Shui Bing'er stared intently at Gu Wuchen, wanting to see just how strong this young master of the Gu Clan really was.
Just as Shui Bing'er was watching, Gu Wuchen released his aura.
Four black and two red Soul Ring appeared.
The final Soul Ring was a striking combination of red and gold.
" Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
Shui Bing'er was utterly shocked. Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring? That's unbelievable!
Gu Wuchen slowly withdrew his aura, and the Soul Ring around him disappeared as well.
He looked at Shui Bing'er, who was pale and still panting heavily, and asked calmly, " Shui Bing'er, how are you feeling?"
Shui Bing'er barely managed to stand by holding onto the table next to her; the terrifying pressure she had just felt almost suffocating her.
She raised her head, her eyes filled with awe as she looked at Gu Wuchen, her voice trembling slightly:
"Strong... Young Master Gu, you are very strong. You are the youngest and most powerful Soul Master I have ever seen."
She couldn't believe that a boy of similar age to herself already possessed Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and even a red -Golden Soul Ring she had never seen before.
The aura emanating from that Soul Ring made her feel a sense of submission from the depths of her soul.
Gu Wuchen smiled and stood up:
"In that case, Shui Bing'er, take me to your Shui Family. I've almost finished dealing with things at the Skywater Academy."
"Going to the Shui Family?" Shui Bing'er was taken aback, her face full of doubt. "What would Young Master Gu do at the Shui Family? Our Shui Family is just an ordinary Soul Master family in Heaven Dou City; we probably can't be of any help to Young Master Gu."
"Naturally, it's about making a deal with your parents," Gu Wuchen said casually. "A deal that only benefits the Shui Family, with no drawbacks."
Xia Qingyue chimed in from the side:
" Bing'er, just take Young Master Gu with you. What kind of person is Young Master Gu? Would he lie to your Shui Family? Being able to establish a connection with the Gu Clan is a blessing that many families would kill for."
Shui Bing'er bit her lip, her heart still filled with doubt, but looking at Gu Wuchen's determined eyes and recalling the strength he had just displayed, she finally nodded:
"Alright, Young Master Gu, I'll take you there."
Gu Wuchen nodded in satisfaction and said to Bo Saixi and Cang Yue:
"Let's go."
The four of them followed Shui Bing'er out of the dean's office, leaving Xia Qingyue standing alone.
Meanwhile, inside the Blue Tyrant Academy, which had been renamed Shrek Academy, a fierce argument was breaking out in the dean's office.
" Erlong! I just want to incorporate my theories into the academy's curriculum so that students can avoid making the same mistakes. Is that not allowed?"
Yu Xiaogang slammed his fist on the table, his face full of confusion and anger.
He held a thick stack of lesson plans in his hand, filled with the theories of Soul Master that he had studied for decades.
Liu Erlong sat in the chair, his face cold, and shook his head:
"No, the academy's curriculum was established long ago and cannot be changed arbitrarily."
"Why not?" Yu Xiaogang questioned. "My theory has been verified countless times; it's the most scientific and effective method for Soul Master cultivation! Using my method, students' progress speed can at least double!"
"I said no, and that's final." Liu Erlong's tone remained unwavering.
Looking at the man she had loved her whole life, she felt a deep sense of helplessness and pain.
How could she not want to help him?
She wanted him to showcase his talents here more than anyone else.
But she couldn't. Gu Wuchen had specifically instructed her before leaving that any major decisions made by the academy must be approved by him.
In particular, Gu Wuchen explicitly stated that Yu Xiaogang's theories should absolutely not be promoted on a large scale within the academy.
She dared not disobey Gu Wuchen's orders.
She knew perfectly well that Gu Wuchen had the power to remove her from her position as dean at any time, and could even make Shrek Academy disappear from the continent overnight.
But she couldn't say these things to Yu Xiaogang.
She didn't want him to know that the place he longed to make his mark had already become someone else's.
Yu Xiaogang trembled with anger at Liu Erlong Erlong's unyielding attitude.
"This won't work, that won't work! Then tell me, what am I even capable of doing? I traveled all this way here, not to be a lazy bum!"
Flender stood to the side, sighed, and stepped forward to pull Yu Xiaogang aside:
" Xiaogang, don't get agitated. Erlong must have her own difficulties."
"What difficulties could she possibly have?" Yu Xiaogang shook off Flender's hand. "She's the dean now, she calls the shots in the entire academy! She just doesn't want me to have an easy time!"
Liu Erlong felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart. Her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.
She turned her head away, not daring to look at Yu Xiaogang's disappointed eyes.
A deathly silence fell over the office.
Looking at Liu Erlong's indifferent profile, Yu Xiaogang's disappointment deepened.
He slammed the lesson plan he was holding to the ground and turned to walk out.
"Since there's no place for me here, I'll just leave!"
After saying that, he slammed the door shut and left without looking back.
Flender watched Yu Xiaogang's departing figure, then looked at Liu Erlong, who had his head down and shoulders trembling slightly, and shook his head helplessly.
He walked to Liu Erlong's side and asked softly, " Erlong, what are you hiding from us? You're not the same as before."
Liu Erlong raised her head, her eyes already red.
She looked at Flender, opened her mouth, but ultimately shook her head, saying in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing, let him calm down."
Following Shui Bing'er through the carved water-patterned gate, the group entered the Shui Family mansion.
The courtyard is filled with aquatic plants.
"Father, Young Master Gu has arrived."
Shui Bing'er bowed to the middle-aged man waiting at the entrance of the main hall.
Shui Yuntao wore a dark blue brocade robe, his face was refined, but his eyes revealed the shrewdness of a businessman.
He strode forward, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Gu Wuchen, and said in a humble tone, " Young Master Gu, your presence is an honor to the Shui Family. We apologize for not greeting you sooner."
His heart was already in turmoil.
The Gu Clan is currently at the height of its power on the mainland, and Gu Wuchen is an unparalleled figure. Not to mention a mere patriarch of the Shui Family, even the Heaven Dou Emperor would have to give the Gu Clan some face.
He simply couldn't understand why such an important person would suddenly condescend to visit their Shui Family.
"No need for such formalities Shui Family." Gu Wuchen nodded slightly, walked straight into the main hall, and sat down in the head seat.
Bo Saixi and Cang Yue stood on either side of him behind him, emanating a faint aura of power that made the atmosphere in the main hall heavy.
The servants served fine tea and then carefully withdrew.
The main hall was silent. Shui Yuntao's fingers, holding the teacup, tightened slightly, his heart pounding with anxiety.
He knew that Gu Wuchen wouldn't come to the temple without a reason, so this visit must be for something important.
Sure enough, Gu Wuchen put down his teacup and got straight to the point:
" Shui Family, I've come today to discuss a deal with you. I want to bring the Shui Family under the Gu Clan's control and make them a vassal family of the Gu Clan."
"What?!"
Shui Yuntao suddenly stood up, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," splashing tea all over the floor.
He stared at Gu Wuchen in disbelief, thinking he had misheard.