Jiang Nannan

"My skills are inferior."

Dai Yueheng shook his head with a carefree air. Looking at the sword marks remaining in the center of the arena, his heart still couldn't help but thump wildly.

Although it was humiliating to lose to a contestant a full rank lower than himself, Dai Yueheng knew in his heart that if Mu Guiyun hadn't held back, that giant sword wouldn't have just been stuck in the arena floor.

The referee on the side saw this and immediately announced the result: "The final winner of the Inter-grade Challenge Tournament—Grade 2 Class 1, Mu Guiyun!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell, the audience erupted into a burst of enthusiastic cheers.

It was at this moment that Yan Shaozhe's figure appeared in the center of the arena, with Xian Lin'er and the others following closely behind.

Yan Shaozhe first nodded faintly at Dai Yueheng, then turned his gaze toward Mu Guiyun and smiled: "Guiyun, congratulations on becoming the youngest Inter-grade Challenge Tournament champion in our academy's history!"

"Come to my office later!"

Yan Shaozhe stroked his beard, his mind already beginning to calculate.

As soon as Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, Xian Lin'er beside him became instantly alert.

Based on her understanding of Yan Shaozhe, whenever this old man stroked his beard, he was definitely up to no good!

Thinking of this, Xian Lin'er elbowed Yan Shaozhe aside and immediately leaned toward Mu Guiyun, saying softly: "Guiyun, come to your senior sister's place later. I just got a batch of good things!"

Good things?!

Mu Guiyun's eyes lit up instantly. The "good things" in Xian Lin'er's mouth were most likely the rare metals he desperately needed!

Yan Shaozhe, rubbing his waist where he had been elbowed, immediately showed his displeasure.

I am the Dean of the Spirit Department, after all; how could you elbow me so abruptly in public? And in front of so many people!

However, once he remembered the mistakes he had made in his youth, Yan Shaozhe's temper toward Xian Lin'er vanished instantly.

As for the question of Mu Guiyun's spirit rings, the several deans all tacitly chose not to press for answers.

Not long after Mu Guiyun left the arena, Tang Ya, who had been waiting for a long time in the distance, rushed over with a glowing face.

"Mu Guiyun! Over here!"

With a flying leap, Tang Ya dove straight into Mu Guiyun's arms.

Wrapping his arms around Tang Ya's slender waist, Mu Guiyun subconsciously cast his gaze toward Jiang Nannan not far away.

Observing the iconic pair of rabbit ears on her head, Mu Guiyun instantly had a guess.

Patting Tang Ya's pert bottom, he asked curiously: "Xiao Ya, is this your friend?"

"Mm~"

Noticing the anomaly from below, Tang Ya gave Mu Guiyun a charming, coquettish glare, then broke free from his embrace. With a flushed face, she moved to Jiang Nannan's side and said sweetly: "Look, this is the new friend I wanted to introduce to you. Her name is Jiang Nannan, the recognized school beauty of the third grade!"

"How about it? Pretty, right?"

After speaking, Tang Ya winked playfully.

It really was her, the future number one beauty of the outer courtyard!

Compared to Tang Ya's eccentric personality, Jiang Nannan's brow was always clouded with a faint melancholy.

Unlike the feeling of being kept at a distance by Ling Luochen, Jiang Nannan's aura was more likely to stir the protective instincts deep within one's heart.

Perhaps due to the influence of her spirit, Mu Guiyun was willing to call Jiang Nannan's straight, long legs—clad in white silk—the strongest!

Blonde hair, rabbit ears, long legs... hiss!

"Hello, my name is Mu Guiyun!"

"My name is Jiang Nannan..."

Although shocked by Mu Guiyun's celestial appearance, Jiang Nannan was in no mood to appreciate it right now; her mind was entirely filled with her mother's illness.

"Nannan's family is having some difficulties, don't mind it, Guiyun!"

Tang Ya smiled apologetically, hurriedly hugging Mu Guiyun's arm as she explained: "Nannan's mother has contracted a strange, serious illness, and many methods have been tried without any improvement."

Mu Guiyun nodded. Mother Jiang's illness was a congenital, stubborn disease that even healing-type spirit masters couldn't solve; only the Black Tortoise Divine Pill of the Xuanming Sect could completely cure it.

In the original story, Jiang Nannan, driven to a dead end, had no choice but to sell herself to the Xuanming Sect.

Although this hadn't happened yet, it was likely close.

"Right, this is for you!"

As if remembering something, Tang Ya took out a money bag.

It was the very bag Mu Guiyun had lent Tang Ya for betting, and judging by the weight, Tang Ya had added quite a bit more to it.

Accepting the money bag, Mu Guiyun turned his gaze to Jiang Nannan and said softly: "Senior Sister, haven't you asked the academy for help?"

Jiang Nannan was born into a commoner family with a very clean background, and given her exceptional talent, logically speaking, Shrek Academy should have been pulling out all the stops to recruit her.

"I took a leave of absence last year, and the academy sent Teacher Su to my home, but..."

By the end of her sentence, Jiang Nannan's expression darkened; she was now completely out of options.

The Teacher Su that Jiang Nannan mentioned, whose full name was Su Molin, was the very Spirit Saint from the original story who possessed the Tree of Life spirit.

If even he was helpless, there was no need to mention other healing-type Soul Masters. Surely, they couldn't actually ask Elder Zhuang to intervene, could they?

The thought itself seemed highly unlikely.

"What about the Black Tortoise Divine Pill?"

Mu Guiyun's words caused Jiang Nannan to freeze, a flicker of imperceptible confusion flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Seeing this, Mu Guiyun made up his mind.

In the original story, when Jiang Nannan first awakened her Martial Soul, she was scouted by the Xuanming Sect. With innate rank nine soul power and an outstanding appearance, she perfectly met the Xuanming Sect's awakening requirements.

The Xuanming Sect naturally approached her, proposing that as long as she agreed to assist Xu Sanshi in awakening his Martial Soul in the future, they would guarantee her admission into Shrek. Unsurprisingly, she refused.

However, only a few years later, Mother Jiang's illness flared up. Although Jiang Nannan searched for every apothecary in the city, Mother Jiang's condition showed no signs of improvement.

It wasn't until a desperate Jiang Nannan learned from a physician that the Xuanming Sect's Black Tortoise Divine Pill could cure her mother's illness...

Mu Guiyun always felt something was off about that. As a secret medicine of the Xuanming Sect, the Black Tortoise Divine Pill never circulated on the continent; how would an ordinary physician know about it?

Seeing the confusion on Jiang Nannan's face, Mu Guiyun concluded that she did not yet know of the Black Tortoise Divine Pill's existence.

"Black Tortoise Divine Pill? What is that?"

Tang Ya tilted her little head, asking doubtfully, "Can that thing cure Auntie's illness?"

Mu Guiyun nodded. "Theoretically, the Black Tortoise Divine Pill can treat any difficult or miscellaneous disease on the continent."

Hearing this, Tang Ya felt a surge of joy, and her usual motto slipped out: "Really? That's great!"

Jiang Nannan, standing to the side, also revealed an excited expression.

However, Mu Guiyun's next words were like a bucket of cold water, shattering their fantasies: "Don't get happy too soon. That item is exclusive to the Xuanming Sect and is extremely precious; it cannot be bought with Gold Soul Coin!"

"Ah? How could it be!"

Tang Ya lowered her head in disappointment, then softly comforted Jiang Nannan: "Nannan, don't worry, we will definitely find a way!"

Mu Guiyun looked around, feeling that people from the Xuanming Sect were likely observing Jiang Nannan from the shadows.

It seems it's time for the teacher to make an appearance!

A plan gradually began to form in Mu Guiyun's mind.