"How did you know I came here to learn technical skills..."
Gu Yue complained furiously to herself.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to lower her head and read a few more pages.
Dense formulas, terminology, and diagrams of energy circuits filled her view.
Like countless ants crawling across the page.
Her temples throbbed.
This much?
This complicated?
How was she supposed to memorize all this?
Wouldn't it kill a dragon?
She raised her head, wanting to refuse.
Then she met Lin An's eyes.
His features were so exquisite he hardly seemed real.
His expression was serious, and his lashes cast faint shadows in the morning light.
His lips were slightly pursed, as if waiting for her answer.
Gu Yue opened her mouth.
It felt like a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat.
She couldn't speak.
There was absolutely no way she could say it.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie had planned to come over and ask about the practical training.
When they reached the desk and saw the stack of books, both came to an abrupt halt.
Xie Xie went pale and instinctively took half a step back.
Tang Wulin didn't retreat.
But his Adam's apple bobbed.
"Lin An... what are these?"
"The latest technology from Ming Capital. It hasn't been widely adopted yet."
Lin An smiled faintly.
"But I guarantee it'll help you find work in the future."
His tone was gentle, yet firm.
"No matter how much you cultivate, without technical skills to fall back on, you'll probably end up working as a patrol guard or joining the military."
Tang Wulin's eyes lit up.
His gaze fixed on the cover of Forging Materials Science.
His fingers curled involuntarily.
He was already a second-level blacksmith.
His instincts were screaming that the knowledge in this book could transform him completely.
Lin An noticed Tang Wulin's expression change and sighed silently to himself.
If only Gu Yue's way of completing her task and Tang Wulin's could be switched.
One silly dragon only wanted to fall in love and had no interest in improving.
The other simpleton had a head full of forging techniques.
And yet the Golden Dragon King Bloodline needed its Soul Power raised.
The Silver Dragon King, on the other hand, had to work on Battle Armor.
Gu Yue was still dazed.
Clutching the stack of books, she felt like she'd just been sentenced to death.
Who wanted a job?
She was the Co-Lord of Soul Beasts, the Silver Dragon King, a god who had lived for countless tens of thousands of years.
What did she need human technology for?
Her goal was to restore the Soul Beast Clan, not work on an assembly line.
She took a deep breath and decided to use her trump card.
"Darling—"
She set the books on the desk.
Then she went limp and lunged forward, wrapping both arms around Lin An's waist.
She buried her face against his chest, her voice muffled and nasal.
"I'm not studying anymore. You can keep me from now on."
"I'm very easy to support. Just give me a million Federal Credits a month."
Lin An's mouth twitched.
He looked down at the silver-haired head in his arms, his face expressionless.
"A million Federal Credits? You give me that."
He pushed Gu Yue away.
"Study. You have to study."
His tone turned cold, leaving no room for argument.
"I don't befriend the mentally deficient."
Gu Yue froze as if struck by lightning.
I don't befriend the mentally deficient.
The words pierced the softest part of her heart like ice picks.
Her lips trembled, and her eyes reddened.
She wanted to say, "You actually called me mentally deficient," but the words caught in her throat.
"What are you all still standing around for?"
Wu Zhangkong's figure appeared in the classroom doorway again.
His voice was as cold as ice.
"Hurry up and get outside."
His gaze passed over the stack of books in front of Gu Yue, and he paused.
With his cultivation, he could clearly read the titles on their spines.
Forging Materials Science, Soul Guidance Engineering—those were one thing.
But when his eyes fell on Soul Spirit Artificial Intelligence, his pupils contracted.
To study this technology, you needed a military qualification certificate, and then you had to pass through layer after layer of Federation approval.
If his Sky Ice Battle Armor could be equipped with a Soul Spirit Intelligence Core, its power would rival that of Three-Word Battle Armor.
With enough materials, it might even advance to Four-Word Battle Armor.
But that thought lasted only an instant.
Wu Zhangkong quickly looked away, his expression unchanged.
External aids were still external aids. He trusted his sword and Soul Power more.
Even so, he couldn't help marveling inwardly.
The resources available to these second-generation kids were truly terrifying.
Other people couldn't even reach the threshold, no matter how hard they tried, while they were born with access—and could hand it out on a whim.
"Come on, come on." Gu Yue grabbed Lin An's hand and pulled him outside.
Her fingers tightened, her palm pressed against his wrist, savoring that little bit of warmth.
The silver-haired girl had been excited in the classroom just moments ago, but as she left the teaching building, her expression grew grave.
She herself would be fine, of course.
With her strength, the entire Class Five wouldn't be enough to take her on, even if they came at her with one hand.
But the Dragon Queen was different.
Her gaze swept over Lin An's slender shoulders.
Beneath his white shirt was a frame so thin it seemed fragile.
He was an auxiliary Soul Master. No matter how powerful his Martial Soul was, he'd still have to stay in the rear.
If he actually ended up on the stage, who would protect him?
Quite a few classes had already lined up on the sports field.
Gray clouds piled up on the distant horizon.
The air was so stuffy it felt as if a storm was about to break.
Light filtered through the gaps in the clouds, pale and washed out, making everyone's faces look gray.
But Lin An's arrival was like a ray of light splitting the gloom.
Nearly a hundred gazes on the sports field converged on him at once.
First came astonishment, then unconcealed admiration.
The boy stood in the morning light, his skin almost translucent with its paleness.
His features were so delicate he seemed to have stepped out of a painting.
A faint iridescence seemed to surround him.
Just standing there made the air around him feel a little fresher.
Several boys instinctively edged forward, their eyes glassy and their mouths slightly open.
Only one thought remained in their minds.
He's so good-looking.
Someone reflexively pulled out his communicator to add Lin An as a friend.
The moment his finger touched the screen, a chilling gaze stabbed into him like a knife.
Gu Yue swept her eyes over them, expressionless.
Her pupils narrowed slightly, like a cold-blooded Ferocious Beast locking onto its prey.
Everyone who met that gaze felt their hair stand on end.
Their communicators nearly slipped from their hands.
The thought of adding Lin An as a friend shattered completely.
"Line up." Wu Zhangkong walked to the center of the sports field.
His white clothes billowed in the wind.
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Random draw. One-on-one matches."
"The losers will run ten extra laps for physical training."
"The winners advance and keep fighting until only one person remains."
The students of Class Five sucked in a breath.
Ten laps?
One lap was eight hundred meters. After ten laps, their legs would be ready to fall off.
"This is practical training, not a greenhouse."
Wu Zhangkong's tone held no warmth.
His gaze swept coldly over everyone and paused on Lin An for a second.
"Even auxiliary Soul Masters have to train."
"The school doesn't raise dead weight."
He turned his head, his gaze settling on Gu Yue and Tang Wulin.
The corner of his mouth seemed to curve into a hard, cold smile.
"If I find out anyone's going easy on their opponent—"
"You'll be expelled immediately."
The words crashed down like ice thrown into water.
The students of Class Five exchanged looks.
The tension in the air suddenly surged.
The Cold-Faced Yama was especially hard to deal with today.
His whole body radiated an aura that said, "Don't mess with me."
Before you continue