Four years later, North Sea City, North Sea Academy.
Amid golden light, a winged boy in a blue cadet uniform swung a golden longsword. The blade flashed, its radiance pouring into the clouds like a rainbow.
"Come, sword!"
Three children his age surrounded him, all dressed in similar cadet uniforms, attacking him together.
"Star Light Annihilation!" Ye Xi activated her first Soul Skill. The Star Saint Sword burst into dazzling light as she and the other two students moved to encircle him in a triangular formation.
Three against Shen Nanxun!
Two radiant golden Soul Rings shone beneath Shen Nanxun. They carried an intensely sacred aura. In four years, he had reached level twenty-eight and obtained two Soul Rings bestowed upon him by Qian Renxue.
After all these years, everyone in his class had grown used to his unusual radiant golden Soul Rings.
The triangular encirclement was in place. Ye Xi thrust her Star Saint Sword at him from the front. On his left was a stocky boy whose hands were covered in dark golden metal claws—the Beast Martial Soul, Adamantium Wolf. To his rear right was a lithe girl with long legs, a faint halo of light circling around her. Her Martial Soul was the famous Soft Bone Charm Rabbit.
A longsword, sharp claws, and a whip-like kick—three attacks came at him from three directions, fierce and threatening.
Shen Nanxun handled them with ease. He beat his wings and soared, escaping their range, but didn't simply keep dodging. In a flash, he twisted around, his golden wings streaking like twin shooting stars trailing golden flames, impossibly fast.
He gripped his sword in both hands and sent a blade of light slashing toward Ye Xi's first Soul Skill, Star Light Annihilation. Then he swept his sword sideways, meeting the Adamantium Wolf's claws head-on.
By then, the whip kick was already in position. A foot shot straight toward Shen Nanxun's kidney, its angle viciously precise.
It seemed the owners of this Martial Soul had always been vicious as hell.
Shen Nanxun didn't dodge. Soul Power flowed into his longsword, and golden light flashed as he knocked back the Adamantium Wolf Soul Master. Then he drew his sword back, its edge pointing upward. His Angel Saint Sword Technique came up at his side, right in the path of the girl's twisting legs.
He stopped the powerful strike dead in its tracks.
While the fight raged on, a girl sat on the stands not far away, watching lazily.
She leaned against the back of her seat, one leg curled up with her foot on the edge, the other hanging loosely. A silver glow shimmered around her ankle as she swung her leg. Resting her left elbow on her knee and her cheek in her hand, she watched the golden-winged figure on the field through silver eyes, looking languid and bored.
In four years, Na'er had grown much taller. At ten, she had shot up like a sapling. The baby fat had faded from her once-round face, leaving clean, graceful lines and a narrower chin, though her cheekbones still retained the soft curves distinctive to a young girl.
She simply sat there, doing nothing, yet drew the eyes of nearly every boy on the stands.
"Damn Shen Nanxun!"
The mutter was barely audible, slipping through the fingers propping up her cheek. Her lips pursed slightly, as if she were displeased.
"It's been three days, one hour, one minute, and thirty seconds since he let me bite him."
Just then, someone jogged up to her and knelt on one knee, holding out two bottles of water.
"Boss, water for you and Brother Nanxun."
The ingratiating boy before her was none other than Dong Yi'an, who had been so headstrong four years ago.
But now, he had another identity: Na'er's most loyal underling. Dong Yi'an hadn't accepted defeat after losing to Na'er back then, and had challenged her again and again.
Eventually, he annoyed Na'er so much that she started beating him up every day like clockwork, whether he came looking for a fight or not.
Demon Pill Na's fearsome reputation had spread throughout the entire academy.
Only after Na'er had thoroughly beaten Dong Yi'an into submission had things reached their current state. In his heart, Na'er was like the sun to the people of North Korea.
After Na'er took the water, Dong Yi'an cautiously asked, "Boss, may I ask something a little impertinent..."
"Too impertinent. Don't ask." Na'er cut him off expressionlessly.
Dong Yi'an choked, then changed tack. "Actually, it isn't impertinent."
"If it isn't impertinent, it must not be important. Go look it up yourself on Douhun AI."
Dong Yi'an: "..."
As always, underlings had no rights.
Na'er unscrewed her bottle and took a sip, her gaze never leaving the figure on the field.
The fight was at its fiercest. Even while facing three opponents, Shen Nanxun remained at ease as the sacred Soul Power of an angel spread around him.
The Star Saint Sword's starlight, the Adamantium Wolf's claws, and the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit's whip kicks came at him one after another. He either cut them down or blocked them. The Angel Holy Sword seemed almost alive in his hands, golden blades of light crisscrossing through the air and driving the three back again and again.
He beat his wings, shooting upward, and looked down on them from above. He pointed his longsword at them, his tone infuriatingly smug.
"Your teamwork still needs work."
Ye Xi and the other two tensed and gritted their teeth before charging again.
On the stands, Na'er's silver eyes narrowed slightly. She muttered under her breath once more:
"Showing off again..."
Her words were dismissive, but she never looked away. Even her swinging ankle slowed.
As if struck by an idea, she took a small notebook from her Soul Tool Ring. The words "Diary" were written clearly across it.
Beside them, though, there was another line in smaller writing:
"Na'er's Gourmet Plan."
She flipped through the notebook, only to find the exact same two words written on every page.
I want to eat.
Apparently, she wrote them several times a day.
Look closely, and at the end of the notebook you could find a grand ultimate goal.
"Step one: eat damn Shen Nanxun. Step two: eat damn Gu Yue. Finally, Na'er will be the only beauty!"
Na'er's three-step plan.
She wrote "I want to eat" in big letters a few more times, then licked her lips contentedly and tucked the diary away.
She was about to take another drink. She picked up her own bottle, hesitated, then switched to Shen Nanxun's and gulped down a big mouthful.
"I'm not picky about my food."
The battle on the field finally came to an end, with Shen Nanxun victorious.
Ye Xi and the other two collapsed at the edge of the field. She struggled to her feet and conceded sincerely, "Shen Nanxun, your swordsmanship is the strongest I've seen among our peers, aside from my cousin's."
"If my cousin comes to North Sea City during the holiday this year, I'll definitely have her fight you!"
"I'll be waiting." Shen Nanxun agreed readily, though he was muttering to himself.
The one with the best swordsmanship and talent in the Ye Family's generation seemed to be that person.
While he was still pondering this, Na'er had already come up to him and, surprisingly obediently, offered him a bottle of water.
Shen Nanxun didn't think much of it. He opened the bottle and took a sip, but the moment he swallowed, he froze.
Only then did he realize.
Why was there only half a bottle of water? He'd only taken a tiny sip earlier, but now only a quarter remained.
"Did you drink from this?" Shen Nanxun immediately turned his suspicions toward the girl in front of him, who was pretending to be obedient.
"Hehe, it's fine. I don't mind sharing with you." Na'er lifted her brows, looking almost smug.
Shen Nanxun was speechless.
"But I mind sharing with you."
Before Na'er could bare her teeth and nearly bite him, Teacher Adolf arrived just in time, preventing a disaster.
He took the two of them to his office, where it was relatively quiet.
"I called you here because I'd like you two to represent the North Sea Legion in the first Star Dou Battle Net Legion Tournament, in the youth division."
The Star Dou Battle Net tournament was the same kind of competition Tang Wulin had taken part in while he was with the Blood God Battalion in another timeline. Back then, all the major cities, organizations, and legions across the Federation had participated. This technology still wasn't fully developed, though, so for now, the tournament was only being trialed within the various legions.
This was the first tournament.
Adolf continued explaining. "This is the latest high-tech system developed by the Federation. It scans your bodies and Martial Souls, then perfectly simulates your actual condition, much like entering the Spirit Ascension Platform, only safer. All the legions across the Federation will participate. There'll be two types of individual competitions: mecha combat and Soul Master combat. The competitors will be divided into three groups: adults, youths, and juniors."
"The junior group is for ages nine to thirteen. You two are just the right age."
The earlier practical lessons had actually been a selection process. It seemed that Shen Nanxun and Na'er were the best choices.
"Teacher, are there any rewards?"
Not the slightest bit curious about the competition, Na'er's silver eyes were filled entirely with longing for the rewards.
"Of course." Adolf nodded. "The rewards are quite generous this time. For the junior group, you'll receive all the rare metals needed to forge a complete One-Word Battle Armor, all of excellent quality. You'll also get a set of Light Spirit Fruits, which can lay a solid foundation for Soul Masters below Soul Ancestor. They're extremely precious."
"Oh..." Na'er sounded unimpressed. She was just about to come up with a reasonable excuse to turn him down.
Adolf cleared his throat and glanced at Shen Nanxun, the meaning obvious.
He wanted Shen Nanxun to help persuade her.
Shen Nanxun saw right through Na'er's thoughts. The little girl's mind was full of food; rare metals and Light Spirit Fruits alone couldn't tempt her.
He stepped forward and, seeming to gently tug at Na'er's sleeve, turned to Teacher Adolf. His tone was sincere, though a hint of slyness lurked in his eyes.
"Na'er, Light Spirit Fruits aren't ordinary fruit. You can tell from the name: the flesh is sweet and juicy, practically melting in your mouth. Their fragrance mingles with your Soul Power, making them a rare delicacy—hundreds of times better than the snacks in the academy cafeteria."
At that, Na'er's drooping eyes lifted at once. A glint flashed in her silver eyes. He'd clearly struck a nerve.
Seeing this, Shen Nanxun pressed his advantage. He appeared to be helping the teacher persuade her, but every word was really a chance to make demands.
"Besides, since the teacher chose us to represent the North Sea Legion, the legion will surely give its contestants extra compensation, right? We're bringing honor to the legion, after all. We can't rely on the tournament rewards alone.
"I remember the limited-edition spicy rabbit heads from the legion kitchen are a real treat. Na'er likes spicy, savory food best. If we place, and the legion could reward us with a year of free spicy rabbit heads and upgrade the Battle Armor resources from One-Word to a complete set of Two-Word Battle Armor rare metals, we'd be much more motivated to compete. We'd give it everything we had and win the legion a good result."
Adolf's mouth twitched violently at that, and his heart sank. How had he forgotten that Shen Nanxun might seem gentle and composed, but he was perceptive, devious, and even more cunning than Na'er?
He hadn't merely seen through Na'er's peculiar tastes at a glance—he'd seized the opportunity to make outrageous demands. Just the upgrade from One-Word Battle Armor resources to Two-Word would mean the legion had to provide a whole lot more.
Shen Nanxun spread his hands, feigning helplessness, and gently urged Adolf. "Teacher, you know Na'er is a free spirit. Only food can get her interested. One-Word Battle Armor resources aren't enough to sway her. Only when it comes to Two-Word Battle Armor resources does she show a little interest. A year of spicy rabbit heads would be a small expense for the legion, but it would completely motivate Na'er.
"We're the most suitable contestants in the academy. If we don't compete, the North Sea Legion won't have anyone to represent it in the junior group. Missing out on a good result would be a greater loss in the end."
Every word hit home.
Adolf looked at Na'er, who was set on her demands, then at Shen Nanxun, who seemed calm but was steadily backing him into a corner. He considered it for a moment.
He would never have accepted such unreasonable demands from other students. But Shen Nanxun had extraordinary talent and was a level-twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster who could overwhelm his peers. Na'er was an astonishing fighter, too, having beaten an entire crowd of students into submission at such a young age. Only those two had any hope of getting a good result in the Legion Tournament's junior group.
After all, even the children of other officers in the legion, including the twelve- and thirteen-year-olds, couldn't match these two.
After a long pause, Adolf finally gritted his teeth and agreed, looking as if it pained him.
"Fine! If you represent the North Sea Legion and place in the top three in the Youth Soul Master Tournament, I'll make the call and apply to the legion for you. You'll get a year of free limited-edition spicy rabbit heads, along with a complete set of Two-Word Battle Armor rare metals. I won't go back on my word!"
A faint smile curved Shen Nanxun's lips. He turned to Na'er, his eyes full of the satisfaction of a scheme well executed. "See? Isn't this a good deal? You get tasty food and cultivation resources."
Na'er instantly beamed, her silver eyes curving into crescents. There wasn't a trace of her earlier reluctance left. She nodded again and again. "I'll compete! Na'er wants to compete! Na'er wants spicy rabbit heads and Light Spirit Fruits!"
Looking at Na'er, suddenly fired up, and Shen Nanxun, who had quietly secured such generous benefits, Adolf sighed helplessly. He silently began calculating how he'd apply to the legion for the extra rewards.
He felt that the two little schemers had really taken him for a ride this time.
"All right. First, I'll register accounts for you both on Star Net. They'll serve as your IDs in the online world. You can choose whatever names you like. They're only aliases, so you don't have to use your real names."
"Names? Maybe I should just use Qian Renxue. With my current angel abilities, it'd fit perfectly."
Shen Nanxun muttered to himself.
"Don't you dare!"
Qian Renxue had heard him loud and clear from the Sea of Consciousness, despite his quiet voice.
"I was joking." Shen Nanxun rubbed his head with an awkward smile. He thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.
"I've got it. I'll call myself Wang Zai..."
Before you continue