The next morning.
When the first ray of sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and fell across the snowy-white curve between her breasts,
Ye Guyi finally opened her eyes, exhausted.
A headache and an indescribable soreness coursed through her limbs.
She instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall. When she saw the long hand pointing to the number "10," she froze.
Ten o'clock?
She, Ye Guyi—the most exceptional genius of this generation at Spirit Hall, wielder of the Holy Angel martial soul—had actually slept until ten?
She had never gotten up this late before.
It must have been that damned Whale Rubber yesterday. It had drained too much of her strength and Soul Power, even pushing her mental strength past its limits.
"Oh no, I'm going to be late!"
Ye Guyi jolted upright, her still-sleepy mind instantly clearing.
But the moment she moved, she felt a heavy weight beside her.
Looking down, she saw Chen Doudou sprawled beside her, his little face flushed, a glistening thread of drool at the corner of his mouth. He was fast asleep.
"Doudou, get up, quick! It's already ten!"
Ye Guyi pinched his cheek, not too hard and not too gently, her irritation fueled by her own sleepiness.
"Aww, let me sleep a little longer..."
Chen Doudou rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and mumbled in his sleep.
"No! Get up, now!"
Ye Guyi gave him no chance. She whipped off the covers and hauled the little bed-loving rascal upright.
Chen Doudou had no choice but to drag himself out of bed and wash up with a yawn. His half-asleep expression made Ye Guyi's temper flare.
Even she didn't know where all this irritation was coming from.
Had she turned into a nagging old mother?
Meanwhile, in the Freshman Class One classroom,
Homeroom teacher Chen Ze stood with a stern expression and lectured the students below. "I don't care about this late student's identity or background. Now that he's in my class, he follows my rules!
"He dares to be late on the very first day of school? That's practically saying he doesn't give any of us the slightest regard!"
He snorted, his gaze dark. "The moment he gets here, I'll make him stand outside the door for an entire class and think about what he's done!"
The students below sat in terrified silence, not daring to make a sound.
Half an hour later,
Ye Guyi hurried to the classroom with Chen Doudou.
Since they were late, Ye Guyi went to explain the situation to the homeroom teacher.
Chen Ze was already displeased that a student had arrived late. But when he learned that the student had been personally assigned by the Pope, he could only accept it with resignation.
He took a deep breath to steady himself, then pushed open the door and entered the classroom.
"Everyone, settle down."
Chen Ze clapped his hands to quiet the class. "Let's welcome our new classmate."
"What? Didn't the teacher just say he'd make him stand outside?"
"Late on the first day of school? Doesn't sound like a very good student."
"I hope he isn't a troublemaker who'll drag the rest of us down."
The students murmured among themselves, their faces showing suspicion and surprise, while more than a few cast mocking glances toward the doorway.
Only Jiang Nannan remained silent.
Her gaze was full of worry.
Why hadn't Doudou arrived yet?
Had that Miss Ye bullied him?
The moment Chen Doudou stepped into the classroom,
nearly every girl's gaze snapped to him as if drawn by a magnet.
Most students at Martial Soul Academy were orphans, or came from families of low-level Soul Masters.
Only a small portion came from Soul Master clans, and most of the boys were, at best, easy on the eyes—not exactly ugly.
But this boy standing in the doorway...
His slightly curled purple hair shimmered mysteriously in the sunlight.
His skin was as smooth and tender as the finest mutton-fat jade, so delicate it looked as if it might break at a touch.
His features were exquisite, especially his ruby-red eyes—clear and bright, with the dazed innocence of someone who had just woken up.
"Wow..."
A wave of astonished murmurs swept through the classroom, followed by the girls' excited whispers.
"Oh my gosh, he's so handsome! He looks like a little porcelain doll!"
"Is that purple hair? I thought it was dyed, but it looks so natural. I want to touch it..."
"Look at his eyes! They're red, so unusual, like gemstones!"
"And he looks so little and soft! I want to hug him and be his big sister!"
Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up at once. She waved. "Doudou, come over here!"
Chen Doudou spotted Jiang Nannan too, smiled, and walked over to sit in the empty seat beside her.
The sight immediately provoked a fierce reaction from the boys.
If the girls' response was "admiration," the boys' was "jealousy."
"Wait, does that kid actually know Jiang Nannan?"
"Shh, maybe he's just Jiang Nannan's little brother."
"Why would Jiang Nannan let him sit next to her? Apart from looking good, what's so special about him?"
"Exactly. Late on the first day of school—he must be some spoiled young master!"
By age, eight-year-old Jiang Nannan shouldn't have been assigned to Freshman Class One. But the classes hadn't been sorted yet, so she and several students a few years older would be staying in the freshman class for a while.
Though she was still young, Jiang Nannan had been a beauty in the making since childhood. Even after only a few hours of school, most of the boys had already agreed she was the prettiest girl in this year's freshman class.
Some boys several years older had even made her the moonlight in their hearts.
But now, seeing Jiang Nannan smile so sweetly at that purple-haired boy, some of them felt their hearts quietly shatter. A few were even grinding their back teeth to dust.
Watching the commotion below, Chen Ze sighed inwardly. It looked like he would have to make the new student show off his strength and put these little brats in their place.
"New student, come up and introduce yourself," Chen Ze said flatly.
Chen Doudou rose and walked up to the lectern.
Unlike the other freshmen, he wasn't nervous. He confidently raised his right hand and said calmly, "My name is Chen Doudou. My martial soul is the Life Rakshasa Holy Scythe."
As soon as he finished speaking, two rings of light rose from beneath his feet.
One purple, one black.
A purple Hundred-Year Soul Ring and a black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!
"Level 28 healing-type Soul Master."
The simple statement landed like a bomb, exploding through the classroom.
Level 28?!
His Second Soul Ring was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?!
The class erupted instantly.
Everyone stared at Chen Doudou in disbelief.
Even Chen Ze's expression changed in an instant. His earlier displeasure and criticism vanished, replaced by a fervent gaze.
At first, he had thought the Pope had sent him a troublemaker. Being late on the first day of school had certainly given him a headache.
But now, he no longer thought so.
This wasn't a troublemaker. This was a future pillar of Spirit Hall!
Chen Ze promptly stepped up to the lectern and addressed the class with righteous conviction. "I know some of you may have objections to Chen Doudou. For instance, you might ask, 'Why does Chen Doudou get to be late?'"
He cleared his throat, his face breaking into a broad smile. "Now, allow me to explain.
"Being late is a good thing! It shows that Chen Doudou was working hard on his cultivation at home and even lost track of time, which delayed his journey! Everyone should learn from Doudou!"
Everyone: "..."
The students looked at one another, the corners of their mouths twitching.
Teacher, that's not what you were saying a moment ago.
You just said you'd make him stand as punishment.
Chen Doudou scratched his head innocently and muttered to Jiang Nannan beside him, "Sister Nannan, is there something wrong with this guy? I just overslept, that's all."
Jiang Nannan covered her mouth and giggled.
Outside the classroom window, Ye Guyi watched the scene and shook her head helplessly.
This little rascal really was the center of attention wherever he went.
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