In a small, deserted harbor, three figures suddenly appeared in a flash of light. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in an unfamiliar city. Xun'er and Ya Fei stared wide-eyed in shock.
"Where… where are we? You actually have this kind of ability?" Ya Fei looked around, awe written all over her face. Just a single whoosh, and they'd appeared in a different place. This kind of spatial movement was beyond her comprehension.
"I think this should be Jia Nan City. I've never been here before, so I'm not entirely sure. Let's find someone to ask." With that, Goku started walking toward the street ahead.
Xun'er quickly followed, still visibly shaken. The technique Goku had just used… even her father, a peak nine-star Dou Sheng, couldn't accomplish such a feat. At most, her father could open spatial gateways to shorten distances, but Goku had simply appeared here instantly—like tearing through the void itself.
'Doesn't that mean… his strength surpasses my father's?' she thought, stunned.
Could he be… one of those legendary Dou Emperors? The thought alone made her heart race. That kind of existence… did it truly exist.
---
"Hey there, gorgeous! Mind telling me where we are?" Goku smiled like a harmless fool as he stopped a stunning woman on the street with long, seductive legs.
Behind him, Ya Fei rolled her eyes dramatically. Of course, he had to ask a pretty girl for directions. Typical.
But Xun'er's expression shifted when she saw the woman. Stepping forward, she said with surprise, "Sister Xiao Yu? I didn't expect to see you here. What a coincidence!"
"Xiao Yu?" Goku blinked, intrigued. Wait a second—isn't that Xiao Yan's cousin? No way… I randomly stop someone to ask for directions and end up with one of the most well-known beauties from the Xiao Clan?
"You're… Xun'er? What are you doing here? Don't tell me that bastard Xiao Yan is here too? Where is he?! Bring him out—I'm going to beat the crap out of him!" Xiao Yu's eyes scanned the crowd, clearly on the hunt.
"Don't bother looking. Brother Xiao Yan didn't come with us," Xun'er replied calmly. Though inwardly, she was shocked—Xiao Yu's presence confirmed they had indeed arrived in Jia Nan City, the home of Jia Nan Academy.
To arrive here instantly from tiny Wu Tan City… the feat was nothing short of miraculous.
"What are you spacing out for?" Xiao Yu teased, snapping Xun'er out of her thoughts. Her gaze shifted to Goku, mischief in her eyes. "You came to Jia Nan City with someone else? Don't tell me you ditched that good-for-nothing Xiao Yan to elope with this guy? I knew it! There's nothing good about that brat—you should've dumped him ages ago."
Xun'er's expression turned cold, and she shot Goku a sharp glare. If it wasn't for this guy, she wouldn't have been separated from Brother Xiao Yan in the first place.
But Goku just chuckled, unfazed. He looked at Xiao Yu and asked, "Judging by your uniform, you're a student at Jia Nan Academy, right? Perfect—I need to head there. Mind showing us the way?"
"Huh? You want to go to Jia Nan Academy?" Xiao Yu looked him over curiously. "That's not up to me. You'll need to talk to Instructor Ruo Lin. I just came out shopping with her."
Just as she finished speaking, a cheerful voice rang out.
"Yu'er! So this is where you've been hiding. I've been looking everywhere for you!"
A red blur dashed toward them and threw her arms around Xiao Yu. Her hand sneakily slid down Xiao Yu's waist, and then her eyes lit up when she noticed Goku.
"Well, well, no wonder you were gone so long—you were busy chatting with a hottie! Aren't you going to introduce us?"
At the same time, another woman approached them, gentle as water. Dressed in a flowing sea-green gown, she exuded elegance and the mature charm of a refined lady.
"Get off, perv!" Xiao Yu pushed the red-clad girl away with a laugh, then turned to Xun'er. "This is my close friend at the academy—Xue Ni. She's a four-star Dou Practitioner! And this here—" she gestured to the elegant woman, "is Instructor Ruo Lin. She's as kind and beautiful as she looks. If you've got something to discuss about the academy, talk to her."
Then Xiao Yu motioned to Xun'er. "This is my clan member, Xun'er. Gorgeous, right? But hands off—she's way out of your league," she said, throwing a teasing look at Xue Ni.
Goku stroked his chin and thought, Hmm… is she into girls?
Xue Ni, unfazed, pointed at Goku and Ya Fei. "And who are these two? Especially the one behind you—wow!" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Ya Fei.
While Xun'er was more beautiful by conventional standards, Ya Fei's mature allure and seductive presence made her far more captivating in the moment.
"I don't know them that well," Xiao Yu shrugged. "Let them introduce themselves."
"I'm Goku. This is Ya Fei. A pleasure to meet such beautiful ladies." Goku nodded politely. First impressions mattered, especially with girls.
Then he looked at Ruo Lin and smiled. "You're Instructor Ruo Lin, right? I'd like to send a few people to study at your academy. Would you be willing to take me to see your headmaster?"
Truthfully, Goku wasn't in a rush. He simply wanted more time to hang out with these beautiful women. If he really wanted into Jia Nan Academy, he didn't need anyone's help.
"You want to enroll? I'm afraid I can't help you. There's still more than half a year before the next admission cycle, and we don't take students outside that time," Ruo Lin said gently, her voice like spring water—soft and hard to refuse.
"You don't need to do anything else. Just get me inside the academy—I'll handle the rest."
Ruo Lin blinked, surprised by his confidence. Is he from some powerful clan?
She hesitated, then sighed. "Alright. I can take you in. But our academy has strict rules. You might be disappointed in the end."
"No problem," Goku said with a relaxed smile.
"So the three of you want to enroll?" Ruo Lin asked, looking over the trio. Her gaze lingered on Xun'er—anyone could tell she had extraordinary talent. Ya Fei, on the other hand, seemed average in cultivation. As for Goku… she couldn't sense anything at all.
Goku nodded. "That's right, Although I have about a dozen more who'll join later."
"A dozen?!" Xiao Yu and Xue Ni gaped at him, looking him up and down like he'd grown another head.
"You think this is your private academy or something? Do you even know how limited our enrollment is each year? A dozen—are you out of your mind?" Xiao Yu snapped.
Xue Ni sighed. "Tch, what a waste. And here I thought we'd found a real hunk. Turns out he's got nothing in the head."
Before she could finish the insult, Goku appeared in front of her in a flash—so fast no one saw him move. His face was inches from hers, his breath warm on her cheeks.
"Careful, little lady," he whispered, his voice low and playful. "You can eat what you want, but don't talk nonsense. Even if you're a pretty girl, I won't hesitate to spank you."
Xue Ni's heart pounded like a drum. Her cheeks flushed deep red. Bold as she usually was, she'd never been this close to a man before.
"Y-You… I…"
Xiao Yu stared in disbelief. "What the—Xue Ni's actually blushing? Did the world just flip upside down?!"
Her exclamation jolted Xue Ni back to her usual self. She growled and lunged at Xiao Yu. "What did you say?! You wanna get pinched again, huh?!"
While the two girls horsed around, Ruo Lin was deep in thought.
'That speed just now… even I couldn't follow it. Is he some old monster disguised as a young man? No wonder he talks so boldly—he's definitely not simple.'
If Goku knew Ruo Lin had pegged him as some hundred-year-old freak in disguise, who knows how he'd react?
"We're heading back to the academy now," Ruo Lin said, smiling gently. Her soft voice was like a balm to the ears. "You three can come with us."
"Thanks so much!" Goku grinned. He was genuinely excited—he hadn't felt this thrilled since the last time he stepped into a school.
As they made their way toward the ancient building nestled at the city's heart, Goku sighed, "Can't believe I'm going back to school after all these years… though it's a little different this time."
Suddenly, a girl's angry shout echoed from the academy gates.
"Stop right there! Flirting with me? You're tired of living!"
BANG! A scream followed as a body came flying out of the gate, crashing straight toward Goku!
"What the—what's going on now?" Goku casually reached out and caught the flying man, setting him gently on the ground. He looked up to see a petite girl storming out of the academy, her face twisted in fury.
"Thank you, thank you! You saved my life!" the guy sobbed gratefully—until he saw the furious little girl charging after him. He paled and immediately ducked behind Ruo Lin. "Instructor Ruo Lin, save me! Some crazy little girl's trying to kill me!"
"Who are you calling a little girl?!" the girl snapped. She leapt forward, her tiny fist charged with incredible power. Despite her small frame, her strength was terrifying—enough to shatter stone.
"Stop!" Ruo Lin stepped forward, summoning a defensive wave of Dou Qi to shield them.
CRACK! The barrier shattered on impact, the girl's fist blasting right through. The blow passed just under Ruo Lin's arm, aimed directly at the terrified man.
If it landed, he'd be bedridden for months—if he lived.
Goku caught the punch mid-air, his grip ironclad. No matter how hard the girl struggled, she couldn't break free.
"Easy, little miss. You've had enough fun, right?"
Surprised, the girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Whoa! You're way stronger than that loser! You're not bad!"
"Loser?!" the guy behind Ruo Lin screamed. "I'm a man of dignity! I—!"
"Oh? So you've got guts now?" The girl—Zi Yan—raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you cry like a baby two seconds ago? Oh… I see. You're just showing off in front of the pretty ladies."
"You scumbag!" Zi Yan roared, kicking him into the grass like a ragdoll.
The crowd gasped. Students nearby watched her with fear, and a few came over to carry the poor guy away.
"Poor man," Goku muttered, giving him a half-second of silence. He released Zi Yan's hand.
He'd only stopped her because Ruo Lin might have been hurt—he wasn't about to risk himself for some sneaky creep.
"You're pretty strong for someone your size. What's your name?" Goku asked with interest.
"Zi Yan! And I like you. Let's fight sometime!"
'Zi Yan?: Goku blinked, then chuckled. 'Well, well… didn't expect to meet you so soon, dragon girl.'
___
🎉 Shoutout to Bradyn Maloney! 🎉
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