Hearing Leng Yaozhu's words, Gu An's eyes suddenly lit up.
He abruptly raised his head, only for the back of it to bump into something unbelievably soft. He bounced right back.
His face buried itself again.
He was completely dumbfounded.
Leng Yaozhu raised a hand and gave Gu An's head a light tap.
"Pay attention."
"If you want to play, wait until we're home. Whatever you do, don't lose."
Her voice lowered, her tone taking on a trace of seriousness.
"If things get tough, use what I gave you."
"Above all, don't get hurt!"
Gu An savored the sensation his forehead had just felt against that softness, then nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
He would only underestimate his enemies strategically, while taking them seriously tactically.
After all, one of his opponents was the biological daughter of Great God King Tang, and the other was the chosen child of fate on the Douluo Continent.
With the two of them together, something could go wrong at any moment.
He could easily end up capsizing in the gutter.
Gu An didn't want that to happen.
A large crowd streamed through the entrance to the Soul Fighting Zone.
This Soul Fighting match concerned the reputation of Shrek Academy, so naturally, they took it very seriously.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao walked at the very front of the crowd, both of them radiating confidence they could barely contain.
It was the same old story.
Even setting aside the fact that they had a two-on-one advantage, they now had Soul Tools to back them up.
Soul Tools! What could a six-year-old kid possibly do against them?
How could that kid possibly win?!
When Gu An saw them arrive, he sprang out of Leng Yaozhu's arms.
His World Consciousness was crying out to be fed.
He had to earn a good haul of milk money.
He pushed off the ground and darted toward the Soul Fighting Platform first.
The Soul Fighting Platform at Shrek Academy had a very abstract design.
A huge statue stood on each side, each holding a massive Stone Sword whose tip pointed toward the other.
Gu An didn't know why Shrek Academy had designed the platform like this, but it gave him the perfect chance to show off.
He leaped up and landed steadily on the tip of one Stone Sword.
He clasped his hands behind his back as the wind stirred his robes.
His gaze calmly surveyed Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong below, waiting for them to arrive.
He really was short, and standing on the tip of the gigantic Stone Sword made him look even smaller.
He also lacked the spirited confidence one would expect of a young man, because he was far too young!
But his looks made up for all of that.
He had both a child's cuteness and the mysterious air of a master.
He looked every bit like a powerful, youthful sage—except he didn't have white hair yet.
In the stands, Xiao Xiao held both hands to her chest, stars shining in her big eyes.
Leng Yaozhu's lips curved faintly, and a hint of satisfaction flashed through her phoenix eyes.
Their reactions said it all: Gu An had nailed his entrance.
On the Shrek Academy side, Mu Jin and Wang Yan couldn't help twitching their mouths.
"Is there something wrong with that kid's head?"
"He sure knows how to show off!"
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong reacted very differently when they saw the scene.
A trace of envy flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
When would he ever have that effortless air of a master, that posture of looking down on all living things from above?
Wang Dong, on the other hand, wasn't buying it at all.
Showing off right in front of her.
This was her turf, Shrek Academy. No one had ever shown off like that in front of her before.
But deep down, she couldn't help thinking that standing up there really did look cool.
What was going on?
They exchanged a glance, then leaped onto the Soul Fighting Platform without a second thought.
They landed steadily on the ground opposite Gu An, standing shoulder to shoulder.
The moment they touched down, Gu An, who had been standing with his back to them on the tip of the sword, slowly turned around.
His gaze descended from above and fell on Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
"You've come." Then he shook his head. "But you shouldn't have."
Huo Yuyao and Wang Dong looked at each other, their foreheads creasing with confusion.
What?
What did he mean, they had come but shouldn't have? What was he even talking about?
They didn't get the reference, and had no idea what he meant.
Wang Dong had even less patience for Gu An's rambling. She suddenly stepped forward and brought her hands together before her.
"What gibberish are you spouting?"
"Let's fight!"
The Light Goddess Butterfly's wings burst open behind her, their sapphire-blue surfaces refracting brilliant light in the sun.
A yellow and a purple Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet, slowly revolving.
Seeing Wang Dong make her move, Huo Yuhao naturally couldn't just stand by.
He released his Martial Soul as well.
A faint glimmer flashed through his eyes as he summoned his Spirit Eye Martial Soul, and a white Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.
A Ten-Year Soul Ring, white enough to sting the eyes.
But Huo Yuhao showed no trace of inferiority. He knew better than anyone what that white Soul Ring represented.
"First Soul Skill! Spiritual Detection Sharing!"
An invisible wave of spiritual power spread from Huo Yuhao, linking his consciousness to Wang Dong's.
A three-dimensional image of the entire Soul Fighting Platform immediately appeared in Wang Dong's mind. Gu An's position, distance, and posture were all crystal clear.
Watching these two clueless people ruin his fun, Gu An sighed.
"Ah, you two are no fun."
He leaped down from the tip of the Stone Sword and landed steadily on the Soul Fighting Platform.
"Since you want to leave early, I'll grant your wish."
He raised his right hand, palm facing upward.
A Dragon-Phoenix Phantom appeared out of thin air beneath his feet.
A dragon and a phoenix circled Gu An, their heads and tails entwined.
The dragon's low growl and the phoenix's clear cry rang out together, echoing across the entire Soul Fighting Zone.
A pearly white flute appeared in Gu An's hand, a faint golden glow flowing over its surface.
At the same time, a Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet.
Black as ink!
The black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring circled Gu An's body.
Gu An's lips curled slightly as his gaze swept over Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
"Gu An, one-ring all-round Battle Soul Master."
"Please, enlighten me."
After witnessing that Soul Ring, everyone at Shrek Academy fell silent.
Until...
"A... a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?!"
"A Ten Thousand Year first Soul Ring—!!!!"
Someone screamed. Their voice was so shrill it cracked.
The next second, it seemed as if everyone came to their senses.
A chorus of gasps rang out. "Sss!"
What kind of person had a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as their first?!
This wasn't even a question of whether he was a genius. It was something that simply shouldn't exist.
How could a six-year-old child's body withstand the impact of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?
Mu En's hands clenched around the armrests of his wheelchair.
Even with all his experience, he was stunned.
Now he understood why Leng Yaozhu, a Limit Douluo, had been so confident from beginning to end, and why not a trace of worry had crossed her face.
Damn.
If Shrek Academy had a student whose first Soul Ring was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, he'd be just as confident.
Even more confident than she was!
Xuanzi's mouth hung open, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.
"This... This! This can't be right!"
"I must've forgotten to eat and gone cross-eyed!"
"How come a talent like this isn't from my Shrek Academy?!"
"..."
Everyone else was too shocked for words. Only Mu En, though still stunned, gradually calmed down and felt a little relieved.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness he'd sent that kid Huo Yuhao to learn how to use Soul Tools.
Otherwise, they really might have capsized in this match.