Volume One: The Awakening of the Dragon Soul Chapter Six: Rumors and Scandal Fill the Air

“What are you all doing!”
A thunderous roar froze the reporters in place. Mo Xing turned around and saw Teacher Long Lian, furious, standing behind them.

“Each one of you, can you at least have some boundaries when chasing celebrities?” Long Lian bellowed, “Stop blocking the doorway! Don’t other people need to come and go?”

“And you! Still taking photos?” Long Lian pointed fiercely at one reporter. “Move aside! Don’t you need to eat lunch? Are you planning on becoming immortals or dropping out?”

The reporters hurriedly parted, forming a “special passage” for Long Lian to stride through.

Mo Xing was stunned. He hadn’t expected Teacher Long Lian to be even fiercer than in class. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it—it was the perfect moment to make his escape.

As soon as Long Lian left, Mo Xing dashed out of the crowd. Some reporters were held back by Long Lian’s admonishments, but the rest pursued Mo Xing relentlessly.

Mo Xing thought to himself, these reporters are like a pack of ravenous wolves, and he’s the tender little lamb they’ve set their sights on! Someone, please come and save him—he had no desire to play “the lamb’s desperate escape!”

He sprinted wildly to the first-floor lobby, where several yawning people stood by the entrance. One of them pointed at him and shouted,

“Ah! It’s Mo Xing! After him!”

The others turned, eyes wide, and rushed toward him. The reporters upstairs ran down as well, leaving Mo Xing trapped, with no way forward or back!

He wondered, how could the classroom, once a sanctuary for learning, turn into a marketplace after class? Were they hawking gossip and headlines now—two cents for a sensational scoop?

“Come with me!”

At that critical moment, a small, snow-white hand pulled Mo Xing aside. He looked up to find a girl, dressed in a black cloak and wearing a black mask.

And she was indeed a girl! Her long eyelashes framed a pair of bright, lively eyes.

“Who’s the person beside Mo Xing?”
The sudden appearance of this mysterious figure in black sparked the reporters’ suspicions.

A glint flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, a fierce wind whipped up from beneath their feet, unleashing a powerful current that knocked the reporters off balance and sent them sprawling.

One portly reporter managed to crawl up, only to find both Mo Xing and the girl in black gone! The lobby was now filled only with curious students and papers swirling in the air.

On the rooftop.

“Are you alright?” the girl asked.

“I… I’m alright. Just a little dizzy.” Mo Xing held his head.

“That’s good.” The girl glanced at him, thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll be going now.”

“Wait!” Mo Xing called to her.

“Hm?” She turned.

“Thank you for saving me,” Mo Xing paused, “may I know your name?”

“No,” she replied coldly.

“Uh…” Mo Xing was taken aback.

“Yes,” she reaffirmed.

“I don’t mean anything else,” Mo Xing added, “I just want to properly thank you if I get the chance someday.”

She stared into Mo Xing’s eyes without speaking.

From her gaze, Mo Xing felt an inexpressible aura, and his heart grew uneasy.

“Call me Lemon,” she finally broke the silence.

“Le… Lemon?” Mo Xing asked, puzzled. “Isn’t that a fruit?”

“It’s also my codename,” Lemon replied.

“Codename? What does that mean?” Mo Xing asked. “You must be a student, right?”

“Can’t you tell?” Lemon responded coolly.

“Honestly, I can’t. With that cloak and mask, only your eyes and a bit of hair show, the rest is completely covered.”

“You’re older than me, but your life experience is far less rich—not even as much as I had at seven.” Lemon shook her head.

“So sarcastic?” Mo Xing exclaimed.

“It’s not sarcasm. It’s so you can see yourself clearly.” Lemon pointed at Mo Xing. “You’re timid, lacking confidence. Fortunately, you’ve encountered people and events that helped you mature a little.”

Mo Xing was shocked—Lemon saw right through him. Was she some kind of mind reader?

“If you have the chance, join some student organizations. It’ll help you build courage and broaden your horizons.” Lemon turned away, and suddenly a gust of wind swept by, making it impossible for Mo Xing to keep his eyes open.

Two seconds later, the wind stopped.

Mo Xing opened his eyes—Lemon was gone. Staring up at the blue sky, he smiled:

“So this is what it means to be strong! I must work hard and become someone like her, someday.”

Just as Mo Xing was lost in his inspirational thoughts, a sheet of paper slapped onto his face, blocking his vision.

Peeling it away, he found it was an issue of “Rumor Weekly.” On the front page, he read:

“Shocking! A Level Zero Freshman Secretly Meets a Beauty on the Back Hill!”

Divine Luo Palace, Student Council Office.

“This is outrageous!” Chen Anye slammed the newspaper down, making the water in his cup tremble.

“And here—‘The other party is actually the Student Council Vice President?’ And they even attached some blurry photos!”

As a council member, Chen Anye was furious to see such a headline tarnishing the Student Council’s reputation. Most importantly, Siyen was his goddess, and now this gossip rag was smearing her name.

“These school newspaper reporters have no professional ethics. How can they write something like this?” Chen Anye cursed.

“Yes, it’s truly excessive,” Siyen, nearby, replied. “But right now, the most important thing is protecting Mo Xing.”

“According to the new students’ schedule: this afternoon from two to five, Mo Xing will be at the Hades Training Grounds for a practical class,” another council member said.

“Right. Any council members with no afternoon classes, head to the training grounds to protect Mo Xing,” Siyen ordered.

“Understood!” the others replied in unison.

With the Student Council President away for cultivation, Siyen, as Vice President, was responsible for chairing this week’s meetings and assigning tasks.

She didn’t know who leaked Mo Xing’s level zero status, but for the school paper to exploit it and drag herself and the council into it was truly over the line!

This not only sullied her and the council’s honor, but could affect Mo Xing, who was about to participate in the freshman assessment.

“Wait—”

“Hades Training Grounds?” Chen Anye suddenly asked, “Who’s Mo Xing’s practical class instructor?”

“Oh, let me check—” The council member holding the roster paused, then looked up. “Teacher Apocalypse!”

Two o’clock in the afternoon, Hades Training Grounds.

Mo Xing, wearing a mask, scanned his surroundings. The other freshmen chatted among themselves, paying little attention to him, which allowed him to breathe easier.

“Hello, students! Long time no see!”

A familiar voice. Mo Xing looked over to see Teacher Apocalypse walking over with another student, waving.

“Wow, it’s Teacher Apocalypse!”

“The same teacher from the registration desk yesterday?”

“Yes! He’s handsome, and his classes are fun.”

“No wonder he’s one of the school’s top ten instructors!”

Mo Xing watched his classmates cheer, praying that Teacher Apocalypse would focus on them and not recognize him. After all, it was under his nose that Mo Xing had tested zero-level Dragon God power.

“Although we’ve met before,” Apocalypse smiled, “let me formally introduce myself. I am Yang Apocalypse, your practical class instructor. You can call me Teacher Apocalypse!”

As soon as he finished, the students burst into applause, and Mo Xing clapped along.

“And beside me is your senior.” Teacher Apocalypse gestured politely. “Chen Anye, second year, Level Fifty-Two Gunner of the Green Wood rank, assisting me in teaching.”

Another round of applause followed, and Chen Anye cupped his hands in thanks.

This time, Mo Xing didn’t clap. Something felt off—this senior kept staring at him. Was he a hidden reporter? Perhaps after class, he’d summon his brothers to surround Mo Xing so he couldn’t escape.

“These two days, you’ll pick suitable weapons from the armory and familiarize yourselves with combat styles and techniques,” Teacher Apocalypse announced.

“Teacher Apocalypse, where are our weapons?” one student asked.

“Your weapons, well—” Apocalypse smiled and snapped his fingers. “Please look up.”

The students craned their necks. A beam of light appeared in the sky, and a moment later, countless weapons descended slowly.

“Wow! Teacher Apocalypse is amazing!”

“He can control so many weapons at will!”

“Lucky to be your student!”

“No need to envy—you’ll be able to do this someday, too,” Apocalypse responded humbly to their praise. “Now, pick your weapons and find a spot to practice. Chen Anye and I will provide individual guidance soon.”

“Alright!” the students responded eagerly.

Mo Xing picked several weapons and headed to Training Ground Six.

He lifted a sharp broadsword and swung it with all his might at the wooden dummy, only for the blade to get stuck.

“That’s odd, how could this happen?” Mo Xing wondered.

“You’re not strong enough, and your technique is wrong,” a steady voice sounded from behind. Mo Xing turned to see Senior Chen Anye standing there.

“Ah… Hello, Senior Chen Anye,” Mo Xing stammered.

“I’ve been standing behind you for ages, and you didn’t notice. You speak hesitantly—you’re not decisive. You’re not suited to be an assassin,” Chen Anye continued.

“Then I’ll try archery.” Mo Xing picked up a bow, drew an arrow from the quiver, and aimed at the wooden dummy nearby.

He drew the bowstring, and after charging his shot, released it. The arrow zipped past, barely grazing the dummy.

“Ah! So close!” Mo Xing grabbed another arrow from the quiver. “I’ll try again!”

“Do you aim first, or charge first?” Chen Anye suddenly asked.

The arrow again narrowly missed the dummy.

“Huh? Does it matter?” Mo Xing puzzled. “So close again—one more time!”

“No need to try further. You’re not suited to be an archer,” Chen Anye added. “At this distance, you can’t even guarantee basic accuracy.”

“Alright.” Mo Xing looked at the dummy three meters away and realized it made sense.

“Your build isn’t right for a heavy knight, either,” Chen Anye went on.

“Yeah, I agree.” Mo Xing nodded.

“So quick to compromise with reality—you won’t make a good healer. And you even wore your mask inside out. Careless,” Chen Anye pointed out.

“Ah?” Mo Xing hurriedly took off his mask and found it was indeed backwards.

“Masks are meant for those who need them,” Chen Anye smiled. “Let me see your strength, Mo Xing.”

“So, you know who I am, Senior?” Mo Xing suddenly realized he’d been exposed. After a brief silence, he laughed, “So, do you look down on me for being a level zero freshman?”

Chen Anye was stunned—Mo Xing’s eyes radiated an unspoken kingly aura, like a long-slumbering lion abruptly awakened, issuing a fierce “expulsion order” to all intruders of his domain!

“No, I just want to see your strength so I can help you choose the right career path,” Chen Anye explained.

“Strength, huh? Then watch closely!”

Mo Xing stretched out his hand, fingers splayed. A torrent of blue power erupted like a flood, and nearby weapons seemed to be manipulated by invisible hands, rising into the air.

“This…” Chen Anye’s face changed.

Mo Xing’s eyes blazed with blue-violet light. With a gesture, the airborne weapons flew toward Chen Anye!

“My path is mine to command!”