Half a day later, Li Chang'an stepped out of Bai Xue's room. He glanced back at the broken bed and the woman lying limp on it like a puddle of melted snow. A surge of pride welled up in his chest.
"Master…"
Bai Xue suddenly called out from the bed, her gaze sultry and voice as soft as silk.
Li Chang'an turned to look at her, a fresh wave of desire igniting within him. This young widow really was something else...
"I'd like to stay another day before heading back. Today, I…"
Li Chang'an paused mid-step, then replied gently, "Very well. Have someone bring a new bed and fresh sheets—let's continue…"
---
The next morning, Li Chang'an returned to Shrek Academy, dark circles under his eyes. Alongside him was the Suotuo City representative of the Hong Chamber of Commerce, here to negotiate a cooperative partnership.
According to Li Chang'an's arrangement, the Hong Chamber would establish a long-term partnership with Shrek Academy, supplying food, materials, and even sponsoring certain academy activities.
In return, the Chamber requested that some students and teachers from the academy assist in escort or guard missions—a mutually beneficial agreement.
Naturally, Li Chang'an didn't need to bother with the details. Once he introduced the representative to Flender, the rest was up to him. Right now, what Li Chang'an needed was a good meal to replenish his exhausted kidneys.
Coincidentally, today also marked the start of the new term. After grabbing some nutrient-rich food from his storage soul tool, he headed to the training grounds.
Luckily, he made it just in time. The students were only just beginning to assemble. When they saw Li Chang'an arrive, they all greeted him in unison:
"Good morning, Teacher Li!"
"Good morning, everyone! Starting tomorrow, our cafeteria meals are getting a major upgrade! Porridge with lean meat for breakfast, drumsticks and beef for lunch, and abalone for dinner!"
Li Chang'an shared the good news with a smile, and his words happened to reach the ears of Yu Xiaogang, who happened to be walking past. Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's opinion of him rose slightly once again.
Today's class was, of course, to be led by the Grandmaster. But Li Chang'an wasn't the type to stay quietly in the background—he was already planning how to find the perfect opportunity to insert himself into this training session.
The Grandmaster's sharp eyes swept across the gathered students as he spoke:
"I've reviewed your respective spirit abilities and traits. Starting today, we will commence enhanced training. Dai Mubai, step forward."
Dai Mubai took a step forward, a flicker of light dancing in his eyes. Though his private life was somewhat… chaotic, in class, he was a model student who treated the teacher's words as law.
Yu Xiaogang looked at the tall and sturdy Dai Mubai and said, "You have a task. Starting now, I want you to defeat the other six—one by one—without causing any serious injuries."
"Huh?" Dai Mubai blinked in surprise, staring at the Grandmaster in disbelief.
Yu Xiaogang's expression hardened slightly. "You're at level 37, while the highest among them is only level 31. Is there a problem?"
Dai Mubai glanced at the others, his gaze first landing on Tang San. The rest didn't bother him much, but Tang San's uncanny hidden weapons made him feel wary.
"Tang San, step forward," Yu Xiaogang ordered again.
Tang San immediately stepped forward and stood beside Dai Mubai.
Yu Xiaogang looked at him and said, "You are not to use your third spirit ability or any of your hidden weapons. You may begin."
"Hold on," Dai Mubai interjected.
"Master, that's not fair. If Tang San can't go all out, what's the point? He's already at a lower level than me, and if we restrict his abilities, then I'd be gaining an unfair advantage. Even though his third spirit ring, the Man-Faced Demon Spider, is powerful, I'm confident in my own strength."
Yu Xiaogang replied calmly, "If he uses his third spirit ability, you won't stand a chance. A control-type spirit master, unless countered directly, is the strongest in single combat. Since you insist, let him use it. As comrades, understanding each other's capabilities is essential."
Yu Xiaogang's analysis wasn't wrong. Tang San's third spirit ability was indeed formidable. Dai Mubai couldn't get close at all, and Yu Xiaogang had to call a halt to the fight at the right moment.
"Teacher Yu, this kind of sparring won't push their potential. How about letting all seven of them fight me instead?"
Li Chang'an suddenly suggested. Notably, he didn't address Yu Xiaogang as "Grandmaster," but rather as "Teacher Yu," putting himself on equal footing.
"You?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at Li Chang'an's faint smile and, after a moment of thought, nodded. "Very well. I'm curious to see what Teacher Li is capable of."
"Teacher Yu, do you really think I don't stand a chance?" Li Chang'an raised an eyebrow, slightly dissatisfied with his tone.
"Of course not. While your soul power is higher, four of them have already reached the Spirit Elder rank. Dai Mubai and Tang San's strength is… well, considerable."
Yu Xiaogang's words weren't exactly harsh, but they brimmed with confidence—confidence rooted in his vast theoretical knowledge.
Li Chang'an chuckled lightly.
"Teacher Yu, why don't we place a wager?"
Yu Xiaogang frowned. Gambling wasn't something he approved of and he had no intention of agreeing.
"If you win, I'll share with you my cultivation methods for twin spirits. If I win, I want you to agree to one condition."
Without waiting for a reply, Li Chang'an stated his offer outright. He was sure Yu Xiaogang wouldn't be able to resist.
After all, in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Li Chang'an possessed a method for cultivating twin spirits—something his disciple, Tang San, sorely needed. Given Yu Xiaogang's obsession with spirit theory, how could he not take the bait?
"What's the condition?"
Yu Xiaogang asked directly, clearly intrigued.
No one in this world is truly without desire—if someone seems that way, you've just not offered the right temptation.
Li Chang'an pointed at Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Ma Hongjun, then said:
"If I win, I want to use my own training methods on those three and then have a comparative test with you to see whose training approach suits students better."
Even Yu Xiaogang, whose face was always somewhat stiff, couldn't help but feel the urge to laugh. What a joke. When it came to training and spirit cultivation, he had never feared anyone. So what if he agreed?
"Fine. I accept."
"Great! Thank you, Teacher Yu!"
As the fish took the bait, Li Chang'an silently gave himself a thumbs-up.
This was a setup from the beginning—a well-orchestrated trap. His training methods were no worse than Yu Xiaogang's, and he had cheating tools like soul power fruits. There was no way he would lose.
And since it was now a competition, there would be winners and losers. Once he pulled Yu Xiaogang into his own domain, the possibilities opened up immensely.
For example, if he won, wouldn't that suggest some of Yu Xiaogang's theories and publications were outdated? Perhaps they needed to be revised?
From that moment, Li Chang'an had already set his plan in motion—an intricate, interconnected scheme.
He never saw Yu Xiaogang and the others as fools. But he stood on the shoulders of foreknowledge, a system, and modern understanding—this wasn't just a competition.
It was a one-sided domination.
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T/N:
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