Humiliating Himself

Archive.

Li Zha pulled several spirit beast catalogs from a bookshelf on the second floor.

Li Zha took out several spirit beast catalogs and flipped through a few pages.

Thousand-year Ironclad Rhinoceros, thousand-year Earthsplit Bear, thousand-year Fire-patterned Python, thousand-year Scarlet Flame Tiger.

"As expected, they only recorded thousand-year spirit beasts."

Li Zha murmured quietly.

There were not many people in the archive.

But there were still over a dozen people, like Li Zha, browsing through catalogs here.

So he did not make any large movements.

Li Zha flipped through them quickly.

After confirming that the oldest spirit beasts recorded on the second floor were only 9,999 years old,

he returned the spirit beast catalogs in his hands to their original places.

What he needed was information on spirit beasts with higher cultivation ages.

Gui Mei's assessment was that a thousand years was already enough to break away from the path of ordinary spirit masters.

But Li Zha was not satisfied with that.

Thousand-year spirit beasts could only be a last resort.

Ten-thousand-year spirit beasts were qualified to enter his range of choices.

Li Zha slowly walked toward the stairs leading to the third floor.

Just as he stepped onto the first stair, a teacher in a gray robe came out from the side.

"Student, wait."

Li Zha stopped.

The man raised a hand and blocked the stairway entrance.

"The third floor is not open to ordinary students."

"Only core students or those with a written order from a Red-Clad Bishop or above may enter."

Li Zha looked up at the third floor.

Bibi Dong had previously promised that the entire spirit beast archive would be open to him.

It seemed that the Papal Hall's arrangements had not yet been fully passed down.

That made sense. Spirit Hall was so vast that procedures took time to go through.

He did not intend to make things difficult for a teacher responsible for standing guard here.

He looked at the gray-robed teacher. "Teacher, what are the requirements for becoming a core student?"

The gray-robed teacher sized Li Zha up.

He was quite young.

At this age, anyone able to enter Spirit Hall Academy directly...

was either a noble or a genius...

With that thought, the gray-robed teacher did not put on an unfriendly expression.

"The requirements for core students are very high. The specifics are decided by the academy teachers and Spirit Hall elders.

"As for entering the third floor,

"one generally needs to reach Rank 21 Grand Spirit Master before the age of twelve in order to apply for access to the third floor.

"If they exceed that age, they must reach Spirit Ancestor rank before they can apply for access to the third floor."

"The reason is that this place records ten-thousand-year spirit beasts.

"Much of the content involves hunting routes and dangerous areas.

"It is core academy material and cannot be casually leaked."

Li Zha nodded. "Thank you."

He was about to turn around and return another time once Bibi Dong's arrangements had gone through.

Then a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Teacher Zhou, I want to enter the third floor."

Li Zha raised his eyes and saw Hu Liena walking over from the other end of the second floor.

At the waist of her light-red dress hung the Papal disciple token that belonged exclusively to her.

The gray-robed teacher immediately lowered his hand and gave a slight bow.

"Student Hu Liena, of course you may."

Hu Liena walked to the stairs and glanced up at Li Zha.

"Little brother Li Zha, come in with me."

The gray-robed teacher hesitated.

"This... this young student does not have authorization to enter the third floor..."

Hu Liena shook the token at her waist.

"He's my little brother, and my teacher personally chose him."

The gray-robed teacher froze.

"Personally chosen by Her Holiness the Pope?"

Hu Liena nodded.

"Teacher personally told me to look after him."

"Teacher also approved his entry into the archive."

The gray-robed teacher looked at Li Zha again.

He really did look like a child who had only just entered the academy.

But Hu Liena had no reason to falsely invoke Her Holiness the Pope's name.

As far as he knew, Hu Liena was not the type to make childish fabrications either.

After hesitating for several breaths, the gray-robed teacher ultimately chose to believe her.

"Since it is Her Holiness the Pope's arrangement, then go on in."

He stepped aside.

Yet Li Zha did not move.

He merely looked quietly at Hu Liena.

This little fox is interesting.

She actually came over here just to help me out.

She does not have much of a spoiled young lady's temper, either.

Then again, her parents died early, and she and her brother Xie Yue had depended on each other since childhood.

Only after she displayed her talent did she gain her current life as the Pope's disciple.

She was not some noble young lady who had never known hardship growing up.

"Come on, follow me."

Seeing that Li Zha said nothing, Hu Liena assumed he was still angry over what had happened earlier.

She took the initiative to reach out and grab Li Zha by the wrist.

"I won't make you call me sister this time."

She tugged Li Zha upstairs.

The two had only reached the middle of the staircase.

When a scream suddenly rang out from the entrance to the second-floor archive.

"Ah!!"

Quite a few students who had been reading frowned and looked up.

"Who is it? Have you no manners at all—"

Someone had intended to scold the newcomer.

But upon seeing who stood at the entrance, they forcibly swallowed their words.

It was Yan.

He stood at the doorway.

The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his fists were clenched tightly.

His gaze was fixed on Hu Liena's hand holding Li Zha's!

"Nana!"

He raised his hand and pointed at them.

"You... how could you..."

Halfway through his words, Yan choked up again.

He did not dare question Hu Liena directly.

In the end, he could only direct all his anger at Li Zha.

"Brat! Let go of Nana's hand right now!"

Li Zha glanced at the hand Hu Liena was holding.

He understood immediately.

That simp Yan was jealous again.

He said nothing, merely raising his hand slightly.

Yan saw even more clearly.

From beginning to end, it had not been Li Zha holding Hu Liena's hand.

It was Hu Liena holding Li Zha's.

Hu Liena's expression darkened.

"Yan, what does what I do have to do with you?"

Yan opened his mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I... I was only worried about you..."

"Besides, we're teammates. I should care about you."

Hu Liena frowned as she looked at Yan.

"You're meddling far too much."

"And don't call me Nana. I only allow people close to me to use that name.

"At most, you and I are teammates."

Yan's face flushed red.

"Hu Liena, I..."

Hu Liena cut him off.

"I know very well about the trouble you usually cause for others.

"For the sake of being teammates, I have not bothered to argue with you."

"But little brother Li Zha is the future disciple personally chosen by Teacher.

"If you trouble him again, I'll go to Papal Hall and report it to Teacher."

As soon as those words fell.

Many people on the second floor stopped flipping through their books.

A future disciple?

Her Holiness the Pope was going to take this newly arrived child as her disciple?

The gray-robed old teacher's mouth even fell slightly open.

He wiped at the nonexistent sweat on his forehead.

Thankfully, thankfully he had thought things through just now and had not made an enemy of this child.

At six years old, he had been designated by the Pope as a future disciple the moment he entered the academy.

That alone proved everything!

Yan's mind buzzed.

The Pope really was going to accept him as a disciple?!

He raised his eyes and stared fixedly at Li Zha.

The image of the Flaming-tipped Spear smashing the stone slabs surfaced again.

His chest felt stifled.

But Hu Liena had already put things this far.

If he made more trouble and it truly reached the Pope, he would not be able to bear the consequences.

Then suddenly, a flash of insight struck his mind.

Future!

There was still the word future!

That means he isn't one yet!

Hmph! Nana is protecting you now! Consider yourself lucky!

But as long as you remain at Spirit Hall Academy, there will be times when you're alone!

I don't believe you can stay with Nana even when you sleep or use the toilet!

Just wait!

I will absolutely repay the humiliation you made me suffer!

Yan's fury was written all over his face.

Li Zha shook his head slightly.

That idiot had insisted on testing the Flaming-tipped Spear himself.

He'd heard that my weapon spirit was incredibly powerful, so he wanted to suppress me and show off in front of Hu Liena.

In the end, his attempt to show off failed, and he embarrassed himself in front of Hu Liena. He had only himself to blame.

Holding a grudge against me? Tsk.

"Nana, let's go."

Li Zha released Hu Liena's hand and headed toward the third floor.

Hu Liena froze.

She suddenly turned to look at Li Zha, a hint of coy reproach in her eyes.

"How can you call me Nana? You should call me... Sister instead!"

Then she quickly caught up to him.

And once again took Li Zha's hand.

"By the way... Little Brother Li Zha, your hand is so smooth."

At the bottom of the stairs.

Yan was completely dumbfounded.

His jaw nearly hit the floor.

When had he ever seen Hu Liena like this?

Even when he called her Nana, she would snap at him!

But this brat!

This brat had just arrived and was already calling her that!

And Hu Liena did not react at all!

Hadn't she said only the people closest to her were allowed to call her that?!

She had even taken the brat's hand herself, right in front of him!

Not until Hu Liena and Li Zha vanished onto the third floor.

Did he finally lose it, clutching his head tightly with both hands.

"No—!!"

His roar rang through the second floor.

The students nearby hurriedly backed away.

The archive teacher looked up, a vein throbbing at his temple.

"Yan!"

"If you make any more noise, get the hell out!"