sanshi in just two moves, and that even his Black Tortoise bloodline couldn't stop you! Some are even saying you're the number one among this year's freshmen—no, the number one in the entire Outer Academy Lower Grade Department!"

Mu Chen took his textbooks out of his storage Soul Tool and placed them on the table, giving only a faint "Mm" to Huo Yuhao's fanatical report.

"It was bought with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone," he said casually, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather.

Huo Yuhao froze. A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone? Had he heard that right? Brother Mu actually possessed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?

No wonder the power of that Trident was so terrifying, and no wonder his fourth soul ring could jump directly to the ten-thousand-year level. So, it was backed by a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao's admiration for Mu Chen deepened even further.

Something like a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone was enough to make even a powerhouse at the level of a Title Douluo turn green with envy, yet Brother Mu could mention it so nonchalantly; this composure itself spoke of his extraordinary nature.

In reality, Mu Chen was referring to the 1.3 million Gold Soul Coins exchanged for the Deep Sea Flood Dragon Left Arm Bone at the auction.