Du Weiya brought Gu Xingyue to her office, then pulled the door shut.
As she closed it, she even glanced outside. Gu Xingyue marveled at Du Weiya’s counter-surveillance awareness, but that look of hers was really something. She looked nothing like a dean of students—more like someone sneaking around having an affair?
She turned around, her expression already transformed into an entirely different face, rivaling a grandmaster of face-changing and the finest heir to the intangible cultural heritage of Sichuan opera face-changing.
Du Weiya's eyes brimmed with smiles, her voice gentle and warm, like an older sister next door entertaining relatives who had come from afar. "Xingyue, may I call you that? What would you like to drink? I'll pour you something."
Sitting on the sofa, Gu Xingyue looked at this dean of students who seemed like an entirely different person, unsure how to react for a moment.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, she had still been playing the haughty rich woman, chin raised and manner indifferent.
Now she was so attentive that she seemed afraid of neglecting him.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, all he managed was, "...Plain water is fine, thank you."
Du Weiya answered with a smile and turned to pour him some water, moving as quickly as if she had spotted a hundred bucks on the ground.
Watching her retreating figure, Gu Xingyue silently reflected, Having an ultimate attribute at Shrek is no different from being the "retired emperor"-your word carries more weight than the emperor's.
If he had merely been an ordinary rank-thirty Soul Elder, this dean of students would only have regarded him squarely, not looked up to him.
But now, here she was pouring water and fussing over his well-being, her attitude changing faster than the pages of a book could turn.
Little did he know that Du Weiya was thinking, If a promising youngster with an ultimate attribute runs off because of my poor attitude, I can pack my bags and leave tomorrow.
And then die by suicide with eight soul-tool beams in my back...
So never mind something as trivial as pouring water-she would gladly serve him tea, bring him water, knead his shoulders, and massage his legs.
The two chatted on and off.
Du Weiya asked a few questions about his background and who had taught him, but Gu Xingyue merely fobbed her off with vague answers, saying only that he came from an independent cultivator background and had awakened his martial soul through a chance encounter.
Du Weiya did not probe further. A smile remained on her face, but she had already diverted a thread of her attention elsewhere-she had quietly sent someone to notify the senior leadership of the Martial Soul Department.
After all, no matter how confident she was, she would not dare make the final decision alone on something like this.
If anything went wrong, it would be pear blossoms drifting down onto the windowsill.
The caution cultivated through years of office work made her habitually leave herself some room to maneuver, never speaking in absolutes.
This was her wisdom for survival, something she did not readily pass on to others.
Meanwhile, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, who had already received the message, was flying toward the Outer Court at astonishing speed.
High in the air, a streak of light tore across the sky, moving so fast that even the air split with a piercing boom.
As she passed the Inner Court's training ground, the dean caught sight of a dispirited figure below out of the corner of her eye.
It was none other than Xi Xi, who had just been defeated.
Her head was bowed, her shoulders slightly slumped; clearly, she was still immersed in the frustration of that defeat.
Ordinarily, the dean might have descended to offer a few words of comfort. After all, Xi Xi was also a promising talent whom the Inner Court valued highly.
But at this moment, her mind held only one phrase: ultimate attribute.
An ultimate attribute!
How many years had it been since Shrek Academy had produced a student with an ultimate attribute?
Who was Xi Xi?
Didn't know her, never heard of her. That could wait.
Without the slightest pause, that streak of light swept straight over the training ground, leaving a fiery trail as it sped toward the Outer Court's Academic Affairs Office.
The office door was abruptly pushed open, a rush of air surging in with it, carrying a faint, unidentifiable fragrance.
Gu Xingyue raised his head and saw a woman standing in the doorway.
She was tall, dressed in an exquisitely magnificent gold-and-red gown.
Intricate feather patterns were embroidered along its skirt, shimmering with a flowing luster as the light refracted off them.
Her long golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, curling slightly at her shoulders and swaying gently with her breathing.
Her azure eyes were deep and clear, like two gems steeped in the depths of the sea, and at that moment, they were fixed on Gu Xingyue.
Her features were delicate yet striking, her brow arches tilted slightly upward with a natural air of sharpness, but the just-right curve at the corners of her lips kept her from seeming unapproachable.
A pair of tiny crimson-feather earrings dangled from her earlobes, swaying gently with her movements. Standing there, she was like a rose in full bloom, vibrant and dazzling.
Du Weiya immediately rose and bowed slightly. "Dean Yan."
The newcomer was none other than the dean of the Martial Soul Department—Yan Shaozhe.
A powerhouse with Hyper Douluo cultivation whose Title Douluo title was Bright Phoenix, and also the dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, she had personally made a trip to the Outer Court for a newly enrolled Soul Elder boy.
Yan Shaozhe's azure eyes lingered on Gu Xingyue for a moment before she stepped into the office, her skirt trailing across the floor.
Her voice carried a hint of languor. "You're called Gu Xingyue, correct?"
Du Weiya nodded. "Yes, Dean Yan. His martial soul is the Thunderclap Infernal Prison Vine, provisionally assessed as Ultimate Lightning. During the assessment just now, he defeated Xi Xi from the Inner Court despite the difference in their ranks-a rank-fifty-two Agility Attack Soul King."
Yan Shaozhe gave a soft "Oh," her tone rising slightly at the end.
She walked up to Gu Xingyue and looked down at the boy, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe like a searchlight.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Gu Xingyue gave a dry cough. "Hello, Dean Yan."
On the surface, Gu Xingyue appeared perfectly normal, but inside, he was finding this utterly absurd.
No, bro, is this right?
Are parallel universes really this wild?
You're hitting me with something this explosive right off the bat?
Yan Shaozhe suddenly smiled. As her eyes curved, much of that sharpness faded, replaced by a bright, approachable warmth.
She extended her hand, took out a token, and held it out to Gu Xingyue. "Take it. This is my exclusive token. It symbolizes status and strength, something even my Personal Disciples don't have. Starting tomorrow, it belongs to you. Come straight to the Inner Court with me to register, and stay with me."
Beside them, Du Weiya took on the supporting role of explaining the token's importance. "Xingyue, hurry up and thank Dean Yan. You should know that this token holds tremendous significance. Seeing this token is equivalent to seeing the dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department in person. Even an emperor would tremble three times at the sight of it!"
Gu Xingyue froze for a moment, then accepted the token, silently reflecting, This treatment... now that's more like it. Aside from coming to Shrek to change things a little... though it might not really need me to change anything anymore. After all, with the characters like this, their personalities are probably different too. So this is a parallel universe? Seriously...
Yan Shaozhe spoke again. "All right, Xingyue, come back to the Inner Court with me first."
Gu Xingyue stood dazed for a while, but fortunately, he finally came to his senses and followed Yan Shaozhe.
Dean Yan turned toward the door. As she passed Du Weiya, she paused for half a step, turned her head, and said softly, "Remember to keep Gu Xingyue's situation confidential. All subsequent coordination will go through you. Be sure to take this seriously." With that, she left without looking back.
Once the door closed again, Du Weiya let out a long breath.
Before you continue