While Ye Guchen on the Dou I timeline was busy absorbing his Soul Ring and growing closer to Zhu Zhuqing, the four Ye Guchens on the Dou II timeline had also returned to Shrek Academy.
They had barely stepped through the school gates when a fiery-red figure darted out of nowhere and grabbed Ye Guchen by the back of his collar.
"Little Guchen, you're finally back! The dean wants to see you. Move it—come with me!"
Ma Xiaotao grabbed him and took off running.
Ye Guchen was dragged along for two steps, his soles nearly scraping sparks from the ground. He hurriedly looked back and called out to Huo Yuhao:
"Little Yuhao, go enroll with Beibei and the others! Once you pass the freshman assessment and get into first year, I'll recommend you for the Soul Guidance Department!"
Before he could finish speaking, Ma Xiaotao had already dragged him around the corner.
Huo Yuhao stood there with his mouth open. Before he could even answer, Ye Guchen was gone.
Beibei patted his shoulder and watched Ma Xiaotao hurry off, unable to hide a hint of apprehension.
"That was Ma Xiaotao, captain of the Shrek Seven Devils. Be polite when you run into her from now on. She's famous for her fiery temper. Come on, let's get your paperwork done first."
Huo Yuhao nodded and turned his gaze away.
He glanced toward where Ye Guchen had disappeared, then looked around at the vast, unfamiliar academy. A fierce determination suddenly welled up in his heart. Brother Guchen thinks so highly of me. I can't let him down.
He took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted toward the direction where Ye Guchen had vanished:
"Brother Guchen— I absolutely won't let you down in the freshman assessment—!!"
His voice rang across the plaza, startling several birds into flapping wildly into the air.
The next moment, shrieks erupted from every direction.
"Senior Guchen is back?!"
"Where? Where is he?!"
"Ah— it really is him!!"
Before Huo Yuhao could react, a crowd of female students came rushing from all directions. Every one of them had shining eyes and a feverish expression as they charged after Ye Guchen like ants swarming toward honey.
Some ran so fast they lost their shoes. Others still clutched sandwiches they had only half finished.
In the distance, Ye Guchen glanced back, and his expression changed instantly.
"Little Yuhao, I'll deal with you when I get back."
Without another word, he grabbed Ma Xiaotao by the wrist and ran, at least three times faster than before.
Huo Yuhao's hand remained stiff in the air, his mouth slightly agape as he stood frozen in place.
"...Um, Senior Beibei," he said, turning his head with difficulty. "Did I cause trouble for Brother Guchen?"
Beibei didn't answer.
Following his gaze, Huo Yuhao saw Beibei rubbing his chin, eyes unfocused and a silly smile on his lips as he murmured to himself:
"Ah... imagine if that many girls were chasing after me, too..."
"Oh?" A saccharine voice came from behind him. "And what would happen then?"
At some point, Tang Ya had placed a hand on Beibei's waist. Two fingers had precisely pinched a little fold of soft flesh.
Huo Yuhao's scalp prickled. Instinctively, he took two steps to the side.
"Yikes." He spoke under his breath. "Senior Beibei, you're on your own."
"Ow, ow, ow, ow—!!"
Beibei snapped back to his senses, his waist nearly twisted into a pretzel.
"I mean, if that happened, you'd still be the only one I loved! Really! Only you!"
Tang Ya kept smiling as she twisted her fingers another half turn.
The female students who had failed to catch up with Ye Guchen were heading back in disappointment when their gazes suddenly converged on Huo Yuhao—the young boy who had just shouted after Ye Guchen.
"Little guy~" A senior student smiled as she leaned toward him. "What's your relationship with Senior Guchen?"
"Junior, is your luggage heavy? Let your senior help you carry it!"
"Could you be his..."
A girl with twin ponytails widened her eyes in shock, her voice breaking as she exclaimed:
"Illegitimate son?!"
Huo Yuhao: "..."
In the distance, Beibei rubbed his waist and laughed gleefully.
"Serves you right. You should've warned me, too."
Ye Guchen had no time to bother with that nonsense. By now, he had arrived at Dean Yan Shaozhe's office.
"You're here. I heard you brought back a young man?"
As soon as Ye Guchen entered, Yan Shaozhe looked at him in puzzlement.
"But I took a look at him, and he seems perfectly ordinary, nothing special about him. What made a genius like you defy the Sea God Pavilion's decision and sneak off to the Star Dou Great Forest all by yourself?"
His voice seemed calm, but Ye Guchen could hear Yan Shaozhe's worry and displeasure. After all, Ye Guchen was an unparalleled genius whom countless forces wanted to eliminate. Who knew how many people outside were waiting to kill him?
To protect Ye Guchen, the Sea God Pavilion had specifically instructed that he must report any trip outside the academy until he reached Soul Saint rank.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Ye Guchen scratched his head and poured Yan Shaozhe a cup of tea.
"Dean, you really do have an impressive information network. I'd barely stepped into Shrek, and you already knew what I'd done before I'd even had a chance to catch my breath."
As he spoke, he gave Ma Xiaotao a displeased look. She was the only one he'd told about his plans to leave.
When Ma Xiaotao saw him looking at her, she felt a little guilty. She avoided his gaze and began looking everywhere else.
"Hmph! Don't look at Xiaotao, either. I won't hold it against you this time. I didn't call you here to criticize you, but to assign you a task!"
Seeing that he wasn't in trouble, Ye Guchen simply dropped onto the sofa.
"Oh, so I'm not in trouble. Then tell me, what's the task?"
Yan Shaozhe could only rub his forehead helplessly at Ye Guchen's attitude.
"Xiaotao reached level sixty yesterday. According to the academy's previous arrangements, the Shrek Seven Devils are supposed to go to the Star Dou Great Forest for some training while helping her hunt for her Sixth Soul Ring. But this time, the Sea God Pavilion specifically named you and ordered you to go along for some training as well."
Ye Guchen looked perplexed. What a coincidence.
"Um, I've reached level fifty, too."
"What?"
Yan Shaozhe immediately released his Soul Power and carefully sensed Ye Guchen's aura. Ye Guchen had indeed reached level fifty, and his Soul Power was solid, not something raised through external means.
"Hahaha, excellent! Perfect timing. We can take care of your fifth pet beast, too."
"Tell me, do you have any requirements for your fifth pet beast?"
Ye Guchen had already prepared an answer.
"My four pet beasts are the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, the Fire Luan Bird, the Geng Metal White Tiger, and the Evil Eye Sovereign. Apart from the Evil Eye Sovereign's mental abilities, which can serve as half an auxiliary role, all my pet beasts are Power Attack System types. So for my fifth pet beast, I'd like a Soul Beast that specializes in support and amplification, or one that focuses purely on defense."
"Of course, the greater its potential, the better!"
Seeing that Ye Guchen had already given it thought, Yan Shaozhe said no more.
"Since you already have a direction in mind, we'll make that the objective of tomorrow's trip to hunt for a Soul Ring. We'll find and capture a pet beast that suits you!"
Ye Guchen quickly raised a hand in thanks.
"By the way, the Treasure Basin received another batch of good items yesterday. There'll be a Treasure Appreciation Fair tonight. You two can go take a look if you have time."
"I heard you made another five million off Qian Duoduo, you little rascal!"
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