"Cryo Element?"
"The purity of the Cryo Element in this Lone Bamboo is simply too high!"
Ma Xiunuo could clearly feel the cold piercing his marrow. Although he did not know exactly what it was, he vaguely felt that it resembled the Ultimate Ice of rumor.
Ordinary ice involved manipulating matter, whereas Ultimate Ice was especially overbearing, directly freezing matter at its source. Neither Soul Power nor space could escape it.
But wasn't Ultimate Ice found in the Far North, that forbidden zone humans did not dare to enter lightly?
"Xiao An!"
"Which Soul Beast did this Ten-Year Soul Ring come from?"
Chen An did not understand why Ma Xiunuo was so excited. Could he also be interested in Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo?!
"Bamboo too!"
"Just the bamboo you commonly see beside the paths in the Soul Beast Forest."
Boom!
Ma Xiunuo froze, as though he had been struck by lightning.
He had lived for nearly eighty years.
This was his first time hearing of roadside bamboo carrying Cryo Elements, let alone ones tending toward the ultimate level.
He felt somewhat agitated.
Either this was a Martial Soul Mutation, or it really was a miraculous effect brought about by the Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo.
Cold bamboo... it seemed reasonable for cold bamboo to carry a little icy Qi, didn't it?
"Ah."
"That explanation is too far-fetched. A monster, an absolute monster!"
Ma Xiunuo could not be bothered to think about it anymore. The more he thought about it, the more infuriating it became. At his age, he had not even broken through level thirty, yet every one of these little fellows before him possessed extraordinary talent.
"Let's test your Soul Power first!" he said with a sigh.
Chen An was baffled. This old man kept jumping at every little thing.
"Not bad, level fourteen!"
"One level higher than your companion's Soul Power!"
"Congratulations on registering as Soul Masters and qualifying for the monthly subsidy issued by the state."
Ma Xiunuo did not try persuading the two to join Spirit Hall, either, because geniuses like these surely had an expert guiding them.
Tang San bowed with a smile. "Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, we'll be going, then!"
"Wait!"
"May I know your teacher's name?"
Ma Xiunuo asked curiously.
Tang San said proudly, "All I know is that everyone calls him Grandmaster!"
"Gasp... could he be the Grandmaster who published the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul and was expelled from Spirit Hall?!"
"No wonder you're so outstanding. It seems Grandmaster isn't merely an empty reputation, as the rumors claim."
Learning that his teacher had this other identity, Tang San suddenly did not know what to say.
Meanwhile.
Beside him, Chen An gritted his teeth, his clenched fists trembling nonstop.
He thought to himself:
What is this old fellow talking about?
As if Gangzi deserves to teach me, someone who'll surpass God King Tang in the future!
Once I snatch Old Poison's opportunity at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, let's see whether Gangzi can still break through to Soul Grandmaster!
"Huh?"
"Xiao An, why did you come back alone?"
"Where's Xiao San?"
On his way to the classroom, Chen An encountered Xiao Wu taking a walk alone.
"He went to do some smithing, so I came back first."
Looking at Xiao Wu's face, so full of melancholy, Chen An felt an inexplicable twinge in his heart.
Aaaah... my Xiao Wu! God King Tang must have done this!
Chen An was just about to fiercely denounce Tang San in his mind on Xiao Wu's behalf.
Suddenly.
A single remark instantly turned him into a heap of crumbling rocks.
"Xiao An!"
"Could you stay a little farther away from Xiao San?!"
Xiao Wu's voice was icy.
It was as though every word brimmed with dissatisfaction toward Chen An.
What?
What on earth happened?
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!
Chen An felt as though a needle had stabbed his chest.
"I-I... I'll be more careful next time."
His throat felt blocked, and he could only force out those few words.
Xiao Wu pouted, her knitted brows finally relaxing.
Watching Xiao Wu's figure gradually recede, Chen An's sorrow reached its peak.
Heaven is unjust!
We're both transmigrators, so why should that old brat Tang San get all the benefits?
No, something's wrong!
Chen An's mind raced.
He quickly calmed down, transforming into Holmes as he considered Xiao Wu's words and behavior.
Hiss...
Her tone and expression both betrayed a trace of anger... there doesn't seem to be any flaw?
Does she simply think I have poor character and can't compare to Tang San?
Chen An sighed. No matter which angle he approached it from, he could not explain it well.
He simply stopped thinking about it.
The boat would straighten itself when it reached the bridge. What was meant to be his would surely be his.
Hungry~
His disappointing stomach always dropped the ball at crucial moments. Chen An could only turn grief into appetite and give his mouth a proper workout.
"Xiao An, over here!"
The moment Chen An reached the cafeteria, Xiao Wu's familiar, cheerful voice rang in his ears.
"Hello, Sister Xiao Wu!"
With a stiff expression, Chen An sat blankly opposite Xiao Wu.
"Y-you, what's wrong?"
"Does that fellow Wang Sheng owe you money?"
Pouting, Xiao Wu pointed her chopsticks at Wang Sheng beside her, her face full of displeasure.
The latter hurriedly shook his head.
"Ah, I'm not in a very good mood." Chen An kept his head lowered as he spoke, lacking even the courage to look Xiao Wu in the face.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"You..."
Xiao Wu was just about to give the rude fellow Chen An a harsh lesson with her chopsticks.
Suddenly.
A familiar voice sounded from behind her.
"Xiao Wu, so you're all here."
"I've been looking for ages."
Tang San had returned to the academy at some point as well. Instinctively, he tried to sit beside Xiao Wu.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Wu gently shook her head, giving him a look of refusal.
Tang San scratched his head, his face flushing slightly.
He calmly sat beside Chen An and quietly began eating.
Huh?
What's going on here?
Chen An had actually been eating with his head down too, but he happened to catch this scene.
Holy shit!
I've got a chance!
What happened earlier must have been a misunderstanding. Surely Xiao Wu couldn't like Wang Sheng?!
At that thought, the corners of his mouth gradually lifted.
During that half hour of eating.
None of them spoke, and the atmosphere grew awkward and dull for a while.
After the meal, Chen An called Wang Sheng aside for a private conversation.
"What's wrong with Sister Xiao Wu?"
Wang Sheng frowned, unable to understand what Chen An meant. "Nothing. Sister Xiao Wu even led us working students to beat up Boss Xiao again today!"
"Wasn't there anything else unusual?"
Chen An took deep breaths as he spoke with great patience.
"Unusual..."
"Does secretly watching you and Tang San talk last night count?" Wang Sheng said only after thinking for a long while.
Chen An sighed. "All right."
He still firmly believed that luck would surely favor him.
"Xiao An, I'd like to talk to you!"
Chen An had intended to find somewhere quiet to cultivate in secret, but Xiao Wu unexpectedly intercepted him.
"Sure!"
Chen An certainly would not refuse an invitation from his goddess. In fact, he was even a little curious.
In a quiet corner of the academy's rear garden.
Xiao Wu stood silently before Chen An.
"What is it, Sister Xiao Wu?" Chen An spoke first.
Xiao Wu hesitated for a long time.
Finally, she plucked up her courage and took a book out of her backpack.
"Does this book of yours have a sequel?"
Chen An froze for a moment.
He was rather bewildered. So all this had just been about a book. He had gotten excited for nothing.
Wait!
Isn't this the gay romance novel I used to prop up my bed leg?
How did it end up in Xiao Wu's hands?
Chen An blinked, unsure whether he should answer.
If he did not answer, he would hurt his goddess's tender little heart.
If he answered, he would confirm that he owned this smutty novel.
This was nothing short of an outright, open scheme!