Ah Yin, Da Ming, and Er Ming blinked as Xiao Tian placed shining immortal herbs into their hands. The three of them exchanged glances, almost disbelieving.
"Us… too?" Ah Yin murmured, petals trembling faintly in her spiritual projection. She hadn't expected Xiao Tian to consider her recovery alongside his other plans, not when she was still weak and regrowing her cultivation. For her, this act of trust was both comforting and touching.
And just then—
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for earning the favor of Tang Hao's wife, the Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin! Reward unlocked: Sword technique 'Nine Swords of Dugu.']
Xiao Tian froze momentarily at the system's clear mechanical chime. His spiritual sea rippled as knowledge surged into him—the legendary Nine Swords of Dugu, created by the famed sword demon Dugu Qiubai.
The Nine Swords emphasized attack without defense, defeating attacks with no moves, unconstrained by inner energy, growing stronger alongside the enemy's strength. Each style carried an answer to weaponry and unarmed attacks alike: General Formula, Sword Breaking, Knife Breaking, Spear Breaking, Whip Breaking, Rope Breaking, Palm Breaking, Arrow Breaking, even Qi Breaking…
Xiao Tian's lips curved softly. It had been ages since the system last startled him with another so-called "reward." These days, most of his progress came from his own calculations, his self-created methods. Truly, he lacked little. Still—the eyes of Dugu Bo sparkled at martial arts so this was simply another card he now carried hidden.
Not bad, he thought. I did this to aid Ah Yin, not to chase system gifts. But surprises are surprises.
Meanwhile, far from the Sunset Forest, another story was unfolding in Tiandou City.
At Lanba Academy, the gates stood wide open as a ragged little group approached. The faction's leader, Flander, pressed forward with a heavy expression, Yu Xiaogang trailing behind, and several others—including Shao Xin—following reluctantly.
After much debate, they had arrived here to seek Liu Erlong, the so-called "Fire Dragon Lady," in hopes she might shelter them.
Yu Xiaogang stood before the entrance, his eyes clouding with memories. Flander had already told him—this school was created by Erlong herself to give civilian soul masters a chance at a safe home, a true academy free of suppression.
He hadn't seen her in more than a decade. Now, looking down at his frail body—a cripple, shamed and penniless—he thought bitterly: What could she see in me now?
The truth that Flander didn't speak aloud hung in the air: Shrek Academy had failed, crushed under its own weight, their students scattered. He needed aid, and Yu Xiaogang's connection to Erlong was a convenient excuse.
But among the group, Shao Xin's expression was conflicted. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, sighing quietly.
He had seen more than enough of Flander's sly face, Yu Xiaogang's pretentiousness, and the favoritism that ran rampant. If not for being a food-type spirit master, bound by usefulness and dependency, he would have left them ages ago. Yet striking out alone meant instability, and if he defected outright to another faction like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or Tiandou Imperial Academy, he would immediately paint a target on himself. Dangerous choices all around.
Inside the academy grounds, the examiner they met nearly dropped his jaw when Flander casually introduced the strength of their teachers.
Soul Emperors. Multiple.
In any ordinary school, these were prestigious existences. The examiner bowed hastily, rushing them along the courtyards before announcing nervously, "Dean, there are several visiting teachers today. Their strength has surpassed Soul Emperor. I… I dared not make the decision alone."
By sheer luck or fate, Liu Erlong herself stood nearby, watering flowers under the sun. She turned, brow faintly creased, and froze when her eyes met the one figure she never thought she'd see again.
Yu Xiaogang.
Her heart stuttered violently. The watering kettle slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor, spilling water into puddles across the soil.
Her voice cracked, a mixture of disbelief and longing. "Xiao… Xiaogang? After all these years? You finally came to me?"
Yu Xiaogang trembled, his frail body quivering like a reed in the wind. His lips parted, the name escaping in a strangled murmur. "Er… Erlong…" Tears gathered at his eyes, his hand subconsciously rising in that delicate orchid-finger motion he could no longer restrain.
Liu Erlong's keen eyes narrowed instantly. Something felt… wrong. His tone was higher, almost effeminate, and the delicate flick of his hand stirred unease. Why… does he seem so feminine?
Even after more than ten years, her instincts picked apart the unnaturalness. She held back from speaking her thought aloud though—for Yu Xiaogang's sake.
But deep inside, the truth gnawed. After all this time apart, her Xiaogang… was different.
For in truth, Yu Xiaogang—and even Ma Hongjun—were no longer men in the strictest sense. After losing their male organs, the balance of their bodies had shifted cruelly. Estrogen coursed where testosterone once reigned.
Yu Xiaogang's facial stubble rarely lasted a day. His once-commanding posture bent under strange, subconscious flourishes—his wrists curling gently, his voice pitched unwittingly with feminine tones.
Ma Hongjun bore his suffering more quietly—buffered by his fiery Phoenix martial spirit, its yang nature restraining the worst of the changes. But Yu Xiaogang… his appearance grew stranger by the week.
His face stiffened now, betraying embarrassment as Liu Erlong frowned in confusion. He lowered his eyes, unwilling to explain his condition.
Flander stepped in swiftly to smooth the scene. "Erlong, listen. My Shrek Academy cannot continue. I've brought Xiaogang and the remaining teachers, along with the students, to seek refuge. Please, if you could host us a moment? Let's discuss. It's been over a decade since we last shared a table."
Liu Erlong's temper cut through patience like fire through paper. "What's there to discuss? From today, my Lanba Academy will be renamed Shrek Academy! Boss Fu, you are the dean, and I will serve as deputy dean!"
The words left everyone stunned. The faculty's jaws practically dropped. What kind of rashness was this? An academy carefully built from the ground up—just tossed away and renamed in a heartbeat?
The teachers hesitated, but when Liu Erlong's fiery glare swept across them, they scattered quickly to obey, rushing off to carry out her decree.
Moments later, she slammed her hand heavily onto a table, her voice booming. "But tell me one thing—Boss Fu. Is it true? You mean to say it was because of Xiao Tian that your Shrek fell apart?"
Her furious eyes burned with indignation.
Before Flander could respond, Dai Mubai stepped forward fiercely, his teeth clenched. "Dean Erlong, you have no idea what kind of person Xiao Tian really is. He thinks himself above everyone, disregards discipline constantly, and finally abandoned us outright! He didn't just leave—he abducted three of our most talented female students. One of them… is my fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing!"
Yu Xiaogang followed up with a woeful sigh, his tone carefully painted with grief. "And another of those young women—Xiao Wu—was dearly loved by my disciple, Tang San. But she also went with Xiao Tian without hesitation. Think of the pain my disciple suffers now. Think of what kind of villain Xiao Tian must be, stealing away comrades loved by others…"
They avoided crucial truths, discarding context, twisting cause and effect. Dai Mubai did not mention how Zhu Zhuqing had always been unwilling to be his fiancée in the first place, how she had been forced into that "bond" by her clan. Yu Xiaogang conveniently forgot every harsh word Tang San himself had spat at Xiao Tian over months of animosity.
Together, with half-truths and omissions, they painted Xiao Tian in the blackest light—a selfish villain abducting women like spoils.
Liu Erlong's face darkened dangerously. She was a woman of fire and straightforward temper. Hearing such betrayal enraged her blood. "So he dares defy sects, steal bonds, and insult people's hearts? Boss Fu, tell me where Xiao Tian went. I will seek justice for you all!"
Flander and Yu Xiaogang exchanged a glance, quickly calculating.
"Erlong," Flander said carefully, "you'd best not be rash. Xiao Tian is no ordinary child. He has someone powerful standing behind him. If you rush in blindly, you'll only find disaster."
"Someone?" Erlong's voice dripped with fury. She seized Flander by the collar, pulling him eye to eye. "Then tell me—who is it? Who dares back such a scoundrel?!"
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