Chapter 33: The Arrival of Gu Yue

Seeing that the girl was about to fall, Jing Shaoyu quickly reached out, grabbing her hand. He pulled her up with perhaps too much force, and she ended up falling right into his arms. His other hand, attempting to steady her, mistakenly landed on her lower back.

They both froze, staring at each other. The girl's face quickly turned bright red, and her eyes became misty. Biting her lip, she spoke in a voice tinged with shyness and coldness, "Let go of me!"

"Oh, right!" Jing Shaoyu immediately released her, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Get away, you… you scoundrel!" With a mixture of anger and embarrassment, the girl suddenly pushed Jing Shaoyu away and ran down the park path, disappearing from sight.

Jing Shaoyu stumbled into a nearby tree, but he wasn't bothered. He watched the direction she had run off in, lifting his hand—still tingling from where it had touched her—grinning mischievously as he muttered, "Huh, quite… springy."

Something about her seemed familiar, a resemblance to Na'er. Her expressions, her shy yet defiant demeanor—they were all too similar to Na'er's. Jing Shaoyu felt almost certain that this girl was indeed Na'er, or rather, Gu Yue, the Silver Dragon King.

Meanwhile, Gu Yue had made her way into the area where the plant soul beasts resided. She sat on the throne crafted from branches and leaves, her expression cold and complex. Standing on the ground below were several unusual figures: a black-haired young man, a green-haired beauty, a purple-haired woman, a middle-aged man with green hair, a bald giant, and a red-haired warrior, all with varied expressions.

"Master, these…" The black-haired young man looked around in amazement at the plant soul beasts. Though they tried to conceal themselves, it was ineffective in front of this group.

"Yes," Gu Yue nodded.

"What should we…" The green-haired man's eyes glimmered with excitement, but Gu Yue's icy look silenced him instantly.

"Follow the plan," Gu Yue said softly but firmly. "You all may leave."

"Understood," they responded in unison, casting wary glances at one another before departing. Soon, only Gu Yue remained, lost in thought on the throne of branches.

---

When Jing Shaoyu returned to his dorm room at East Sea Academy, his roommates were already there, chatting comfortably with each other. Seeing him enter, they stood up in unison.

"Class Rep!" they called out, and Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi nudged Wei Xiaofeng forward.

"C-Class Rep… I'm sorry for my past attitude. I hope you can forgive me," Wei Xiaofeng said, looking awkward as he bowed in apology.

"It's alright; we're all classmates now, so I forgive you." Jing Shaoyu laughed, waving it off. They were just kids, after all; he didn't hold grudges.

"Thank you, Class Rep!" Wei Xiaofeng sighed in relief, visibly grateful.

"See? I told you the Class Rep is nice," Wang Jinxi chimed in with a grin. "Class Rep, we'll be counting on you to guide us in cultivation!"

"I wouldn't say 'guide,' but we can definitely exchange ideas," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile.

"Yes, yes!" Zhang Yangzi agreed, eagerly adding, "We're dying to know how you reached level 27 soul power at just nine years old. It's amazing!"

"Absolutely!" Wei Xiaofeng joined in, "And that thousand-year soul ring… I was floored when I saw it this morning."

Jing Shaoyu simply chuckled at their praise. After washing up, he got into bed, advising them, "If you want to be like me, it's time to start cultivating seriously!"

With that, he began his meditation. His three roommates exchanged glances and then closed their eyes, settling into their own cultivation routines. Sitting with his palms upward, Jing Shaoyu quickly entered a meditative state.

His soul power flowed from his dantian, moving through his meridians to his brow, then into his Niwan Palace—his Sea of Consciousness. In his Sea of Consciousness, two flawless white orbs, the Great Dao Stones, floated, embedded within his Primordial Spirit martial soul's Crown of Nature. The soul power was absorbed by the stones, gaining fiery heat and water's gentleness, before circulating back into his body.

Unintentionally, Jing Shaoyu had discovered this unique cultivation method. By incorporating the Great Dao Stones into his soul power circulation, he added attributes of fire and water to his soul power, tempering his physical body. In this way, his cultivation method allowed him to increase both his soul power and his physical strength simultaneously.

Additionally, this process had a subtle effect on his Sea of Consciousness, gradually strengthening it. It was a holistic method that trained both body and mind, which was why he didn't feel the need to adopt the standard meditation techniques taught by Ye Yingluo.

Thanks to his distinct cultivation, Jing Shaoyu could endure two thousand-year soul rings even at his current level—a feat not many could replicate.

In fact, his Sea of Consciousness had already developed when his martial soul first awakened, an unusual occurrence that gave him a mental edge over his peers. Furthermore, his spirit, Red Jade, could move freely between his soul ring and his Sea of Consciousness, enhancing their bond.

He also sensed something profound taking shape deep within his Sea of Consciousness. It seemed tied to his Primordial Spirit martial soul, and he believed it would fully awaken when he reached three rings. Needless to say, he was eagerly anticipating that day.

---

The next morning.

While Ye Yingluo taught her theory class to the first-year Class 1, and Wu Zhangkong led a physical training session for first-year Class 5, a girl with black hair and white clothes entered the gates of East Sea Academy.

"Which class are you from? Do you know it's class time?" Wu Zhangkong noticed the girl and approached her.

"I'm here to enroll." She raised her head, meeting his gaze with a calm determination. "Here's my letter of recommendation."

"Enroll?" Wu Zhangkong took the letter, scanning it with a frown. "You do realize that enrollment has already ended."

"But I want to join," she replied firmly. "And I want to enter Class 1."

"Interesting," Wu Zhangkong raised an eyebrow. "You're late, so technically, you're ineligible to enroll. But I can make an exception and admit you to Class 5. If you can pass my test, that is."

"Alright, I accept," she said, somewhat reluctantly.

"Good. What's your name?" Wu Zhangkong asked.

"My name is Gu Yue," she replied.