On the Eve of Hellish Training

"Ah???"

"Extra training after class?"

"Old Su, didn't you say that as long as we mastered everything you taught in class, you wouldn't interfere with our lives outside of school? You..."

Gu Yue's fur stood on end on the spot.

She barely had any free time to herself. Every time she finally got out of school and could let loose, going all in to her heart's content, Gu Yuena would forcibly kick her offline again.

That was exactly why Gu Yue treasured this little bit of freedom after class so much.

And now, he wanted to keep all four of them behind for extra training after class?

Chief Gu was instantly unhappy. She glared at Su Jiu as if she were about to pounce on him and eat him alive.

"Yikes—!"

"Little Gu Yue, we're democratic here. I'll leave the decision up to you. The four of you can vote among yourselves, and the minority will follow the majority. How about that?"

Su Jiu offered a concession. He couldn't just abandon Tang Wulin and Xie Xie and let Na'er and Gu Yue steamroll their way through the Class Promotion Tournament, could he?

One was a Level 25 Soul Grandmaster, and the other a Level 19 Soul Master. Na'er alone could certainly crush their opponents, but if Class Five advanced that way, the other classes would never accept it. With Tang Wulin on the team, though, things were different.

Tang Wulin's talent had been suppressed by the Golden Dragon King God Core early on, and to put it mildly, his prospects were dismal. He had proved that Blue Silver Grass was indeed a trash Martial Soul, slapping Yu Dashu's claim that "there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters" right in the face. His talent was just about on par with Dai Yuhao's at the same stage.

Besides, Na'er was his trump card. Weren't trump cards supposed to be kept hidden, the more mysterious the better? The more mysterious they were, the more they made people's imaginations run wild. So Su Jiu wouldn't let her compete lightly.

"Becoming a powerful Soul Master does require guidance, but in the end, it depends most of all on your own resolve. Think it over."

Su Na'er: "Agreed!"

Tang Wulin: "Agreed!"

Xie Xie: "Agreed!"

Gu Yue: "I object!"

The three kids answered in unison almost as soon as Su Jiu finished speaking, without the slightest hesitation.

Their eyes burned with fervor, their determination and resolve to become stronger unwavering.

After all, constantly breaking through their own limits and becoming the most powerful Soul Masters was the ambition and obsession buried deep in every passionate young boy's heart.

A satisfied smile tugged at Su Jiu's lips, and he nodded lightly.

His gaze swept over Gu Yue, whose face had darkened and cheeks were puffed out slightly.

He knew her temperament better than anyone. She responded to kindness, not force. He could just give her a little pep talk in private later.

"Good. Training starts tomorrow, half an hour after school. I hope to see all four of you here bright and early tomorrow."

"Meeting adjourned!"

"Gu Yue, stay a moment."

Su Jiu gave Na'er a look, signaling that she should head back first and not wait for him.

"Phew! Hehe, Wulin, I heard they've got bluefin tuna belly in the cafeteria today, half off. Come on, let's go check it out!"

"Let's go! My stomach's been on strike for ages."

"Oh, right, Su Na'er, want to come with—"

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie had meant to invite Na'er to join them for a meal, but the air around her had grown so cold and oppressive that the two of them shuddered at the same time. They instinctively took several steps back, swallowing the invitation before it could leave their mouths.

Na'er seemed like a completely different person.

"Wulin, maybe we should go first..."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

Na'er stood where she was, her face dark. She was nothing like her usual sweet, gentle self. The light had dimmed in her silver eyes, and now and then a dangerous crimson glimmer crossed their depths as she stared fixedly at Su Jiu and Gu Yue's retreating figures.

A powerful unease surged through her again, and she murmured to herself.

"Ah Jiu, you've gone to Gu Yue and Gu Yuena again. Am I not cute enough? Am I not obedient enough? She can satisfy you, but Na'er can satisfy you too."

"Ah Jiu, why do you always go to them? Or do you think Na'er isn't as charming as they are?"

Suddenly, a sickly smile curved across Na'er's gloomy face. An unhealthy flush rose in her cheeks, and a flash of World-Shocking Wisdom crossed her mind.

"Looks like I'll have to lock Ah Jiu up later, in a secret room no one can find. Then Ah Jiu won't leave Na'er..."

The blazing sunset clouds of midsummer were slowly swallowed by the night on the horizon. The sudden cry of a night bird jolted Na'er from her jumbled thoughts.

She raised a hand and gently touched her burning cheek. Faced with the outrageous thought in her heart, she wasn't the least bit surprised. Instead, she calmly accepted it.

Ah Jiu belonged to Na'er. No one could take him away—not even Sister Leng!

East Sea Snack Street.

"Little 'Gu Yue,' still mad?"

Su Jiu was certain that the one holding his hand was Gu Yue, with Gu Yuena at the wheel. Gu Yue at this stage would never make such a move.

"Not at all, not at all~ How could I be mad at you, Old Su? I know you're only doing what's best for me. I couldn't be happier."

'Gu Yue' smiled sweetly, her eyes and brows bright with delight.

Oh-ho, girl, so you've learned to play the little green tea act!

When training came, you'd be snoozing away in the Sea of Consciousness while poor Little Gu Yue did all the work. That's how it'd go, right?

Su Jiu's lips lifted. When Gu Yue was separated from you, you'd be in for it!

"By the way, Old Su, you brought me here because you're treating, right? Then I won't hold back, hehe~"

"I want that!"

'Gu Yue' pointed at the stall selling grilled squid, her eyes full of longing. But Su Jiu didn't budge.

"Old Su, I want some. Buy it for me~"

"Heh heh~ Little 'Gu Yue,' I never said I'd treat you. We're just here for a walk. Just watching other people eat should be enough. Look at your little belly, it's..."

'Gu Yue' blushed. She really had been going all in lately, enjoying herself so much that she hadn't kept her appetite in check and had put on a little weight. But that was no excuse for being stingy!

"We've walked around enough. We should eat back at school. The food there's healthier."

"And if you get too fat, nobody will want you when you grow up... Come on!"

"Hey! Old Su, that really hurt. Hmph!"

'Gu Yue' grumbled, but still followed him like a little tail, taking his hand again.

That evening, in Su Jiu's dorm room.

"Xie Xie's Martial Soul is the Twin Dragon Daggers. It's a lot like my Twin Claw Blade: Sharp Bee Hunting. Both are short-range, close-quarters weapons built for explosive attacks."

"He falls under the agility-attack category. It's just that in this era, agility-attack Soul Masters are in an awkward position, aside from Underworld Emperor Halosa and me. More regrettable still, Xie Xie has only mastered the light and dark elements for now. He won't awaken the Space-Time Dragon, with its space and time elements, until later."

"I could teach him footwork and knife techniques..."

"Gu Yue's Martial Soul is an Elementalist (Silver Dragon King). She commands the seven elements, including their ultimate forms, and possesses the dragon's immortal physique."

"She should be easy enough. I just need to make her study more Physics and body movement."

"Yikes—!"

"What about Tang Wulin? He's a bit tricky."

"Blue Silver Grass is even more useless than Dai Yuhao's Spirit Eye. His strengths are his great strength and his ability to endure hardship. At least he inherited the Tang family's gift for blacksmithing perfectly."

"Blacksmithing, huh..."

"Right. The hammer."

Su Jiu suddenly thought of Thresh. Blue Silver Grass and a forging hammer—those would certainly be unexpected weapons for Tang Wulin against his peers at this stage.

"Brother Ah Jiu, what about Na'er?"

Na'er, sitting in Su Jiu's arms, shifted restlessly, rubbing against him now and then.

He suspected she was doing it on purpose, but her innocent, guileless face immediately made Su Jiu dismiss the thought. Still, the sensation left him unable to sit still.

Grow up quickly, Na'er...