Chapter 47: Shrek Academy

"Take this jade stone well. If you encounter danger or need my help, just crush it, and I will know and rush to your side as soon as possible!" Ling Xiao said.

"Yes! Thank you, Teacher!"

Zhu Zhuqing took the jade stone with both hands, placed it carefully against her chest, and looked at Ling Xiao with eyes full of gratitude. Meeting such a teacher in her most desperate moment was truly the greatest blessing of her life.

"Alright, you may go! Be careful on the way!" Ling Xiao waved his hand and said.

"Teacher, I'm leaving!"

Zhu Zhuqing walked out of the courtyard, turned around to bow to Ling Xiao once more, and then sprinted away in a certain direction without looking back.

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing's eyes were a bit red and her crystal-clear eyes seemed to hold tears as she left, Ling Xiao couldn't help shaking his head before turning to enter the wooden cabin. It was just a temporary separation; why be so sad?

After tidying up the room and casting a spatial barrier around the wooden cabin, Ling Xiao also departed. Xiao Wu was going to graduate from Notting College soon, and he wanted to go and check on her.

A ripple of space flickered around Ling Xiao, and his figure instantly vanished.

In a house a hundred miles away, a spatial fluctuation occurred, and Ling Xiao stepped out from it.

At this moment, the two people inside the house froze upon seeing the sudden appearance of Ling Xiao.

"Big Brother, why did you appear so suddenly?"

Xiao Wu's face flushed crimson as she tightly covered her body and hid behind a pillar, revealing only her small head.

Although Rou Rou didn't speak, she also hid behind the sofa with a blushing face. At this moment, she was only wearing some intimate undergarments, which did nothing to conceal her body.

"Are you changing clothes?"

Ling Xiao looked at the two of them, observing the tightly sealed doors and windows, and then glanced at the dozen sets of clothing laid out on the sofa.

"Yes, otherwise why would we close the doors and windows so tightly!" Xiao Wu said softly.

"Then why didn't you go into the bedroom to change?"

Ling Xiao's eyes were filled with confusion. The house was quite large, featuring two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bathrooms.

"Because the living room is spacious, and we figured no one would see us anyway, so we just changed right here in the living room. The space is big enough to move around freely—who would have thought you would suddenly appear!" Rou Rou said.

"Don't do this in the future! Private matters like changing clothes are best done in the bedroom; otherwise, if I come here next time and see you changing clothes again—" Ling Xiao said, shaking his head.

"Actually, if it's Big Brother watching, it doesn't matter!" Xiao Wu suddenly said in a low voice, her face turning even redder.

However, noticing that Rou Rou's face was also flushed, Xiao Wu's gaze flickered slightly, though she didn't dwell on it, figuring it was completely normal to feel shy when seen in such a state.

"Hurry up and change your clothes!"

Ling Xiao said, walking alone into the kitchen to take out a bag of tea leaves and begin boiling water.

Taking advantage of this time, Rou Rou and Xiao Wu hurriedly picked up their respective clothes and put them on.

When Ling Xiao returned to the living room after pouring the tea, the two of them were already seated properly on the sofa, and the clothes they had taken off were neatly packed away.

"Xiao Wu, which academy are you planning to go to after graduating from this one?" Ling Xiao asked after taking a sip of tea.

"I plan to go to a place called Shrek Academy!" Xiao Wu said.

"Shrek Academy? Never heard of it. I thought you would choose a famous academy, such as the so-called Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Academy or Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"This is the place Tang San and his teacher talked about. I don't know where it specifically is, either!"

"Tang San? Who is that?"

"Just a lackey I picked up at the academy back then. I sparred with him a few times, and his strength is quite decent. He told me a few days ago that his teacher asked him to go to Shrek Academy to continue his studies, and recommended that I go along with him!" Xiao Wu said.

"Is the academy recommended by his teacher actually any good?"

"It should be fine. After all, Tang San has great aptitude and innate full soul power, and his teacher treats him very well. Their relationship is just like that of a father and son." Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said.

"Then what about his teacher?" Ling Xiao asked.

Upon hearing this question, a peculiar glint flashed through Xiao Wu's eyes.

"Tang San's teacher is a Grand Spirit Master named Yu Xiaogang, whom others call Grandmaster. He's already over fifty years old."

"A Grand Spirit Master?"

Such weak strength, Ling Xiao thought. Zhu Zhuqing had already reached the Spirit Elder rank at the age of twelve; even without his help, she would still have been a Level 27 Grand Spirit Master.

"Not only is his strength mediocre, but his martial soul is also terrible—it's a martial soul that looks just like a pig, and his soul skills are disgusting." At this, Xiao Wu rolled her eyes.

"Then how could such a person become Tang San's teacher?"

"It seems to be because he has profound research on martial souls and even published something called the Ten Core Competitions of Martial Souls, though I think it's useless!" Xiao Wu shrugged and shared some related details.

These contents made Ling Xiao furrow his brows.

"This was published by a man named Yu Xiaogang? But isn't this common knowledge among most people in the soul master world?"

The things Xiao Wu mentioned were known to almost everyone. Does it really require someone else to point out that people with high innate soul power have better martial soul quality? Which trash martial soul has high innate soul power?

Could it be that everyone else is a fool, and after generations of soul master development, no one knew this? Then how have these powerful families been passed down?

And as for the saying that there are no trash martial souls, only trash soul masters—if that were true, why are there still many people who, despite reaching an advanced age, possess low soul power?

Take this Yu Xiaogang for example. He is so old and still just a Grand Spirit Master; doesn't that mean he is a trash soul master?

Furthermore, his published theory states that soul rings must be obtained through hunting, and one must personally hunt the beast to acquire a soul ring. Is this theory a joke?

Soul masters have developed for who knows how many years, and countless soul masters have appeared. Has there truly never been a case where someone else did the hunting yet the person still failed to obtain the ring?

Do these theories even need to be published?

That Yu Xiaogang must have simply compiled existing knowledge and published it under his name.

Ling Xiao frowned. The theories Yu Xiaogang published were basic knowledge well-known to practically everyone in the soul master world, yet he was hailed as a Grandmaster. How did that sound so unreliable?

"I don't know about all that!" Xiao Wu waved her hand and said.

"Is the Shrek Academy recommended by such a person really reliable?" Ling Xiao asked.

"It should be alright! After all, as Tang San's teacher, he surely wouldn't harm him."

Ling Xiao nodded slightly at that. Indeed, a teacher would not harm their own student. Moreover, judging from what Xiao Wu said, they were like father and son, which made it even more impossible for Yu Xiaogang to harm Tang San!

"Then I can rest a little easier! When are you leaving, and are you going together with Rou Rou?"

"Shrek Academy's enrollment period starts in five days. To make it in time, Tang San is setting off tomorrow, and I plan to leave tomorrow as well. As for Mom, she won't be going; I can live on my own now!" Xiao Wu said.

"Do you need me to escort you there? It won't take long!"

"No need, Big Brother! Besides, this way I can play along the road!"

"That's fine too. Be careful on the way!" Ling Xiao nodded.

"Got it! Big Brother, don't underestimate me, I am already a Level 38 Spirit Elder!" Xiao Wu said proudly.

Being a high-tier Spirit Elder at the age of twelve or thirteen made her arguably the top-tier genius in the soul master world, so she certainly had a right to be proud.

"Proud just because you're level thirty-eight? I have a student even younger than you who has already reached level thirty-two!" Ling Xiao said.

"Big Brother has a student already?" Xiao Wu asked, startled.

"Yeah, I took her on not long ago!"

"But Big Brother, you should only be one year older than me!" Xiao Wu asked. When she was five, Ling Xiao already possessed a martial soul, so he should have been at least a year older than her.

"Actually, I'm only a little over eleven years old this year." Ling Xiao said.

"What? Big Brother, you're only eleven!" Xiao Wu's voice suddenly rose, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Rou Rou was also caught off guard and choked, instantly spraying out the tea she had just taken into her mouth while patting her chest and coughing continuously.

"That's right! When I first met you two, I was only four years old." Ling Xiao shrugged and said.

"So Big Brother is actually a year younger than me!" Xiao Wu's eyes turned blank.

"What's wrong with being a year younger? What does age represent?" Ling Xiao said. He didn't care about such things anyway; he interacted on equal footing with ancient beings like the Snow Emperor, who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

"O-okay then!"

It took a long time for Xiao Wu to accept this fact, and she stopped caring about the age issue. Besides, she had been calling him Big Brother for years, so she was already used to it.

"You awakened your martial soul at the age of four, and you were already that powerful?" Rou Rou remarked with emotion.

"Mn! Nothing to be surprised about." Ling Xiao said indifferently.

"That means Big Brother currently has a disciple who is a year older than him." Xiao Wu noted.

"Do you understand the principle that the capable one is the teacher? My strength is formidable, so why would it be strange for me to be a teacher?" Ling Xiao rolled his eyes.

"Hehehe!" Xiao Wu chuckled awkwardly.

"Alright, you're leaving tomorrow, so I'll cook you a delicious meal today!" Ling Xiao stood up and walked toward the kitchen.

Upon hearing Ling Xiao's words, Xiao Wu jumped up with joy.

"I finally get to eat Big Brother's cooking again!"

Xiao Wu sat back down at her seat, gently biting her jade-white fingers as saliva began to accumulate in her mouth.

Rou Rou was also looking forward to it and walked into the kitchen to offer help. She felt a bit embarrassed letting Ling Xiao do all the work alone, especially since Ling Xiao had helped them so much already.

"Rou Rou, why did you come in?" Ling Xiao asked, looking at Rou Rou as she entered while he washed the ingredients.

Fortunately, Rou Rou had bought quite a lot of ingredients recently, otherwise he would have had to make another trip out.

"I came to see if there's anything I can help with. It feels quite embarrassing to leave all the busywork to you alone!" Rou Rou said as she also started washing the vegetables.

"It's nothing. Xiao Wu is advancing to a higher academy, so cooking a good meal is also a way to celebrate for her!"

"Ling Xiao, thank you for treating us so well!"

"It's nothing, we're good friends!" Ling Xiao said, placing the washed vegetables onto the cutting board and rapidly slicing them.

Rou Rou watched Ling Xiao's knife skills in admiration; they looked elegant, precise, and swift.

Looking at Ling Xiao's focused expression, she couldn't help drifting into a daze. Right now, they truly felt like a family living together—Xiao Wu was the daughter waiting in the living room for dinner, while she felt like the wife...

However, the sound of stir-frying brought Rou Rou back to her senses. Remembering the scene she had just imagined in her mind, her face flushed red. What on earth was she thinking just now? What kind of family?

Rou Rou sighed softly to herself. Things were already very good as they were; she shouldn't ask for too much more.

Before long, five dishes and one soup were completed, and Ling Xiao and Rou Rou carried the delicious food out to the table.

"Ling Xiao, eat this!" Rou Rou picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in Ling Xiao's bowl.

"Mn! Rou Rou, you eat too!" Ling Xiao also picked up a piece of fish and placed it in Rou Rou's bowl.

Xiao Wu's eating motions suddenly paused. She cast a strange look between Ling Xiao and Rou Rou, feeling as though something wasn't quite right, yet unable to pinpoint what was wrong!

Unable to figure it out, Xiao Wu decided to stop thinking about it, shook her small head, and continued eating.

...

Time flew by to the next day. Xiao Wu packed up some gold soul coins and prepared to set off.

"Xiao Wu, take this thing with you!" Ling Xiao produced a crystal-clear jade stone and handed it to Xiao Wu, and then handed another one to Rou Rou.

"Big Brother, what is this?" Xiao Wu asked, while Rou Rou also looked curiously at the jade stone in her hand.

"If you encounter danger or need help, crush the jade stone, and I will know and rush to your side as soon as possible!"

"Really? Thank you, Big Brother!"

Xiao Wu happily placed the jade stone into her pouch, and Rou Rou also carefully stored hers close to her body.

"Mn! Be careful on the road, I'll be heading back too!" Ling Xiao said, stepping onto his flying sword as he prepared to leave.

At that moment, Xiao Wu suddenly stepped forward to embrace Ling Xiao, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the spot not covered by his mask.

"Goodbye, Big Brother!"

Xiao Wu released Ling Xiao with a blushing face and waved goodbye.

Rou Rou was momentarily stunned at the sight, and Ling Xiao hadn't expected Xiao Wu to suddenly kiss him either.

However, he didn't make a big deal out of it, as he was already used to it. From childhood onwards, not to mention his teacher Bibi Dong, Hu Liena alone had kissed him countless times without him batting an eye!

"Mn! Goodbye, Xiao Wu, goodbye Rou Rou!" Ling Xiao waved farewell to the two of them, and instantly vanished from their sight.

"Mom, I'm leaving!" Although feeling reluctant to part as she watched Ling Xiao leave, Xiao Wu bid farewell to Rou Rou.

"Xiao Wu, take care of yourself and stay safe!" Rou Rou said, her expression full of reluctance.

"Mn! Goodbye, Mom!"

Xiao Wu walked away into the distance. Rou Rou stood outside her house, and only after Xiao Wu's figure completely vanished from sight did she lock the door and leave as well.

Since Xiao Wu had left, it was time for her to return to the Star Dou Great Forest and take a look...