Hu Liena's Panic

Hu Liena's little trick naturally could not escape Zhou You's notice. He scratched his itchy cheek, brushed aside the strands of hair blowing against it, and turned to her helplessly.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

Uncharacteristically, Hu Liena looked at him with a broad smile. "Can't I just sit here and look at you?"

Crack!

This time, it was Yan's young heart that shattered.

Zhou You glanced over and ignored him. Turning back to Hu Liena, he said seriously, "I know you keep trying to make trouble for me because Xie Yue lost to me, but there's no point in doing this."

"Oh? Really?" Hu Liena blinked and began displaying her charms without the slightest restraint.

Zhou You suddenly noticed what seemed to be a cloyingly sweet scent in the air, forcing its way into his nostrils regardless of his wishes.

Pheromones? Zhou You frowned slightly.

This was not a Soul Skill, and Hu Liena had not used Martial Soul Possession, yet a force was still trying to stir Zhou You's mind, seeking to make him surrender to a certain exquisite sensation.

Zhou You could clearly sense that his Consciousness Spirit had grown somewhat restless.

Yan, who sat on the other side, had by now been completely captivated by Hu Liena's charms. He gazed at her in a daze, almost drooling.

Zhou You was somewhat surprised. After checking repeatedly, he finally confirmed that the pheromones were responsible.

Yet an ordinary person's pheromones would not produce such a pronounced effect. Hu Liena could actually use "Charm" through pheromones. Was this a complete transformation of the flesh by her Martial Soul? Or a profound union of mental power and hormones?

In any case, the discovery made Zhou You's eyes light up. So even without Martial Soul Possession, a Martial Soul could still influence a Soul Master and produce an effect?

It was a fascinating subject.

Zhou You had attained a high level of cultivation in Nature Skill, and he easily suppressed the slight restlessness of his Consciousness Spirit.

But instead of rejecting the pheromones, he actively accepted them, experiencing the sensation of his senses being stirred while exercising restraint.

His true self, meanwhile, observed from a third-party perspective, probing the mysteries within.

Yet while he was immersed in his research, Hu Liena, sitting across from him, was beginning to lose her composure. She had discovered that the boy before her was actually distracted.

He had actually zoned! Out!

Steeling herself, Hu Liena leaned even closer, until the two of them were close enough to hear each other breathe.

Yet at this distance, she could clearly see that his eyes were unfocused. He was not looking at her. Although he seemed to have been captivated by her charms, there was no trace of her in his eyes.

Zhou You's eyes were empty, his black pupils like two black holes, as deep as bottomless pools.

The discovery made Hu Liena's skin crawl for a moment, but an indescribable sense of humiliation soon welled up in her heart, accompanied by a little unease.

What Hu Liena was most confident in was not actually her strength. She knew very well that her practical combat skills were not even as good as Yan's.

But "Charm" allowed her to bypass gaps in absolute combat strength and toy with stronger Soul Masters in the palm of her hand.

This ability to disregard differences in strength was also the source of Hu Liena's confidence. It would not be an exaggeration to call it the foundation of her confidence.

If a higher-level Soul Master had been immune to her "Charm," she would not have felt so frustrated. But Zhou You not only had a lower Soul Power Level than her, he was also younger. By all rights, he should not have been able to ignore her ability.

This unexpected situation left Hu Liena somewhat panicked, and the change in her emotions affected her ability.

Before long, Zhou You felt the pheromones that could draw people into their thrall suddenly weaken. His research was forced to a halt.

He frowned slightly as his mind returned to the outside world and his eyes refocused. His gaze was still clear, but it swept over Hu Liena's face like lightning, instantly sending her heart into a panic.

Yan was still gazing at Hu Liena in a daze. His surrender might not have had much to do with "Charm"...

"You..." Hu Liena's face had grown a little pale, and her gaze shifted evasively as she looked at Zhou You.

Zhou You raised his eyebrows slightly, not quite understanding why she had suddenly stopped. Just as he was about to say something, a figure entered the classroom and came up to him.

He looked up and saw that it was Xie Yue.

Come to think of it, Zhou You had not seen him for several days, ever since defeating him in the arena.

"Brother!" Hu Liena hurriedly stood and scurried behind Xie Yue to hide.

Her actions left Xie Yue somewhat baffled. What was going on?

Behind Xie Yue, Hu Liena found a sense of safety for the moment. Meeting her brother's gaze, she lowered her head in some shame.

Seeing this, Xie Yue could only suppress his doubts for the time being and ask what had happened later.

He turned to meet Zhou You's gaze and handed him a uniform.

"This is the academy uniform. It was tailored to your measurements." Xie Yue's voice was steady; there was no longer any sign of how his Dao heart had shattered a few days ago.

"Since you're still growing, if the uniform feels too small, just report it. The academy will have another one made for you."

It sounded like a bit of trouble, but this was one of the benefits of being a student at the Central Academy.

Uniforms represented the face of the academy. The academy would rather go to a little extra trouble than let its students run around in ill-fitting uniforms.

In any case, Spirit Hall could easily afford a few sets of clothes.

Although the Central Academy had high entry requirements, fierce competitive pressure, and intense rivalry among students, there was one advantage: all the students' living conditions and benefits there were the best, and they did not have to pay for them.

Everyone only needed to think about how to improve their strength, without worrying about other matters. Commoners and nobles received much the same treatment; only the very best among the top students could enjoy certain privileges.

Nobles were a minority in the academy, and even if they had vast fortunes, they could not spend their piles of Gold Soul Coins there.

That was because there were no high-end establishments where they could spend money. At heart, it was a large retreat for secluded cultivation, and nearly all its facilities served the students' cultivation.

If anyone wanted to spend money, relax, or indulge themselves, they could only go to Spirit City. But the academy had a curfew, and numerous knights and guards patrolled the roads, so...

This really was not a place just anyone could stay, but those who could endure it would also improve their cultivation faster than they would at other Spirit Hall academies.

Zhou You, however, adapted well to the atmosphere here. Sometimes, in a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the Three-One Sect in a dream. What he missed most were the days he had spent cultivating in seclusion at the sect in his previous life.

He had been carefree, needing to think only about cultivation each day. After spending long enough on the mountain, even if one was not an immortal, one was close to being one.

Zhou You accepted the uniform Xie Yue handed him and said politely, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Yet after answering, Xie Yue still did not leave.

Zhou You looked at him in confusion. "Is there anything else?"

The corner of Xie Yue's mouth twitched. This guy really had not taken that matter to heart at all.

He had shut himself up in his dormitory for a long time before finally coming to terms with it, but now, standing before Zhou You, he suddenly felt a little ridiculous.

The other person had not taken that match to heart in the first place.

For a moment, Xie Yue was filled with a jumble of emotions, unsure whether to feel relieved or indignant.

But he collected himself and finally spoke.

"I wanted to ask, would you be willing to be class monitor?"

In an instant, every sound in the classroom vanished.