Freshmen Enrollment Season, Is This Ning Tian?!

Tang Ya stared at Bei Bei suspiciously. She always felt that her boyfriend carried a trace of fear toward Su Wen, as cautious as if he were dealing with a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast.

But he was clearly such a cute, handsome boy, wasn't he?

He's a fifteen-year-old Soul Elder, for goodness' sake. Can't he be a little more promising...? Tang Ya thought to herself.

"Of course!" Tang Ya agreed with a smile.

"..."

Bei Bei's throat bobbed, and he looked at Tang Ya speechlessly. Did she have any idea what kind of heavyweight she had invited over? Still, he said nothing. Su Wen was indeed formidable, but he was also "one of their own." At worst, Bei Bei's alone time with Tang Ya was gone, but the Star Dou Great Forest was abnormally dangerous. With such a powerful thigh to cling to, Tang Ya would have far more options.

"Wait..."

Bei Bei suddenly froze. His pupils widened, and his expression gradually turned shocked.

"You've reached a bottleneck again?!!"

The bottleneck of a Soul Elder. The next step would be Soul Ancestor.

"More or less." Su Wen hesitated for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

Although he was still at least a month or two away from rank forty, he could head to the Star Dou Great Forest in advance to try his luck. After all, there were plenty of people who cultivated while searching for a Soul Ring there.

"Perfect. We'll have Senior Brother Bei Bei help us hunt Soul Beasts together. I'm short one thousand-year Soul Ring. If we run into a suitable hundred-year Soul Ring then, we'll help Xiao Wen hunt one too," Tang Ya said carelessly.

"..." Bei Bei's expression turned awkward.

Tang Ya had probably taken Su Wen as someone coming to "freeload" a Soul Ring.

After all, Bei Bei was quite famous in the outer courtyard.

"Bei Bei is known as one of the Twin Stars of the Outer Courtyard, a fifteen-year-old Attack System battle Soul Elder. And there's me, Sister Xiao Ya, rank thirty, just one step away from Soul Elder!" Tang Ya said proudly.

Bei Bei's toes curled against the ground. He was unbearably embarrassed.

He was just about to pull Tang Ya aside and explain things when two figures walked over from not far away.

"Ah, what a coincidence~"

A young girl walked over gracefully, her smooth golden hair draped over her shoulders. She wore a girls' uniform modified by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School. The changes were extremely subtle, but on the girl, it carried the unique charm of a sheltered young lady from a great family. A white-gold belt cinched her slender waist, and a pale blue butterfly perched in her hair.

She wore a pair of black round-toed leather shoes, with mother-of-pearl buttons tied into bows at her ankles.

Su Wen's expression froze at the sight.

Ning Tian?!!

This was Ning Tian?

In his memory, Ning Tian had always looked like a tomboy. Though her gentle features made it clear she was a girl, the change over the past year or so was way too huge!

Ning Tian clasped her hands behind her back and walked over lightly, like a little deer, standing prettily in front of Su Wen.

"Long time no see."

"Long time no see..." Su Wen said with a sigh.

"And this dumb dragon too."

"You're the dumb dragon! Your whole family is..." Wu Feng bared her teeth and glared furiously at Su Wen. Only after Ning Tian quietly pinched her thigh did she stop, simply turning to look elsewhere so she would not be irritated by the sight of him.

The latter also had flowing red hair, her figure growing increasingly tall and slender. She wore black short boots and carried a valiant air.

"Aren't you going to register?" Ning Tian asked with a beaming smile.

"...No rush." Su Wen shook his head.

The outer courtyard's registration period lasted for well over half a month, and today was only the first day. If things followed the Original Work, when Huo Gua was brought back by Bei Bei and Tang Ya to register, it had still been "in full swing."

"Then we're not in a rush either." Ning Tian stood beside Su Wen, looking rather obedient.

"We're going to make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest. Want to come?" Su Wen said after a moment's thought.

"..." Wu Feng huffed twice and did not answer.

A hint of delight appeared on Ning Tian's pretty face. "Really? I just happen to need to obtain my third Soul Ring too!"

Hearing this, Tang Ya, who had just been watching the show from the side, stiffened.

Huh?!!

She did not know Ning Tian's identity, but she was certain Ning Tian was a new First Grade student.

An eleven-year-old Soul Elder?!!

Then what was she? Fifteen years old and...

"Uncle Cheng, you don't need to follow us. We'll only be staying on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and won't enter the core area," Ning Tian said softly to the middle-aged man following behind her.

"This..." The latter scratched his head.

He was a Soul Sage. This time, he had escorted the young lady to Shrek Academy and was also supposed to help her obtain her third Soul Ring while they were at it.

But with only two Soul Elders in this group, it would probably be hard to guarantee the young lady's safety.

However, Old Bamboo and the Sect Master had both instructed him to follow the young lady's orders in everything.

"Yes!" In the end, he still gritted his teeth.

The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Endless ancient trees blotted out the sky, blocking most of the light below. The woods were heavy with damp, and especially in the blazing heat of summer, the whole forest was like a steamer. A breeze slipped through gaps in the canopy, but it did nothing to help.

"It's so hot..." Wu Feng complained.

She fanned herself with a hand fan as she walked.

Ning Tian followed close beside Su Wen, her pretty face slightly flushed, beads of sweat the size of beans sliding down her chin. Her outfit, which had been so exquisite just moments ago, now looked a little disheveled. Inside her leather shoes, her white socks had been soaked through with sweat, making her feel rather uncomfortable. She was of the Support System, and her physique was the weakest among everyone present.

"..."

Su Wen reached out a hand.

"Mm~" Ning Tian's beautiful eyes froze for a moment, then her pretty face flushed as she placed her fair little hand on it.

Feeling that soft, delicate hand, Su Wen pondered for a moment.

An intent of extreme cold surged out from within him, and under his precise control, it flowed into the girl's body.

"Mm..."

Ning Tian let out a soft hum.

It was like being thrown into an icehouse in the dog days of summer; all the heat vanished.

"What are you doing?" Wu Feng asked suspiciously.

"Here."

Su Wen held out his hand with a smile.

"Hmph!" Wu Feng gave a proud little snort, but her mouth said one thing while her body did another, and she placed her hand in Su Wen's palm.

"Huh?!" Wu Feng instantly felt refreshed. "I forgot you had an Ice Element Martial Soul."

"You two, feeling hot?"

Su Wen smiled as he asked Tang Ya and Bei Bei up ahead.

"A little." Bei Bei looked at Su Wen holding the hands of the two girls, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Su Wen nodded.

A pale blue ripple spread out from beneath his feet, as if an aura of extreme cold were extending in every direction. With every step he took, a faint layer of frost appeared, driving away the oppressive summer heat. An Ice Element effect of this degree consumed very little Soul Power, so he treated it as payment for the two of them guiding the way.

"You're an Ice Attribute soul master?" Tang Ya asked in surprise.

"More or less."

"Mother, I'll avenge you!"

Huo Yuhao wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression growing even more resolute. The White Tiger Dagger in his hand was clenched tighter and tighter.

A rank ten soul master's physique was still strengthened to a certain degree. Otherwise, an eleven-year-old boy would have had a hard time walking through the Star Dou Great Forest for an entire day. This scorching heat, along with the ever-present danger of a deadly environment, was absolutely a nightmare for ordinary people.

"Huff..."

At last, he saw a rushing stream, and his tense body relaxed slightly.

"I'll catch a few fish." After sitting down cross-legged and resting on the spot for a while, he suddenly saw fish swimming in the stream and became aware of the emptiness in his stomach.

P.S. I'm not giving away Ice Empress and Snow Empress, but I'm a little torn about whether to give Tian Meng or not. If he doesn't get him, Huo Gua is pure trash, and that's no fun at all. If he does get him, then when Tian Meng instigates Huo Gua into using schemes to force Ice Empress to sacrifice herself, the protagonist can jump in and mess things up. That feels pretty interesting.

As for the protagonist's Spiritual Power, I've always been thinking of saving it for the Evil Eye Tyrant. The eight-hundred-thirty-thousand-year Evil Eye Tyrant could beat hundreds of Tian Mengs. How satisfying would that be? His Spiritual Power crushes him too...