Come Out and Meet Me!

Though Shrek Academy was poor and not particularly well run, its teachers and students were certainly formidable.

They were either Soul Emperors or Soul Saints. Shao Xin in particular, as a food-type Soul Saint, could have enjoyed a standing comparable to a Soul Douluo anywhere else without exaggeration.

It certainly had not been easy for Flender to assemble such a team.

Zhao Wuji spoke in a fairly polite tone. "You're Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang? I heard Tang San and Xiao Wu are both your disciples. An honor, an honor. I've experienced what those two Little Monsters can do firsthand."

Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong rose with smiles and introduced themselves as well.

Yu Xiaogang cupped his hands slightly. "Hello, everyone. My name is Yu Xiaogang, a level fifty-six Power Attack System Battle Soul King. My Martial Soul is the Golden Sacred Dragon."

As his words fell, even the wine cups around the table paused.

The people seated there thought little of a Soul King, but the Martial Soul name "Golden Sacred Dragon" truly made their hearts jolt. Across the entire continent, no Martial Soul associated with the word "dragon" was weak.

Then Liu Erlong stood as well and casually added, "Liu Erlong, level eighty-six Power Attack System Battle Soul Douluo. Martial Soul: Fire Dragon."

"Pfft..."

Zhao Wuji had just taken a sip of wine and nearly spat it out.

"Did I hear that right?"

A Soul Douluo?!

The beautiful woman before him, who looked barely past thirty, was actually a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse!

Since when did Flender have a friend like this?

The powerful Soul Masters in the Douluo comic differed from those in the novel and animation.

As their Soul Power Level increased, their lifespan increased accordingly, and they also appeared younger. Once they reached Titled Douluo, in particular, they could retain their youth forever.

Dugu Bo, for instance, was already over ninety.

He was already a grandfather, but because he had broken through to Titled Douluo, his face looked almost no different from that of a young man in his twenties.

"Level eighty-six?"

Zhao Wuji's tone brimmed with disbelief.

"A Soul Douluo this young?"

Liu Erlong smiled, perfectly at ease. "What, don't I look like one?"

"You do. You absolutely do."

Zhao Wuji silently drained his wine and stole a glance at Flender. Just what sort of people have you invited to this table?

A Soul Douluo this young-wouldn't she become a Titled Douluo someday?!

Silence fell over the table for a moment before Flender finally came to his senses. Laughing heartily, he raised his cup. "All right, all right, we're all among friends! Come, the first toast is to our reunion!"

"To our reunion!"

Their cups clinked, and they drained them in one go.

Soon, everyone was chatting away, their voices overlapping.

Only after eating and drinking their fill did they go their separate ways.

With Flender's arrangements, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong settled into lodgings within the academy.

Tang San and Xiao Wu escorted their teacher to his door. Just as they were about to turn and leave, Tang San learned from Ning Rongrong that she had become his disciple.

"Rongrong, you've become his disciple too?"

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she leaned over with a giggle.

"Then you'll have to call me Senior Sister from now on!"

Ning Rongrong cupped her hands and made a show of bowing. "Then I'll be counting on you to look after me, Senior Sister Xiao Wu."

"Of course, of course. Hehe~"

Before she had finished speaking, Ning Rongrong was already grinning and reaching out with both hands to tickle her. "Sister Xiao Wu~ Let your junior sister give you a massage~ You must be exhausted after fighting today~"

"Ah! Rongrong, don't! Hahahahaha~"

Tang San stood nearby watching them fool around, smiling as he shook his head.

The girls' dormitory was in another row of buildings, and the three girls headed back along the corridor.

Moonlight filtered through the worn window frames, spreading a silvery-white path.

Zhu Zhuqing walked at the outer edge, silent the whole way.

Both her roommates had already become Yu Xiaogang's disciples.

Xiao Wu went without saying; she had joined earliest.

Ning Rongrong had only become his disciple that evening. Barely a few hours had passed, yet she was already calling him "Teacher" with natural warmth at every turn.

Of the three people in their dormitory, she alone was not yet Yu Xiaogang's disciple.

She clenched her cuffs, the restless urge in her heart stronger than it had been during the day.

Ning Rongrong saw what she was thinking at a glance. After all, just a few hours earlier, she herself had harbored the same thoughts.

"Hehe, Zhu Zhuqing, do you want to become his disciple too?"

Ning Rongrong tilted her head and leaned closer.

Xiao Wu stopped as well and looked back at her. "Do you want to as well, Zhu Zhuqing?"

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, her lips moving, but she had not yet worked out how to begin.

Xiao Wu and Rongrong were already cutting in together. "Then why don't you just go ask Teacher?"

Zhu Zhuqing paused. "How did you become his disciples?"

"I just asked. Back then, I was at Nuoding Academy. Third Brother became Teacher's disciple first. Later, when I couldn't beat him anymore, I went and became Teacher's disciple too."

Xiao Wu tilted her head.

"That's right. I just asked too."

Ning Rongrong nodded in agreement.

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for a moment. "There aren't any other requirements?"

Xiao Wu pressed a finger to her lips and thought. "Hmm~ Teacher has a very nice disposition, and he's usually very gentle too. If I had to name a requirement, it would be that we can't pass on the Soul Skills of our lineage to outsiders without permission."

"Mm-hmm."

Ning Rongrong nodded along.

"And we have to get along and not fight among ourselves. Teacher said everyone in our lineage should be like a family."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her fingertips gently rubbing her cuff.

There were no elaborate formalities, no requirements concerning high or low status, only two conditions of the simplest kind.

Ning Rongrong leaned over and put an arm around her shoulders, her eyes curving with her smile. "Hehe, if you become his disciple too, Zhu Zhuqing, then I won't be the most junior anymore!"

Looking at the two smiling faces before her, Zhu Zhuqing finally suppressed the hesitation in her heart.

Having made her decision, she nodded earnestly. "Mm. Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll go see Teacher Yu Xiaogang. Whatever requirements he has, I'll fulfill them."

To become stronger.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, then each extended an arm, sandwiching her between them. "That's the spirit! Come on, let's go back to bed. We'll take you to see Teacher tomorrow!"

As far as they were concerned, provided someone's talent was not too poor and they sincerely sought to become Yu Xiaogang's disciple, he probably would not refuse.

Of course, Yu Xiaogang did have certain standards for his disciples' talent, but Zhu Zhuqing's aptitude was certainly sufficient.

The two girls simply began treating Zhu Zhuqing as their junior sister ahead of time.

Now their entire dormitory would consist of fellow sisters of the same lineage.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong returned to their lodgings and nestled together on the edge of the bed.

"Another disciple. Your lineage is really growing now."

Liu Erlong leaned against his shoulder.

Yu Xiaogang smiled. "Rongrong is very talented, and her disposition isn't bad either. She's worth nurturing."

"I think that Oscar is quite promising too."

Liu Erlong turned her head to look at him.

"Innate Full Soul Power for a food-type Soul Master-I'd never even heard of it before. Utterly unheard of."

"Hehe, I'll consider it."

Yu Xiaogang squeezed her hand.

"There's no rush. Let's observe him first."

As they were talking, a low voice suddenly sounded in their ears.

"Come out and meet me..."