Encounter

The three chatted and laughed as they walked along the road to the shore of Sea God Lake. The slightly cool evening breeze brushed gently past, stirring ripples across the mirror-like surface of the lake and unconsciously relaxing them.

Qin Yue raised his gaze and frowned slightly at the sky. In his perception, clouds had gradually begun gathering overhead, accompanied by flashes of lightning. It looked like rain was about to fall.

He had finally finished cultivating early enough to accompany Ning Tian and Wu Feng for some fun, only to run into weather that ruined the mood.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng were drawn by Qin Yue's movements and followed his gaze upward. Unable to keep her feelings to herself, Wu Feng immediately pouted. "Seriously? The weather was perfectly fine these past few days, and it just had to rain on the day we came out..."

Ning Tian, however, broke into a smile and offered a different opinion. "Perfect. We've never admired the rain over Sea God Lake together before. Isn't this a gift from heaven?"

Qin Yue, who had been planning to head back, was persuaded by Ning Tian. He nodded slightly. "That works. But there's no point in just sitting around. I'll handle the shelter, and you two go get some food. Let's treat this as a picnic. How about it?"

Wu Feng's eyes lit up. She immediately patted her chest, which stood proudly above those of her peers, and declared confidently, "Leave it to me!"

Before her words had even faded, Wu Feng had already completed Martial Soul Possession and shot off with a whoosh. Without looking back, she ran toward Shrek's gates. It seemed she found the cafeteria food lacking and intended to buy something from Shrek City instead.

Ning Tian had no intention of foolishly chasing after her. She looked at Qin Yue with eyes that seemed to speak, asking how he intended to solve the shelter problem.

Qin Yue smiled confidently. Though he estimated the rain would not be too heavy, he had no intention of simply making a large umbrella and calling it a day. What if rainwater splashed inside and ruined the atmosphere?

He raised his right hand, revealing a lifelike little blue-and-white Snake. With a flick, he tossed it forward, and it suddenly transformed into a streak of lightning, vanishing from before them in an instant.

Half an hour later, Qin Shu appeared at the shore of Sea God Lake beneath the misty rain, his face full of confusion. He glanced at Ning Tian, who stood quietly beside Qin Yue, and immediately understood.

Having already grasped his task, Qin Shu stopped some distance away. A verdant Tree of Life emerged behind him, and his First Soul Ring flashed. Amid specks of starlight, several small trees burst from the ground and rapidly intertwined before Ning Tian's astonished eyes.

In merely two or three breaths, a small pavilion large enough to hold seven or eight people had appeared by Sea God Lake. With his work complete, Qin Shu nodded slightly to Qin Yue before silently walking off into the rain.

Ning Tian and Qin Yue entered the pavilion together. Looking at its orderly structure, which kept every drop of rain outside, Ning Tian sighed. "I remember Teacher Qin's First Soul Skill was to split off a branch that others could carry and use for healing. I never expected it could be used like this too. Amazing."

Qin Yue agreed. When Qin Yan had casually mentioned it before, he had not paid much attention. Now it seemed that every Soul Skill had its purpose; only the right opportunity was needed.

As they spoke, a bright red figure dashed out of the increasingly heavy rain and landed inside the pavilion.

Wu Feng paid no attention to where their pavilion had come from. Instead, she set the four-tiered food container in her hand onto the wooden table at the pavilion's center like she was presenting a treasure, then hummed twice and claimed credit before Ning Tian. "Look, Ning Tian! Not only did I bring lots of dishes you like, I also picked up some of your favorite pastries!"

Qin Yue looked over and found chicken, meat, fish, and vegetables among the food Wu Feng had brought. Besides two bottles of rice wine, there was even a large bowl of turtle soup. It was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Ning Tian, who had contributed nothing to this picnic, naturally did not hold back her praise. After just a few words from her, Wu Feng was so flattered that she lost all sense of direction and began grinning foolishly.

Fine strands of rain fell thickly beyond the pavilion, carrying waves of coolness in their pitter-patter.

Yet before that chill could draw near, it was scattered by the lively atmosphere in the pavilion. With her little face flushed from the wine, Wu Feng made a fierce declaration at Qin Yue. She bluntly stated that before graduation, they would definitely fight Qin Yue again—and beat him until he knelt and begged for mercy.

Ning Tian could not help laughing at Wu Feng, who had become "dizzy from rice wine." Half amused and half helpless, she advised, "Feng Mei, if you keep talking, Brother Qin might take you seriously."

A sharp glint flashed through Wu Feng's seemingly dazed eyes. Tilting her head, she looked unconvinced. "Then let him take it seriously. Does he really think I, Wu Feng, am afraid of Qin Yue? When the time comes, if he dares throw a punch, I'll just lie down on the ground. Unless he kneels and begs me, I absolutely won't get up!"

Qin Yue merely smiled without speaking as he picked up a bite of food. His perception far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he had long known that Wu Feng was not drunk at all. She was perfectly clear-headed.

When no response came for a long time, Wu Feng's heart skipped a beat, and a trace of fear suddenly rose within her. That bastard Qin Yue isn't really thinking of giving me two more punches, is he? We're about to part ways. I only wanted to hear him say a few nice things. Why is that so hard?

Sensing that Wu Feng would grow anxious if he teased her any further, Qin Yue set down his chopsticks, clasped his hands as if praying, and put on a terrified expression. "Wu Feng, Wu Feng, you mustn't die! How could I live without you, Wu Feng? Wu Feng!"

Wu Feng finally could not hold it in and burst out laughing. Just as she raised her head to tease Qin Yue for actually knowing how to act silly, she suddenly felt someone cup her head.

The next instant, Qin Yue's sinister voice sounded beside her ear. "You... weren't you drunk?"

The warm breath by her ear made Wu Feng's delicate, adorable face turn red at a visible rate. She ducked down and slipped free of Qin Yue's large hand, then ran behind Ning Tian and forced herself to provoke him. "I'm the Red Dragon! Two bottles are nothing. Even if there were ten more, I'd drain them in one gulp. I was only messing with you. Did you really take it seriously?"

"Hmm?"

When she saw Qin Yue actually reach out and pull Ning Tian aside, Wu Feng's little face went pale. She immediately turned and ran, circling the wooden table with Qin Yue close behind her inside the pavilion. Every so often, Qin Yue poked her in the back with a finger, making her bare her teeth in pain, yet she still did not forget to keep provoking him. "That's it? That's all a Soul Ancestor can do? Are you scratching my back? What trash~ What trash~"

Ning Tian watched the two of them fool around with a smile, but a trace of worry flashed deep within her eyes.

She and Wu Feng had grown up together and knew each other too well. Feng Mei, who usually acted like a carefree tomboy, had actually put on makeup before leaving today. Even though she had no ability to fight back at all, she still delighted in provoking Brother Qin. Feng Mei seemed to...

Just as Wu Feng finally could not run any farther and collapsed onto a wooden chair, begging Qin Yue for mercy, two figures suddenly emerged from the misty rain and appeared before the three of them.