To be honest, Flender had never thought much of any of the nearby Soul Master Academies.
With his strength, he ranked among the best in the entire Balak Kingdom. How many Soul Douluos did the kingdom have altogether? Even counting Canghui Academy's elderly dean, there were only four, and three of them were retainers of the Duke Barak.
Besides, they were only Soul Douluos. Would they actually dare touch his Shrek Academy? Did they know who Tang San's father was?
If they touched Shrek Academy, would Tang San's father really do nothing? Would he stand aside and watch his son and his son's teachers get bullied?
And would that elderly dean of Canghui Academy really swallow his pride and come stir up trouble at his tiny Shrek Academy?
Absolutely impossible!
So Flender had never been worried about any of that. His only concern was how to teach such a large group of students. After all, Shrek Academy did not even have a proper large classroom.
At that thought, Flender could not help thinking of Liu Erlong's Blue Tyrant Academy. If he brought this whole group of students there to join, he believed Liu Erlong would certainly not refuse.
But ever since learning about Liu Erlong and Li Ye's relationship, he had spent the past year occasionally dropping indirect hints to Yu Xiaogang. Yet Yu Xiaogang was simply a fool when it came to romance and completely failed to grasp his meaning.
He had considered telling Yu Xiaogang the truth outright, but he feared Yu Xiaogang would be unable to accept it and run off to confront Liu Erlong. If their relationship turned terribly strained, it would become difficult for him to ask Liu Erlong about joining Blue Tyrant Academy.
"Flender, what story are you trying to tell me this time? Don't tell me it's that one from last time, about a disciple falling in love with his master's wife?"
"No, no, no. Xiaogang, there's actually something I want to tell you this time." Flender quietly pulled Yu Xiaogang somewhere deserted and spoke in a low voice.
"What is it?" Yu Xiaogang sighed and asked, at a loss for words.
Flender really was too much. Did he not know how busy Yu Xiaogang was, cleaning up after his disciples? Whatever it was, could it not wait until he was finished?
Seeing the impatience on Yu Xiaogang's face, Flender simply stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point. "Xiaogang, Erlong plans to get married next May. The groom is that Feng Yeli, and you've met him!"
"What? Is Erlong really in such a hurry? Why doesn't she observe him a little longer and think things through before deciding?"
"Xiaogang, do you really not understand, or are you playing dumb? I said you know that Feng Yeli!" Seeing Yu Xiaogang still playing dumb, Flender immediately grabbed his shoulders and shouted.
"I heard you. I'm not an idiot. You might not be all that serious, but why would you keep telling me those little stories about the collapse of propriety and morality every day? Actually, I knew a long time ago. After Xiao Ye came back from hunting for his third Soul Ring, he would run off to Spirit Hall every so often to mail letters. Once, during his time off, I saw him grinning foolishly at a letter. He even kept it beside his pillow when he fell asleep. That time, while covering him with a blanket, I took the opportunity to glance at the letter."
"At first, I couldn't believe it either, and I found it a little hard to accept. But Xiao Ye is my disciple. In my heart, I think of him as my own child. I don't want him to give up his happiness because of me. I hope he and Erlong can both live happily."
"Actually, it's nothing much. Doesn't Xiao Ye falling for Erlong mean his taste is much like mine, his teacher's? And doesn't Erlong falling for Xiao Ye mean the boy is even more charming than his teacher? I couldn't be more pleased, so why would I be angry? As for their wedding, I won't be going. I'd rather not sour the occasion for them."
After saying all that, Yu Xiaogang felt the breath that had been trapped in his chest finally ease, and his body felt considerably lighter too.
"Xiaogang, I'm really happy you can think that way. We're both getting on in years. There really is no need to keep dreaming of romance or a second spring in life."
"But you old rascal, you really hid it well! And here I was, worrying about you all this time. No wonder you felt comfortable letting Xiao Ye go alone when he went to hunt for his fourth Soul Ring last time. So you already knew he'd be going with Erlong! You old fossil, you're asking for a beating!"
Recalling what had happened before, Flender immediately caught Yu Xiaogang in a headlock and cursed him with a laugh.
Helping the newly enrolled junior students hunt for Soul Rings had truly worn Li Ye and Zhao Wuji out.
It was not that the soul beasts these students needed were particularly powerful, but that Yu Xiaogang's plans were far too detailed.
For just a second Soul Ring, was it really necessary to analyze things from so many angles before selecting the most suitable soul beast? Did he have any idea how hard those soul beasts were to find?
Often, the soul beast one person needed was in the east, while another person's could only be found in the west. Had Li Ye not planned things sensibly and greatly shortened their search time, he reckoned he would still be stuck in the Soul Hunting Forest.
After wasting two months hunting Soul Rings for the new students, Li Ye's patience was completely exhausted. He had no intention of dealing with the remaining mess. If any more students broke through, Tang San could go instead. That kid's level was high enough now anyway. Level 37 was not bad, a full two levels above Dai Mubai.
Wait, wasn't Tang San a Support System Soul Master?
Li Ye: Wasn't Dai Mubai still there? With those two teaming up as jungler and support, they could carry the whole team, all right?
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Ye's cultivation reached level 50. He was only one step away from becoming a true Soul King: obtaining a suitable Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
In a world where people matured relatively early, Li Ye could be considered truly grown up this year.
Standing 190 centimeters tall, with a handsome yet commanding face and a well-proportioned physique that looked stylish clothed and muscular bare, who knew how many young girls and married women he could enchant?
Xiao Wu was the prime example. Ever since Li Ye's breakthrough, she clung to him every day and refused to leave, constantly pestering him to take her out to play.
Had Xiao Wu's body not still been insufficiently developed, Li Ye would have already bedded her and left her unable to get out of bed all day and night. Then he would see how she could keep clinging to him.
"Xiao Wu, if you keep this up and end up carrying my little bunny, don't blame me."
After Li Ye poked her with his rod, Xiao Wu immediately behaved herself. She stopped asking him to take her shopping and sat in his lap with her little face flushed, saying nothing.
"Xiao Wu, I'm planning a trip to Heaven Dou City to marry Long'er, the one I told you about before. Do you want to come?"
"If you're willing to marry me, Brother Ye, then of course I'll come."
"Then you'd better be ready to be everyone else's little sister. After all, I rank you by age."
"Hmph, little sister it is. Doesn't that just mean I'm younger than all of them?"
"Haha, you're not wrong to think that. After all, my Xiao Wu will always be my precious little darling."
After confirming Xiao Wu's wishes, Li Ye said his farewells to Yu Xiaogang and Flender.
Although Li Ye had invited Flender and Yu Xiaogang to come witness the wedding, neither agreed. They only told him to take care of his health and remember to return to Shrek Academy, rather than forgetting the two of them once he had a wife.
Speaking of which, Flender and Yu Xiaogang had been somewhat surprised to learn that Li Ye's Soul Power had broken through to level 50. After all, throughout all of history, there had never been a Soul King who reached level 50 at twelve. It really was rather absurd.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, had only reached level 43 since breaking through to level 40 last year. One look told you she had not been cultivating diligently.
Tang San: Please stop, senior brother. I'm only level 39 right now. I still have a way to go before breaking through to level 40!
After packing his luggage, Li Ye took Xiao Wu with him and drove a carriage toward Heaven Dou City.
As for why he was driving a carriage, naturally, it was because traveling under his own power was too tiring.
Besides, the horses Li Ye used to pull the carriage were no ordinary horses. They were two Hundred-Year Soul Beast Steeds he had bought from Spirit Hall. They could run from Suotuo City to Heaven Dou City in just ten days, hardly any slower than his normal traveling speed.
Pulled by the horses, they soon reached the end of the nearly ten-thousand-li journey. Li Ye and Xiao Wu arrived on a narrow road just over a dozen li from Heaven Dou City.
The reason they had chosen a narrow road was that there were more bandits along it, and none were particularly strong. Li Ye could kill some bandits and rid the surrounding common folk of a scourge, while also robbing them of some spending money.
As for why he killed them rather than merely teaching them a lesson, naturally, it was because bandits would always be bandits. Once a bandit, always a bandit.
Though that was only a flippant remark, it was also reality. These days, those who became bandits and robbed people were all Soul Masters, and no matter their level, Soul Masters lived far better than ordinary common folk.
The reason they went out robbing people along the roads was naturally that they were dissatisfied with their current lives, wanted more money, and wished to satisfy the greed in their hearts.
For such evildoers, with countless innocent souls on their hands, if he did not kill them, was he supposed to keep them around for the New Year? Or should he hand them over to the two great empires or Spirit Hall, only for them to end up running off to Slaughter City to party?
Before you continue