Five Years Flew by in the Blink of an Eye

Ao Tian paid no further attention to Gu Yuena; if she wanted to sleep beside him, so be it. After all, her fragrance was quite pleasant.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest, he noticed Xiao Wu rolling towards him again, just like before. However, this time, she was blocked by Gu Yuena.

Noticing that Ao Tian was looking at Xiao Wu, Gu Yuena spoke, "Ao Tian, Xiao Wu mentioned that when she used to sleep, she would unconsciously come over to your side. I think it must be your aura that attracts her, causing her to instinctively want to be close to you."

Ao Tian nodded, "I had the same suspicion before."

His aura might have a special appeal to spirit beasts, but he usually kept it restrained. Perhaps a trace of it unconsciously leaked out when he was asleep, drawing Xiao Wu towards him.

Suddenly, Gu Yuena said, "Ao Tian, you're really alluring when you're asleep. I really want to devour you in one bite."

"If you don't go to sleep, I'll have to send you back," Ao Tian said with his eyes closed.

Gu Yuena quickly closed her eyes, but after a moment, she sneakily opened them again. She gazed at Ao Tian for a while before peacefully closing them.

'Sleeping beside Senior Ao is truly comforting,' she thought.

...

In the early morning, when everyone saw that both Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu had moved to Ao Tian's side, and Gu Yuena was even lying shoulder-to-shoulder with him, their hearts shattered.

Tang San had the most beautiful sleep he'd had in a year. When he woke up, he felt refreshed and full of energy.

But when he saw Ao Tian and Gu Yuena on the opposite bed, his face turned almost black.

'Starting from today, I'll train even harder. I refuse to believe you'll always be stronger than me without training!' Tang San thought to himself.

When Ao Tian woke up, he found Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu still sound asleep.

Gu Yuena was breathing steadily, a faint smile on her pretty face. Xiao Wu was snuggled up against Gu Yuena, one slender leg peeking out from under the covers, resting on top of Gu Yuena.

Perhaps it was due to her rabbit nature, but even at seven years old, Xiao Wu's legs were beyond what an ordinary seven-year-old could compare to. They were even longer than Gu Yuena's.

Ao Tian pulled down the loose leg of her pants to avoid any exposure before gently waking up the two sleepy girls.

Without opening her eyes, Gu Yuena grumbled, "Senior Ao, why are you shaking me?"

"Sister Na'er, it's time to get up. The opening ceremony is about to begin," Xiao Wu also got up, shaking Gu Yuena.

Only then did Gu Yuena open her eyes, complaining softly, "Human sleep is way too short. I haven't even had my fill yet."

Ao Tian grinned, "Then you can stay here and continue sleeping. Xiao Wu, let's go."

"I'm getting up." Gu Yuena reluctantly got to her feet, wearing a very displeased expression.

The opening ceremony was held in the morning, followed by classes in the afternoon.

To Ao Tian's surprise, Gu Yuena showed a keen interest in the curriculum. She listened and studied diligently.

In her words, if she wanted to defeat humans, she needed to understand them first.

Ao Tian also noticed Tang San asking other classmates about him, but unfortunately, he didn't seem to get much information.

After dinner, in the principal's office, the Principal, Grandmaster, and Tang San gathered together.

Grandmaster looked at Tang San and asked, "How about it, Xiao San? Were you able to find out which family Ao Tian comes from?"

Tang San shook his head and replied, "No. Except for Xiao Wu and Gu Yuena, Ao Tian doesn't get along well with anyone. I couldn't get any information out of him."

"It's alright. You've done well," Grandmaster comforted him.

He then turned to the principal and asked, "What about you? Did you find anything?"

The principal smiled and said, "I did find out some things."

"Oh? Let's hear it," Grandmaster perked up.

The principal continued, "The address listed on Ao Tian's Martial Soul Certificate is a village called Shangshui. So, I personally visited that village, only to discover that there isn't a family with the surname Ao there. The villagers also have no knowledge of anyone named Ao Tian."

"How can this be?" Grandmaster muttered, "Could his proof be fake?"

The principal nodded, "I thought the same, but I carefully examined the seal on the proof, and it is indeed stamped by the Spirit Hall. That's what makes it so strange."

Tang San added, "It's possible that Ao Tian colluded with the Spirit Hall to create a false identity in order to enter the Nuoding Academy."

Both the Grandmaster and the principal nodded in approval, pleased with Tang San's quick thinking.

The principal continued, "If that's the case, then I can't fathom what Ao Tian's true intentions are in coming to our academy. With his exceptional talent, entering Nuoding Academy should have been a breeze. Why fabricate a false identity?"

"Unless... his true identity is something he doesn't want others to know about," Grandmaster speculated.

"And," Tang San added, "Ao Tian is very wealthy. I've heard from other students that he once took out a pile of Gold Soul Coins, no less than a few hundred. And he also has a storage-type soul tool."

The principal nodded and said, "That's another point of suspicion. If Ao Tian is so wealthy, why would he choose to stay in the dormitories for work-study students?"

Grandmaster shook his head; this was something he couldn't understand. A wealthy person choosing to live in the dorms meant for underprivileged students seemed quite unreasonable to him. He couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation.

The principal said, "There are only two ways to find out Ao Tian's true identity. First, directly investigate with the Spirit Hall. Since it bears the seal of the Spirit Hall, there must be someone there who knows Ao Tian's identity. Second, investigate through Ao Tian himself, or start with the two girls around him, subtly asking questions."

Tang San suggested, "Since we have evidence proving Ao Tian's current identity is fake, should we take this opportunity to expel him from the academy?"

"Why would we want to expel him?" the principal countered, "This little rundown academy of mine doesn't have much to gain. Regardless of his motives, having a talented student like him in the Nuoding Academy is a good thing."

Grandmaster sighed, "Xiao San, the teacher is only curious about his identity. I don't have any ill intentions towards him. Can't you face the fact that you lost to him? Trying to use this to strike back at him."

Tang San hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head in shame. He hadn't thought it through when he blurted out the idea of expelling Ao Tian. It made him seem like he couldn't handle losing.

Grandmaster patted Tang San's shoulder and said, "Xiao San, it's not a big deal to lose. What's important is not losing the courage. Isn't Ao Tian's existence giving you more motivation to train harder?"

Tang San nodded firmly, "Teacher, I understand. I will definitely train even harder and defeat Ao Tian."

Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction.

"However... the teacher is still curious about his identity. See if you can find out from Xiao Wu or Gu Yuena," he added.

"Teacher, I'll do my best," Tang San promised.

...

In the following period, Tang San tried to get closer to Xiao Wu and Gu Yuena in an attempt to find out Ao Tian's true identity. However, Gu Yuena remained aloof and paid him little attention, which frustrated Tang San.

Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was more open, but whenever Tang San brought up the topic of Ao Tian, she would clam up, leaving Tang San at a loss.

In the end, he had no choice but to give up.

...

Time flew by, and five years had passed. Ao Tian, now a young man, and the girls Xiao Wu and Gu Yuena were about to graduate from the Nuoding Academy.