Everyone's Adoration

"I'm going!"

Xie Xie suddenly sprang up from his seat, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at the three people who had entered with Long Hengxu. His gaze was filled with undisguised excitement and admiration, the very picture of a fanboy seeing his idol.

His hands even trembled slightly, as if some unreachable figure had suddenly descended from the heavens and appeared before him.

"Wow! It's my husband! My husband is so handsome!"

To everyone's surprise, Xu Xiaoyan—the quiet, well-behaved-looking little girl—actually blurted that out.

She cupped her cheeks in both hands, stars practically sparkling in her eyes. Her face was flushed red, and she looked at Qi Ji as though she were gazing upon some peerless treasure.

That was only natural. Little girls her age were at the stage of idolizing celebrities, and on Douluo Continent, the "stars" Soul Masters idolized were naturally those genius Soul Masters with extraordinary talent and widespread renown.

As the Federation's number one genius and the top-ranked figure on the Young Genius Rankings, Qi Ji was practically a real person who had stepped out of a poster in the eyes of girls Xu Xiaoyan's age.

"Tch..."

Tang Wuling could not help clicking her tongue beside him, her brows knitting slightly as she grumbled inwardly—why were so many people setting their sights on Qi Ji?

She had not even dealt with Gu Yuena yet, and now another little girl had popped up calling him her husband. Was she not allowed a moment of peace?

Gu Yuena, meanwhile, remained expressionless, merely curling the corner of her lips slightly as if she did not care.

In her view, it was perfectly normal for Qi Ji to be loved by others—as the reincarnation of the Dragon God Crown Prince, Qi Ji was meant to be the center of attention.

This girl called Xu Xiaoyan had good taste.

After all, Gu Yuena was still in the stage of seeing herself as his mother. Her familial affection had not yet changed, so naturally she was not as possessive as Tang Wuling.

"Y-you all... hello."

The honest and simple Wang Jinxi stood up as well and greeted them with a slight stutter. A trace of embarrassed redness appeared on his dark face as he stood there awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

"..."

Zhang Yangzi could not help standing too. His mouth opened, but for a moment, he did not know what to say.

His Soul Power cultivation had always been the highest in Class Zero, and he was usually rather proud, somewhat unconvinced by anyone he met.

But now, the Federation's number one genius stood before him. The pressure of such absolute talent made him swallow all his defiance.

He even felt his martial soul trembling faintly, as though it had encountered an insurmountable peak.

"Mm... you're here."

Wu Changkong nodded faintly, his tone as calm as if several ordinary students had merely arrived, without the slightest warmth or courtesy. "Then take a seat first."

As a teacher at the school, he had naturally received notice long ago that Qi Ji and the other two would be coming to visit. However, he had clearly not informed the Class Zero students in advance—perhaps he wanted to give them a surprise, or perhaps he simply felt there was no need to make a special announcement.

"Wu Changkong, don't be so ungrateful! Young Master Qi Ji, Miss Tang Wuling, and Miss Gu Yuena are all important figures!"

Long Hengxu grew anxious and lowered his voice, afraid that this eccentric teacher would cause another unpleasant incident.

"It's fine, Director Long." Qi Ji smiled and waved his hand, his tone easygoing. "I wasn't expecting Teacher Wu to give us any special treatment. Everyone can just interact normally."

As he spoke, he sat down with Tang Wuling and Gu Yuena in the empty seats near the back. His posture was relaxed, without the slightest air of an important figure.

Long Hengxu could neither leave nor stay. Caught in a dilemma, he simply slipped into the back row and found a seat. His eyes remained fixed on Wu Changkong, afraid that this cold-faced demon would say something unpleasant and stir up trouble again.

Wu Changkong swept a glance over the students, who were already distracted, and knew there was no way this lesson could continue.

He closed the lesson plan in his hand and said flatly, "Since you're interested in the three of them, get to know them first."

As soon as he finished speaking, the four children shot out of their seats as if they had been granted a pardon and swarmed around Qi Ji and the other two.

"Hello, idol! I'm Xie Xie!"

Xie Xie was the first to rush before Qi Ji. His eyes sparkled, and his face was full of fanboy-like fervor.

"Thanks? No need to thank me!"

Qi Ji blinked and deliberately played along. He knew that was Xie Xie's name, but that did not stop him from teasing him.

"Um... my name is Xie Xie..." Xie Xie's face reddened for a moment. I'm definitely changing this stupid name once I'm an adult! What kind of name is this? People tease me every time I introduce myself.

"Oh, sorry about that." Qi Ji smiled and patted his shoulder, his tone carrying sincere apology.

"Um... Lord Qi Ji, I'm Xu Xiaoyan!"

Xu Xiaoyan squeezed forward with a red face, nervously twisting the corner of her clothes with both hands. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "May I... shake your hand?"

Tang Wuling's gaze sharpened beside him. Just as she was about to speak possessively, Qi Ji had already extended his hand first.

"Of course!"

Xu Xiaoyan quickly reached out and shook his hand, then released it as though she had been shocked. After retreating, she clutched her own hand and wore a dazed, blissful smile—already planning not to wash her hand for the rest of the week.

"Um... hello, I'm Wang Jinxi. It's nice to meet you."

Wang Jinxi stepped forward, his voice honest and sincere.

"I'm also honored to meet all of you." Qi Ji nodded at him, his tone genuine and without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

"Um... Big Brother Qi..."

Zhang Yangzi spoke awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. It was as though he had gathered all his courage before saying the rest. "Can you teach me how to cultivate? I really admire you!"

Qi Ji looked at his expectant yet nervous eyes and smiled slightly, his tone serious and gentle.

"Your talent is very strong. You don't need to envy me. Just follow your heart; cultivation does not need to be overly utilitarian. Sometimes, being strong in cultivation does not mean being truly strong—look at Yu Xiaogang. Didn't I defeat him too?"

Although Qi Ji did not believe those words himself, they were still highly effective for a teenager like Zhang Yangzi, who was at an age of confusion.

"Um... thank you!" After being comforted, Zhang Yangzi could not help thanking him, his eyes even growing a little hot.

"Yangzi... why are you calling me?" Xie Xie tilted his head beside him, utterly confused.

"Screw you... hurry up and change that stupid name of yours!" Zhang Yangzi could not help cursing. The touching atmosphere from moments earlier was instantly shattered.

The room was suddenly filled with cheerful energy.