Obvious Favoritism, Obvious Targeting

"Nana..."

Yan had barely uttered a single word when Hu Liena's gaze swept over to him.

He immediately choked on his words.

"Hu Liena can prove it! Li Zha was the one who suddenly attacked me first! It was a sneak attack, too!"

As he spoke, Yan dispelled the rocky armor formed by his second soul skill, Granite Rock.

He stretched out both arms.

Revealing his red, swollen forearms.

"Lord Ghost Douluo, look! This is proof that he ambushed me! If I hadn't defended myself quickly, my forearms would be more than just swollen right now!"

Yan's tone was accusatory.

Yet Hu Liena heard him and pretended she had not, offering no response whatsoever.

Gui Mei merely stared at Yan's forearms, his brows faintly furrowing.

"You're saying Li Zha, a Soul Master, injured you, a level twenty-four Grand Soul Master?"

"Yes!"

Yan hurriedly nodded, then shook his head again.

"No! He almost injured me. He didn't actually hurt me!"

"Hmph. Then he didn't hurt you, did he? How was that a sneak attack? You're a level twenty-four Grand Soul Master, yet you claim a Soul Master ambushed you? Couldn't you react to an attack from a Soul Master?"

"I... he..."

Yan still wanted to say something, but when he met Gui Mei's ghostlike gaze,

he shrank his neck and swallowed every word he had wanted to say.

Biased! That was the conclusion he reached.

And not just him.

Even Hu Liena could see it.

Her small mouth parted slightly.

As she looked at Gui Mei.

When had she ever seen her Grandpa Gui defend someone like this?

Even when her brother Xie Yue

made a mistake, Grandpa Gui had always been utterly impartial.

Only when facing me has he ever been this forgiving...

As she thought this, her gaze secretly shifted toward Li Zha.

She was deeply curious about how Li Zha had managed it.

By now, the weakness in Li Zha's hands had largely faded under the cleansing effects of the Undying Lotus Root.

Still, if he were to grip a spear again now, his combat strength would definitely be noticeably reduced.

He had also completely understood Gui Mei's intentions.

Blatant favoritism.

Or rather, targeting Yan.

He had long expected someone to stop his fight with Yan.

After all, this was the third floor of the archives.

If something happened, many people would be implicated and held accountable.

Up ahead, Yue Guan's lips curved faintly upward as well.

Old Ghost really was especially biased toward this kid.

He could not help but study Li Zha a few more times.

His features were indeed proper, and much of the childishness expected of someone his age had faded.

He carried an imposing aura that seemed to dominate all before him.

Yet he was clearly just a six-year-old child.

Was that feeling because of his twin martial souls?

He grumbled inwardly.

"Fine. Since you're a core student,

I'll turn a blind eye to what you did to target Li Zha today.

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind letting you experience what it feels like to be bullied by someone stronger!"

Gui Mei said with one hand behind his back.

Yan opened his mouth but could not force out a single word.

Because he realized that, aside from himself,

Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Hu Liena, and Li Zha—

all four of them were on Li Zha's side!

Though Chrysanthemum Douluo had not said a word, he definitely would not take Yan's side either!

He could see it clearly now!

This was blatant favoritism!

The utterly unreasonable kind!

"I... understand."

In the end, Yan still lowered his head and admitted his mistake to Gui Mei.

He had no choice. He could not really let Gui Mei bully him with his seniority, could he?

That was a Titled Douluo!

With the slightest movement of a finger, Yan's life might very well end right here.

"Good. Then stay here and put the soul beast books back in order."

After saying that, Gui Mei looked toward Li Zha.

"Li Zha, let's go somewhere else."

Li Zha looked at Gui Mei and nodded.

Before long, the four of them left.

Yan was the only one remaining in the third-floor archives.

Put the books back?

Put them back my ass!

"You lot! Help put these books back where they belong! Not a single book can be out of order!"

Just as the surrounding students were about to object,

"Ding~!"

Several gold soul coins flew through the air as Yan flicked them over.

The students' eyes immediately lit up, and they hurriedly caught them.

Then they promptly began returning the scattered soul beast books around them to their original places.

Inside a private courtyard at Spirit Hall Academy.

Gui Mei took out a token from his robes and handed it to Li Zha.

"This is an Elder Token. It was Her Holiness the Pope's decision. Since you are not yet her disciple,

you cannot possess a token for the Pope's disciples. This is my Elder Token.

With it, you can freely enter anywhere within Spirit Hall Academy."

Li Zha nodded and accepted it.

"Thank you, Senior Gui."

Hu Liena also moved closer to take a look.

At the same time, she compared it with the Pope's token Bibi Dong had given her, which hung from her waist.

"I heard you want to hunt a ten-thousand-year soul beast for your first soul ring?"

Yue Guan spoke quietly as he looked at Li Zha from the side.

Li Zha gave a slight bow.

"Greetings, Lord Chrysanthemum Douluo."

"Tsk. You call Old Ghost 'Senior,' but when it comes to me, I become 'Lord'?"

Li Zha considered it, then changed his form of address.

"Senior Chrysanthemum Douluo."

"Mhm~." Yue Guan nodded.

Gui Mei glanced at Yue Guan but said nothing.

Li Zha continued, "Senior Chrysanthemum Douluo, I do indeed plan to hunt a ten-thousand-year soul beast for my first soul ring."

Hu Liena immediately spoke up.

"Li Zha, how can you still spout such nonsense in front of Grandpa Gui and Grandpa Ju? First, never mind how you would kill a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Even if you truly killed one,

a ten-thousand-year soul ring would be enough to make you explode and die!"

"Mhm. Nana's words may be harsh, but they are true."

Yue Guan looked at Li Zha. "Though your Undying Lotus Root martial soul is quite extraordinary,

I do not think highly of your chances of enduring a ten-thousand-year soul ring."

Gui Mei also looked at Li Zha. "Do you truly not intend to give up on a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"

"I won't give up."

"What if you die?"

"There is no 'what if.'"

Li Zha was utterly resolute.

Hu Liena stomped her foot.

"What an idiot! Even if you absorbed a thousand-year or hundred-year soul ring, with your twin martial souls,

few people at the same cultivation level would be your match. Why do you have to fixate on a ten-thousand-year soul ring?!"

She truly could not understand it.

At least, as far as she knew,

every Soul Master's first soul ring on the entire continent was yellow—a hundred-year soul ring!

Not even a single thousand-year one had ever appeared.

Let alone an absurd idea like Li Zha's ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Li Zha did not respond to Hu Liena.

It was perfectly normal that she could not understand him.

In everyone else's eyes, he was no different from courting death.

"Since you insist so strongly, do you still remember the promise I made you before?"

Gui Mei looked at Li Zha and slowly spoke.

Li Zha blinked. "Senior Gui, do you mean outside the Papal Hall today?"

"Cough." Gui Mei raised a hand in front of himself and coughed softly.

"Go on. What benefit do you want?"

Hu Liena and Yue Guan both looked curiously at Gui Mei.

"Outside the Papal Hall today? Old Ghost, what did you do?"

"Grandpa Gui, what did Li Zha do for you? Why are you giving him a reward?"

"It was just a small matter."

"Senior Gui, then I'll say it directly."

Gui Mei waved a hand. "Mhm. Go ahead."

How excessive could the demand of a Soul Master possibly be?

Besides, he had basically already guessed what Li Zha would ask for.

He was so obsessed with a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Then there was only one thing he would request!

That Gui Mei help him hunt a ten-thousand-year soul beast!

Yet the next second, Li Zha's answer caught him completely off guard.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue."

Gui Mei's rising smile instantly froze.

His eyes flew open as he looked at Li Zha.

"What? You want whale glue?!"