"Chen An!"
"I told you long ago that your Martial Soul couldn't develop in that direction, but you just wouldn't listen!"
"Look at Tang San. What a good boy he is, while you're nothing but a rebel!"
Looking at Chen An as though he were an enemy, Yu Xiaogang berated him right to his face.
"Grandmaster, I don't know what you're trying to do, but please don't slander me!" Chen An replied politely.
"Fine, fine, fine. If you can't save Zhao Wuji, I'll make you pay!" Yu Xiaogang couldn't be bothered to argue any further and quietly watched to see what Chen An would do next.
"Enough, Xiaogang."
"Don't speak so harshly. We're teacher and student, after all!"
Seeing things going wrong, Flender hurriedly tried to mediate.
Fuck!
This Flender really has no shame. He was just threatening to kill me!
Now he's pretending we're teacher and student? One face onstage and another offstage, huh?!
Chen An really wished these two pieces of work would get lost-the farther away, the better.
A hum...
What was that sound?!
Was something happening?
Seeming to sense the pull of a special force, Chen An slowly approached Zhao Wuji.
Cold!
So cold!
With every step closer, Chen An's body trembled.
"Such pure ultimate ice!"
Even drawing on the ultimate ice stored within Lone Bamboo, he couldn't block it completely.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out!"
Realizing how serious things were, Chen An hurriedly shouted at everyone in the room.
"You!"
"Do you know who you're talking to? I'm your teacher, your teacher!!!"
Yu Xiaogang was extremely displeased with Chen An's tone.
He thought Chen An was putting on a mystical act to bluff his way through.
"Xiaogang, Chen An is your disciple, after all. Please trust him!" Flender reminded him, patting his shoulder.
At Flender's urging.
Everyone went outside, leaving Chen An alone in the room.
About thirty seconds later.
Veins of ice gradually extended from Zhao Wuji's body toward the ground.
Fine threads gathered beneath Chen An's feet, one after another.
As though sensing a lethal threat.
The ultimate ice stored within his Martial Soul, Lone Bamboo, instantly burst forth, wrapping Chen An tightly within it.
"What's this?"
"An Ice Phoenix?!"
An intricate phoenix pattern suddenly appeared on Zhao Wuji's forehead.
In an instant.
Before Chen An could think it through.
All the ultimate ice converged into a lifelike Ice Phoenix and attacked him.
"Shit!"
"With my little bit of Soul Power, I can't block it completely with ultimate ice!"
Roar!!!
At that critical moment.
The Lone Bamboo in Chen An's hand worked at tremendous speed, and a crimson flame dragon spiraled upward.
The phoenix coiled and the dragon fought. The flame dragon repeatedly tried to devour the Ice Phoenix, while the Ice Phoenix repeatedly broke free of the flame dragon's coils.
Time slowly passed, and the two ultimate forces gradually dissipated.
Bang!
Dazzling white light filled the entire room, accompanied by a piercing sound.
About three seconds later, everything fell silent.
Chen An's legs went weak. Bracing a hand against the bedside, he felt utterly drained.
"Who the hell did this?!"
"That's too fucking vicious!"
"More than a hundred times nastier than God King Tang's poisoned needle!"
Cold sweat poured down Chen An's back.
He discovered that some ultimate ice still remained in Zhao Wuji's body.
Although his life wasn't in danger, his limbs, muscles, and bones would probably hurt unbearably late every night.
Torture... pure torture!
Chen An calmed down and thought carefully. He remembered that Zhao Wuji had been a wanted criminal to begin with. Perhaps someone had planted a seed mark or something similar in him before, and it just happened to erupt when he met Chen An.
"Chen An, have you dealt with it?!"
"We're coming in!"
Sensing no Soul Power fluctuations in the room, Flender pushed the door open and entered.
The group was just about to come inside.
Pale-faced, Chen An dragged himself out.
He first concealed the ultimate attributes of ice and fire, then briefly told everyone his conjecture.
"Chen An, let's put Zhao Wuji aside for now. I want to ask: will you choose a thousand-year ring for your next Soul Ring or not?"
Yu Xiaogang stared fixedly at Chen An, his gaze resolute.
Based on the Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Chen An had previously absorbed, combined with his current top-tier control of the ice element, he was utterly convinced that Chen An had the potential to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Imagine someone whose first two Soul Rings were ten-year rings, but whose third leaped to a thousand years.
And whose overall strength was immense, with control over an exceptionally powerful ice element.
Wouldn't that shake the continent!
"Grandmaster, I have my own path and direction for growth. There's no need for you to concern yourself!"
Chen An rejected him without a second thought.
He grumbled inwardly:
Follow Gangzi, and you'll miss nine meals in three days! And once I succeed, if Gangzi comes out with another "I taught a god," wouldn't that blow everything to hell!
"Alas!" Yu Xiaogang shook his head after hearing that. "Look at Tang San. Innate full Soul Power paired with two hundred-year Soul Rings. And you're simply a joke, wasting your talent of innate full Soul Power!"
Chen An frowned, clenching his teeth so tightly that his cheeks almost trembled.
Oh, come on!
This Gangzi really had no shame!
Every fucking word was Tang San this, Tang San that. Just watch me snatch those opportunities-even a god won't be any help!
Chen An didn't like talking to middle-aged men going through menopause.
Especially ones as lacking in self-awareness as Yu Xiaogang!
"Huh?"
"Why haven't you left yet?"
Chen An entered the dining hall and saw Xiao Wu sitting there all alone.
"Heh, waiting for an idiot!" Xiao Wu pouted her tender pink lips, displeasure written all over her face.
"Wait, why isn't there any food left?"
Chen An lifted the lids off several wooden tubs in succession. Every one was empty.
"Here!" Xiao Wu pointed to the plate in front of her.
"Thanks."
Although they were leftovers, Chen An didn't make a fuss.
After all, he had spent so many years with Xiao Wu that he was long used to it.
He didn't know whether he was imagining things.
He kept feeling that Xiao Wu was a lot like the yandere videos he had scrolled past on Musical Note before transmigrating.
She just wasn't quite as possessive, but she was overly attentive and overly clingy.
"What did the dean want with you?" Xiao Wu interrupted Chen An's immersive imaginings.
"Nothing much. Just the matter with Teacher Zhao!"
Hearing that.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she pressed on. "Did something go wrong?"
"It's just..."
Chen An took the bowl of soup Xiao Wu handed him and drank deeply.
After patiently hearing him out.
Xiao Wu tugged at the corners of her mouth and said in an extremely smug tone, "Serves him right. Who told him to hurt you during the assessment!"
"That's true, but I still feel like something's strange."
Hearing Xiao Wu looking out for him, Chen An felt warmth in his heart.
"Forget strange. Hurry up and eat!"
"We've got training this afternoon, and tomorrow we're setting out for Star Dou Great Forest to obtain Soul Rings!"
Chen An was a little surprised. "That soon? We're not getting a few more days to adjust?"
"Do you think this soup tastes a little bloody?"
Xiao Wu tapped her head. "No! I'm going to take a nap first."
Seeing that he was alone.
Chen An stopped keeping up appearances and wolfed down his food.
Burp~
After finishing his meal, Chen An had just reached the dormitory when he saw Ning Rongsong and Oscar.
"Rongrong, want a sausage?"
"My sausage is big and long. It's really tasty!"
"Tch." Ning Rongrong planted her hands on her hips and said angrily, "I'm looking for Chen An. Who the hell are you! A sausage? How about a taste of my invincible sandbag-sized fist!"
Oscar gave an awkward smile:
"Haha?"
"That's not out of the question..."