Rich and Capricious! Three VIPs on the Second Floor!

The referee teacher's mid-sprint movement came to an abrupt halt, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

He only froze for a split second before immediately changing direction, his figure flashing toward the edge of the firestorm. He thrust both hands out, catching the two figures as they plummeted from the flames.

The Martial Soul Fusion Skill dissipated instantly.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu tumbled to the ground, their hair singed and charred, their faces coated in black soot.

Their school uniforms were riddled with holes, making them look as if they had just crawled out of a coal mine.

Dai Huabin landed in a pathetic heap, his legs giving way until he collapsed onto his knees.

He lifted his head, his dual-pupil eyes filled with disbelief. His chest heaved violently, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He stared fixedly at Lin Ye, as if trying to find some flaw in that calm face.

On the sidelines, a brief silence was followed by an explosive uproar.

"A Soul Bone? He actually has a Soul Bone!"

"And looking at that power, the age must be incredibly high!"

"He blasted apart a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with a single punch?! Is this really a freshman?!"

"That left arm... what kind of Soul Bone is it? Fire-attribute? Burst-attribute?"

The discussions grew louder and louder, drawing the attention of those watching matches in other areas.

"Team Lin Ye, victorious!"

Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao stood where they were, one with her mouth agape and the other covering her mouth with both hands, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Lin Ye's back.

Wang Dong'er's mouth twitched, and she muttered under her breath, "This guy... when did he hide such a massive trump card?"

Lin Ye retracted his left fist, the crimson lotus-petal patterns on his arm slowly fading until his skin returned to its normal color.

He flexed his fingers, acting as if nothing had happened, and turned to walk toward the two girls.

"Let's go, what are you standing there for?"

Xiao Xiao hurried to catch up, looking at Lin Ye with pure adoration, her eyes practically sparkling:

"Brother Ye, you're too strong! And I was just saying that we would carry you to victory..."

Lin Ye laughed heartily and patted her head: "Hahaha, your Brother Ye has plenty more tricks up his sleeve. This is just the beginning."

Wang Dong'er also stepped up quickly and grabbed Lin Ye's ear, her pink-blue eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity:

"You brat, what other trump cards haven't you shown me? Tell me, just how much have you been hiding?"

"Ouch, ouch—" Lin Ye tilted his neck, hurriedly begging for mercy.

"Alright, alright, everyone worked hard today, I'm treating you to a meal! Let's go, let's go to the cafeteria!"

The three of them chatted and laughed as they headed toward the cafeteria.

Lin Ye rubbed his reddened ear, then suddenly quickened his pace. As if remembering something, he turned back and winked at the two girls: "We aren't going to the first floor today; we're going to the second."

Xiao Xiao blinked in surprise: "The second floor?"

Shrek Academy's cafeteria did indeed have a second floor, but it was a place most students dared not even dream of visiting.

The second floor featured a luxury buffet, offering meat from various nourishing soul beasts, stews made with spirit herbs, and delicacies prepared with thousand-year medicinal ingredients—all-you-can-eat.

It was said that the nutritional value of a single meal there was equivalent to a month's worth of ordinary food.

However, the price of admission was equally staggering—several thousand Gold Soul Coins per visit.

With such an enormous expense, let alone ordinary students, even those from prominent families didn't dare step foot there lightly.

Wang Dong'er's eyes widened: "The second floor? Do you have that much money?"

Coming from the Clear Sky Sect, she was someone who had seen the world, but even so, a single meal on the second floor would cost nearly her entire semester's living expenses.

Lin Ye usually dressed plainly and even sold milk tea at the academy gate; he didn't look like a wealthy person at all.

Lin Ye turned back and gave her a mysterious smile: "Just watch."

After today's activities, his Soul Power had actually recovered more than if he had just been lying around resting, and he was now able to use that one artifact that required the least consumption.

With a flick of his mind, a Gold Brick appeared in his hand.

The brick was pure, reddish gold, emitting a dazzling luster under the glow of the soul-guided lamps.

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, and she nearly jumped: "No way! Brother Ye, is that... a giant gold bar?!"

She had never seen such a massive piece of gold in her life, and her eyes were practically glued to the brick.

Wang Dong'er also gaped, her pink-blue eyes filled with shock: "With this kind of wealth, why are you still selling milk tea?"

She couldn't fathom how someone who could casually pull out such a massive gold brick had been working day and night selling milk tea at the academy gate.

Was he some rich kid trying to experience the common life?

Lin Ye didn't explain; he simply smiled, weighed the Gold Brick in his hand, and led the two girls straight to the second floor.

At the entrance to the second floor, a waiter in a white uniform stood with his hands at his sides, habitually offering a polite smile as he saw them approach.

That smile froze on the waiter's face the moment he saw the Gold Brick in Lin Ye's hand.

Without a word, Lin Ye raised his hand and slammed the Gold Brick onto the counter in front of the waiter with a dull thud.

"Three people."

The waiter's gaze swept back and forth over the Gold Brick several times, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. It took him a long moment to find his voice. "R-right, of course... Please come in, three honored guests..."

Lin Ye led the two girls through the food area, where an array of delicacies covered the long marble tables, filling the air with an appetizing aroma.

Inside the spacious dining hall, two people were already eating at a table by the window.

They were also wearing the freshman uniform—two young women.

One had short, golden hair that looked sharp and capable, with long lashes framing her large, water-blue eyes.

There were a few charming freckles on her cheeks, giving her an overall clean and refreshing air.

The girl sitting opposite her had short, fiery red hair and equally rare red eyes. At first glance, she looked somewhat fierce, but a closer look revealed exquisitely delicate features and skin as fair as jade, though her brow carried a cold, unapproachable edge.

The red-haired girl was the first to notice someone coming upstairs, and her brows furrowed slightly. "Young Mistress, I didn't expect anyone else to come to the second floor to dine today."

The golden-haired girl didn't even look up. She used her chopsticks to pick up a translucent slice of meat, placed it in her mouth, and chewed slowly and methodically before speaking.

"Feng, I've told you many times: don't call me Young Mistress at the academy. We are sisters."

"Mm." Wu Feng agreed obediently, nodding slightly.

She had a fiery temper toward outsiders, but she was entirely submissive to Ning Tian.

They were none other than Ning Tian of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and her personal bodyguard, Wu Feng.

Ning Tian set down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and took a sip, her tone indifferent.

"This second floor isn't owned by our family; it's no surprise that others might come here to eat occasionally."

Wu Feng's gaze, however, remained fixed on Lin Ye and his companions.

She narrowed her red eyes, scrutinizing them for a moment before her expression suddenly shifted. Lowering her voice, she said, "Young... no, Sister Tian, look at them. Aren't they the ones who beat Dai Huabin and his group today?"