The Allure of Maturity and Steadiness, Gradually Drawing Them In!

Hearing Ji Bai's explanation, everyone present stared at him in astonishment.

As a Soul Sage, Zhao Wuji had a deeper understanding of spiritual power and could better grasp just how difficult it would be to achieve what Ji Bai had described.

"You brat... you really learned quite a lot while you were out there all these years."

Zhao Wuji's expression was complicated as he sighed with deep emotion.

Ji Bai turned back with a smile. "The more you see, the more you learn."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, then looked at the four who had passed the assessment. "The four of you are students here from now on."

The four nodded gently, though their gazes kept drifting toward Ji Bai. Xiao Wu especially looked at him in a way that made Tang San feel strangely empty inside, as if he had lost something important.

Zhao Wuji continued, "Mubai, take the new junior students to see their dormitories."

Hearing this, Dai Mubai walked over to the four, giving Zhu Zhuqing an especially pointed look before saying, "Follow me."

Only after everyone had left did Zhao Wuji walk over to Ji Bai. His eyes held both curiosity and surprise as he said, "You were only seven when you left. I even thought you might have died in some godforsaken corner."

Ji Bai smiled calmly. "These past five years, I've been walking on thin ice, always cautious."

Zhao Wuji understood that deeply.

After all, he too had clawed his way up from the bottom. He simply had not been as bold as Ji Bai, venturing out into the world at the age of seven.

Zhao Wuji patted Ji Bai on the shoulder and asked with a roguish grin, "Did you come back this time to rejoin the academy?"

Ji Bai smiled faintly.

"Good lad, you've got loyalty!" Zhao Wuji said in delight. "With you included, Shrek Academy has another little monster!"

"Not quite. I only came back this time to see everyone, not to return to the academy. I'm already a student at Blazing Academy. I have friends there too, and I'm doing well." Ji Bai's words were like a basin of icy water, instantly dousing the fire that had just risen in Zhao Wuji's heart.

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched. "Why do you talk in such a roundabout way? Who taught you that...?"

"Looks like Dean Flender and Little Ma aren't here. I'll come back another day, then. When I do, I'll treat everyone to a meal in the city. I'll be leaving first." With that, Ji Bai prepared to leave Shrek Academy.

Just then, Zhao Wuji stopped Ji Bai and said with a beaming smile, "Why another day? There's no time like the present. Flender will be back tonight, so we can all go into the city and have a proper feast then!"

"..."

Ji Bai smiled. "Teacher Zhao, you've changed quite a bit over the years as Dean Flender's right-hand man."

At this point, Zhao Wuji revealed some genuine feeling and sighed. "That stingy iron rooster Flender... I can't even remember the last time he paid me. If I want to eat meat, I have to cook it myself."

Ji Bai's mouth twitched as he gave an awkward laugh. "Heh... hehehe... then life really has been hard."

"By the way, what's going on with your Soul Rings? How is your second Soul Ring already a thousand-year one?" Zhao Wuji asked the question that concerned him most.

"Because of Evil Fire." Ji Bai spoke those four words calmly. Only he himself could understand the bitterness and hardship of that journey. Others could never truly share his feelings, not even Ma Hongjun, who possessed the same Evil Fire.

Zhao Wuji could not understand, so he simply did not ask further.

Ji Bai smiled. "Teacher Zhao, I won't keep you from your work. I'll take a look around."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly. "Go on."

Not long after.

Ji Bai arrived at a grilled sausage stall. A sign above it read, "Oscar Brand Sausages." The stall owner was a short-haired man with a thick beard, looking like a middle-aged uncle.

He knew that the man before him was the exceptionally hairy Oscar. Smiling calmly, he said, "Brother, give me two grilled sausages."

"Coming right up! One sausage is five Copper Soul Coins, so one Silver Soul Coin will do!" Oscar enthusiastically skewered the sausages and handed them to Ji Bai.

Ji Bai searched through his things, took out ten Copper Soul Coins, handed them to Oscar, and accepted the sausages.

The moment he turned around, he saw the four people who had passed the assessment earlier, along with Dai Mubai, arriving here as well.

"You... came to buy grilled sausages too?" Ji Bai smiled faintly and stepped aside.

"Thank you," Tang San said, then looked at Oscar. "Boss, please give me two grilled sausages."

"Coming right up!" Oscar was overjoyed.

Just then, Dai Mubai said in a deep voice, "Oscar, didn't I tell you not to sell grilled sausages inside the academy? Didn't you remember?"

"Boss Dai... I need to make a living too..." Oscar said miserably.

Dai Mubai glanced at Ji Bai, who had already eaten a sausage, before saying sternly, "If you want to sell them, sell them outside. Selling them in the academy, are you trying to disgust everyone? Tang San, you can't eat that sausage! Little Ao, make another sausage for everyone to see!"

"Is that really necessary..." Oscar still wanted to struggle, but when he saw Dai Mubai's increasingly fierce expression, he raised his right hand and said weakly, "I, your father, have a Big Sausage..."

Two yellow Soul Rings rose beneath his feet. The first Soul Ring lit up, and a grilled sausage appeared in his right hand.

The moment those words were spoken, everyone present besides Ji Bai and Dai Mubai stiffened.

Xiao Wu's pretty face reddened. She glared at Oscar, then noticed that Ji Bai had already eaten one and hurriedly reached out to snatch it away. "Ji Bai, you can't eat that! It's too disgusting!"

Ji Bai smiled unconcernedly. "It's only a food-type soul incantation. It's no big deal. If he could say it with a bit more force, it would sound much better. I've seen other food-type Soul Masters too. Their soul incantations were about the same."

"Food that looks, smells, and tastes good is already quite nice."

Ji Bai's words left everyone present stunned. The girls in particular saw a maturity and steadiness in him that the other boys did not possess.

"I, your father, have a Big Sausage!!!!!"

Oscar suddenly shouted, startling Dai Mubai and the other four.

Ji Bai looked over in surprise and saw Oscar half-crouched, his face twisted, veins bulging on his forehead as he made another sausage.

"Oscar, are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Why are you shouting?!"

Dai Mubai was furious.

Oscar scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "I just wanted to see whether shouting it out loud would really make it sound more imposing..."

The corners of Ji Bai's lips rose slightly. He swept his gaze over everyone and said with a faint smile, "Tonight, I'm treating the academy's teachers to dinner in the city. You should all come too. I'll be leaving first. See you tonight."

Watching Ji Bai's departing figure, Xiao Wu softly asked Tang San beside her, "Little San, don't you think Ji Bai is a little different from ordinary people?"

Before Tang San could answer, Ning Rongrong said with deep agreement, "I think he's a lot like my father."

A ripple appeared in Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes as she said softly, "He's very mature."

Hearing what the three girls said, Tang San and Dai Mubai could not help developing a sense of resistance toward Ji Bai.