Chapter 62: Guard Against Fire, Guard Against Theft, Guard Against Gu Yue: Zhao Xuanzhen, the Target of All, Nine

He slept without dreams; the next morning, Zhao Xuanzhen, Na’er, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Li arrived early at Class Zero’s classroom. Shen Yi stood at the center of the podium, his ink-green eyes sweeping one by one over the four students he had trained for three years, then spoke slowly:

“Classmates, according to the decision of the Shrek Academy’s Spirit Hall Council, Class Zero is officially disbanded as of today. Since all of you are thirteen years old, you will be merged into the first-year class of the Outer Academy.”

“All four of you possess extraordinary talent and have excelled in your three years of study; thus, the Academy grants you rewards: the defeat penalties for Ye Xinglan and Xu Li are waived. Once you break through to the fifth ring, Soul Elder, and become a One-Character Battle Armor Master, you may bypass the promotion exam and enter the Inner Academy directly for further study.”

“Zhao Xuanzhen will receive all resources required to craft a full set of One-Character Battle Armor, including the four complete processes: thousand-forged metal, armor design, armor manufacturing, and armor repair. If you wish to be self-sufficient, you may transfer the opportunity to another, or cash it out—both are permitted.”

“Na’er…”

When it came to Na’er, Shen Yi paused involuntarily for a second, his expression oddly strained:

“The Academy awards you a customized study plan, allowing Na’er to remain on the Spirit Sea Island and not attend the Outer Academy. Your curriculum will match all other Shrek Academy classes: morning lectures Monday through Friday, three combat sessions, one Battle Armor session, and one moral philosophy theory class.”

“The Outer Academy’s opening ceremony has just ended; after it concludes, I will take you to the new student teaching building for registration.”

After announcing this, Shen Yi strode out of Class Zero’s classroom, leaving the four to chat freely.

“So it’s really disbanded…”

On the first day of school, Shrek’s Class Zero was dissolved. In Zhao Xuanzhen’s memory, in another timeline, Ye Xinglan and Xu Li joined the Outer Academy’s first-year class about a month after the term began. Now, with the timeline subtly altered, it was almost certainly the butterfly effect caused by him and Na’er.

For the past two years, the Yun Ming and Ya Li couple had repeatedly shown up to plead with Na’er to take a master, pulling out all the stops to change her mind.

Though the silver-haired girl seemed unreliable, her inner convictions were unshakable—her bottom line was a bottom line, not to be crossed by even a single step; no matter how dazzlingly Yun Ming wielded his Sky-Piercing Spear or how hoarse Ya Li grew from pleading, Na’er refused to budge.

With the dissolution of Class Zero and the special customized plan assigned to Na’er, Zhao Xuanzhen realized something. He condensed his spiritual power into an invisible barrier to prevent eavesdropping, then gazed at Na’er’s carefree face and said gravely:

“Na’er, surprise test: analyze why Shrek Academy is treating you specially.”

“Report, Teacher Zhen!”

Na’er sat up straight, rigidly formal: “The Sky-Piercing Douluo’s little scheme won’t fool the clever and brilliant me—it’s just about separating us so Shrek can pick us off one by one!”

“Perfectly correct!” Zhao Xuanzhen nodded approvingly, then pressed: “So why did you agree to the Sky-Piercing Douluo’s request to stay on the Spirit Sea Island?”

Na’er could not possibly reveal her one-year pact with Gu Yue; she glanced around: “Um… the spiritual energy on Spirit Sea Island is denser. Also, you mentioned earlier that the Spirit Saint seemed strange—like he was testing you, trying to get you to leave the Transmission Spirit Tower and join Shrek Academy.”

“If we’re separated, you can blend in with the hundred-plus first-years, and Shrek won’t bother you. I’ll take on most of the heat, shield you!”

“I see… thanks for that…”

“Hey, we’re practically family!”

Na’er quietly exhaled, believing she had successfully deceived her childhood friend.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Xuanzhen knew her as well as a farmer knew rice—he saw right through the little girl’s hidden secret. And Na’er was terrible at lying; her excuses were riddled with holes, utterly unconvincing.

“Relax!”

The silver-haired girl rose, glided lightly to Zhao Xuanzhen’s desk, and extended her delicate white hands to boldly rub his handsome face, grinning:

“I’m a professional traitor!”

“Wait—that’s not right. The Transmission Spirit Tower is ‘inside,’ Shrek is ‘outside’—so I’m eating outside and climbing inside!”

“Learn from the strong to serve your own.”

His face twisted into all manner of shapes, Zhao Xuanzhen spoke in eight different tones, then swatted her hands away irritably.

“Exactly!”

Na’er wasn’t offended. She propped one leg on the desk’s corner, bent her slender, graceful frame low, and leaned close to Zhao Xuanzhen in his seat.

The classroom was spotless white, sunlight pouring down. The girl displayed her superb flexibility, cradling his exquisite face in both hands, supporting her upper body on her elbows, her silver irises sparkling: “You don’t need to worry about me—in fact, I’m the one giving you advice!”

“What advice?”

Zhao Xuanzhen didn’t flinch, smiling as he met her gaze. Her lashes were thick, each one countable.

Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling. Unlike Leng Yaoju’s mature, rich fragrance, the girl’s natural scent was fresh and invigorating—like walking through a vibrant green forest. Her lips had the texture of jelly; each warm exhale brushed against Zhao Xuanzhen’s face, tickling slightly.

Breathing in the scent that made her feel utterly safe, Na’er spoke seriously: “Zhao Xuanzhen, never forget your identity—you’re a cute, plump little pig. The Outer Academy is full of wild cabbage waiting to be devoured by you.”

“Don’t let yourself be wooed by first-year girls. Don’t forget the tearful childhood friend and the lonely, lonely teacher at home!”

“That’s… exaggerated, isn’t it?”

“Not even a little!”

Na’er clenched her fist earnestly: “Watch out especially for Gu Yue. Girls who seem quiet and gentle are the most deceptive, the most cunning, the most dangerous at stealing hearts!”

“Remember our slogan: Guard against fire, guard against theft, guard against Gu Yue!”

When Zhao Xuanzhen is tricked by that wicked woman Gu Yue until he’s left with nothing but bitter tea leaves, he’ll finally appreciate Na’er the Great’s pure, kind, and beautiful heart!

An hour passed; Shen Yi returned, smiling: “The Outer Academy’s opening ceremony is over. The first-years are back in the new student teaching building. Xuanzhen, Xinglan, Li Zhi—we’re leaving.”

Na’er gave Zhao Xuanzhen a “jiayou ya” gesture, silently mouthing her seven-word mantra—her Spirit Beast Soul Bone was her Spirit Beast Soul Bone; she wouldn’t abandon making things harder for Gu Yue!

The three followed Shen Yi to the Outer Academy, Zhao Xuanzhen walking in the center, Ye Xinglan and Xu Li flanking him.

Two years had passed; Xu Li looked far more worn out, dark circles heavy on his plump face. Since Zhao Xuanzhen’s enlightenment under the Golden Tree and his breakthrough, Ye Xinglan’s attitude had shifted again—she increasingly resisted her shadow, often leaving him behind to act alone.

One weekend, Xu Li went to the Mechanoid Repair Association to submit a task and happened to see Zhao Xuanzhen and Ye Xinglan walking side by side.

Though they showed no intimate gestures, Xu Li clearly saw the faint, knowing smile on the goddess’s lips—and the fiery warmth in her eyes he had never seen before.

Ye Xinglan’s second profession was mechanoid manufacturing, yet she willingly accompanied Zhao Xuanzhen to the Mechanoid Repair Association. Xu Li still remembered that morning—he felt like a stray dog abandoned by its master, crouching behind a metal pillar, squeezing his fat body tight, his vision blurred with tears.

The goddess’s warrior heart aspired to the most outstanding genius, to the monster standing atop his peers. Xu Li could only watch helplessly as the goddess drifted farther away, deeply regretting he was a Food-Type Soul Master—even without soul skills, Zhao Xuanzhen could single-handedly beat ten of him.

At that moment, Ye Xinglan’s expression was equally grim. In Class Zero, Zhao Xuanzhen and Na’er’s conversation had been shielded by spiritual barriers; then Na’er had slowly leaned toward Zhao Xuanzhen, their beautiful faces nearly touching.

She knew the pair were childhood friends, gifted with once-in-a-millennium talent and breathtaking looks, perfectly matched in every way—but in that instant, her heart clenched violently, uncontrollably.

Shen Yi led the three with their divergent thoughts into the new student teaching building, entering a massive lecture hall capable of holding three hundred.

Seeing three new students, the one hundred and one first-years cast curious glances.

“That boy is so handsome—he’s exactly my type!”

“The girl’s aura is icy—probably an unapproachable iceberg…”

“They look familiar… I think I’ve seen them somewhere before.”

Discussion rose in waves, but among the noise, several standout first-years, upon seeing their faces, suddenly narrowed their pupils and exclaimed:

“It’s him!”

“Top of the Teenage Genius List—Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen!”

“I’ve studied the battle footage from the Tianhai Alliance Tournament—those two are the Shrek Academy representatives. They’ve both enrolled in first-year together…”

Shen Yi raised his hands, his soul power surging outward—the classroom fell silent. “Three new transfer students: Zhao Xuanzhen, Ye Xinglan, Xu Li. Welcome.”

The name “Top of the Teenage Genius List” echoed like thunder among these youths; the first-year class erupted again. Students gasped:

“Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen first, Elemental Gu Yue sixth, Yinming Wu Siduo twelfth, Blue Silver Tang Wulin nineteenth, Restriction Luo Guixing twenty-second, Undying Xu Yucheng twenty-fourth…”

“One class has six Teenage Genius List members!”

“Not to mention—I’ve studied the Shrek vs. Donghai Academy battle hundreds of times. Star Sword Ye Xinglan and Bun Xu Li are absolutely qualified for the list!”

“And Yang Nianxia and Zheng Yiran—when the sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds eventually drop off the list, they’ll take their places!”

At this, the surrounding students drew sharp breaths—ten Teenage Genius List monsters in one first-year class… terrifying.

Far different from the other timeline, this generation’s Teenage Genius List had undergone massive reordering—the primary reason being Donghai Academy’s stunning victory over Shrek Academy.

For the first time in ten thousand years, Shrek Academy had publicly lost. The seven representatives from Donghai Academy became instant celebrities; besides Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, the other five had already appeared on the Teenage Genius List three years ago.

Their abilities drew nationwide attention, attracting countless Soul Master scholars to analyze their battles frame by frame, publishing individual analyses: the strongest physical martial soul, Silver Dragon bloodline spear, multi-element controller, metal dominance, mutated power-type Blue Silver Grass…

Soul Master scholars believed each of these five possessed talent so rare it was virtually unmatched—undisputed future stars of the Soul Master world, destined to climb higher with time.

Thus, though Gu Yue and Tang Wulin had been quiet these past three years, the shockwaves they caused were undeniably immense—the Teenage Genius List still ranked them very high.

Na’er’s soul power had broken through to the fourth ring, Soul Ancestor; after absorbing her second Soul Spirit, she began replicating Zhao Xuanzhen’s arena battles from three years ago, defeating Yu Yuanheng, Mo Jue, and Li Qiankun in succession, and rose to second place on the Teenage Genius List.

The next day, Silver Dragon Na’er publicly declared: anyone challenging Taiji Zhao Xuanzhen must first pass her. The announcement caused a sensation.

Shen Yi had reserved three seats in the center of the front row; Zhao Xuanzhen’s right was Gu Yue, his left already claimed by Ye Xinglan.

The two girls exchanged a glance over Zhao Xuanzhen’s head, then turned away silently.

“Master, the first-year class should have one hundred four students; all one hundred four are present.” Shen Yi reported to Wu Changkong.

The Crimson Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi, unlike the Silver Moon Douluo Cai Yue’er, was not bored enough to meddle. The old man happily left all first-year affairs to his two direct disciples, Wu Changkong and Shen Yi.

Wu Changkong nodded slightly, his piercing gaze sweeping over Class One. “Today we elect class officers: one class president, two vice presidents, four vice-profession committee members. The president receives an extra one thousand contribution points monthly, vice presidents six hundred, vice-profession committee members five hundred.”

“Shrek upholds strength above all. The four committee members are chosen by highest vice-profession rank. The three leadership positions are decided solely by combat strength!”

“Shortly, you will fight among yourselves. The last three standing will automatically become president and vice presidents.”

“You may form teams now. Twenty minutes later, proceed to the Grand Combat Ground!”

The first-years instantly stirred. The standout students sensed the shift and formed a circle by unspoken agreement.

Luo Guixing looked at the group and declared loudly: “A tree that towers above the forest invites the wind’s destruction. It seems we’re all in agreement—let’s team up to eliminate Zhao Xuanzhen, then compete among ourselves for president.”

Wu Siduo hesitated: “Honestly, if Zhao Xuanzhen faced me one-on-one, I have little confidence. After all, three years ago, he defeated the Ice-Bone Scorpion Soul King.”

“I have no confidence either. The weakness of the Dark Demon Scythe is the user’s body. He’s a Gold-Rank physical martial soul—strongest in physicality. If he closes in, I’ll be instantly defeated.” Xu Yucheng spread his hands.

Zheng Yiran toyed with her emerald-green nails: “I have even less confidence. Zhao Xuanzhen controls thunder—thunder is the counter to Green Phosphorus Emperor poison.”

“If none of you three can handle him, then I’ll have to step up—but I doubt I’ll make it.” Yang Nianxia rumbled.

“Wow, you’re brave.”

The four immediately raised their thumbs.

The first-year’s ultimate warrior was settled: Dark Bear Yang Nianxia!

“I’ll tell you a bad piece of news: Zhao Xuanzhen is almost certainly not alone—Gu Yue will ally with him.”

Three figures approached—the Three Swordsmen of Donghai!

“With just you all, you can’t possibly stand against Zhao Xuanzhen plus Gu Yue,” Tang Wulin said.

“And Ye Xinglan—she’ll definitely go to Zhao Xuanzhen,” Xu Li rasped. “If you’re teaming up, count me in.”

As a Food-Type Soul Master, he needed powerful allies!

“Alright, then… the nine of us, unite!”

Luo Guixing extended his hand; one by one, hands stacked atop it, united by a common foe.

“With our nine geniuses firmly united, we will drag the number one Teenage Genius List off its pedestal!”

(End of Chapter)