A Trip Home, and the Student is Gone? An Encounter with Xiao Xiao!

"They dropped out?!"

Hearing this, Mu Jin was completely stunned.

Her mouth hung open, her eyes were wide, and her pupils trembled slightly.

Wasn't it agreed that they were just going home for a visit?

How could her students just vanish in the blink of an eye!

Is this right!

She never imagined this would be the answer.

She had been counting on those two to help her get the upper hand over Zhou Yi in the freshman assessment.

Yan Shaozhe had no intention of explaining, merely letting out a cold snort.

"It's just as well they didn't come."

"This is the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's loss."

His voice turned cold, his tone carrying an irrepressible irritation.

"Do they really think they can come and go from Shrek Academy as they please?"

"From today on, Shrek Academy will no longer accept disciples from the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect."

He paused, a flicker of coldness crossing his eyes as he thought of something.

"No."

"I'm afraid the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect might not even exist in the future."

After saying this, Yan Shaozhe turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing from Mu Jin's sight.

He left Mu Jin standing there alone, her face filled with utter bewilderment.

What did Dean Yan mean by that just now?

What did he mean by saying the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect might not exist in the future?

She didn't understand.

But there was nothing she could do.

As a mere homeroom teacher, she had to accept whatever the Dean said.

Mu Jin took a deep breath, temporarily pushing aside the things she couldn't figure out.

"Forget it, even without Ning Tian and Wu Feng, there's still that little fatty, Xie Huanyue."

No matter what, she couldn't let that old hag Zhou Yi have it so easy.

She didn't believe for a second that Xie Huanyue and his team would lose.

Are you kidding?

Huo Yuhao's team didn't even have a single Soul Venerable.

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were both two-ring Great Soul Masters, and Huo Yuhao was even more ridiculous, being only a one-ring.

Xie Huanyue, however, was a three-ring Soul Venerable, and the other two students were also top-tier among the two-ringers.

With a lineup like that, if they lost, she, Mu Jin, would eat the floor of the Soul Fighting Platform.

"Hmph."

Mu Jin looked at the beaming Zhou Yi on the opposite spectator stand, her lips curling downward.

"Just you wait, I'm going to see that ugly look on your face."

It was at this very moment.

At the gates of Shrek City.

A streak of fiery red light descended from the sky, coming to a halt a hundred paces outside the city gate.

Leng Yaozhu let go, and Gu An jumped from her arms, landing steadily on the ground.

The two walked into Shrek City.

They casually asked a Shrek Academy student for information.

They learned that the knockout round of the Shrek Academy freshman assessment wasn't until tomorrow.

The knockout round was the main event.

All the separate divisions would come together to determine the ultimate Freshman King.

Gu An nodded, having a plan in mind.

Since the main event was tomorrow, there was no need to rush today.

He and Leng Yaozhu wandered through Shrek City at their leisure.

Shrek City was indeed prosperous, with wide streets, rows of shops on both sides, and a constant flow of people.

There were shops selling soul guidance devices, medicinal pills, clothing, snacks—everything imaginable.

Gu An's gaze swept back and forth across both sides of the street.

He had originally intended to find Huo Yuhao, who sold grilled fish at a stall in the original work, to taste what his grilled fish actually tasted like.

After all, the original work described Huo Yuhao's grilled fish as divine, claiming that one taste would be enough to be conquered.

Unfortunately, he hadn't encountered him even after strolling through most of the street.

He figured it was because Huo Yuhao didn't have time to set up his stall during the freshman assessment.

Gu An withdrew his gaze, just about to tell Leng Yaozhu that they should go find a place to stay.

"Eh."

His footsteps came to a sudden halt.

His eyes landed on a petite young girl not far ahead.

She was squatting on the steps by the roadside, her long, light green hair braided into two plaits that hung on either side of her head.

She rested her chin in her hands, her mouth slightly pouted, and her eyebrows knitted together; her face was etched with worry.

Green hair.

Short stature.

A face full of distress.

Gu An knew exactly who she was at once.

Xiao Xiao!

She was also one of the goals of his trip.

Since he had run into her, he might as well give it a try.

Leng Yaozhu followed Gu An's gaze and noticed he had been staring at the little girl with green hair.

The corners of her mouth curved up as she leaned into Gu An's ear, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.

"So, Little An likes this type."

Gu An rolled his eyes at her.

"No, I prefer older sisters."

He raised a finger and pointed at Xiao Xiao, who was squatting by the roadside.

"She possesses twin martial souls; she would be a genius in any era."

"A genius like this belongs in our Spirit Transmission Academy."

"We can't let Shrek Academy ruin her potential."

Upon hearing this, the playful smile on Leng Yaozhu's face vanished, and she took a serious look at Xiao Xiao.

Then, she nodded in agreement.

"Is she the little one you mentioned?"

"Little An is right; we must rescue her."

"We cannot let Shrek Academy destroy her."

Xiao Xiao squatted by the roadside, completely unaware that she had already been targeted.

Her two hands supported her chubby cheeks, her mouth was pouted high, and her eyes stared blankly at the ground, lacking focus.

She muttered softly to herself.

"Do I really have to attach a soul ring to the Nine-Phoenix Flute?"

Her large eyes were filled with confusion.

Teacher Zhou Yi's words still echoed in her mind, over and over again, impossible to shake off.

"Xiao Xiao, you are the weak link in the trio."

"Everyone is working so hard; do you really want to hold them back?"

"Add a soul ring to your second martial soul; that way, you can better support Wang Dong and Yuhao."

Xiao Xiao's fingers twisted the hem of her clothes unconsciously.

She hadn't been a soul master for long, and her understanding of martial souls was still quite shallow.

Yet, she vaguely felt that attaching a soul ring to her second martial soul just for a freshman assessment might be too rash.

But Teacher Zhou Yi was also right; if she wasn't strong enough, she would hold Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao back.

She didn't want to be a burden.

She wanted to be of help.

But...

But there was a voice in her heart telling her that she shouldn't do this.

Just as Xiao Xiao was so conflicted that her head felt like it was about to smoke.

A gentle voice suddenly fell into her ears.

"Of course you shouldn't attach a soul ring."

"It's just a freshman assessment; are you going to gamble your future on it?"

Xiao Xiao's body stiffened slightly.

The sudden voice jolted her from her deep contemplation.

She jerked her head up, looking toward the source of the sound with vigilance.

With just that one glance.

She froze in place.

It was a boy who looked to be about eight or nine years old.

He was about the same height as her, with black hair and black eyes.

His features were so exquisite they looked as if they had been drawn with a ruler; his skin was fair, and his eyelashes were thick and dense.

The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, carrying a hint of a gentle smile.

Those bright black eyes were fixed on her, holding a touch of helplessness.

Stars practically burst into Xiao Xiao's eyes.

Her mouth hung slightly open, and she stood there as if rooted to the spot.

So handsome.

Forget Wang Dong, forget Huo Yuhao.

How could they ever compare to the person in front of her?

He was simply the most handsome male she had ever seen in her life.

Her face flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the color spreading from her cheeks all the way to the roots of her ears.

Leng Yaozhu stood to the side, watching Xiao Xiao's infatuated expression, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Seeing Xiao Xiao like this, Gu An belatedly remembered.

In the original work, Xiao Xiao really was a bit of a fangirl.

She had been the same way when she first met Wang Dong, completely mesmerized by his face.

His own face was leagues above Wang Dong's, he didn't know how many times over.

The lethality to Xiao Xiao was just too great; it was only natural for her to react this way.

As expected, no matter which world it was, having a high enough level of attractiveness always paid off.

Gu An wore a helpless smile, raised his hand, and waved it in front of Xiao Xiao.

"Wake up."

His palm swayed a few times before Xiao Xiao's eyes.

Xiao Xiao snapped back to reality, realizing she had just been staring blankly at a strange boy.

Her face turned beet red, the flush spreading all the way down to her neck.

Not knowing where to put her hands, she ended up wringing them together on her lap, feeling so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a hole in the ground.

She lifted her head, snuck a glance at Gu An, quickly lowered it again, and then looked back up.

She stammered, "Who... who are you?"