Chapter 39: The Little Rabbit Is Very Well-Behaved

"Xiao Wu, hang in there a little longer. It will be over soon."

"Mm~"

Nian Yun’s soul power flowed steadily into the 'Tears of the Divine Hibiscus,' suppressing the spread of toxins within Xiao Wu.

"Knock, knock—"

"Finally here."

With that, Nian Yun stood up and opened the door.

"Clang—"

With just a glance and a silent exchange of information, Nian Yun said, "I'll leave the rest to you."

Nian Yun, who had been inside the room, nodded and walked away.

The other Nian Yun stepped inside. Under Xiao Wu’s surprised gaze, the three soul rings of his 'Wind Spirit' martial soul rose.

"Are you... Nian Yun?" Xiao Wu’s voice was faint and weak.

As he infused the purifying light into her body, he replied, "I know you have many questions right now. I will tell you everything bit by bit in time. For now, just lie still and rest."

With that same confident smile on his handsome face, Xiao Wu slowly closed her eyes, smiling as she felt the warm breeze circulating within her.

The heavy rain stopped abruptly.

Nian Yun stepped out of the inn and waited quietly.

"Tap, tap, tap."

"Nian Yun, what did you do to Yan Yan!" Yu Tianheng transformed his arm into a dragon claw and lunged at Nian Yun.

In the past, Nian Yun might have dodged, but now, to Yu Tianheng’s shock, Nian Yun blocked the dragon claw with nothing but his forearm.

Nian Yun delivered a heavy punch to Yu Tianheng’s abdomen. The power behind the strike made Yu Tianheng feel as though he were facing a stranger.

"I merely purged the poison from Dugu Yan. If you don't believe me, go back and ask her yourself."

Even without imbuing his arm with Geo elements, Nian Yun's physical strength exerted immense pressure on Yu Tianheng.

Without responding, Yu Tianheng swung his dragon claw again. Nian Yun parried it with the same motion, blocking every strike with his forearm alone.

"Tap, tap."

"Captain!" The members of the Royal Academy arrived on the scene, watching the brawl in astonishment.

Sensing Yu Tianheng’s intent, Nian Yun raised a hand to stop the others from intervening.

"The Captain is actually trading blows with a dragon claw using his bare arms!" Yufeng remarked, his eyes filled with admiration.

The commotion below soon reached the floor above.

"This is a good opportunity to shock that group; it will be useful for me later."

Having extracted the final trace of toxins from Xiao Wu, Nian Yun set her down gently. Seeing the color returning to her cheeks, he let out a sigh of relief.

He approached, lifted Xiao Wu into his arms, and held a bowl of water to her lips, letting her drink in small sips.

"Cough, cough."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Thank you, Nian Yun."

"It’s still early; you should get some more rest." Looking at the night sky outside the window, Nian Yun eased his hold on Xiao Wu and took two steps back.

He flicked his wrist, and a barrier of wind appeared.

"It will be much quieter now. Get some rest."

"Mm." Her rabbit ears twitched, stirring Nian Yun’s heart.

Downstairs, "Bang—bang—"

With a final exchange of strikes, both men retreated several meters.

"Hiss~" Feeling the rock-like hardness of Nian Yun’s arms, Yu Tianheng’s dragon claw trembled.

"First soul skill..." A dragon shadow emerged.

"Tianheng, stop."

A firm voice echoed from behind. Yu Tianheng halted and turned to see Dugu Yan, accompanied by Ye Lingling, walking toward them.

"Yan Yan."

Seeing Dugu Yan appear, Nian Yun’s restless heart finally calmed.

"Whoosh."

A gust of wind brushed past his ear as Nian Yun began to walk away.

"Wait, Nian Yun." Dugu Yan called out, her tone sincere: "Thank you."

"Train hard. We'll meet again in a while." With those words, Nian Yun vanished into the shadows.

*Next time, I will make you use your martial soul,* Yu Tianheng swore to himself.

The night sky, adorned with countless stars, looked breathtaking.

They reached a high mountain.

"Tap."

Nian Yun retracted his 'Wings of Wind,' and the little rabbit hopped down.

"It will be a while before I arrive, so let’s sit here for a moment."

"Mm."

The two sat down on the ground.

"I suppose you’ve guessed it by now—one of them is my clone. We are one and the same."

"Ah, then are you a triple-martial-soul user?"

Nian Yun smiled without answering. Seeing the surprise in Xiao Wu’s eyes made his heart beat even faster.

Casually, Nian Yun pulled a carrot from his pocket and held it out to her. "Your mouth is open so wide—are you hungry again?"

Taking the carrot, her rabbit ears wobbled happily. "Nian Yun, why do you always have carrots in your pockets?"

"Because you like to eat them, so my pockets will always have them."

For some reason, hearing this filled Xiao Wu with a sweetness that lingered on her lips. Her face flushed uncontrollably, and she turned her head away in a hurry.

"Swish—"

A large palm gently stroked her rabbit ears.

"Let’s go. Back to the academy."

Looking back, the morning light spilled onto his face. The little rabbit nodded slightly.

—

Shrek Academy.

"Teacher, we’re back."

Hearing the noise, everyone turned to look at them.

"Xiao Wu, I’m sorry." Tang San, having recovered, ran over, his left cheek still swollen and red.

"It’s fine, Brother." After a cold reply, Xiao Wu walked past Tang San to explain the situation to the teachers.

As Nian Yun’s eyes wandered, he spotted another walking treasure chest.

System: "Task refresh triggered [Give Yu Xiaogang a beating]. Rewards: Soul Power +2, Shrek Seven Devils' overall strength reduced by 20%, Spirit Hall Reputation +5."

"Since everyone is here, let me introduce you. This is the Master, famous throughout the continent." Flender introduced Yu Xiaogang solemnly.

"Master." The group bowed in unison.

"Mm." Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone before stopping at Tang San’s injured face.

"Little San, your face..." Having high regard for Tang San’s strength, Yu Xiaogang was puzzled. Such an injury could not have been inflicted by a high-level soul master, and among those of the same rank, Yu Xiaogang believed no one was a match for Tang San.

"Master, this happened last night when Tang San was about to lose control. I hit him to stop him," Nian Yun interjected, seizing the moment.

"Lost control? How so?"

Though he felt uncomfortable around Nian Yun, Tang San felt nothing but guilt and unease whenever he looked at Xiao Wu.

After the events were recounted, Yu Xiaogang grew interested in Nian Yun. "To have such a martial soul... Nian Yun, could you demonstrate it for me?"

Nian Yun didn't waste words. He opened his left hand, and the 'Zhongli' manifested slowly.

"I see. It is just an ordinary martial soul." After observing for a few seconds, Yu Xiaogang reached his conclusion.

*Ordinary? You dare to disparage the Archon? You must be tired of living,* Nian Yun thought to himself.

After the brief introduction, Yu Xiaogang began his training curriculum.

Nightfall.

"Patter, patter—"

A torrential downpour descended.

In the faculty dormitory, Yu Xiaogang, who was still writing, sensed something unusual and opened the door to investigate.

"Clang—"

"This rain... it feels so strange."