The Sorrow of Blood

Ning Tian had found Mo Yuan in the middle of the night, but it certainly wasn't simply because she wanted to tempt him with certain things.

Besides, was this really how you tested a genius? What genius could withstand a test like that?

The reason Ning Tian had asked those questions was that, before they entered Shrek Academy, she wanted to make the most of their time together and get to know each other better.

She knew all too well that the continent's highest institution of learning, Shrek Academy, was never short of beautiful girls with exceptional talent.

If she didn't hurry and spend more time with Mo Yuan, then, given Shrek Academy's shameless tactics for recruiting talent, some other girl might just lure him away. And that would be a disaster.

My past?

Hearing this, Mo Yuan's expression darkened. He drew his gaze back from the feet swinging beside him and calmly replied,

"My past was pretty uneventful. After my parents passed away and I awakened my Martial Soul, I left my hometown and made a living by helping people hunt Soul Beasts. Aside from getting hurt now and then, life wasn't too bad."

It was just as he said. For six or seven years, he had lived alone, wandering the Soul Beast Forest day after day and honing himself with blade and blood.

Hearing this, Ning Tian looked at Mo Yuan with even greater admiration in her eyes. In a world where bloodlines determined Martial Souls and Martial Souls determined everything, few talented people from humble backgrounds ever rose to prominence. Fewer still had made it as far as Mo Yuan through their own efforts alone.

Though she had never seen Mo Yuan's past, from those few words, she could already imagine how hard his journey had been.

"Before I met you, I always thought that, aside from my Martial Soul's shortcomings, I was the fastest and most perfect person of my generation. But after getting to know you, I think I was wrong."

Ning Tian smiled and continued, "Honestly, after seeing your face and learning a little about you, I wondered if you'd saved the world in your past life. How else could you be so perfect?"

Hearing Ning Tian's praise, Mo Yuan chuckled. "Then I'll thank you for the compliment, Ning Tian. As for saving the world in my past life, I don't think I did. I was probably just an ordinary person."

Ning Tian didn't argue with Mo Yuan's claim that he had been an ordinary person in his past life. It was too mysterious a subject to discuss.

Once they got talking, the two of them chatted beneath the moon, taking turns to speak. Behind them, their long shadows drew closer and closer.

Meanwhile, inside the tent beside the campfire, Wu Feng was sleeping like a pig, hugging Ning Tian's pillow and drooling.

Heh heh... Ning Tian, don't run... Let me feel you up a little more... Heh heh...

As the night wore on, the fatigue that had built up over several days of travel made Ning Tian sleepier and sleepier. Before long, she was nearly fast asleep against Mo Yuan's shoulder.

With heavy-lidded eyes, Ning Tian gazed at the face so close to hers and murmured,

"Mo Yuan, you've always seemed so easy to get along with, but I can still tell... You're actually lonely, aren't you?"

By the end, her voice was barely audible. Only her soft breathing remained as Ning Tian leaned against Mo Yuan's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

Lonely...

Mo Yuan murmured the word to himself. At the sound of it, ripples suddenly stirred in the Heart Lake that had been calm until then.

After six or seven years of living alone, he had long since grown used to solitude. His seemingly innate talent for acting also made him appear to get along with anyone.

But Mo Yuan knew that there had always been an invisible yet unmistakable barrier between him and everyone on the Douluo Continent.

Perhaps it was because he was a transmigrator, or perhaps it was because of the Dragon Blood in his body. Either way, deep down, Mo Yuan felt as though he existed Outside the World.

His highest goal was to become the Vinster King and then elbow Sea God Tang San. As for what came after that, he had no idea. He had never even thought about it.

The sound of water continued to ring clearly in his ears. After a long while, Mo Yuan softly spoke a few words:

"The Sorrow of Blood..."

The Sorrow of Blood was a term unique to the Dragon Race. It referred to the loneliness felt by hybrids among ordinary people. It wasn't limited to hybrids, either; sometimes even Pure-blooded Dragons experienced the Sorrow of Blood. It faded only when they were among their own kind.

But in this world, where he was the only hybrid, Mo Yuan's Sorrow of Blood was especially intense.

Gazing at the blue veins beneath his pale skin, Mo Yuan could almost see the Dragon Blood flowing through them, scorching hot and deadly poisonous.

Just then, a gentle night breeze swept past, and Ning Tian, asleep against his shoulder, unconsciously snuggled closer to him.

Looking at her stunning face, a strange glint flashed through Mo Yuan's deep black eyes. This was the first girl to notice the loneliness buried deep within him. The ripples in his Heart Lake suddenly left him caught in the same dilemma as Shrimp Teacher.

Should he pursue his goal and use her without feeling anything, or follow his heart and accept her openly?

It was a hard choice.

After wrestling with his thoughts for a long while, Mo Yuan suddenly came to a realization.

Damn it, every hybrid—and the entire Dragon Race, for that matter—is completely insane!

Morning came. The dark sky turned deep blue, and a faint streak of dawn appeared in the eastern distance. A shaft of sunlight pierced the treetops and fell upon the mist-shrouded woods. Under the Dali Garden effect, the scene was as beautiful as a fairyland.

Inside the tent, Wu Feng had spent the night drooling over the pillow she hugged. After making a series of strange, muffled sounds, she slowly opened her eyes.

Heh heh... My Ning Tian...

Recalling her dream, Wu Feng wiped away the drool still at the corner of her mouth, savoring every moment. She was about to sneak in a real cuddle before Ning Tian woke up when the empty space beside her cleared her still-foggy mind in an instant.

Remembering that they were out in the wilderness, not at the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and that it was just her, Ning Tian, and Mo Yuan, Wu Feng had a bad feeling.

Oh no! My cabbage!

Wu Feng sprang up and yanked open the tent zipper, ready to stop Ning Tian and Mo Yuan from being alone together. But Ning Tian was sitting by the campfire, quietly practicing Quiet Meditation.

Not far away, Mo Yuan gripped his long blade with both hands. Its cold, gleaming edge swept through the misty forest in a series of swift arcs. There was no target in front of him; he was practicing Empty Strike. Yet every slash seemed aimed at taking a life.

A Killing Technique, utterly lethal and full of poetic beauty.

Seeing this, a sense of despondency welled up in Wu Feng's heart. While she had been focused entirely on Ning Tian, wondering how she could cuddle with her, Mo Yuan had been working so hard, not wasting a moment as he improved his strength.

Overcome by a sense of defeat, Wu Feng resolved to train hard herself from then on. Just then, Ning Tian slowly opened her eyes after her meditation, and Wu Feng immediately rushed over to her.

She could get stronger anytime, but if Ning Tian was stolen away, there'd be no getting her back...