Xu Sanshi's mouth rattled like a machine gun as he told Bei Bei what had happened in the Soul Dueling Arena.
But he spoke so fast that Bei Bei could not make out what he was saying. Helplessly, he soothed him. "Don't rush. You can speak a little slower."
Xu Sanshi's eyes brimmed with tears. "To think that I, Xu Sanshi, with my lifetime of illustrious renown, actually lost to a first-year freshman who just enrolled. I don't want to live anymore. Boohoo."
Looking at him like this, Bei Bei recalled the oppressive sensation Nan Zhuliu had unconsciously given him when they first met in the Star Dou Great Forest, one that had almost carved itself into the depths of his soul.
Bei Bei's gaze darkened. Just what secret did Nan Zhuliu hold, to make both buddies break their lances against him one after another?
"When you fought him, did you feel anything unusual?"
In fact, he and Tang Ya had also been present for Xu Sanshi's soul duel with Nan Zhuliu, but by the time they arrived, the front-row seats were already taken.
With the soul tool barrier blocking them as well, they had been completely unable to see how Nan Zhuliu had knocked him unconscious with a slap without using his Martial Soul or Soul Skills, or even touching Xu Sanshi. All they could do was ask the person involved what he had felt.
Xu Sanshi thought for a moment, then said, enunciating every word, "When he charged at me, I think I saw a dragon."
Bei Bei's heart trembled. "A dragon?"
Xu Sanshi recalled it again, then nodded with absolute certainty. "That's right. A dragon."
When Nan Zhuliu charged to within five meters of him, he felt as though Nan Zhuliu had vanished into thin air, replaced by a colossal dragon that words could not describe.
"Even a wisp of the presence he gave off terrified my Martial Soul so badly that it even wanted to submit."
Bei Bei was astonished. This was practically identical to what he had felt that day.
Just what was Nan Zhuliu's Martial Soul, to successively suppress their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and Black Tortoise Martial Souls, both of which ranked among the very best on the entire Douluo Continent?
Bei Bei took a deep breath. "To tell you the truth, Xiao Ya and I actually know the person you clashed with, in a manner of speaking."
"What?!" Xu Sanshi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in surprise.
"Calm down. We only met him once when we went to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring."
Then Bei Bei told Xu Sanshi about their encounter with Nan Zhuliu in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xu Sanshi wore a strange expression. "You're saying that Nan Zhuliu went to the Star Dou Great Forest alone to obtain a Soul Ring, and helped someone else obtain a hundred-year Soul Ring while injured?"
Bei Bei nodded. "When we met him, there really wasn't a third person with him besides Lingtong."
"Fuck, what kind of monster is he?" Xu Sanshi could not help swearing.
With Nan Zhuliu's strength, enough to knock him unconscious with a single slap, just what powerful Soul Beast would he have had to encounter in the Star Dou Great Forest to come running out injured?
Bei Bei sighed softly. "You really kicked an iron plate this time. Is it really worth making so many enemies for Jiang Nannan?"
At the mention of Jiang Nannan's name, Xu Sanshi grunted a few times. "Stay out of that. I have my own plans."
"Then what are you planning to do about Nan Zhuliu? He didn't strike me as someone easy to get along with."
Xu Sanshi pondered for a moment. "What else can I do? Be nicer to him. A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall."
"In that case, get some proper rest. The advancement assessment is tomorrow."
At that, Xu Sanshi's eyes darted around.
Seeing Nan Zhuliu return to the dorm room right on her heels, Wang Dong was a little puzzled. "Don't you usually stay somewhere other than the dorm?"
"Who told you that?"
"You haven't spent a single night in the dorm these past few days."
Nan Zhuliu said flatly, "If I have the means, why would I stay in the dorm? If classes weren't starting tomorrow, I wouldn't have come back to stay."
Wang Dong was even more puzzled. "Then where have you been staying these past few days?"
"A hotel in Shrek City."
Wang Dong choked.
I was careless. I suffered for days for nothing. If I'd known, I would have stayed in a hotel too.
Heaven knew how much torment she, with her severe obsession with cleanliness, had endured these past few days trying to better adapt to the dorm.
Nan Zhuliu paid Wang Dong no further attention. He took off his shoes, climbed into bed, and went straight into meditation.
As for Wang Dong, cultivating was out of the question. She pulled up her covers, sank into the soft bedding, and soon fell fast asleep.
A sleepless night passed.
When Wang Dong woke, Nan Zhuliu was already gone from the dorm.
Still groggy, she scratched her messy hair and prepared to get out of bed to wash up.
As though remembering something, Wang Dong's eyes abruptly cleared, and she shouted in despair, "Nan Zhuliu, it's your turn to clean today, hey!"
Naturally, Nan Zhuliu could not hear Wang Dong.
By then, having risen early and finished breakfast, he had already arrived at the classroom for First-Year Class Nine.
Although he had been among the earliest batch to register, class assignments were random.
After he finished filling out his registration form, the teacher in charge of admissions had casually assigned him to First-Year Class Nine.
That was the same First-Year Class Nine as Ning Tian, who possessed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, and her personal follower, Wu Feng.
Huo Lingtong, meanwhile, had still been assigned to Zhou Yi's First-Year Class One along with Wang Dong.
When Nan Zhuliu reached the classroom, quite a few people were already seated inside.
When the unusual-looking yet exceptionally handsome, cool, and aloof Nan Zhuliu stepped into First-Year Class Nine, the lively classroom instantly fell silent.
Boys and girls alike, everyone's gaze landed on him.
Nan Zhuliu ignored them and found a seat with excellent feng shui.
Gradually, the classroom grew lively again.
With his sharp hearing, Nan Zhuliu heard quite a few students switch their topic of conversation to him.
Meanwhile, when an annoyed Wang Dong arrived at her classroom, she immediately spotted the central figure behind Nan Zhuliu's angry intervention yesterday-Huo Lingtong.
Wang Dong gave a quiet inward snort and sat down right beside Huo Lingtong.
Huo Lingtong glanced at her in surprise but said nothing.
Soon, the bell rang for class.
Before long, Nan Zhuliu saw through the window that dozens of people had arrived one after another at Shrek Square in front of the teaching building. Huo Lingtong and Wang Dong were among them.
Seeing this, Nan Zhuliu knew that the regular show, "Zhou Yi Takes a Stick to the Nine Great Vajras," had begun.
Without being kept behind by Zhou Yi for fifteen wasted minutes for fighting Wang Dong, Huo Lingtong gave Nan Zhuliu no cause to worry that she might fail to finish a hundred laps.
Just then, Mu Jin, Class Nine's homeroom teacher, finally finished his opening address for the first lesson of the term and got straight to the point, beginning their first class at Shrek Academy.
"Nan Zhuliu." When he reached the subject of Martial Soul mutations, Mu Jin called Nan Zhuliu's name.
Nan Zhuliu slowly stood.
"Everyone, look. Student Nan Zhuliu's horns are one of the changes that have an extremely small chance of occurring when a Beast Martial Soul mutates, giving a soul master some of their Martial Soul's features."
"This is perfectly normal, just like Beast Martial Soul possession. You could perhaps ask Student Nan Zhuliu. Perhaps he would be willing to let you take a close look at real dragon horns."