Arriving at Soto City, Ning Rongrong?

Ji Ye turned and walked toward the exit.

After a few steps, Demon Subduing Douluo called out from behind him.

"Kid, be careful."

Ji Ye didn't even turn his head, merely waving a hand.

"Got it."

He stepped out of the gates of the Consecration Hall and narrowed his eyes.

Shrek Academy.

Tang San.

Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong.

Xiao Wu.

Dai Mubai.

Ma Hongjun.

Oscar.

Finally, I get to meet the main cast.

I'm actually looking forward to it.

Two days later.

Soto City.

A luxurious carriage slowly came to a halt.

Ji Ye lifted the carriage curtain and hopped down.

He wasn't wearing a mask this time either.

He had already discarded his dark blue Spirit Hall student uniform, wearing a simple gray cloth robe instead, much like the one he had worn the day he ran away.

Yet, the same clothes looked entirely different on different people.

He wore the plain cloth with a sense of cold detachment, the sash at his waist tied loosely, which only served to make his frame look more agile.

His hair was untied, draped over his shoulders, swaying slightly as the wind blew.

The moment Ji Ye's feet touched the ground.

Several young ladies on the roadside stopped in their tracks.

Even a few passing carriages nearby pulled over.

"This young master..." A noble lady in a silk dress poked her head out of a carriage, clutching a silk handkerchief.

"Is this your first time in Soto City? Do you need me to show you the way?"

Ji Ye glanced at her, bowed slightly, and curved his lips into a perfectly measured arc.

"My thanks for your kindness, Miss, but I know the way."

The noble lady's face flushed red, and she twisted the handkerchief in her hands into a knot.

Another lady nearby, unwilling to be outdone, stepped right off her carriage holding a cup of tea.

"You must be tired from your travels, Young Master. Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

Ji Ye shook his head.

"I wouldn't dream of troubling you, Miss."

Yet another lady squeezed forward, holding a folding fan.

"Oh my, Young Master, look how hot it is. Let me fan you—"

"My thanks, that won't be necessary."

"Young Master, where are you from? What brings you to Soto City?"

"Which shop did you get your clothes from? The material is ordinary, but it looks truly magnificent on you—"

"Young Master, Young Master, where are you staying tonight? My family owns an inn just a short distance ahead. It's very quiet and elegant, why don't we—"

Ji Ye declined them one by one, his tone polite and his smile gentle, leaving no room for complaint.

But it was precisely this humble and courteous attitude that made those noble ladies even more infatuated.

To be this handsome and yet so polite—it was simply lethal.

However, Ji Ye wasn't about to give them a chance.

He quickened his pace, sighing inwardly.

Sigh.

Being handsome is also a fault!

After escaping the crowd, Ji Ye walked along the main street.

The southern part of Soto City was much livelier than the north, with stalls lining the road selling food, fabrics, and sundries, the hawkers' cries rising and falling in succession.

He hadn't gone far when he suddenly caught a sweet, fragrant scent.

Turning his head, he saw a candied hawthorn stall by the roadside.

The stall owner was an old man, holding up a straw target and shouting loudly.

"Candied hawthorns! Sweet, big candied hawthorns! Two copper soul coins a skewer!"

Standing next to the candied hawthorns was a young girl.

She wore a cyan dress, had light gray hair, and looked to be twelve years old.

In one hand, she held a skewer of candied hawthorns, taking large bites.

In her other hand, she carried a small paper bag filled with freshly roasted chestnuts, steam rising from them.

Ji Ye's footsteps faltered.

Ning Rongrong?

The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

In the original story, Flender punished her and Oscar by making them run laps, but she had slipped away to Soto City to eat, drink, and play before even finishing two.

It seemed today was the day.

Ji Ye watched her for two seconds, withdrew his gaze, and continued walking forward.

Ning Rongrong took a bite of her candied hawthorn and was just about to take a second when her peripheral vision caught a figure.

Gray cloth robes, black hair draped over his shoulders, a lean and upright silhouette.

She instinctively looked up.

Ji Ye was walking past her; his profile was sharply defined in the sunlight, with long eyelashes, a straight bridge of the nose, and a smooth jawline.

Ning Rongrong froze in place.

She had seen many handsome boys.

There was no shortage of outstanding-looking disciples in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the so-called "young talents" her father introduced to her were not bad either.

But never had one captivated her like this.

Ji Ye ignored her completely, his footsteps not faltering as he walked past her.

By the time Ning Rongrong came to her senses, that gray-clad back had already walked several steps away.

This made her somewhat angry.

This person didn't even glance at her.

It was always her ignoring others; no one had ever ignored her.

"You, stop!"

Ji Ye did not stop.

Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.

Did he not hear her?

Impossible, she had shouted so loudly.

"Stop! I'm talking to you!"

Ji Ye took another two steps.

Ning Rongrong tossed the candied hawthorn aside, gathered her skirt, and chased after him, darting in front of Ji Ye in a single bound.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to stop!"

Ji Ye stopped and looked down at her.

His gaze was cold, yet not lacking in courtesy.

"Miss, may I ask what the matter is?"

Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, suddenly realizing she didn't know what to say.

She had told him to stop, but then what?

"I... I just called out to you, why didn't you stop?"

Ji Ye said indifferently, "There are so many people here, how was I to know who this young miss was calling?"

Ning Rongrong paused, turning her head to look around.

The street was indeed bustling with people coming and going—vegetable sellers, fabric buyers, porters, and strollers—at least several dozen people.

It seemed... it was indeed possible he hadn't heard?

She felt a bit awkward, but quickly puffed out her flat chest.

"Well, you've heard it now."

Ji Ye looked at her without saying a word.

Ning Rongrong felt a little uneasy under his gaze, but she refused to back down.

"Where are you going?"

Ji Ye raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Does that have anything to do with you, Miss?"

Ning Rongrong was choked by his retort.

Ahhhhh!

No one had ever spoken to her like that since she was a child.

Just as she was about to flare up, Ji Ye spoke again.

"I am going to Shrek Academy."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up instantly.

Shrek Academy?

He was going to Shrek Academy too?

Doesn't that mean they would be seeing each other often from now on?

She tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth to keep from smiling, putting on the air of a senior student.

"What a coincidence, I'm a student at Shrek Academy. I can take you there."

Ji Ye glanced at her and nodded.

"Very well, then I shall trouble you."

Ning Rongrong turned and walked ahead with a much lighter step, her cyan dress fluttering through the street.

After a few steps, she snuck a glance back, and finding that Ji Ye was looking elsewhere, she quickly turned her head back around.

"Hurry up."

Ji Ye ignored her, following behind, though his gaze was not on her.

He was sensing his surroundings.

His spiritual power rippled outward in all directions like water, covering a radius of several hundred zhang.

Nothing?

There was no sign of Flender's martial soul aura.

He was far too familiar with that feeling of being watched.

PS: Given that everyone questioned the battle between Tang Hao and Lion Douluo, the author has revised it to a mutual defeat. The previous version was purely a result of being misled by the scene in the anime's Elite Spirit Master Tournament.