Sister Xiao Wu and Brother Zha

At a thought from Nezha, the yellow soul ring beneath his feet flashed.

Then he threw a punch.

The pure force of his fist struck the center of the wind blade. The cyan blade of light shattered like glass, breaking into countless tiny motes that vanished into the air.

Xiao Chenyu's pupils contracted sharply.

Before he could unleash a second wind blade, Nezha had already closed the distance in a few strides.

One hand seized Xiao Chenyu's wrist, while the other grabbed his belt. With a sudden twist of his waist, Nezha exerted force.

Xiao Chenyu was lifted clear off the ground, tracing half an arc through the air before slamming onto the ground back-first.

Bang.

Dust flew everywhere.

Xiao Chenyu lay flat on his back in the dirt, a hand pressing against his chest as though a thousand-pound boulder were pinning him down.

He struggled desperately, kicking wildly with all four limbs. His wolf claws gouged several deep furrows into the ground, but that hand did not move in the slightest.

"Do you concede?" Nezha's voice came from above him, calm and even.

Xiao Chenyu struggled twice more before finally giving up.

"I concede."

Nezha released him and stepped back.

Xiao Chenyu climbed to his feet and dusted off his clothes.

His face was flushed bright red, but there was no resentment in his eyes—only the relief of someone who had survived a disaster.

The watching students fell silent for a moment, before scattered cheers erupted from the self-funded students.

The work-study students did not cheer, but the tension on their faces eased as well.

Tang San, standing at the edge of the field, gave Nezha a long look. Expressionless, he turned and left the back mountain.

Xiao Wu skipped over from the sidelines, her pink braid swaying behind her.

She stopped beside Nezha, planted her hands on her hips, lifted her chin slightly, and swept her gaze over everyone present.

"Listen up! From now on, I'm Sister Xiao Wu—"

She patted Nezha on the shoulder. "And he's your Brother Zha!"

Nezha's mouth twitched, his face full of helplessness.

Xiao Chenyu nodded without the slightest reluctance on his face.

A loss was a loss. He had been outmatched, so he accepted it.

"Sister Xiao Wu, Brother Zha, you have my respect. From now on, you're the big sister and big brother of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy."

He turned and waved toward the self-funded students. "Come over and greet Sister Xiao Wu and Brother Zha."

The older self-funded students looked at one another, then all bent at the waist in unison, their voices echoing across the back mountain.

"Sister Xiao Wu! Brother Zha!"

Xiao Wu stood before a crowd of older students all a head taller than her, watching them bow one by one. Her pink eyes shone so brightly they nearly glowed. She could not suppress the smile on her lips, and her rabbit ears nearly seemed ready to pop out of her hair.

Just as she was basking in her triumph, she suddenly remembered something.

"Right, I still don't know why you were fighting."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Sheng appeared from nowhere.

He had been kicked unconscious by Xiao Wu and carried off the field earlier. He had only just woken up, his face still covered in bluish-purple bruises, and he limped as he walked.

But the moment he heard Xiao Wu's question, he immediately perked up and spoke before anyone else could.

"Sister Xiao Wu, here's what happened! Xiao Chenyu and his self-funded student gang have always bullied us work-study students, making us clean, run errands, and buy things for them. If we refused, they beat us.

"A few days ago, Xiao Chenyu even said he wanted us to be his pets. I couldn't take it anymore, so I challenged them to a fight here today. If we won, no one would be allowed to bully the work-study students again."

The more Wang Sheng spoke, the more worked up he became. His face turned red, and when he pulled at his facial injuries, he hissed in pain, but his mouth never stopped moving.

It was obvious that he harbored deep resentment toward the idea of being "pets."

After hearing him out, Xiao Wu frowned.

She turned to Nezha. "Nezha, what do you think?"

"Since we've become the leaders, naturally we should protect the peace of Notting Academy." Nezha's tone was casual.

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. Those words were exactly what she wanted to hear. She turned around, planted her hands on her hips, and spoke in a crisp voice that carried unquestionable authority.

"Listen up! From today onward, no one at Notting Academy is allowed to bully anyone else! Self-funded students and work-study students are all the same! If I find out that someone is bullying others just because they're in a higher grade or have greater cultivation—"

She paused, her gaze sweeping across every older student's face. Then she held up two fingers and pointed them at her own eyes before slowly turning them toward the group.

"Then I'll teach them a harsh lesson."

Xiao Chenyu felt a chill run down his back under her stare and immediately thumped his chest in assurance. "Rest assured, Sister Xiao Wu! If anyone bullies others again, I, Xiao Chenyu, will be the first to object!"

The self-funded students beside him nodded again and again, while cheers erupted from the work-study students.

Wang Sheng was so excited that his eyes reddened. He had suffered the most bullying among the work-study students. Before, he could only grit his teeth and endure it. Now, someone was finally standing up for them.

Heaven Dou City.

The Crown Prince's Residence.

Snake Lance Douluo walked through the corridor, stopped before the study door, and knocked twice.

"Come in."

Qian Renxue sat behind her desk, several memorials spread before her. She looked up, her golden eyes settling on Snake Lance Douluo.

"My lady, we've found out." Snake Lance Douluo approached and lowered his voice. "Those two children enrolled at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy as new students this year. I've already arranged for people from the Notting City Spirit Hall branch to gather detailed information. It should be delivered in a few days."

Qian Renxue nodded slightly, tapping the tabletop twice with her fingers.

Notting Academy. A junior Soul Master Academy in a border town. Having two children with Innate Full Soul Power stay there was truly a waste of talent.

"Arrange for people to subtly guide them into applying to Heaven Dou Royal Academy after graduation."

Qian Renxue set down her pen, a faint smile curling her lips. "I'm determined to have these two promising talents."

"Yes." Snake Lance Douluo responded and withdrew.

Qian Renxue picked up the memorial again, in a much better mood than before.

She had six years to make her arrangements slowly. There was no rush.

Six years was enough time to plant the seeds of trust in those two children's hearts.

When she appeared at Heaven Dou Royal Academy as Xue Qinghe and personally recruited them, everything would naturally fall into place.

Two geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power would become her most capable right- and left-hand aides once properly nurtured.

At the same time, in the archives of the Notting City Spirit Hall branch, a file on Nezha and Xiao Wu was quietly placed on record.

Their names, ages, martial souls, Soul Power levels—everything that could be investigated was neatly copied onto parchment, sealed inside a file marked "Level One Attention," and sent overnight to Heaven Dou City.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye.

Neither long nor short.

Outside the gates of Notting City, a large crowd had gathered.

Xiao Yuchen stood at the front, with Wang Sheng beside him and dozens of Notting Academy students behind them. Some were familiar faces who had fought together back then, while others were new students who had enrolled later.

Wang Sheng and Xiao Chenyu had graduated several years ago.

After graduating, Wang Sheng entered the city lord's residence of Xiao Chenyu's family to work. The two former rivals had become brothers. But no matter how busy they were, they had never lost contact with Xiao Wu and Nezha.