A gentle breeze drifted beneath the bright sunshine.
Under an ancient tree, an old man lay leisurely in a lounge chair, rocking gently. He looked utterly ordinary, and no one nearby paid him any attention.
Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao arrived. Spotting the old man at once, Gu Qingnian approached with A Wu in his arms and bowed. Huo Yuhao hurried forward to follow his example.
"Hello, I'm a new student moving in. Here's my freshman badge!" Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao held out their badges together.
The old man lifted his eyes slightly to glance at them, then pointed with an aged finger. "Go on. Dorm 208 is on the second floor, third room on the left."
"Are we sharing a room?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"Yes." The old man's gaze settled slowly on Gu Qingnian. After giving him a searching look, he turned his attention to A Wu. He studied her for a long time before closing his eyes to rest again.
Gu Qingnian bowed once more, then left with Huo Yuhao.
He had deliberately shown A Wu to the old man. A Wu already counted as a mature hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. When she concealed herself, an ordinary Titled Douluo could not see through her disguise. Only exceptionally powerful individuals could.
Very few people in all of Shrek Academy could discern A Wu's true form. This old man was definitely one of them.
Gu Qingnian had deliberately carried A Wu over and bowed to send him a signal. If the old man took no action afterward, that would prove bringing A Wu into the academy was no problem. It would amount to tacit permission.
If the old man stopped him or did anything else, Gu Qingnian would have to think things over carefully.
This, too, was a tremendous gamble... fortunately, it seemed he had bet correctly?
After the two boys left, the old man opened his tightly shut eyes again. Gazing toward their dorm room, he murmured:
"A... an interesting boy. A hundred-thousand-year Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit... where did she come from? He doesn't look like someone from that place... but he is indeed human... deliberately testing my attitude? Interesting...
"Will this be a blessing or a curse?"
Then silence descended once more...
Meanwhile, Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao reached their dorm room. As they pushed open the door, dust billowed out. Clearly, no one had lived there in a long time.
"Shall we start cleaning?" Gu Qingnian asked Huo Yuhao.
"Sure!" Huo Yuhao nodded enthusiastically. He even activated his Martial Soul to help with the cleaning, refusing to leave a single speck of dust behind.
They soon finished cleaning, revealing the room's general layout.
There were exactly three beds arranged side by side. Each had a wardrobe at its head, with a desk between them. The door stood at the foot of the three beds, directly opposite the bathroom, and another wardrobe faced the beds.
As Gu Qingnian surveyed the layout, a thought rose in his mind. A three-person room? Something's off... shouldn't normal rooms all hold four people?
There's me and Huo Yuhao. Could the third person be her?!
Now that would make things interesting...
At that thought, a wicked idea stirred within Gu Qingnian.
He glanced at Huo Yuhao, who had already begun cultivating diligently, then entered his Sea of Consciousness.
The moment he entered, he saw Sky Dream Ice Silkworm crouching in a corner, muttering something to himself.
Gu Qingnian approached slowly.
"Damn that..."
"Damn what?" Gu Qingnian suddenly asked.
"Ah! Young Master Gu!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stiffened at his voice, then quickly turned toward him with a smile.
"Ice Dream, are you settling in all right?" Gu Qingnian asked with a faint smile.
"Absolutely, absolutely! It's just, next time you're going to fuse with a Soul Bone or something, please tell me beforehand, Young Master Gu. That way, I can help you with the fusion!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wore an ingratiating expression.
"The circumstances were unusual this time, so I didn't have time to tell you." Gu Qingnian nodded.
"You're truly incredible, Young Master Gu! You even found a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone! Even a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast obeys your every word. The day you become a god and take your little brother along is just around the corner!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded hastily, showering Gu Qingnian with praise, though genuine shock also shone in his eyes.
He had never expected Gu Qingnian to fuse with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, much less have a hundred-thousand-year Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit by his side.
A hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast alone would have stunned him, but this was a Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit! They were hardly exceptionally powerful Soul Beasts.
The types of Soul Beasts capable of reaching the hundred-thousand-year level could be counted on one's fingers, and Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbits definitely were not among them. The only hundred-thousand-year Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbits to appear in history were Xiao Wu and her mother. Yet Gu Qingnian actually had one, leaving him utterly bewildered.
Most importantly, the previous hundred-thousand-year Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit had already become a god!!!
He knew that much, at least. He had also heard about Tang San becoming a god all those years ago.
That inevitably made him even more hopeful about Gu Qingnian's future. Moreover, his observations showed that Gu Qingnian was extraordinarily talented. From the moment they fused through his Soul Ring until now, Gu Qingnian had already risen eight levels. How little time had passed?
Since when had increasing Soul Power become so effortless? Even with the fusion of a Soul Ring and a Soul Bone, no matter how old they were, such an increase was terrifying.
"Still, the four Soul Skills you gave me are really good." Gu Qingnian was very satisfied with his Soul Skills. As expected of a million-year Soul Beast.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt rather proud at that. After chatting a little longer, they agreed to get in touch again when Gu Qingnian was about to break through to his second Soul Ring.
For Gu Qingnian, that probably would not take long. Afterward, A Wu told him through a voice transmission that the old man had recognized her as a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. Gu Qingnian reassured her that it was nothing serious.
Holding A Wu, he immersed himself in cultivation.
An unknown amount of time passed-
Huo Yuhao and Gu Qingnian opened their eyes together. Soul Masters could replace sleep with meditation and cultivation. After all, being able to rest and cultivate simultaneously was quite convenient.
They exchanged a glance. Gu Qingnian lightly swept back his hair, and Huo Yuhao blushed involuntarily at the sight of his face, which was prettier than a girl's.
Click.
Just then, the door opened, and a figure stepped into the room.
The newcomer had a slender figure, exceptionally attractive features, and short hair streaked pink and blue. A faint fragrance surrounded her, and a closer look revealed that her eyes were pink and blue as well.
Huo Yuhao could not help looking a little longer. Then he instinctively glanced at Gu Qingnian, and his excitement immediately subsided considerably.
Even more handsome than Eldest Senior Brother, he thought, but Qingnian still looks better...
He stood and approached to greet her. "You're... are you our future roommate?"
The new roommate merely looked at Huo Yuhao indifferently. "Move!" Huo Yuhao instinctively stepped aside.
She walked straight past him. Just as she was about to choose a bed, she discovered that only the one on the far right remained. Her brows knitted slightly, but she could only toss down her backpack before turning her gaze toward Gu Qingnian.
The moment she saw Gu Qingnian, her gaze froze, instantly captivated. She had never seen anyone whose looks rivaled hers, let alone surpassed them! She could not resist taking several more looks.
Then her gaze fell on A Wu in Gu Qingnian's arms. Something about her felt familiar, though she could not put her finger on it.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao approached again, interrupting her thoughts, although her gaze remained fixed on Gu Qingnian.
Folding her arms, she said, "First, don't bring people back to the dorm without permission. Second, don't disgust me by walking around naked in here. Third, no snoring. Fourth, don't disturb me. Fifth, from now on, you're responsible for cleaning the dorm, but you're not allowed to touch my bed." Though her words were arrogant and indifferent, a trace of seriousness slipped unconsciously into her eyes.
"Did you hear me?"
Huo Yuhao immediately grew annoyed. What kind of attitude is that? What an awful person!
He could not help retorting, "Why should I listen to you?!"
"If you don't, I'll beat you out of here! Try me if you don't believe it!" the new roommate said, still expressionless.
"Hmph! Then I'll try!" Huo Yuhao refused to back down.
"Hmph!" The new roommate snorted as well, and the two immediately stood with swords drawn and bows bent.
Gu Qingnian had remained beside them through the entire tense confrontation. Now he suddenly spoke. "Ah, to be young. Waking up and immediately wanting a fight. How about counting me in?"
The new roommate could not help frowning. She could not get a read on Gu Qingnian and was not entirely confident she could defeat him. But with things having reached this point, there was no way she could back down.
She walked out first. Huo Yuhao glanced at Gu Qingnian, looking a little embarrassed. Gu Qingnian stepped over and patted him. "Let's go. You're brave, little Yuhao."
All three went downstairs. There was almost no one outside the dorm building-only the three of them and the old man from earlier.
Gu Qingnian felt it was a pity. A three-person dorm... if it had been a two-person room with Wang Dong, perhaps he could have triggered an interception.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on intercepting the two-person dorm room belonging to the child of destiny, Huo Yuhao, and successfully inserting yourself into their world for two. You have earned a six-star reward. Soul Power cultivation speed doubled, Random Ability Gift Pack ×1. Claim rewards?]
"Claim!" Gu Qingnian froze. A casual thought had actually triggered it.
[Ding! Distributing... distribution successful.]
In an instant, Gu Qingnian shivered as Soul Power surged throughout him. His cultivation talent was already outstanding; doubled, it became truly terrifying.
[Ding! Using gift pack... congratulations, host, on obtaining Body Flicker, Repulsion, and Attraction! Claim rewards?]
"Claim!" Gu Qingnian froze again. He had never expected a single gift pack to yield these abilities!!! He clicked to check what the Random Ability Gift Pack was.
[Random Ability Gift Pack]
Randomly draws abilities that have appeared in anime, novels, and other works. The number and abilities are random.
"Terrifying..." Immediately afterward, information about all three abilities appeared in Gu Qingnian's memory.
Body Flicker, as its name suggested, allowed instantaneous movement. Its range, duration, and number of uses depended on the user's strength, and it consumed Soul Power.
How should he put it? It was essentially an evolved version of the Body Flicker Technique from Naruto, and it consumed very little Soul Power. Its current range was limited, however: he could flicker freely within five meters.
Attraction and Repulsion: repulsion was the force that pushed things apart, while attraction was the force that drew them together. Once he became sufficiently powerful, he could even use abilities similar to Almighty Push and Universal Pull. These likewise consumed Soul Power.
The three abilities greatly increased Gu Qingnian's strength. Close combat had previously been somewhat difficult for him, but now he had improved considerably!
The two youngsters ahead had already begun squaring off. Suddenly thinking of something, Gu Qingnian walked straight over and stood between them.
Both froze instantly.
"Qingnian, move aside first. This is between me and her!" Huo Yuhao looked determined and somewhat angry.
The new roommate, meanwhile, stared closely at Gu Qingnian, looking a little dazed.
Gu Qingnian patted Huo Yuhao's little head. "Little Yuhao, let me fight her first. How about it?"
Huo Yuhao blinked. Without waiting for him to react, Gu Qingnian addressed the new roommate. "Gu Qingnian."
Coming back to her senses, the new roommate answered a little awkwardly, "Wang Dong!"
"I'm not particularly happy with your rules either. Fight me first. If you win, you'll call the shots in the dorm from now on. If you lose, you listen to me. How's that?" A faint smile curled Gu Qingnian's lips, carrying a barely perceptible hint of mockery.
Wang Dong adjusted her arms as she looked at Gu Qingnian. Damn it, I can't quite read him. There's actually someone at this school better-looking than me! I won't go easy on him just because he's so handsome...
As those thoughts wandered through her head, her face reddened involuntarily.
Opposite her, Gu Qingnian and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance, puzzled by Wang Dong's change in expression. Huo Yuhao curled his fists slightly and puffed out his cheeks.
Gu Qingnian turned and poked Huo Yuhao's puffed cheek. Huo Yuhao froze, then blushed and protested, "Qingnian, what are you doing?!"
"You looked so gloomy. I'll help you teach that brat a lesson!"
"But..." Huo Yuhao said worriedly.
"She's a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, you know~" Gu Qingnian whispered in Huo Yuhao's ear.
"What!" Shock covered Huo Yuhao's face. He trusted Gu Qingnian's words completely, so when Gu Qingnian said Wang Dong was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, he believed him without hesitation.
"She's about our age, but she's already a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster!!!" Huo Yuhao looked utterly stunned.
"So leave it to me. Watch from behind and see how I put her in her place and get even for you!" Gu Qingnian nodded, pinched Huo Yuhao's rather cute cheek, and stepped forward.
Huo Yuhao remained standing there alone, looking somewhat bewildered. Then, for some reason, he shyly touched his cheek. Gu Qingnian saw it all but paid it little mind.
By then, a crowd had begun gathering around them. Many recognized Gu Qingnian; after all, he had made a small name for himself at freshman registration.