Battle armor! Without a doubt — it had to be battle armor!
The entire plaza fell into a heavy, breathless silence.
Seven rings, six rings — yes, those were strong, but not strong enough. There was no way their soul power alone could produce such a crushing aura, an aura that weighed down everyone present just by existing. That kind of suppression only came when a soul master was wearing battle armor.
Battle armor could raise a soul master's combat power by at least 30%, equivalent to leaping two whole stages of strength. Judging from the intricate patterns and rune formations on the armor worn by the two enforcement officers, they were clearly both wielding two-word battle armor.
"What's going on here?" one of the officers, Yang Qian, called out coldly. "We received a report that someone suspicious had broken into Shrek Academy. As members of the Enforcement Team, we are here under orders."
His sharp eyes swept across the plaza, lingering on the kneeling students — but then his gaze sharpened, catching sight of Gu You, who was somehow standing unaffected beneath the weight of his Title Douluo-level aura.
'This kid… why isn't he suppressed?' Yang Qian thought, surprised.
The second officer, a six-ring soul master, crouched beside Zhou Tian, who was still trembling uncontrollably. With a touch of soul power, the officer stilled Zhou Tian's spasming limbs and probed his spiritual sea.
Suddenly, his expression darkened.
"You… you're an evil soul master!" the officer snapped, his gaze whipping toward Gu You.
Yang Qian frowned, stepping forward. "Please show us your Shrek student credentials. If you don't have them, you'll need to come with us to the enforcement court for questioning."
Gu You exhaled slowly, a flicker of annoyance flashing through his eyes.
'Seriously? What a mess… I was having a perfectly good day.'
Honestly, no, he didn't have any formal student credentials. After acknowledging Yun Ming and Yali as his godparents, he had occasionally trained in the inner courtyard, but most of his time was spent at the Forging Association. No one had ever bothered to process his admission paperwork.
Technically, yes — he had the right to move freely in and out of Shrek, but that only worked if someone confirmed his identity on the spot. And right now? Who here knew who he was? On paper, he looked exactly like an intruder.
More importantly, he didn't know how to fly, and Shrek City was a no-fly zone for anyone below the top echelon of authority. Without someone personally picking him up, it was no surprise they were suspicious.
"…I don't have any credentials," Gu You admitted tersely.
"I don't care how you got inside," Yang Qian said grimly. "But if you harmed one of our students — and worse, if you used some evil soul technique to erode his spiritual sea and erase his memories — you'll have to pay the price!"
He raised his hand, soul power gathering to forcibly detain Gu You.
"Stop!"
A sharp voice cut through the tension.
Everyone's heads snapped toward the source of the voice.
Gu You let out a soft breath of relief.
'About time… the one to break this deadlock is here.'
Shen Yi hurried forward, her face tight with urgency as she stepped between Gu You and Yang Qian.
"Teacher Shen Yi, what are you doing here?" Yang Qian asked quietly, his frown deepening.
"Don't touch this child," Shen Yi said firmly, planting herself in front of Gu You and grabbing his wrist protectively.
Yang Qian's expression hardened. "You! We must conduct a proper investigation before releasing him. If he's truly innocent, then what reason do you have to shield him?"
Around them, the still-subdued students and scattered onlookers watched the scene with wide eyes.
What… what exactly was going on here?
"He…" Shen Yi began, but before she could explain, Gu You gently raised a hand, signaling her to stop.
He turned his gaze calmly toward Yang Qian.
"I don't believe I've done anything wrong," Gu You said, voice steady and cold. "If anything, I'm deeply disappointed in Shrek Academy."
Yang Qian's aura flared. "What right do you have to criticize Shrek?"
Gu You shook his head slowly. "Based on the behavior of your students. Without knowing anything about me, they chose to harass and provoke."
"Oh? And you? You snuck into Shrek. Our students had every right to question you," Yang Qian retorted, sneering. He had debated plenty of hot-headed kids in the past — and he had never lost. This sharp tongue of his was part of why he'd been selected for the Enforcement Team.
Gu You smirked faintly. "Sneaking in? That's funny. This place… is my home."
"…Your home?" Yang Qian echoed, his brow creasing.
"That's right," Gu You said softly, his voice carrying a strange weight. "That's why I could enter. I didn't sneak in."
The plaza fell into collective confusion.
And then, all at once, a gentle, radiant wave of life energy swept across the square.
Every ounce of oppressive pressure vanished. Everyone's drained soul power instantly returned to full strength. Even Zhou Tian stirred faintly, his eyelids fluttering.
A warm, melodious voice rang through the air:
"Gu'er, enough. You've gone too far."
"Greetings, Holy Spirit Douluo!" Shen Yi dropped to one knee respectfully.
"H-Holy Spirit Douluo… did I hear that right?!" the students gasped. "Did she just call that kid Gu'er? Wait — no way… is he… her son?"
Yang Qian's mind whirled.
Why had this boy dared speak so boldly just now? Why had he dared mock Shrek to his face? There were only two possible explanations: either he was seeking death, or… someone extremely powerful was backing him.
Looking at the situation now, it was obviously the latter.
"…Holy Spirit Douluo has a son?!"
The realization hit the crowd like an explosion. After all, the outside world had never reported anything like this.
"Godmother, you saw it yourself. They were the ones who provoked me first," Gu You called out casually, ignoring the stunned faces around him.
Yali's gentle sigh echoed down from above.
"I shouldn't have let you go alone," she murmured softly. "It's caused quite a scene… Shen Yi, take Gu'er to the inner courtyard. I'll handle the rest."
Her words fell like an imperial edict, brooking no argument.
"Yes, ma'am!" Shen Yi responded instantly.
…
Later, as they soared over the Sea God Lake, Gu You glanced up at Shen Yi's exasperated face, a wry grin tugging at his lips.
"I owe you one, shy-plant teacher."
"…Who are you calling a shy plant?! I'll drop you right here!!" Shen Yi snapped, blushing in anger as she released her grip.
"Wait — you're actually letting go?!"
With a panicked yelp, Gu You plummeted straight toward the lake.
Splash!
For a moment, all that remained was the churning, bubbling surface of Sea God Lake.
"Hey! I can't swim!!" Gu You shouted, flailing.
Shen Yi jolted. "You can't even swim?! What the hell have you been doing these past three years?!"
Startled, she dived after him, skimming just above the water's surface, barely a centimeter away —
"Ha! Gotcha!"
Gu You's grinning face shot out of the water.
"Son of a—!!" Shen Yi nearly lost control midair, narrowly avoiding a collision. Furious and flustered, she lashed out with a foot, sending Gu You splashing right back down into the lake.
"Ow! That hurt!!" Gu You coughed, rubbing his cheek as he resurfaced.
"You… you little…" Shen Yi stammered, chest heaving as she fumed.
"What? What did I do?" Gu You said innocently, water dripping from his soaked hair, a vivid red slap mark blooming across his face.
"How can you be so annoying?!" Shen Yi gritted her teeth, too flustered to even curse properly. She yanked Gu You out of the lake and shot straight toward the Sea God Pavilion.
Gu You, meanwhile, floated dreamily in her grip, thoughts spinning.
'Maybe I went a bit overboard back there…' he admitted inwardly. 'But then again — this is a land of opportunity. So many untapped markets! If I set up my own faction, build both power and influence… bring in some addictive products from my past life… bubble tea, horror movies, mobile games like King of Glory…'
His eyes sparkled.
'Wouldn't I be swimming in money? Counting bills until my hands cramped? Even if I never became a god, even if I died someday, I'd still leave behind a legacy, an unshakable reputation…'
A silly grin spread across his face as Shen Yi grumbled, hauling him through the air.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, and New BTTH Fic is Out. Go Check It Out.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.