After the match ended, Lin Yuan released his hand. Xu San Shi finally gulped in breaths of air, his face filled with shock and unwillingness.
"You're very strong. I admit defeat," Xu San Shi said in a low voice, looking at Lin Yuan with a complicated expression. "That press just now—was it a spatial ability?"
Lin Yuan smiled faintly. "I merely folded the space a little to concentrate the force."
Xu San Shi wanted to say more, but the referee had already stepped forward to officially declare the match over and arrange for someone to inspect his injuries. Xu San Shi waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. Only some of his Soul Power had been drained, and he needed time to recover.
"That press of yours wasn't ordinary Space Power." Xu San Shi suddenly lowered his voice. "There's an incredibly powerful aura on you that instinctively makes me afraid."
"One has to keep a little mystery, doesn't one?" Lin Yuan smiled slightly and turned to walk off the Soul Fighting Platform. The next instant, the atmosphere in the stands exploded!
"Ahhh, he looked at me!"
"Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan!"
"I declare that he's my new dream guy!"
A group of female students screamed as they rushed to the railing, waving handmade signs with stars in their eyes. Even some older female students blushed as they whispered among themselves, "He's way too strong—and so handsome too!"
Some bolder girls even rushed straight to the edge of the arena, holding out bottles of water. "Student Lin Yuan, have some water. You must be tired!"
Just as Lin Yuan was about to accept one, Wang Dong snorted beside him and stepped in front of him, pushing the water back. "He's not thirsty!" After saying that, she muttered under her breath, "A bunch of lovestruck idiots..."
"Little Dong'er, is it really okay for you to block all my romantic prospects like this?" Lin Yuan said with a smile, reaching out to rub Wang Dong's head.
Wang Dong was both embarrassed and irritated by the nickname "Little Dong'er." Her pink-blue eyes widened, but she did not dare argue again. With one hand held out in front of Lin Yuan like a guard, she kept all the enthusiastic older and younger female students at bay.
Seeing Wang Dong acting so protective, the smile on Lin Yuan's lips deepened. He quietly withdrew his hand and gave her an out. "All right, let's get going."
After leaving the Soul Fighting Area, the two quickly found Huo Yu Hao, who had separated from Bei Bei and Tang Ya. He was holding a porcelain bottle, which was clearly what Bei Bei had extorted from Xu San Shi. If nothing unexpected had happened, it should be the Mysterious Water Pill.
"Come on, let's head back to the dorms together." Pretending not to notice, Lin Yuan reached out and patted Huo Yu Hao on the shoulder.
The three returned to the dormitory building side by side, and the mood along the way was much more relaxed. After arriving at the dorm rooms and saying their goodbyes, Huo Yu Hao and Wang Dong returned to Room 108. Lin Yuan went back to his private room, 107. However, just after changing into a fluffy nightgown and preparing to turn off the lights, someone knocked on his door.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Lin Yuan, are you asleep?" Wang Dong's lowered voice came from outside.
Lin Yuan opened the door and froze for a moment. Wang Dong stood outside holding a quilt, her pink-blue eyes especially bright in the night.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" Wang Dong turned her face away awkwardly. "Huo Yu Hao took the Mysterious Water Pill to cleanse his meridians and marrow. He's expelling impurities from his body right now, and he reeks."
Although Lin Yuan was puzzled, he did not think much of it. He merely stepped aside and said softly, "Come in."
Wang Dong walked in carrying the quilt. Her gaze darted about, while the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
Lin Yuan made room for her and casually helped place her quilt on the inner side of the bed. He smiled. "Don't worry. I sleep very properly."
Wang Dong gave a light snort and spread out her quilt as if completely composed, though her hands trembled slightly. The two lay down separately, and soon the only sounds in the room were their steady breaths.
Before long, Lin Yuan fell asleep, not feeling the least bit uncomfortable about Wang Dong being beside him. His breathing was even and deep, silver-white hair scattered across the soft pillow, and his long lashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyelids. Stripped of his daytime poise and sharpness, he looked quietly peaceful.
Wang Dong, on the other hand, tossed and turned without sleep. The warmth beside her lingered faintly at the tip of her nose. The crisp scent of grass and wood on Lin Yuan made her heart inexplicably race. Turning onto her side, she used the moonlight filtering through the window to gaze at his sleeping face. His brow was refined, his lips soft, and even in sleep, a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
In the morning, the first ray of sunlight slipped through the window and gently fell over the bed. Wang Dong woke wrapped in warmth, the familiar crisp fragrance of grass and wood lingering at her nose, richer than it had been the night before and carrying a reassuring warmth.
She moved instinctively, only to discover that she was firmly enclosed in a warm embrace. One arm lay across her waist, not gripping tightly but too steady to break free from, while the other rested lightly against her back. Wang Dong's body instantly stiffened, and even her breathing missed a beat. Her pink-blue eyes flew wide open as she rigidly turned her head. Lin Yuan's sleeping face was close at hand, silver-white strands of hair falling across his face, a few brushing against her cheek with a faintly cool touch.
Lin Yuan had not awakened yet. His breathing remained even and deep, his warm breath softly brushing Wang Dong's ear and making the tips of her ears burn instantly. She could clearly feel the rise and fall of his chest, and through their thin clothing came his steady, powerful heartbeat—a stark contrast to her own heart, which was beating so fast it felt ready to burst free.
"Mm..." Lin Yuan seemed to have been disturbed by Wang Dong's stiffness. Unconsciously, he tightened his arm and drew her closer, gently rubbing his head against the top of her hair. His voice was sleepy and indistinct. "Sleep a little longer..."
That completely threw Wang Dong into a panic. Her entire body tensed, even her fingertips trembling slightly. Her mind went blank, leaving only one thought. It's over, it's over. She wanted to push Lin Yuan away, yet feared waking him. Even more, she feared breaking this sudden closeness. But if she kept things as they were, her heart was about to explode.
Just as she was caught in this inner struggle, Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes. A faint mist clouded his purple eyes from sleep, and they still held a trace of confusion. Only when he saw the person in his arms, stiff as a stone, did he sluggishly realize that he seemed to have... hugged someone he should not have hugged last night.
Lin Yuan's body paused as well. Then he gave an awkward cough and released his arms, trying to act as if nothing had happened. "Good morning, Little Dong'er. Why are you..."
"Isn't it all because of you?!" Wang Dong abruptly sat up, her cheeks red enough to drip blood, yet she still forced herself to glare at Lin Yuan. "Who told you to sleep so improperly?! You hugged me like that, and you still think you're in the right?"
"Come on, stop sulking. Let's go get breakfast." As Lin Yuan spoke, he got up and stretched lazily, his tone as natural as if nothing had happened the night before.
Wang Dong snorted and turned her face away, refusing to look at Lin Yuan. The two left the dorm one after the other. Sunlight spilled across the corridor, adding a touch of warmth to the cool morning.
In the cafeteria, Lin Yuan brought out six stainless steel meal basins as usual and cleared out the most luxurious serving window. Wang Dong complained with her mouth, but her hands honestly accepted the roasted meat Lin Yuan handed over, and she ate with great relish. It was an exceptionally hearty breakfast, greatly replenishing what their bodies needed. They had arrived at the cafeteria earliest, and by the time they finished eating, not many students had arrived.
"There's still some time before class. Shall we take a walk by Sea God Lake and relax?" Wang Dong suggested.
At that, Lin Yuan seemed to think of something and hesitated slightly. But seeing the expectation in Wang Dong's eyes, he ultimately nodded. "All right. Let's take a walk."
After leaving the cafeteria, the two went around the New Student Teaching Building and headed east along the southern side of Shrek Plaza. Before long, they arrived at the Lakeside Path.
After passing through the woods beside the path, Sea God Lake appeared before them. Gentle mist mixed with fresh air greeted them. Though Sea God Lake was merely an artificial lake, its azure waters were exceptionally clear.
"So beautiful!" Wang Dong could not help taking a deep breath and stretching her body hard.
Lin Yuan only smiled faintly and said nothing more. If he had calculated the timing correctly, the truly exciting part would begin before long. At that moment, a red figure raced across the surface of the lake at astonishing speed—and judging by its direction, it was heading straight for them.
"Trouble's here." Lin Yuan closed his eyes briefly and could not help pinching the bridge of his nose.
The one wearing a red school uniform was a student of Shrek's Inner Court. There was only one person who could run from the Inner Court to the Outer Court so early in the morning: Ma Xiao Tao, who had lost control under the influence of Evil Fire.
As she drew closer, even Wang Dong could see clearly. That red figure did not merely wear red clothes—her hair was blood-red as well. Her figure was slender, but her whole body radiated a fierce might, like some terrifying Soul Beast. She wore a red mask, and even her eyes were blood-red. The air around her body distorted slightly, while sheets of water mist rippled beneath her feet wherever she passed.
"This senior looks incredibly strong! Lin Yuan, look—she can run across the lake without even releasing her Martial Soul." Wang Dong excitedly analyzed the scene for Lin Yuan.
"Little Dong'er, are you an idiot? Something is obviously wrong with her! Run!" Before Lin Yuan had finished speaking, ripples spread through the space beneath his feet. He grabbed Wang Dong, and with a flash, the two had already appeared in the woods on the shore of Sea God Lake.
That red figure was simply too fast. In the blink of an eye, she had come within a hundred meters of the shore. Immediately afterward, a terrifying wave of heat swept over them, and a look of horror appeared in Wang Dong's eyes. She could feel an indescribably frenzied aura erupting from that senior—something no normal person should possess.
The terrifying heat erupted in an instant. Lin Yuan and Wang Dong felt as though they had been thrown into a sea of flames, and every plant within several dozen meters turned scorched yellow at once. Moreover, one massive hand from the approaching figure was already ferociously slamming toward them.
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