Douluo Dalu 3: Legend of the White Fox

"Getting smarter! huh"

Watching Na'er break down and run away, Xia Yi shook his head silently. Although Na'er seemed to have lost control, she hadn't truly collapsed.

As the avatar of the Soul Beast's leader and the Sea God Pavilion's current master's disciple at Shrek Academy, she wasn't someone who would crumble so easily.

If Na'er were truly fragile, she'd have broken down long ago.

Clearly, she was pretending to collapse to escape, avoiding further threats from Xia Yi. As long as she left, Xia Yi would have no reason to harm Tang Wulin further.

"Na'er!" Tang Wulin, not understanding the situation, was worried about her apparent breakdown and chased after her immediately.

"Zhangkong, keep an eye on Na'er to prevent her from doing anything foolish," Holy Spirit Douluo Yali said, glancing at Wu Zhangkong.

"We're leaving." Wu Zhangkong wasn't clueless; he understood that Yali was trying to get him out of the way. He exchanged a glance with Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan before leading them away.

Yali then turned to Xia Yi and Gu Yue, her voice serious as she asked, "Now can you explain what happened with Na'er?"

"She tried to assassinate me, and I defeated her," Xia Yi responded indifferently.

"I want the full story. How exactly did you defeat her, and why is she like this?" Yali pressed, clearly concerned. She knew Na'er well and realized she must have suffered some sort of trauma.

"It's nothing special." Xia Yi shrugged, speaking nonchalantly. "She tried to kill me, and since I couldn't beat her in a fight, I tricked her by claiming I had left a bit of my soul power inside Tang Wulin that I could detonate anytime. Surprisingly, she believed it and kept begging me not to hurt Tang Wulin."

"He actually admitted it?" Gu Yue's eye twitched in disbelief. She hadn't expected Xia Yi to casually reveal the truth to Yali.

Sure enough, Yali's face darkened, and she asked coldly, "You threatened Na'er like that just now, didn't you?"

"What else could I do? My cultivation level is far below hers, and my only soul skill is a support type. Without such tactics, do you think I could beat her?" Xia Yi asked with an air of justification.

"Don't you think that was a bit excessive?" Yali asked sternly.

"She tried to kill me. Why would I care about being excessive?" Xia Yi retorted.

"Fine. Then tell me—why did you use such underhanded means to seriously injure Tang Wulin during your duel? Fairness is important in battles between soul masters," Yali questioned further.

"As I said before, I was outmatched, so I did what I had to do. Besides, there were no restrictions," Xia Yi responded with a shrug.

"Your soul skill can heal Tang Wulin's injuries. Since this all started because of you, you should treat him," Yali said firmly.

"Not interested," Xia Yi declined without hesitation. He didn't feel guilty, so why should he help?

"Suit yourself. As someone with experience, I'll give you a piece of advice: leave some room for others in your actions, you might need them someday," Yali said, shaking her head before leaving.

Unless Xia Yi agreed to become her student, Yali felt she had no obligation to insist. She admired his abilities and intelligence for his age but disliked his ruthless demeanor.

Watching Yali's retreating figure, Xia Yi sneered. He didn't think he had gone too far. Yali only felt that way because she didn't understand his circumstances.

Besides, since Na'er had tried to kill him, why should he care about maintaining good relations for the future?

"Let's go. I'll take you to see the Class One homeroom teacher," Gu Yue said to Xia Yi. Although he had defeated Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong would clearly not allow him to join Class Zero.

"Fine," Xia Yi agreed. He knew the academy's class ranking system: the lower the class number, the stronger it was.

Originally, Xia Yi had wanted to provoke Wu Zhangkong, but he knew it was pointless since the teacher would never let him into Class Zero.

Given his situation, he couldn't afford to waste time. Unlike other soul masters, he was already three or four years behind in cultivation and knowledge. Time was especially precious to him.

Before reaching the Class One office, Gu Yue introduced the teacher. "The homeroom teacher of Class One once confessed her love to Wu Zhangkong but was rejected, so she holds a grudge. Be careful with what you say."

The Class One teacher, Ye Yingluo, appeared to be in her mid-twenties. She stood over 1.7 meters tall with a well-proportioned figure, striking green hair tied in a sleek ponytail, and bright, expressive eyes. Her fair skin, delicate oval face, and cherry lips gave her a youthful appearance that could easily be mistaken for a senior student.

At twenty-four or twenty-five, she was already a five-ring Soul King, making her an exceptional talent.

"Gu Yue, what are you doing here?" Ye Yingluo's expression darkened as soon as she saw Gu Yue.

In Eastsea Academy's advancement competition, Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie had defeated Ye Yingluo's three most talented students.

That loss had cost her two outstanding students—Zhang Ziyang and Wang Jinxi, who had a martial soul fusion skill.

Because of this, Ye Yingluo remembered Gu Yue vividly and disliked her, especially her arrogant demeanor, which surpassed even Wu Zhangkong's.

"Teacher Ye, I have a friend who wants to join your class," Gu Yue said stiffly.

"Ten soul power ranks? Do you think my Class One is some kind of joke? Let me guess—this friend of yours went to Class Zero first, got rejected, and now you're bringing him here as a backup option?" Ye Yingluo's gaze fell on Xia Yi, her expression souring as she sensed his low soul power.

Not only was she disappointed by Xia Yi's lack of strength, but she was also offended that Gu Yue had brought "leftovers" rejected by Class Zero to her.

"So, soul power is still the ultimate hurdle," Xia Yi sighed inwardly. No matter how exceptional he was in other areas, his low cultivation was still a liability.

Wu Zhangkong had done the same, forcing him to admit his low soul power before rejecting him outright.

(End of Chapter)