Growing Closer, Soul Fighting

"Wang Xian!"

Hearing someone call his name, Wang Xian turned his head to look back, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

The person calling him was Dugu Yan, and standing beside her was Ye Lingling.

Seeing Wang Xian stop, Dugu Yan grabbed Ye Lingling and hurried over.

She was wearing a purple outfit, her short hair slightly ruffled by the wind, and her face was filled with undisguised excitement.

"Wang Xian, I never expected you to be so strong." Dugu Yan ran up to him, looking him up and down, her tone full of astonishment.

Beside her, Ye Lingling also stared intently at Wang Xian, a different kind of brilliance appearing in her cold, clear eyes.

Wang Xian realized that the two of them must have been watching the match from the audience seats earlier.

He smiled slightly and said, "Long time no see, you two. I didn't realize you were in the spectator stands."

"Actually, Lingling and I came to participate in the duo soul battles. We fought in a two-on-two match and finished a while ago."

"When we came out, we saw so many people running toward one of the soul arenas. After asking around, we heard it was your match, so we went to watch."

Dugu Yan explained, her eyes sparkling.

"That Blue Silver Grass of yours is just too amazing! Turning into shields and hammers, and even swatting away a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—this is the first time I've ever seen a fighting style like that."

"Heh, it's just that the opponent was relatively weak," Wang Xian said with a faint smile.

Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "Your opponent wasn't weak at all. An eighteen-level Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—if it had been anyone else, they would have been roasted into a kebab by now."

Wang Xian chuckled and didn't respond.

Dugu Yan suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming much lighter: "Right, you helped Lingling last time, and we haven't properly thanked you yet."

"Since we ran into each other today, how about we grab a meal together? My treat." She smiled as she extended the invitation, generous and natural.

Wang Xian didn't answer immediately, instead looking toward Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling was a bit shy, her cheeks flushing slightly, but she nodded firmly and said softly, "Yes, let's go together."

"Alright, since the two of you are inviting me, let's go have a meal." Wang Xian stopped declining.

Dugu Yan clapped her hands in delight, turned around, and led the two of them toward the most prosperous street in the city center.

Along the way, she walked in front, her steps quick and long, turning back every now and then to chat with Wang Xian.

Ye Lingling walked quietly in the middle, occasionally lifting her eyes to look at Wang Xian before quickly lowering her head again.

Before long, the three arrived in front of an imposing restaurant.

The restaurant was called "Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion," standing four stories high with upturned eaves and carved beams. Two stone lions stood at the entrance, and a golden plaque hung above the door; one look was enough to tell that this wasn't a place for ordinary people to afford.

Dugu Yan walked in with familiarity and greeted the manager. As soon as the manager saw her, he beamed and personally led the three of them to a private room on the second floor.

The room wasn't large, but it was elegantly decorated. One could see the street view from the window, and the table was covered with a clean tablecloth and adorned with a vase of fresh flowers.

The three took their seats. Dugu Yan picked up the menu and skillfully ordered a table full of dishes, then set the menu down and rested her chin on her hands, looking at Wang Xian.

"Wang Xian, which academy are you a student at? You're so young, yet your soul power is so high. You couldn't have been self-taught at home, right?"

Wang Xian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy."

"What?" Dugu Yan's eyes widened, her body leaning forward. "You're also from Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy? Lingling and I are too! How have I never seen you before?"

"I only just enrolled a few days ago, so it's normal that you haven't seen me," Wang Xian explained.

"No wonder." Dugu Yan had a sudden realization, and a smile appeared on her face. "That's great! We'll be able to run into each other at the academy often from now on."

"Which class are you in? Lingling and I are in the second year, so you must be in the freshman class, right?"

Wang Xian nodded and told her his class number.

The three chatted while they ate. Dugu Yan had an outgoing personality and talked a lot, so she quickly became familiar with Wang Xian.

Although Ye Lingling was quiet, she wasn't as reserved as before, occasionally chiming in with a soft, gentle voice.

Wang Xian was naturally talkative and intentionally worked to bridge the gap between them; by the end of the meal, the sense of distance between the three had mostly vanished.

"Tomorrow at noon, in the academy cafeteria, let's eat together," Dugu Yan said, putting down her chopsticks and looking at Wang Xian with a smile, then turning to look at Ye Lingling. "Lingling, what do you think?"

Ye Lingling pursed her lips and gave a soft "Mm."

"Then it's settled." Dugu Yan made the final decision.

Wang Xian smiled and agreed.

It was getting late. The three left the restaurant. Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling lived in the opposite direction from Wang Xian, so they said their goodbyes at the intersection and went their separate ways.

Wang Xian walked on the road back to the academy, the night breeze blowing against his face, carrying a hint of chill.

He looked up at the sunset glow on the horizon, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

This trip today hadn't just resulted in winning a match; building a connection with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling was an unexpected bonus.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and two months passed. Ever since that meal with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, the relationship between the three had begun to improve rapidly.

Inside the academy, they often chatted and ate together whenever they ran into each other.

Later on, they would also go to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena together to watch matches.

Wang Xian was handsome and had a great personality; after spending so many days together, their relationship could already be described as inseparable.

Whether at the academy or out in the city, the three of them did almost everything together.

Ye Lingling, who had been quite shy initially, was now able to communicate normally after spending time with them.

Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy, teaching building.

As the bell rang to signal the end of class, Wang Xian immediately walked out of the classroom, intending to head toward the soul arena.

Upon arriving at the base of the teaching building, Dugu Yan immediately waved at him from below.

Wang Xian walked over with a smile on his face.

"Yanzi, Lingling, sorry to keep you waiting," Wang Xian said with a laugh.

Ye Lingling smiled and shook her head, indicating that she hadn't been waiting long.

Dugu Yan pulled his hand directly: "Xiao Xian, let's go quickly. The duo soul battle for Lingling and me is starting soon."

"Alright, alright, don't be in such a rush," Wang Xian laughed.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had formed a team a long time ago and had achieved quite good results at the Great Soul Arena.

The reason the two of them didn't team up with Wang Xian was that there were cultivation restrictions for duo soul battles.

Both of them were already Soul Grand Masters—one at level 26 and the other at level 22—so naturally, they couldn't team up with Wang Xian.

After the three of them left Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy, they traveled with practiced ease and arrived once again at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

However, they did not head to the public lounge; instead, led by a staff member, they went to a private lounge.

Because of the long duration of his battles, Wang Xian had already achieved a winning streak of over sixty matches.

He could be described as a red-hot, popular contestant throughout the entire Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

Naturally, the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena had upgraded his treatment significantly, and Dugu Yan and her friend had benefited from it as well.