Xue Beng

After Shi Quan talked Ning Rongrong around, she settled down for a few days. Sometimes, she would stare blankly at the pool, and in the afternoons, she still practiced the Horse Stance every day.

But Ning Rongrong clearly was not someone who could remain calm for long. Once she realized she was not cut out for it, she gradually returned to her old self.

"I really don't get what's so interesting about you reading every day." Ning Rongrong lay bored on the recliner beside Shi Quan. She held a book in her hand as well, but after reading for a while, she simply covered her face with it.

"I used to think reading was useless too. Later, I realized that for ordinary people, studying might be the easiest way to change their lives." Shi Quan tirelessly read the book in his hands.

In his previous life, had he not remained mediocre because he had failed to study seriously?

"Change your life?" Ning Rongrong curled her lip. "I have no idea where you get all these grand principles every day. It'd be such a waste if you didn't become a teacher."

Shi Quan smiled softly. "Since you've been learning from me, I suppose I count as half your teacher, don't I?"

Ning Rongrong sat up, and the book on her face slid down onto her lap. She gave Shi Quan a once-over. Dressed in plain clothes, with a face that could still be considered refined, he earned a look of utter disdain from her. "Tch. You? A little brat like you wants to be my teacher? Dream on!"

Shi Quan shook his head lightly. He had experienced Ning Rongrong's sharp tongue these past few days. Then a question suddenly occurred to him. "You keep calling me a little brat. When exactly is your birthday? I might even be older than you."

In the original story, Ning Rongrong called Tang San Third Brother. She ranked sixth in age among the Shrek Seven Devils, which meant her birthday should have been near the end of the year.

Ning Rongrong hesitated before answering, "June twenty-first. What about you?"

Shi Quan smiled faintly and looked at Ning Rongrong. "The end of February. So stop calling me a little brat all day. I'm several months older than you. By age, you should call me brother. By our current relationship, you should call me Teacher Shi."

Ning Rongrong's expression stiffened in embarrassment. She rose indignantly, placed the book on the nearby shelf, and said in a huff, "I'm hungry. Come eat with me!"

After estimating the time, Shi Quan said calmly, "Classes have just ended. There'll be a lot of people eating now. Let's wait a little."

"No! I'm hungry! I'm not waiting." Ning Rongrong did not care in the slightest. She grabbed Shi Quan by the arm and dragged him outside.

Shi Quan could only let Ning Rongrong pull him toward the academy's main campus. As they walked, Ning Rongrong complained that she had no idea why this damned academy had been built halfway up a mountain. She had no idea how many times she had climbed it back and forth every day.

To avoid going up and down the mountain, Ning Rongrong had even suggested that Shi Quan switch to another Simulated Cultivation environment, but Shi Quan had flatly refused.

Like Notting Academy, Heaven Dou Royal Academy held classes in the mornings. At this time of day, the main campus was at its liveliest. The plaza was filled with students walking in groups, every one of them dressed in the goose-yellow uniform unique to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Shi Quan and Ning Rongrong stood out like sore thumbs among them. One wore plain clothes, while the other wore a green brocade dress, creating a stark contrast.

The moment they arrived outside the Cafeteria, trouble came knocking.

Seven or eight young men in academy uniforms blocked their path.

After sizing Shi Quan up, the young man in the lead wore a face full of contempt. He turned to Ning Rongrong with a chuckle. "Beautiful miss, this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Cafeteria. Servants aren't allowed inside to enjoy the food of us nobles."

The moment Ning Rongrong heard that, a strange smile rose on her lips. She turned to Shi Quan and said, "That big idiot called you a servant. Aren't you going to teach him a lesson?"

Shi Quan covered his face in exasperation. Ning Rongrong truly could not sit still unless she was stirring up trouble.

"Big idiot?" The young man paused when he heard Ning Rongrong's words, then flew into a rage. "You dare call me a big idiot? You're asking to be beaten!"

"If you can't even recognize who you're dealing with, what else are you but a big idiot? Do you think we're afraid of you? Even if all of you came at him together, you still wouldn't be his match." Seeing this, Ning Rongrong immediately hid behind Shi Quan, looking utterly disdainful as she pointed at him.

"You said it. Then I'd like to see just how capable you are." The leading youth wore a vicious expression. With a wave of his hand, the youths behind him surrounded them.

Shi Quan looked at the leading youth. He bore some resemblance to Xue Qinghe. Could this be that brat Xue Beng?

Ning Rongrong has given him a perfect chance to test me. Shi Quan felt helpless, but he quickly came up with a solution.

He yanked Ning Rongrong in front of him and said, "She's the daughter of Ning Fengzhi, Sect Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Are you sure you want to make a move against us?"

"The Sect Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's daughter?" The moment they heard that, everyone froze in place, not daring to move rashly. All eyes turned toward the leading youth.

Just as Xue Beng's expression shifted and he found himself caught between advancing and retreating, Ning Rongrong spoke up and gave him a hand. "Don't listen to his nonsense. I'm not the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Get them!" Xue Beng's eyes immediately lit up. He waved his hand, refusing to give Shi Quan another chance to speak, and threw a punch at him.

Shi Quan sprang backward, dodging the punch while giving Ning Rongrong a thumbs-up. "Nice one."

Ning Rongrong really was clever.

She had only said that she was not the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She had not said that she was not Ning Fengzhi's daughter.

But that single sentence was enough to make people misunderstand.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong hurriedly moved aside, made a face at Shi Quan, and eagerly watched the show.

Shi Quan could not be bothered to fool around with Xue Beng and the others. As he retreated, he explained, "I'm a student of the academy too. I joined this year. I just didn't wear my uniform today."

"You still dare impersonate an academy student? That makes your crime even worse. Beat him hard!"

Xue Beng did not care about the facts. He shouted directly, making it clear that he was determined to cause trouble for Shi Quan.

Seeing this, Shi Quan's retreating figure suddenly shifted. He charged forward, planted his foot, drove his shoulder in, and launched an Iron Mountain Lean straight into Xue Beng's chest. Xue Beng was sent flying before he could even react.

Then Shi Quan spun around and swept his leg, sending another person flying with a single kick.

In just one exchange, two of the seven had been sent flying back, another two had been knocked down, and only three remained standing.

But Shi Quan's thunderous counterattack did not stop. He raised his leg and drove in with his knee, then followed with an iron elbow that sent another person flying.

Seeing Shi Quan's ferocity, all seven of them panicked.

"What are you panicking for?! Use your Spirit Souls and beat him!" Xue Beng clutched his aching chest and roared furiously.

Only then did the others react and hurriedly summon their Spirit Souls.

Spirit Power Fluctuations spread out as seven sets of two yellow Spirit Rings appeared. Their Spirit Souls were all Beast Spirit Souls as well. None of those who could study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy came from weak backgrounds, so naturally, none of them possessed ten-year Spirit Rings.

As the seven released their Spirit Souls, Inner Force surged within Shi Quan, and one yellow and one purple Spirit Ring lit up beneath him.

"A Thousand Year Spirit Ring as the second ring? How is that possible?!"

Everyone present was drawn in by the astonishing sight before them and cried out in unison.

It was not as though they had never seen Thousand Year Spirit Rings before, but they had never seen anyone whose Thousand Year Spirit Ring was their Second Spirit Ring.

While the seven stood stunned, Shi Quan's First Spirit Ring beneath him had already lit up.

The Blue Silver Grass in his hand rapidly spread out like a sweeping storm. The moment it touched the seven, it climbed up their bodies.

Although the Blue Silver Vines climbed upward, the vines themselves contained little force. In truth, as long as they had not yet wrapped around someone, anyone with quick enough reactions—or even a light shake—could tear the climbing vines off their bodies.

Most of the seven were frightened by the approaching vines. A few with some sense were just about to break free when Shi Quan's Second Spirit Ring burst with purple light.

The spreading Blue Silver Vines instantly froze solid.

The few who tried to move immediately stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

The once soft and powerless Blue Silver Vines had become as hard as iron and stone.

This was Shi Quan's Second Spirit Ability granted by the Thousand Year Spirit Ring of the Ink Jade Bamboo: Blue Silver Hardening.

When activated, it multiplied the toughness of the Blue Silver Grass and made it as hard as Ink Jade Bamboo.

The vines extended by Blue Silver Growth possessed little power, but combined with the Second Spirit Ability, Blue Silver Hardening, those extending vines now became something akin to a Prison Cage.

The two at the back were farthest away, and the vines had only reached their knees. The ones in front had vines climbing nearly to their waists. The dark-blue vines gleamed with the luster of Ink Jade. In just a few breaths, all seven were firmly restrained in place by Shi Quan.

Group control?!

Cries of surprise rang through the entire main campus once more. A two-ring Soul Grandmaster actually possessed the ability to control a group. Normally, Control System Spirit Masters could only gain group-control abilities upon obtaining their Fifth Spirit Ring, yet a two-ring Soul Grandmaster had achieved it now!

"Still want to fight?" Shi Quan's gaze swept across the seven.

"I refuse to believe you can keep all of us restrained! Attack together!" Xue Beng roared angrily, his snow-white winged hands continuously striking the Blue Silver Vines beneath him.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All kinds of dull impacts rang out one after another, yet the iron-hard Blue Silver Grass remained as steady as a mountain. So long as an attack did not directly shatter the vines, their damage would slowly recover.

The healing property brought by the First Spirit Ability became even more apparent when combined with the hardening effect of the Second Spirit Ability.

Although Blue Silver Grass itself was weak, Ink Jade Bamboo was a high-level Spirit Beast, and its toughness and defensive properties were absolutely among the best of the top-tier Spirit Beasts...