Distraction Control Technique

With the end of the round-robin matches, the results each team had achieved during this period had become unchangeable facts. Quite a few students who had failed the freshman assessment had already received expulsion notices from Shrek Academy's Academic Affairs Office. The moment the round-robin matches ended yesterday afternoon, they had left this holy land of soul masters in batch after batch.

Those people were not the first students to be expelled. Aside from certain teachers who expelled students in large numbers for the sake of their own advancement rates, the greatest loss of students had occurred on the second day after the freshman assessment began, following the first five matches.

Although the odds of losing all five matches were not particularly high, there would always be people like that. Those people had been the first to be expelled during the freshman assessment. The total number expelled in those two mass expulsions accounted for half of all freshmen.

The entire freshman teaching building had become much quieter with the conclusion of the first stage of the freshman assessment. After all, the student population had suddenly decreased by so much.

The number of students in every freshman class had plummeted, leaving behind many empty seats. Naturally, there were exceptions. For example, no one from Class One, taught by Zhou Yi, had been eliminated in the freshman assessment.

The freshman Class One, which had originally had the fewest students, had suddenly become the largest among the ten freshman classes.

Moreover, since the elimination rounds would begin tomorrow, there were no real classes today. It was basically just a day for some concluding remarks.

With the end of the round-robin matches, the four Soul Elders among the freshmen had also become known to everyone else. Some teams that considered themselves fairly strong had begun investigating the specific circumstances of those four, wanting to see whether they had any chance of winning.

A team capable of defeating a Soul Elder could brag about it for an entire year.

As a result, those people miserably discovered that the teams led by the four Soul Elders were all quite strong and not something they could easily defeat.

The ones who seemed somewhat promising were only Wang Dong, who possessed a thousand-year second soul ring, and the Lan Sisters, who possessed a martial soul fusion skill.

However, Wang Dong had a one-ringed teammate, while the Lan Sisters' martial soul fusion skill had already been exposed. Any student with a normally functioning brain would be on guard when facing the sisters.

Compared to the others, Jiang Yue was in quite a good mood.

Judging from the combat strength of Jiang Yue's team compared with the others who had entered the elimination rounds, they would be fine unless they encountered Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, and those two used the Netherworld White Tiger at the very start of the match.

Furthermore, according to Shrek Academy's rules, teams that had remained undefeated during the round-robin stage would not meet at the start of the elimination rounds. There were five undefeated teams this year, four of which were teams led by Soul Elders like Jiang Yue and the others.

In other words, the four of them would not encounter one another at the start of the competition. The match schedule arranged by the academy was not something students like them could know, so some of them might meet in the second match, or they might not become opponents until the semifinals.

In Shrek City's counseling room, two people who had never come here before arrived today: Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

Regardless of their identities outside, since they had entered the counseling room without showing any intention of causing trouble, they were Jiang Yue's potential clients. Naturally, Jiang Yue treated them courteously.

After pouring tea for the two of them, Jiang Yue sat down and looked at the mistress and servant before him, whose emotions were still relatively within the normal range and who did not currently require psychological treatment.

As the young sect mistress of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian had come to Shrek Academy to recruit more young talents for the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Ideally, she wanted to directly find a partner with outstanding talent, someone capable of becoming the next Guardian Douluo of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

However, setting aside the fact that there were not many geniuses capable of becoming Super Douluos in the first place, even if there were, what was their character like? Why would they join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Why would they fall for her? These were all things Ning Tian needed to consider.

Of course, those were matters Ning Tian would need to consider under normal circumstances. According to news coming from the outer academy, the students Ning Tian and Wu Feng had been interacting with were currently mostly girls. Aside from Jiang Yue, there was not a single boy.

Perhaps they had approached some boys, only for Wu Feng to ruin things afterward. The process was unknown, but the result—that they only interacted with girls—was right there.

The reason for this was already quite clear. It was all caused by Wu Feng beside her, who wanted to usurp her mistress.

Wu Feng herself could not hide things, let alone when she had no intention of concealing her preferences in the first place.

Jiang Yue felt that the atmosphere within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was simply too good, or perhaps Ning Tian valued the bond between herself and Wu Feng, who had grown up together, far too highly. Otherwise, considering Wu Feng's current thoughts and actions, she would have been dealt with internally by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

She probably would not be killed, but she would certainly be removed from Ning Tian's side. Perhaps she would even be forcibly transferred to some remote backwater.

Jiang Yue suppressed his smile. Whenever he thought of what would happen to Ning Tian and Wu Feng in the normal timeline, he found it difficult not to laugh.

To make both straight women and lesbians feel despair at the same time—who knew whether such a way of handling things had been devised by that staunch feudal warrior in the heavens or by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's nominal ancestor.

Ning Tian took a light sip of tea, then looked at Jiang Yue with some curiosity.

"Jiang Yue, you really are quite leisurely. Shrek Academy's courses aren't easy, yet you actually still have the time to open a shop like this in Shrek City."

"I had no choice; life forces one's hand. Not everyone is the child of a great family like you, Ning Tian. Naturally, people like us have to work for our livelihood. I've been lucky—this shop is doing quite well at the moment."

"Not bad. To be honest, even I had never heard of a profession called a psychologist before. Did you create it yourself, Jiang Yue?"

"Mm... more or less. There's nothing wrong with thinking of it that way."

"That really is novel. I wonder if you still remember what you told me a few months ago, Jiang Yue."

"You mean the Distraction Control Technique? It looks like you brought me good news?"

Seeing the smile at the corner of Ning Tian's lips and sensing the faint joy radiating from her, Jiang Yue could determine that what Ning Tian was about to say would not be bad news.

From the looks of it, the matter of the Distraction Control Technique had been settled.

Under Jiang Yue's gaze, Ning Tian slowly nodded and took two small booklets from her storage-type soul tool. On the cover of one were the five words: Distraction Control Technique.

There was no need to doubt it. This Distraction Control Technique was definitely the complete version passed down within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the complete version that could allow its practitioner to eventually attain the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart.

The other booklet did not have a single word on its cover, making it completely impossible to tell what it contained.

"The sect has sent back the result of its discussion. The complete Distraction Control Technique can be given to you, but Jiang Yue, you must guarantee that you will not pass this complete Distraction Control Technique on to anyone else. You may only practice and use it yourself."

"And this," Ning Tian pointed to the nameless booklet, her eyes full of solemnity. Without waiting for Jiang Yue to ask, she explained where the booklet came from.

"This contains some of the insights and experiences of disciples within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who have practiced the Distraction Control Technique. It should help you get started more quickly. If you encounter anything you do not understand about the Distraction Control Technique later, you can come to me. My strength is inferior to yours, but I can still offer you some useful advice when it comes to the Distraction Control Technique."

Taking the two booklets Ning Tian handed him, Jiang Yue was briefly astonished by how generous the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was. They had even given him cultivation insights. One had to know that Jiang Yue had not shown the slightest intention of joining the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. In other words, the complete Distraction Control Technique and these cultivation insights were gifts the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had offered entirely to recruit Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue was once again surprised by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's generosity. This was only to recruit him—what would happen if he truly expressed a willingness to join?

"There's no need to be surprised. This was the sect's decision and has nothing to do with me. As the young sect mistress, I'm merely delivering the message."

"Furthermore, the sect asked me to request that if you graduate from Shrek Academy in the future and wish to join a sect or faction, please be sure to give priority to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Speaking of which, your martial soul is a sword, correct, Jiang Yue? I was quite excited when I heard you possessed a sword martial soul. Since Sword Douluo ten thousand years ago, our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has continuously devoted great effort to nurturing sword martial souls. If you ask where on the Douluo Continent there are the most experts with sword martial souls, it would definitely be our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Something else appeared in Ning Tian's eyes—it was excitement, excitement over Jiang Yue, a genius with a sword martial soul.

After the round-robin matches ended, the identities of the several Soul Masters had become common knowledge throughout the entire grade, and even their martial souls had more or less been figured out.

There was no other reason—White Tiger Martial Soul and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul were simply far too famous in the world of soul masters. This was Shrek Academy, and there were just too many people who recognized those two martial souls.

Xie Huanyue's Pippi Elephant Martial Soul, on the other hand, had yet to reveal much information.

As for Jiang Yue, the only information available was that he was a control-type soul master with a sword martial soul. Honestly, that information was completely useless. No one could figure out how a sword martial soul was connected to the control system.

A sword martial soul that had become a Soul Master without the benefit of extensive resource cultivation—and not the kind of ornamental Soul Master who only had cultivation but no real ability—both Ning Tian and Wu Feng had been rather surprised when they heard that news.

They had come to Shrek Academy to recruit talented individuals. Even if those geniuses did not join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they still wanted them to leave with a favorable impression of the sect. The talent Jiang Yue had displayed thus far was simply too well suited to their requirements.

Moreover, just as Ning Tian had said, ever since the two Sword and Bone Douluo perished together ten thousand years ago, their sword broken and bones shattered, and Sect Master Ning Fengzhi personally collected their remains, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could only be described as obsessed with the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul and Bone Dragon Martial Soul.

But unfortunately, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong had not left behind any bloodline descendants. No matter how much importance the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect placed on those two martial souls, it could only search throughout Douluo Continent for people who possessed them.

However, without a bloodline inheritance, the chances of those two martial souls appearing through the mutation of other martial souls or through an ancestral awakening of a soul master's bloodline were simply far too low. A full ten thousand years had passed, yet the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had not found a single soul master with either the Seven Kill Sword or Bone Dragon martial soul.

Although it had failed to find those two martial souls, over the past ten thousand years, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had still nurtured quite a few powerful soul masters with sword martial souls and dragon-type martial souls. At the very least, the sect had considerable experience in cultivating those two categories of martial souls.

"Thank you, Ning Tian. If I get the chance in the future, I'll definitely visit the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I just hope your sect won't find me unwelcome then."

"Of course not. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will welcome you with open arms. Oh, right—after the freshman assessment and class assignments, you and Feng will be classmates. When I'm not around, if Feng gets into trouble, please let me know immediately. Would that be alright?"

"Mm... Ning Tian, you know I don't have that much time to babysit people. And you know what Wu Feng's temper is like..."

"Is that so? I'm sorry, I was a little presumptuous. Aside from me, you're the only person her age who can interact normally with Feng."

The light in Ning Tian's aqua-blue eyes dimmed slightly. She had always been worried about the sister she had grown up with. Aside from Ning Tian herself, Wu Feng practically listened to no one and was always trying to prove herself to others.

She also knew that the reason Wu Feng had remained relatively settled in Class Nine was entirely because Ning Tian was there too. Once the class assignments were made, there was no way Ning Tian, a support-type soul master, and Wu Feng, an assault-type soul master, would end up in the same class.

Under such circumstances, Ning Tian was worried that Wu Feng would cause trouble. That was why she wanted someone to keep an eye on Wu Feng after the class assignments. Whether that person could rein her in was another matter; at the very least, Ning Tian needed to know what Wu Feng was doing each day.

"You may have misunderstood what I meant. You can't ask someone for a favor with words alone, can you?"

"Oh, I understand. I can give you five thousand Gold Soul Coins every month. You won't need to do anything—just let me know whenever Feng causes trouble."

"Alright! Your price is fine, but there are some things I need to make clear regarding Wu Feng."

Hearing Ning Tian's offer, Jiang Yue was extremely satisfied. He turned his gaze toward Wu Feng, who was still staring wide-eyed at Ning Tian.

By then, Wu Feng had somewhat recovered from her shock at being subcontracted out by her young mistress. Their eyes met, and she felt so aggrieved that she wanted to flare up. But with Ning Tian present, she could only suppress her anger.

Jiang Yue felt that all he had to do was keep an eye on Wu Feng during class for Ning Tian. It was not a difficult task. Five thousand Gold Soul Coins a month was an excellent price for Jiang Yue, who urgently needed to save up one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Of course, all of that depended on Wu Feng not looking for trouble. Otherwise, Jiang Yue would never accept this side job.

"First of all, let's be clear. I'm not your servant. If Wu Feng makes me angry, I won't put up with it."

"Of course."

"Second, I have the right to end this arrangement at any time. And Wu Feng can't go around making trouble for no reason."

"No problem. These three thousand Gold Soul Coins will count as a deposit. Once the class assignments are complete, our arrangement will officially begin. At that time, I'll settle the entire payment for this school year in one go."

Just as Ning Tian placed a Gold Soul Card in front of Jiang Yue, Wu Feng, who had remained silent at the side the whole time, suddenly slammed her hand onto the table and rose to her feet. A heavy, oppressive air continuously radiated from her, making it obvious that she was in an extremely bad mood.

"I don't want this! I don't want anyone besides you, Young Mistress, telling me what to do! So what if he's stronger than me?! I'm not someone who needs other people controlling me!"

"Feng! Get that temper of yours under control! It's precisely because you're always so impulsive that I asked Jiang Yue to keep an eye on you! What if you cause trouble at the academy otherwise? When will you ever grow up? We never came to Shrek just to attend school!"

"Young Mistress, I..."

Seeing Ning Tian's expression, Wu Feng, who had originally wanted to say more, instantly deflated like a punctured ball. She silently turned around and left without another word.

Ning Tian seemed to feel that her words had been too harsh and wanted to explain herself, but Wu Feng had already slammed the door and stormed out.

"Alright, I'll go. If I'm not mistaken, you should have known about Wu Feng's feelings for you long ago, right?"

Silence. Ning Tian did not know how to answer Jiang Yue's question.

"I have some experience dealing with problem children like this, but psychological treatment costs extra. And I can't change those feelings Wu Feng has for you."

"You should cut through the mess quickly. Otherwise, once you've both grown up and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect needs you, if they discover this matter, someone will probably resolve it for you without even needing you to step in. That won't be good for either you or Wu Feng."

"Mm, I understand. I'll keep this matter in mind."

"Good, as long as you remember. That'll be five hundred Gold Soul Coins for my side. Wu Feng's side will be charged separately. Would you like to pay by Gold Soul Card or cash?"