Blue Tyrant Academy.
Xue Tiegan was a Soul Sage-level expert. As an evil soul master, his combat strength surpassed soul masters of the same level, and his Blood Bat martial soul made him exceptionally skilled in concealment.
He infiltrated Blue Tyrant Academy without anyone noticing.
First, he gathered information about Zhou Sheng'an from the students.
He came to a conclusion… Zhou Sheng'an was a highly respected teacher, and even Xue Tiegan, a Soul Sage, found his lectures incredibly fascinating.
Eager to see this so-called renowned teacher in person, Xue Tiegan made his way to the classroom.
Finding ancient records about the Blood God Cult, deducing countermeasures against Blood Bats, and now demonstrating profound theoretical knowledge… It was hard for any soul master not to be intrigued by such a person.
Thus, Xue Tiegan transformed into a blood bat, slipped into the teaching building, and flew around until he heard Zhou Sheng'an's name.
He clung to the corner of an office wall.
The nameplate on the door read: Dean's Office.
Inside.
Flender sighed deeply, looking helplessly at Liu Erlong, who sat behind the desk. With a tone of admiration, he said, "Erlong, I have to admit, I'm completely convinced. How does that guy's brain even work? He's not even twenty yet, right? How can he… have such insights?"
"Martial souls… Sigh! Before meeting him, I never even imagined martial souls could be understood in such a way!"
"Do you know what I feel right now? One word—pointless! My whole life has been a waste!"
Flender let out a bitter laugh. Originally, he had planned to find faults in Zhou Sheng'an and put him in his place.
But after attending three of his classes, he hadn't dared to say a single word.
He had only one thought now—if they could bring such a person into Shrek Academy, forget about putting on airs; even if he had to let Zhou Sheng'an piss on his head, he would endure it!
Liu Erlong smirked proudly. "And whose person do you think he is?!"
She tilted her chin up slightly, her eyes glimmering with satisfaction, the corners of her mouth lifting.
Just mentioning Zhou Sheng'an made her feel proud of her own foresight!
She completely forgot that it was Director Yin Shu who had fought to keep Zhou Sheng'an at Blue Tyrant Academy.
Flender pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Erlong, from what I hear, he really doesn't like Xiaogang? And leaving aside the fact that Xiaogang hasn't been receiving your letters, if he actually does come here, have you thought about how to handle it?"
Flender watched Liu Erlong closely, instinctively holding his breath.
This time around, he had noticed a change in her—she no longer seemed as infatuated with Yu Xiaogang as before.
Did that mean he finally had a chance?
Even though it felt a bit dishonorable, Flender had waited for Liu Erlong for decades! He had spent all these years alone, and if there was even a sliver of hope, his brother would just have to step aside.
Liu Erlong hesitated for a moment before saying uncertainly, "I… I can have Xiaogang stay outside…"
"You know what Xiaogang is like. He's too proud to tolerate such humiliation," Flender said, his gaze sharp.
Liu Erlong scratched her head in frustration and blurted out, "Then I… I'll just resign! I'll hand Blue Tyrant Academy over to Teacher Zhou. Wouldn't that make everyone happy?!"
"That won't do! Blue Tyrant Academy is your life's work! Besides…"
Flender started persuading Liu Erlong, determined to make her forget about Yu Xiaogang and let go of that impossible love.
…
Outside the office, hearing that the conversation was no longer about Zhou Sheng'an, the blood bat form of Xue Tiegan quietly left.
He sneered inwardly, 'Pathetic simp. With an attitude like that, you'll never get this woman!'
Xue Tiegan hovered around Blue Tyrant Academy for another half hour before finally locating Zhou Sheng'an's penthouse villa.
Slipping in effortlessly, he followed Zhou Sheng'an's scent and flew into the study.
The moment he entered, an intoxicating aroma surrounded him.
The pure scent of blood!
To him, this was the finest nourishment!
But Xue Tiegan didn't act recklessly. Beneath this enticing temptation, he could also sense an unmistakable danger!
He turned his gaze toward Zhou Sheng'an, who was buried in his work at the desk. Curious, he looked at the contents of the papers—and before he knew it, he was completely absorbed, even though he barely understood any of it.
Zhou Sheng'an was deducing optimal soul ring configurations for Blue Tyrant Academy's students. In about the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn, he could determine the third and fourth soul rings a student should obtain.
His notes contained detailed descriptions, including the recommended soul beast's age, the potential soul skills it could provide, and the effectiveness of those skills.
Seeing this, Xue Tiegan suddenly envied the students of Blue Tyrant Academy.
With such a dedicated teacher, if these students didn't achieve greatness in the future, they would be truly worthless!
Even for someone like Xue Tiegan, a Soul Sage, watching Zhou Sheng'an's deductions was incredibly enlightening.
"Since you enjoy watching, why not show yourself?"
Zhou Sheng'an suddenly set down his pen and smiled.
"!!!"
Xue Tiegan was startled. He instinctively darted to the other side of the room, almost thinking there was a hidden expert guarding Zhou Sheng'an.
But there was no other movement.
"Relax. There's no one else here."
Zhou Sheng'an turned to look at Xue Tiegan's blood bat form with a calm smile.
With his Blue Silver Perception, Zhou Sheng'an had already detected Xue Tiegan the moment he entered Blue Tyrant Academy.
But since the intruder hadn't shown any intent to harm the students, Zhou Sheng'an had simply waited for him to arrive.
He nodded slightly toward Xue Tiegan. "Still not going to reveal yourself, friend from the Blood God Cult?"
Xue Tiegan reverted to his human form and stood at the doorway. Seeing Zhou Sheng'an's composed demeanor, he frowned and said, "Aren't you afraid I might harm you?"
Zhou Sheng'an shook his head slightly, smiling. "I have a feeling you won't."
"Heh…"
Xue Tiegan licked his lips, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty gleam.
Zhou Sheng'an looked at him and continued, "Actually, when I was studying ancient records, I became quite interested in your Blood God Cult."
Xue Tiegan grew even more curious about Zhou Sheng'an.
Facing a powerful opponent who could kill him in an instant, this man showed no fear and even spoke with ease.
It was hard not to admire such composure.
Hearing Zhou Sheng'an's words, Xue Tiegan asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"
Zhou Sheng'an smiled. "Why was the Blood God Cult created? And what has kept it going? From my research, I suspect that your people neither worship the so-called Blood God nor submit purely out of a desire for power."
Xue Tiegan's pupils contracted as he stared at Zhou Sheng'an in shock.
'This guy is terrifyingly sharp. He actually pieced together the hidden truth of the Blood God Cult from mere fragments in ancient texts?'
After a moment of silence, Xue Tiegan found himself answering involuntarily.
"The Blood God Cult was created… because the Blood God gave us hope. He showed us the possibility of reaching level 100 and becoming a god!"
"For geniuses like you, the path is much smoother. But what about those of us who lack talent? Should we just accept mediocrity? We longed for strength, and when we saw the Blood God, we founded the Blood God Cult to serve him and gain power…"
Xue Tiegan's eyes burned with fanaticism.
"But you later lost your way," Zhou Sheng'an said.
His words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Xue Tiegan's passion.