Chapter 20: Go, Xiao Wu-chan, It's Decided, You're the One!

One hour later, in the small woods behind the academy, the two groups stood facing each other.

On one side were the work-study students led by Xiao Wu and Chu Chengzhou, and on the other side were the second-generation nobles of Notting City, led by Xiao Chenyu.

"Xiao Chenyu, Martial Soul: Wolf, Level 11 Battle Soul Master. Who's coming from your side?"

As the work-study students gathered, and Chu Chengzhou arrived, Xiao Chenyu's body began to glow with a green light. His muscles expanded, his eyes gradually turned pale green, and his arms transformed into sharp claws. A white soul ring appeared around him.

"Ha! White soul ring? Xiao Chenyu, are you sure you're the biological child of your City Lord father?" Chu Chengzhou almost spit out his lunch when he saw the white first soul ring blooming on Xiao Chenyu.

In the original story, this kid had a white first soul ring. Chu Chengzhou had thought that with his little butterfly martial soul, Xiao Chenyu might be able to change his fate, but to his surprise, he was still following the same path as in the original.

The white first soul ring was the standard for commoners who became Soul Masters.

If their talent was decent, they might reach the level of a 10th-level Soul Master before graduating from the junior Soul Master academy. Then, they could participate in a special soul-hunting event organized by the academy to obtain a 100-year soul ring.

Although the academy wouldn't specifically cater to any one student, and it wasn't guaranteed that a suitable soul beast would be found, most students who reached level 10 before graduation could still get a 100-year soul ring.

The reason many Soul Masters on the continent only had white ten-year soul rings was usually due to a lack of talent. They didn't reach one-ring Soul Master status before graduating from the junior academy, and couldn't qualify for a higher-level academy. They also lacked a teacher to guide them in hunting soul beasts.

Although Notting City was a small, remote town, Xiao Chenyu was still a second-generation noble, and he had a City Lord father. Chu Chengzhou couldn't understand why his first soul ring was just a white ten-year ring.

Could it be that the City Lord's mansion in Notting City didn't have the strength to hunt a 100-year soul beast?

That seemed impossible!

With only a soul power of 29 and even a weakling like Yu Xiaogang daring to take Tang San to the Soul Beast Forest to hunt 100-year soul beasts, it made no sense that Xiao Chenyu's father, a Soul Emperor, didn't have the ability to help him obtain a 100-year soul ring!

Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but suspect that Xiao Chenyu was either adopted by his City Lord father, or that his mother had died early, and his father had remarried.

"Ridiculous! My father's martial soul is also a wolf!" Xiao Chenyu immediately retorted.

"Then did your City Lord father marry a stepmother for you? Otherwise, why would you only have a white soul ring?"

"Dammit!"

Xiao Chenyu's face darkened with anger, his teeth grinding.

Although the truth wasn't exactly as Chu Chengzhou had said, it was close enough.

It wasn't that his City Lord father had married a stepmother for him, but rather that his mother had been his father's concubine. His cultivation talent was ordinary, and he wasn't highly regarded in the Xiao family.

Adding to the suppression from his legitimate brothers, Xiao Chenyu's City Lord father never allowed him to obtain a 100-year soul ring, fearing that Xiao Chenyu might grow too powerful and disrupt the interests of the legitimate heirs.

"Hmph, stop talking nonsense, who's coming from your side?!"

With a cold snort, Xiao Chenyu shifted the topic. The more he talked, the more awkward it became, so he decided it was better to just start the fight.

"Go, Xiao Wu-chan, it's decided, you're the one!"

Chu Chengzhou pointed at Xiao Chenyu, who was already prepared for battle, and patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder.

Xiao Wu: "..."

She couldn't shake the feeling that Chu Chengzhou was implying something!

As the saying goes, "If you accept a favor, you owe a debt," and this was exactly how Xiao Wu felt right now. After enjoying a meal paid for by Chu Chengzhou, and borrowing a blanket from him for the night, coupled with her dislike for Xiao Chenyu calling her a "pet rabbit," Xiao Wu had no reason to refuse.

"Hmm? What are you guys up to?"

Seeing that the one stepping up was the newly arrived bunny-eared little girl from the work-study group, Xiao Chenyu furrowed his brow.

Wasn't the strongest person in the work-study group supposed to be Chu Chengzhou?

Last semester, he had fought with Chu Chengzhou. Although he didn't know Chu Chengzhou's exact soul power level, he knew that, in terms of physical fitness, Chu Chengzhou, who was several years younger than him, wasn't much weaker.

Of course, that was back then. Now that he was a one-ring Soul Master, even if his first soul ring was just a white ten-year ring, his physical strength had clearly improved.

Moreover, the most important thing for a Soul Master was their soul skills. A weakling like Chu Chengzhou, who wasn't even a full-fledged Soul Master, should be easy for him to defeat with a single move, right?

"What's going on? Hmph, you don't know yet, do you? Xiao Wu-chan is the strongest in the academy!"

Xiao Wu proudly raised her head and said with a smug smile.

With that, her soul power began to shine, and her Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul manifested. A bright yellow soul ring appeared around her.

She had heard from Wang Sheng and the others that Xiao Chenyu was the new leader of the academy. But this so-called "leader" was just an 11th-level Soul Master with a white soul ring. Naturally, Xiao Wu, with her 100-year soul ring, was the strongest student among the six grades of the academy.

"Shh~ A 100-year soul ring?!"

Xiao Chenyu gasped in shock.

This bunny-eared little girl was actually a one-ring Soul Master? And she had a 100-year soul ring that even he, the son of the City Lord, born to a concubine, couldn't obtain?

But that wasn't the most shocking part. A six- or seven-year-old child could already be a full-fledged Soul Master? How high must her innate soul power be?

Good grief~ Could she be the daughter of a Soul Master family, here to experience life in a small town like Notting City?

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding~ Little girl, I mean, Xiao Wu-chan, it's a misunderstanding!"

After the initial shock, seeing that Xiao Wu was ready to fight, Xiao Chenyu quickly changed his tone and shouted in panic, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

He was indeed arrogant, but that didn't mean he was stupid.

He knew exactly who he could provoke and who he couldn't.

The world of Soul Masters was deep and treacherous. Some people could navigate it, but he, as a mere concubine's son from a small city, was definitely not one of them.

"Misunderstanding my foot! Take this!"

Xiao Wu wasn't going to let him off with just a "misunderstanding." After all, he had earlier called her a "pet rabbit," and she had to teach him a lesson for that.

Without further warning, Xiao Wu shot forward like an arrow from a bow, reaching Xiao Chenyu in the blink of an eye.

Before he could react, her right leg was already bent and her foot shot out, aiming directly at Xiao Chenyu's chin.

"Boom—!"

Xiao Chenyu's vision blurred, and a sharp pain shot through his chin. His head snapped back, and his body was lifted off the ground.

After landing a solid kick, Xiao Wu didn't stop. She jumped into the air, her right leg hooking around Xiao Chenyu's neck, then slammed him down to the ground.

With a loud "Boom—!" the ground trembled slightly as Xiao Chenyu, his head spinning with stars, crashed heavily into the grass.