Lu Chuan seriously suspected that he had gone too far with the psychological manipulation when Jinyu was reborn,
or perhaps, when he reconstructed Jinyu's genes, he had accidentally arranged the [Perseverance] trait,
because ever since he had given her to Xiao Wuyue,
Jinyu had started cultivating like a woman possessed,
and even though she kept getting injured,
she still practiced striking, constricting, crushing with her jaws, whipping with her tail...
Her growth was practically visible to the naked eye,
and with Lu Chuan supplying ten- and hundred-year Spirit Fruits,
Jinyu had grown from palm-sized to a meter long.
She was no longer as adorable as she had been at first,
but her increase in strength was remarkable!
Now, she could at least hold off a Two-Ring Soul Master,
giving Tang Wuyue enough time to complete a single First Soul Skill incantation.
Against a One-Ring Soul Master,
Jinyu could even use her swift movements and sharp teeth to carry out a clean, solo ambush!
A couple of days ago,
the little girl had gone out alone and been targeted,
but Jinyu slithered close,
her fangs pierced the opponent's protective Soul Power,
and she followed up with a powerful tail strike,
leaving her opponent completely helpless!
Of course,
everything had its pros and cons.
As she grew larger,
Jinyu gradually became unsuitable to take out.
So,
to make her easier to carry,
Lu Chuan and Tang Wuyue,
the siblings joined forces
and combined the skills of a Level Five blacksmith and a Level Three mecha designer,
taking inspiration from the Wish-Granting Treasure Pouch,
and incorporating the principles behind the Soul Spirit Ball,
to create a Storage Soul Tool that could hold living creatures—the Divine Beast Ball!
The space inside was 3 × 3 × 3,
about the size of a small bedroom,
and it contained air,
with room for water, food, healing medicine, and other supplies.
September had arrived, bringing the start of another school year.
Eastsea Academy's gates were packed with new students and their parents,
bustling like a market fair.
Soul Guidance Cars lined the roadside,
and countless children, filled with anticipation for their new lives,
passed through the row of leafy Wutong Trees by Eastsea Academy's entrance.
Lu Chuan and Tang Wuyue had come by bus.
On the bus,
Tang Wuyue had met a kind upperclasswoman.
Her name was Liu Yuxin.
She was a first-year student in Eastsea Academy's Advanced Division.
After skipping a grade, Lu Chuan had ended up in the same year as her.
Not only did this senior Liu not think her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was a Trash Martial Soul,
she had also encouraged her again and again.
So Tang Wuyue had taken a great liking to her,
and now,
after noticing on the bus that Liu Yuxin couldn't take her eyes off Lu Chuan,
the little girl had become a matchmaker not long after they got off,
"Brother, Senior Yuxin is so pretty, so gentle, and so thoughtful. I really want her to be my sister-in-law. And I think she likes you too..."
Tang Wuyue blinked her big eyes,
looking at Lu Chuan with hopeful anticipation,
like a kitten trying to sell someone her favorite toy.
Seeing how enthusiastic the little girl was,
Lu Chuan felt utterly helpless.
He raised a hand and tapped her on the forehead,
then warned her sternly:
"You're just a kid. Don't stick your nose into things! You don't need to worry about your big brother's marriage!"
Tang Wuyue winced a little,
but she still wouldn't give up,
covering her forehead as she protested softly,
"I'm not a kid!"
"I'm nine! Mom says I'm a big girl!"
"And, Brother, you really aren't interested?
Senior Yuxin is really wonderful,
and when she smiles at you, her eyes practically light up!
They say on TV that it's better to choose someone who loves you than someone you love..."
The little girl made one argument after another,
each one tumbling out after the last,
and when Lu Chuan saw she had no intention of stopping,
he reluctantly resorted to his ultimate weapon,
"Enough. Keep talking, and I'll cut off your allowance!"
The moment he said it,
the effect was immediate.
The little girl reluctantly shut her mouth.
But from the look on her face, she was clearly still unconvinced.
Just wait until your memories have fully returned,
and you remember how hard you tried to play matchmaker for me today.
Let's see how you face me then!
Lu Chuan looked at Tang Wuyue and silently sighed to himself.
Then he picked up her luggage,
"Come on. I'll take you to your dorm. Keep dawdling, and you might not get a good bed."
"Hmph!"
Tang Wuyue puffed out her cheeks and followed,
but she didn't forget to turn back and wave in Liu Yuxin's direction,
all the while,
she couldn't help muttering under her breath:
"I still think you two are a perfect match..."
The Eastsea Academy Intermediate Girls' Dormitory was a six-story, gray-and-white building.
Half-withered vines crawled all over the outer walls,
lending the place an air of age and history.
Tang Wuyue's dorm was on the fourth floor, in Room 404.
When Lu Chuan opened the door, two people were already inside.
A girl with a high ponytail was sitting on the lower bunk by the window.
She had a healthy, wheat-colored complexion,
bright, striking features,
and a wide smile that showed off a row of white teeth.
She looked full of energy and vitality!
She wore a loose white T-shirt,
and denim shorts,
showing off a pair of long, straight legs,
with a wild, spirited energy about her!
"Hello!"
As soon as she saw someone come in, she greeted them warmly,
"My name's Han Lan, and my Martial Soul is the Earth Element."
"I moved up from Eastsea Academy's Elementary Division, so I know the school well! If you ever can't find something, just ask me?"
Han Lan's voice was clear and loud,
and when she smiled,
her eyes curved into crescents.
The curve of her chest stood out beneath the white T-shirt,
swaying gently as she got to her feet.
The other girl was sitting on the edge of the upper bunk by the door.
At the sound,
she lifted her head like a startled little rabbit.
She had long, straight black hair, soft and smooth,
and her bangs covered half her eyebrows,
but the eye that showed was exceptionally clear.
Its color was light,
like an amber cat's-eye gemstone.
Her skin was very pale,
almost translucent,
and her cheeks were tinged with a faint pink.
Her lips were small and delicate,
and she looked quiet and reserved,
like a kitten hiding in a corner to watch its unfamiliar surroundings.
"My name is... Li Chushui."
The girl's voice was very soft, and a little timid,
"My Martial Soul is a cat."
Li Chushui wore a pale blue dress,
with a hem that fell above her knees,
revealing a stretch of slender, fair calves.
As she spoke, she unconsciously pressed her legs together,
resting her hands on her knees,
her fingertips curling slightly,
showing how nervous she was.
What drew the eye most of all was
Li Chushui's very curvaceous figure.
The waist of her dress was cinched tight,
accentuating a slender waist one could encircle with both hands.
Above it was a full, rounded shape that didn't quite match her delicate air,
with a shallow cleavage faintly visible at the neckline.
It seemed that Soul Masters in Douluo Continent with cat Martial Souls all had the same defining trait: huge breasts!
But Lu Chuan merely glanced at them and didn't look any further.
Taking one look was only natural for a man—a way of appreciating beauty.
Taking a second look would be impolite!
"Hello, I'm Tang Wuyue's older brother, Lu Chuan.
Sorry for the trouble, but please look after her when you can.
Of course, I'm in the advanced division, so if you run into any trouble, you can come find me!"
Lu Chuan smiled as he introduced himself to Han Lan and Li Chushui.
He'd meant to leave a good impression,
so the two girls would really look after his little sister.
He hadn't expected that one smile
would almost make the two girls, just beginning to fall in love, swoon.
"Sure!" Han Lan was the outgoing type, usually carefree and boisterous, but now, without even realizing it, she was acting like a shy young woman.
"Me too!"
Li Chushui answered softly.
She was shy to begin with, and when Lu Chuan looked her way, she quickly lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning red.
After all, this was a girls' dormitory,
so it wasn't appropriate for a boy to stay long.
Lu Chuan helped Tang Wuyue make her bed and put away her luggage, then gave her a few reminders before preparing to leave.
Before he left,
he took a silver ball about the size of a fist from his clothes—the Divine Beast Ball—
and handed it to Tang Wuyue.
The little girl had gotten up in such a hurry that morning, she'd forgotten to bring Jinyu:
"Jinyu's inside. Let her out if you need anything. It gets stuffy inside the Divine Beast Ball, after all. But remember, don't use her to scare your classmates."
"Got it, got it!"
Tang Wuyue took the Divine Beast Ball and hugged it to her chest, rubbing it against herself as if it were a treasure.
"Go on, bro. Don't keep me from getting to know my new roommates!"
Lu Chuan gave her a speechless look, then turned and walked out.
As soon as the door closed,
Han Lan leaped off her bed and hurried over to Tang Wuyue, lowering her voice as she said excitedly,
"Wuyue, your brother is seriously handsome!
That height, that presence, that face... He's every woman's dream guy!
Did you transfer here?
With a face like your brother's, people would've been talking about him all over Eastsea Academy already!"
At that, Tang Wuyue nodded.
"Yeah, my brother and I came from Aolai City. Hongshan Junior Soul Master Academy."
"But my brother's more talented. Even though he's the same age as me, he got recommended straight into the advanced division!"
"What, recommended? Then your brother's only nine, too!"
"Nine years old and in the advanced division? What a genius!"
Han Lan's pupils shrank as she couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
Tang Wuyue giggled.
"Of course! And I'll let you in on a secret: my brother's a Soul Elder!"
"What! Your brother's a Soul Elder? Then why isn't he going to take the entrance exam for Shrek Academy?"
Han Lan was genuinely stunned now.
A nine-year-old skipping grades to enter Eastsea Academy's advanced division and a nine-year-old Soul Elder were two completely different things!
One might be called a genius,
but the other
was a monster!
But,
as far as Han Lan knew,
even the students at Shrek Academy weren't that incredible at nine years old!
She didn't know much about Shrek Academy, but there was no record of anyone like that in the Federation!
"I think it's because Aolai City doesn't have the right to recommend students, so he had to come to Eastsea Academy first."
Tang Wuyue tried hard to recall the details.
Han Lan immediately understood.
To get into Shrek Academy,
a student first needed a recommendation letter from a major city or an accredited advanced Soul Master Academy.
Aolai City was a small coastal city,
and it didn't have that qualification.
Still,
the thought that Lu Chuan would most likely get into Shrek Academy someday
made Han Lan even more interested in everything about him.
"Wuyue, do you know... if your brother has a girlfriend?"
At that,
Tang Wuyue's eyes lit up,
and she perked right up.
"He doesn't! Why, Sister Han Lan, are you interested?"
"I wouldn't dare—"
Han Lan laughed and waved her hand.
"A handsome guy at that level must have high standards. But..."
She changed tack and smiled sheepishly.
"If your brother's dorm ever has a mixer, please make sure to invite me!"
Li Chushui sat on the upper bunk,
listening to the two of them,
her fingers lightly twisting the hem of her skirt,
without saying a word.
But when she imagined the possibility of going to a mixer with Lu Chuan someday,
the corners of her mouth lifted despite herself.
And what about little matchmaker Tang Wuyue?
Seeing how her two new roommates reacted to Lu Chuan,
she felt a rush of satisfaction,
and even secretly gave herself a thumbs-up!
Not bad, not bad.
Step one was a success!
Now she just had to work on them bit by bit.
One day, she'd find a way to sell her brother off!
Before you continue