The little angel treated differently, and the first soul ring

Chen An thought to himself, My strength is still lacking, and I can't control my own fate. Refusing Shrek Academy might put me at risk.

I might as well agree for now and lie low at Shrek Academy while cultivating for a while.

Once I'm strong enough, the sky will be wide enough for any bird to fly, and the sea vast enough for any fish to leap. Whether I stay or leave then will be entirely up to me, won't it?

With an obedient expression, Chen An said, "Big sister, I'd like to join Shrek Academy."

Zhang Lexuan was overjoyed. She immediately took a sapphire bracelet from her waist and slipped it onto Chen An's wrist.

The sapphire bracelet could adjust its size automatically. The moment it settled on Chen An's wrist, it shrank by two sizes.

Zhang Lexuan said, "Chen An, my name is Zhang Lexuan. I'm an Inner Court student at Shrek Academy. From now on, we're family.

"You can call me Sister Xuanxuan. This sapphire bracelet is a Storage Soul Tool. It has ten cubic meters of space inside and can hold all kinds of things. All you need to do is guide it with your soul power."

Chen An nodded. "Thank you, Sister Xuanxuan."

Then Zhang Lexuan warmly taught Chen An how to use the Storage Soul Tool.

As for Qian Renxue beside them, Zhang Lexuan had clearly forgotten all about her.

Watching Zhang Lexuan chat so warmly with Chen An, Qian Renxue clenched her little hands tightly beneath her sleeves.

There wasn't a trace of a smile on her delicate, adorable face.

"Shrek Academy, you've gone too far!! Chen An is my friend! I'm the one who discovered him! I was even the one who awakened his martial soul!

If anyone gets first claim, it's me! If he's joining anything, it should be Spirit Hall!"

As Spirit Hall's proud young mistress, Qian Renxue was so furious that she wanted to burn Zhang Lexuan to death with Sacred Flame!

But remembering that she was only a Soul Scholar now, Qian Renxue could only suppress her anger and begin thinking calmly.

Qian Renxue thought to herself, According to what I've learned from Chen An, Shrek Academy is now the continent's foremost academy. You could even call it the continent's foremost power.

Its strength has already risen above that of the empires.

If I want to deal with Shrek Academy and rebuild Spirit Hall, then for the time being, I can only outwit them, not overpower them.

While Qian Renxue was thinking, Zhang Lexuan finished teaching Chen An how to use the Storage Soul Tool.

Only then did Zhang Lexuan remember that she seemed to have neglected the blonde girl named Ren Xue.

Zhang Lexuan turned toward Qian Renxue and asked, "Ren Xue, would you like to join Shrek Academy?"

Zhang Lexuan asked only that simple question. As for preferential resources... she didn't mention a single word.

In fact, if not for Chen An, Zhang Lexuan wouldn't have asked at all.

As the continent's foremost academy, Shrek Academy naturally had its own rules.

Even geniuses with top-tier martial souls and innate full soul power still had to obediently bring a letter of recommendation and take the annual entrance examination before they could study at Shrek Academy.

The rules were so strict that even major powers and great clans backed by Titled Douluos, or the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, which had ties to Shrek Academy, couldn't receive exceptions.

As for extraordinary geniuses with the potential to become Limit Douluos... well, that was another matter. Shrek Academy's rules weren't quite that rigid.

Qian Renxue clearly noticed Zhang Lexuan's unequal treatment and cursed inwardly, You vile woman, looking down on others through a dog's eyes! One day, when I become a Titled Douluo and Angel's Light shines upon the earth, I'll make you witness Qian Renxue's thunderous methods!!

As for whether to join Shrek Academy, Qian Renxue turned the matter over in her head and immediately decided to join!

She would infiltrate Shrek Academy, eat its food, drink its drink, then undermine it from within and mold Chen An into her own image!!

Then she would take Chen An away from Shrek Academy, set up on her own, and rebuild Spirit Hall!

Qian Renxue knew this sort of thing inside out. For her, it was like driving a light carriage along a familiar road.

After all, she had experience infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family and replacing the prince, Xue Qinghe.

Now, she merely had to replace the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family with Shrek Academy and repeat the process.

A smile curled at the corner of Qian Renxue's lips as she told Zhang Lexuan, "I'd like to study at Shrek Academy."

Zhang Lexuan smiled and nodded, then glanced out the window at the sky, where the moon shone brightly and the stars were sparse.

Then she glanced at the corpse of the Evil Soul Master Li Wu, whose eyes remained open in death. With a casual flick of her finger, a ray of cool moonlight shot from her fingertip and dissolved his corpse completely.

Zhang Lexuan told Chen An and Qian Renxue, "It's getting late. Rest for the night and pack your things. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain your first soul rings, then we'll return to Shrek Academy."

Time slipped by, and by noon the next day, the sun blazed high overhead.

At the entrance to Qinghe Village.

The villagers of Qinghe Village watched Chen An wave goodbye to them from the carriage and spoke with gratifying smiles.

"That Chen boy has made something of himself! He's become a Soul Master, and now he's even going to study at Shrek Academy. He's truly brought glory to his ancestors!"

"Our Qinghe Village has finally produced someone important."

"That boy Chen An really knows how to repay kindness. Before leaving, he even had that female Soul Master awaken martial souls for our village."

"Exactly! Chen An even gave Gold Soul Coins to the neighbors who'd helped him before, Wang Laoliu and Madam Liu, and arranged for them to move into the city. I hear the city lord graduated from Shrek Academy, too... they won't have to worry about being bullied anymore."

Inside the carriage, Zhang Lexuan asked Chen An, "Satisfied?"

Chen An gazed at the receding Qinghe Village with his black eyes. "Yes. Thank you for helping me, Sister Xuanxuan."

Zhang Lexuan looked at Chen An approvingly. "Good. In that case, let's set off."

Qian Renxue, whom Zhang Lexuan had ignored: "..."

Two days later.

The Mixed Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Amid towering, luxuriant trees that blotted out the sky.

As a pure white crescent moon swept past, an enormous dark-gold bear with a thousand years of cultivation let out an agonizing howl and crashed heavily to the ground with a thud.

A crescent moon rose behind Zhang Lexuan as a black soul ring beneath her feet slowly faded. "As expected of a dark gold terrorclaw bear. With only a thousand years of cultivation, it's already harder to handle than many ten-thousand-year soul beasts."

Zhang Lexuan turned to Chen An and handed him a sharp Soul Tool blade. "Chen An, this dark gold terrorclaw bear is just right for you. Go deliver the final blow and absorb its soul ring. I'll stand guard."

Chen An nodded and took the blade. He stepped forward, then plunged it through the dark gold terrorclaw bear's eye and churned its brain to pieces.

Thirty seconds later, a purple soul ring condensed above the dark gold terrorclaw bear's corpse.

At the same time, in the Great Ferocious Land within the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Sensing the severing of his descendant's bloodline, Xiong Jun let out a furious roar.

"Who was it?! Who killed my bear grandson?!"

A round, plump silkworm baby over a meter in diameter noticed that Xiong Jun, who was responsible for guarding him, had lost his composure and thought to himself, This is my chance!!