Sudden Attack! An Unexpected Turn!

Hu Liena noticed Yan shouting.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Why did you follow us again? What are you doing here?"

"I came here, of course, to—"

Yan's gaze darted around.

Before long, it locked onto an illustrated guide to soul beasts.

He pulled it straight off the shelf.

"Of course I came to look up information about soul beasts!"

Then, he plopped down beside Li Zha.

His wary gaze fixed on Li Zha and Hu Liena.

"Hey, didn't you see me come in? Let go of her hand already!"

He ground his teeth and muttered quietly into Li Zha's ear.

Li Zha met his gaze without fear.

He paid no heed to Yan's threat.

He raised his hand slightly.

"Nana was the one holding my hand. Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Yan's face stiffened again.

Hu Liena rose to her feet irritably.

"What do you mean by that? I was asking Little Brother Li Zha about his cultivation."

"Why exactly did you come over here?"

Hearing that it was about cultivation, Yan became even more displeased.

"He's just a level-ten soul scholar. What could he possibly need you to teach him personally? The only thing he needs to do right now is learn about soul beasts and obtain his first soul ring!"

After saying that, Yan suddenly realized something.

He abruptly turned to look at Li Zha.

"Wait, you came to the third floor to learn about soul beasts too, didn't you?"

Li Zha glanced at him and could not be bothered to say anything.

There was no point in telling him.

This guy was just waiting for a chance to suppress him ruthlessly.

So he could put on a show in front of Hu Liena.

If he said he wanted a ten-thousand-year soul beast as his first soul ring,

Yan would probably burst out laughing again.

Hu Liena could also tell that Li Zha did not want to say much.

Although she had doubts about Li Zha previously choosing the ten-thousand-year Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast as a candidate for his first soul ring,

deep down, she was still on Li Zha's side.

She did not want Yan to mock and ridicule Li Zha after hearing it.

"Go away already. Could you stop disturbing us?"

Hu Liena looked at Yan with utter annoyance.

Yan's expression turned extremely ugly.

"How can you speak so harshly to me for him—a brat you only met today?"

"It's not because of Li Zha. This is how I usually treat you.

You just lack the self-awareness to realize it! I've already been giving you plenty of face.

Do you really want me to make it sound even uglier?"

Hu Liena's gaze turned cold.

Yan's shoulders immediately slumped.

"I... understand."

He turned and was about to leave.

But when he saw Li Zha still intently reading the soul beast guide in his hands,

a blaze flared up in his heart again.

Being ignored like this

made him feel awful!

Fine! I get it!

He was putting on an act, pretending to be extremely serious about a soul master's cultivation.

That way, he could win Nana's attention!

If you can do it, so can I!

Yan soon returned to the bookshelves.

He selected a whole stack of soul beast guides.

Then he sat beside Li Zha and began examining them with an equally serious expression.

Li Zha had three books, so he took six!

He had to have twice as many as Li Zha!

Hu Liena looked at the two sitting side by side, question marks practically appearing over her head.

"Yan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

She lowered her voice as much as possible, trying not to disturb the others on the third floor.

The corners of Yan's mouth immediately curled upward.

Just as I thought!

Nana really likes men who study seriously!

That explains it!

That explains why she paid so much attention to Li Zha!

I only sat here quietly and seriously for a while, and she already couldn't help taking the initiative to speak to me!

"Ahem." Yan cleared his throat and said solemnly,

"I'm studying soul beast knowledge to prepare for my future soul rings."

Hu Liena was utterly speechless.

It was not as if she did not know his level!

"You're a level-twenty-four Grand Soul Master. Do you need to study ten-thousand-year soul beasts?

If you're planning ahead for later soul rings, you at least need to wait until you're a level-forty-one Soul Ancestor before that becomes relevant."

"Stop making trouble here. If you insist on pestering me, I don't mind personally explaining this to Teacher.

I refuse to believe that Spirit Hall is so vast that it can't find a teammate to replace you."

Hearing Hu Liena's words, Yan could no longer maintain his solemn expression.

He pointed at Li Zha.

"What about him?"

"He's just a soul scholar. Isn't it even more ridiculous for him to come to the third floor and read about ten-thousand-year soul beasts?"

"Why aren't you saying anything to him? You're being way too biased toward him!"

Hu Liena froze.

Then she glanced at Li Zha.

Seeing Li Zha's earnest expression, then looking back at Yan,

she found Yan's imitation all the more ugly and ridiculous.

"Li Zha is different. He's just started down the path of a soul master. Isn't it normal for him to be curious about soul beasts?"

"His purpose in looking through ten-thousand-year soul beasts is completely different from yours."

Li Zha was at the center of their argument.

Yet he was not affected in the slightest.

As he read the soul beast guide, he silently memorized the soul beasts he had selected as his first, second, and third choices.

Including their usual age ranges, habits, and methods of attack.

At present, he had memorized three types in total.

The Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast usually ranged from nine thousand to fifteen thousand years.

The Molten-Ridge Rift-Earth Rhino usually ranged from six thousand to twenty thousand years.

The Blazing-Shadow Explosive-Flame Wolf usually lived for around fifteen thousand years.

Other than the Molten-Ridge Rift-Earth Rhino, whose age range was highly unstable, the usual age ranges of the other two did not differ much.

Therefore, his first choice was the Crimson Flame Heavy-Armored Beast.

His second choice was the Blazing-Shadow Explosive-Flame Wolf, and only then came the Molten-Ridge Rift-Earth Rhino.

Yan leaned close to Li Zha and pointed at the soul beast guide in his hands as he spoke to Hu Liena.

"Since you said he's only looking!"

With a swish, he snatched the guide from Li Zha's hands.

"Look! Then why is he taking notes? Why is he marking things?"

Li Zha frowned at Yan.

He had already given the other party plenty of face.

He knew Yan was Hu Liena's pathetic admirer.

So he had not said anything when Yan kept bothering him.

But now that Yan was interfering with him, it was different.

Li Zha stood up and slapped Yan's hand away.

The soul beast guide fell, but he caught it swiftly.

"What?"

Yan froze for a moment.

He looked at his hand.

He had clearly felt a tremendous force just now!

Could a six-year-old brat really be this strong?

"Brat! You deliberately put all your strength into that, didn't you? Don't think I won't dare do anything to you just because Nana is protecting you!"

Hu Liena frowned. "Stop messing around!"

She took two steps forward and stood in front of Li Zha.

At that moment, Li Zha pushed Hu Liena aside.

"Aren't you curious why I'm reading about ten-thousand-year soul beasts?"

"I'm going to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul beast as the first soul ring for my Flaming-tipped Spear."

As soon as he said this, Yan had thought Li Zha was about to say something important.

But upon hearing those words, he could not hold it in and burst out laughing.

"Haha, idiot! Do you even know what you're saying?"

Li Zha had expected this reaction.

He had already extended his right hand.

His fingers clenched in the air.

A flash of firelight.

The Flaming-tipped Spear, weighing a full fifteen hundred and thirty jin, appeared in his hand!

Hu Liena was instantly startled and hurriedly said, "Li Zha! What are you doing?!"

Li Zha did not speak. His gaze remained as calm as ever.

He gripped the spear shaft tightly with both hands and thrust straight at Yan's chest!

Only when Yan heard Hu Liena's voice did he snap out of his laughter.

The moment he looked up, he saw the Flaming-tipped Spear, its red tassel trailing behind it, stabbing straight toward him!

"What are you doing?!"

His pupils contracted violently!

At this distance!

At this speed!

He knew he could not dodge!

"Second Soul Skill: Granite Rock!"

He crossed his hands before his chest!

A yellow soul ring rapidly rose from his body!