Xu Xiaoyan: I Don't Want to Be the Xu Clan Heir!

The sparring match concluded a few minutes later. Gu Yuena and Huo Yuhao stopped in tacit agreement and returned to their respective rooms to rest. According to the final test results, Divine Sculpt of Myriad Forms bolstered by astral power was exceptionally well-suited for defense, serving as a one-second Invincible Golden Body—the absolute defense of the Star Crown. Compared to the Star Crown, it had no recharge time and could be used at any moment, though its duration was far shorter, lasting only a single second. Because the soul skill was a fusion of spiritual power and astral-attribute soul power, during that one second, no manner of energy, soul power, or spiritual power could penetrate it. As for offensive power, it depended on the soul power attribute infused into it, which remained to be explored. With Divine Sculpt of Myriad Forms as a foundation, he could combine the ice element and spiritual power to control ice just as freely as Gu Yuena. However, he didn't have any good ideas for the astral attribute yet—perhaps something like Draco Meteor? As for crowd control, it was also quite impressive. Formed into a cage, it could forcibly trap an enemy inside for one second, which worked wonders against multiple foes; shaped into restraints like chains, it could not be snapped within that second either. However, opponents could still fight back from within, and it was useless against those capable of wielding spatial abilities. This was Huo Yuhao's current impression of the astral-powered version of Divine Sculpt of Myriad Forms. Yet he felt there was still room for further development. He had indeed undergone re-cultivation, but his control over spiritual power from his days as an Ultimate Douluo hadn't diminished. Forging simple items like chains was effortless, and creating more delicate constructs, such as Soul Tools, was by no means out of the question. Furthermore, his application of astral power could be developed even further. With that in mind, Huo Yuhao glanced at the three Spirit Rings around him, retracted them, and asked within the Sea of Spirit, "Brother Tianmeng, care to give me a few more soul skills?" To say nothing of Heavenly Silkworm Transformation, which was unquestionably a divine skill; Divine Sculpt of Myriad Forms could now serve as an absolute defense while integrating crowd control, offense, and auxiliary displacement into a single package—likewise a divine skill. Brother Tianmeng, put in a little extra effort and grant a few more divine skills! "No way, go find the Evil Emperor!" Tianmeng Iceworm scurried into a corner at his words. "Six! A whole six already! If you count the Soul Spirit skill—Shield of Life Reflection—that makes seven! Don't come looking for me!" "Just joking." Huo Yuhao had only been teasing. Chuckling, he retrieved Star's Blessing, letting it hover in midair to channel astral power and assist him in his meditative cultivation. At this hour of the night, the Divine Tool's effects were at their peak. ... East Sea Academy, girls' dormitory. A strikingly pretty girl with pale blue hair, who looked as delicate and lovely as if sculpted from porcelain and jade, sat by the window, gazing out at the starry sky and sighing repeatedly. "Why did things turn out like this? Why won't Old Ancestor Starry Sky Beast let me off the hook?" Xu Xiaoyan couldn't make sense of it. She was born into East Sea City's prominent Xu clan, the little princess of her family. Before awakening her Martial Soul at age six, because her elder brother was already outstanding, the family didn't expect much of her. Her father, mother, grandparents, and brother all doted on her. But after her Martial Soul awakened at six, everything changed! She was brought to the clan's secret grounds, where she met an Heirloom Soul Spirit, the clan's venerable ancestor—the Starry Sky Beast. This ancestor hadn't originally gone by that name; it was just an ice-attribute Soul Beast. But due to a mutated Martial Soul that occasionally appeared in their clan—the Star Wheel Ice Staff—this Soul Spirit had mutated. The Star Wheel Ice Staff Martial Soul had a unique trait: regardless of what Soul Spirit it absorbed, the spirit would ultimately become part of the star wheel. Between the feedback from the Soul Spirit Contract and the clan's deliberate nurturing, Old Ancestor Starry Sky Beast eventually transformed from an ice-attribute Soul Beast into an astrological-attribute Soul Beast, becoming the foundation of the Xu clan. Upon meeting her, Old Ancestor Starry Sky Beast directly pointed at her to become the successor of the Xu clan, evidently believing her Martial Soul had a chance to manifest the star wheel phenomenon and mutate into the Star Wheel Ice Staff, thereby inheriting its power as the clan's strongest Heirloom Soul Spirit. And indeed, that was exactly what happened—her Martial Soul truly ended up mutating. Yet at the time, all Xu Xiaoyan wanted was to loudly... no, quietly protest: "This isn't right, not right at all! I don't want to be the Xu clan's heir—give it to my brother!" However, her protest was dismissed. Her grandfather and the ancestor didn't listen to her in the slightest. Her grandfather even took her home in high spirits and convened a clan meeting, announcing that she would be the next heir of the Xu clan. Cowering in a corner, she watched everyone delightedly accept the arrangement—feeling small, pitiful, and utterly helpless. From that day onward, her family placed strict demands on her. She had to cultivate diligently and study all sorts of knowledge. Her carefree days were gone forever, and she even had to learn combat techniques she disliked. "Why does it have to be me?" Life was hard; Xu Xiaoyan sighed. Now, her family had tossed her into the academy, claiming word had gotten around that East Sea Academy would form a special class and instructing her to seize the opportunity. With her aptitude, she could have gone to Class One, but her initial reluctance caused her to drag her feet, resulting in her arriving late for registration. Then, while speaking with the dean of academic affairs, the homeroom teacher of Class Two stepped into the office, saw her, and seized the chance to snap her up for their class. Now, she was also one of the candidates for the Class Promotion Tournament, and she had no idea what lay ahead. According to her classmates, Class One was a gathering of monsters, yet her own teacher acted dead set on bringing Class One down. It was beyond comprehension. "Xiaoyan, get some rest. We have combat training tomorrow." Seeing Xu Xiaoyan's movements, a roommate meditating on another bed spoke in a quiet voice before finishing her meditation and preparing to sleep. "Oh, okay," Xu Xiaoyan agreed softly. She tiptoed into bed and closed her eyes to rest. She truly hoped that when she woke up tomorrow, her brother would replace her as the Xu clan's heir. ... East Sea Academy's Class Promotion Tournament progressed by lower-ranked classes challenging higher-ranked ones. Class Five had a student who originally qualified for Class Three, and under Wu Zhangkong's tutelage, they ultimately defeated Class Four and proceeded to challenge Class Three. And then... they suffered an upset. "..." Long Hengxu watched Wu Zhangkong lead his students away without a word, then glanced at Class Three's homeroom teacher, Ye Yingrong, who wore a complicated expression, before stiffly walking away from the arena. Had the principal gone a bit too far this time? One couldn't tell from Teacher Wu's face whether he was angry... hopefully not. Like her sister, Ye Yingrong had feelings for Wu Zhangkong, but she was relatively more level-headed. After watching Wu Zhangkong's departing figure for a moment, she composed herself, walked over to her three students, and smiled. "Well done. Next, you will be challenging Class Two." Gu Tianri, Gu Tianyue, and Gu Tianming were the students she had sent out—three brothers. The three Gu brothers came from an impoverished family, yet all three happened to possess soul power. Their parents had thought they wouldn't be able to scrape together enough money for Soul Spirits and that they might only manage to borrow enough just before school started to enroll as Rank 11 Soul Masters. To their surprise, things took an unexpected turn—the Spirit Pagoda offered an alternative aid program. Ultimately, all three brothers obtained Soul Spirits. Their soul power was currently at Rank 13 and Rank 14, and all three shared the same flying Martial Soul. With flying Martial Souls, even with only Ten-Year Soul Spirits, in past eras they would have qualified for Class Two or even Class One. Nowadays, however, Class One and Class Two were filled with holders of Hundred-Year Soul Spirits, and their rosters were full, leaving the three brothers no choice but to settle for Class Three. With a lineup like this, they certainly stood a fighting chance against Class Two.