However, when Tang San arrived at the work-study student dormitory, he could not find Meng Chen. After asking the other work-study students, he learned that there was no one named Meng Chen in the dormitory.
Meanwhile, after seeing Uncle Dalin off, Meng Chen did not return to the academy. Instead, he turned and entered an alley beside it.
Deep within the alley, Meng Chen stopped. Half his body was swallowed by shadow, and without turning his head, he said:
"You've watched me for enough days. Isn't it time to show yourself?"
A breeze drifted past. Then a sweet laugh suddenly rang out in the alley, and a blood-red, graceful figure emerged from the shadows like a ghost. Her long hair reached her waist, and her tall figure was exquisitely curvaceous.
Watching Meng Chen's calm back, her blood-red lips parted slightly. A trace of surprise mixed into her seductive voice.
"Little fellow, your senses are quite sharp. You actually noticed my presence."
In truth, Meng Chen had not sensed the red-clad woman at all.
He had merely thought that the option could not be wrong. His guardian definitely existed; she simply had not been willing to reveal herself.
So, he decided to bluff his guardian into appearing.
Meng Chen turned around and looked at the blood-red figure, his dark eyes reflecting her true appearance.
The woman was stunningly beautiful and bewitchingly gorgeous. Her lovely eyes were adorned with faint black makeup, giving her an alluring, wicked charm.
A blood-red gown wrapped around her voluptuous body. Her skin was smooth as congealed cream, as delicate as white jade. Her full, proud breasts were astonishingly ample, and the V-shaped collar revealed a deep valley. Her snowy neck was as slender as a swan's, while a blood-colored skull pendant hung before her chest.
Her hips were round and broad, wider than her shoulders. The hem of her dress fluttered in the breeze, revealing a pair of long, perfectly proportioned legs, fairer than ivory.
Most astonishingly, her jade-like feet were covered only by a few ornaments, leaving most of them bare. Even in silver high heels, she stood steadier than a cannon mount.
After seeing the woman's true face, Meng Chen's heart skipped a beat. He asked uncertainly, "Ye Xishui, the Death God Douluo?"
"Oh? Little fellow, you recognize me?"
A faint look of surprise appeared on Ye Xishui's beautiful face.
Meng Chen was dumbfounded as well.
So Ye Xishui was my guardian?
Should I be happy?
Or should I cry?
"Little fellow, you look rather conflicted. What is it? Are you dissatisfied with me as your guardian?"
Ye Xishui walked forward with elegant steps and appeared before Meng Chen in an instant. Looking down at him from above, her narrow, beautiful eyes carried a hint of scrutiny.
Not long ago, she had been cultivating in seclusion within the Holy Spirit Cult. Then, in the blink of an eye, a vast power had forcibly teleported her here.
A message had also appeared in her mind, telling her to serve as the guardian of this child named Meng Chen.
As payment, once Meng Chen inherited the position of God King, she would receive a godhood and ascend to godhood herself.
Becoming a god had always been her deepest wish!
No matter what, she had to seize this opportunity. Whoever dared ruin her plans, even Long Xiaoyao, she would kill without hesitation!
Meng Chen raised his head to look at Ye Xishui, but his view was blocked by her proud peaks. He spoke helplessly.
"It's not that I'm dissatisfied. With your cultivation as a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, you could roam freely across Douluo Continent. But... the problem is that you're an Evil Soul Master."
Ye Xishui crouched down and pinched Meng Chen's cheek with her slender fingers, asking in return.
"Little fellow, so what if I'm an Evil Soul Master?"
Meng Chen said, "Since you're an Evil Soul Master, you must know that the Angel Martial Soul is the natural nemesis of Evil Soul Masters like you, right?"
Ye Xishui nodded slightly. This was common knowledge among Evil Soul Masters—the Angel Martial Soul naturally countered Evil Soul Masters like them.
"That's exactly the problem. In your era, there were barely any Angel Martial Souls left, and they posed no real threat. But here, Angel Martial Souls are exceptionally prosperous."
"Not only is there an Angel Legion, there is also a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo like you. On top of that, she is the Angel God's High Priest and can wield Angel God Power."
"So tell me, if a level ninety-nine Evil Soul Master like you were discovered by that Angel High Priest, what chance would you have of surviving?"
After hearing Meng Chen's words, Ye Xishui's brows furrowed slightly, and her expression became grave.
There was actually a level ninety-nine Angel Soul Master in this era, and she could even wield Angel God Power!
If she fought that Angel Soul Master, even if the other side did not use Angel God Power, the innate suppression alone would melt her like butter within only a few exchanges.
At that thought, Ye Xishui sneered inwardly.
I knew this guardianship would not be so simple.
Meng Chen said, "But you don't need to worry too much. That Angel High Priest stays in Spirit City year-round and rarely leaves."
"As long as you stay away from Spirit City and use your Blood Soul Demon Puppet Martial Soul as little as possible, there should not be much of a problem."
"Isn't your second Martial Soul the Light Phoenix? You can use the Light Phoenix Martial Soul as cover."
Hearing this, Ye Xishui smiled seductively and stroked Meng Chen's head.
"I couldn't tell, little fellow. You know quite a lot. You even know that my second Martial Soul is the Light Phoenix."
"You're right. With that Angel High Priest around, I truly cannot casually use the Blood Soul Demon Puppet's power. As for the Light Phoenix... sigh..."
Ye Xishui let out a soft sigh.
The Blood Soul Demon Puppet and the Light Phoenix had mutually opposing attributes.
Over the years, she had devoured who knew how many souls. Resentment had long seeped into her very being, making it impossible for her to cultivate the Light Phoenix Martial Soul.
Once the Light Phoenix grew stronger, it would inevitably interfere with the Blood Soul Demon Puppet. If the two great Martial Souls clashed, it would only bring harm.
Meng Chen had no other solution for that.
"All right, then. This era is relatively peaceful anyway, so under normal circumstances, I won't need you to take action."
Meng Chen did not think too much about it. After all, Douluo Continent was peaceful at the moment, and he still had at least fifteen years to develop safely.
Fifteen years would be enough for him to cultivate to the rank of Titled Douluo.
"Death God Douluo, I'll have to trouble you to protect my path from now on."
Meng Chen cupped his hands and bowed lightly toward Ye Xishui. Ye Xishui bent down, pinched his little cheek again, and said with a smile:
"Then please take care of me from now on, little fellow."
A while later, Meng Chen returned to Notting Academy. As soon as he reached the dormitory entrance, he saw a thin figure standing there as well.
The thin figure turned around. It was Yu Xiaogang, his face as stiff as ever—stiffer than a thousand-year-old corpse.
When Yu Xiaogang saw Meng Chen, a flicker of surprise appeared on his stiff face. So it was him—the child who had brushed past him earlier.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang blocking his way into the dormitory, Meng Chen frowned slightly. "And you are?"
Yu Xiaogang said profoundly, "Child, I am Grandmaster."
A master of success studies?
"So?" Meng Chen asked back, already having a rough guess in mind.
Yu Xiaogang had suddenly come to find him, most likely because he had seen his enrollment records.
Sure enough, Yu Xiaogang began reciting his self-proclaimed invincible theories again.
"Meng Chen, I have read your records. You possess Innate Full Soul Power and a mutated Martial Soul. Most Martial Souls become weaker after mutating, but your Martial Soul has gained the lightning attribute, which counts as a beneficial mutation."
"However, based on the data on numerous mutated Martial Souls that I collected during my travels across the continent, even beneficially mutated Martial Souls still possess certain flaws compared to normal Martial Souls, and those flaws can affect Soul Masters."
"Besides, there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters."
"Although you possess a mutated Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power, without the guidance of a famous teacher, the flaws caused by your Martial Soul's mutation will inevitably leave you unable to control yourself, and you will eventually fade into mediocrity."
"And I am the universally acknowledged unrivaled theorist of the Soul Master world. Only by taking me as your master can you resolve your Martial Soul's flaws and truly unleash your talent as a Soul Master..."
Before you continue