Begonia Under the Moon, the Jealous Beauty Snake, and... Late-Night "Special Tutoring"

The night market in Heaven Dou City was as bright as day.

Unlike the Great Spirit Arena, which was saturated with the heat of blood and hormones, the air here was filled with the cumin scent of grilled meats, the milky aroma of desserts, and the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.

"Boss! Ten more skewers of kidneys! Make them extra spicy!"

Pang Hu shouted at the top of his lungs, his plate already piled high like a small mountain. As he stuffed food into his mouth, he mumbled, "Brother Yu, that felt so good today! You should have seen the look on that bald guy's face—like he'd just swallowed a fly! Let's see who dares to bully me at the academy now!"

Yu Tianyu sat across from him, holding a cup of clear tea. His movements were as elegant as if he were attending a noble banquet, looking completely out of place in the noisy surroundings.

"No ambition."

Yu Tianyu chuckled. "A few low-life thugs have you this excited? If I ever take you to hammer a Title Douluo, are you going to wet your pants on the spot?"

Pang Hu grinned. Although he thought "hammering a Title Douluo" was just bragging, he currently held a blind, fanatical worship for Brother Yu.

Ye Lingling, sitting beside Yu Tianyu, had already removed her mysterious veil.

This was the first time she had revealed her true face in public.

It was a face of peerless, refined beauty; her skin was whiter than snow, and her features were as exquisite as if carved from ice and snow. Under the dim, warm lights, her naturally cold temperament softened with a touch of worldly warmth, making her so beautiful that one couldn't look away.

Many diners nearby were stealing glances, but deterred by the lingering, murderous aura Yu Tianyu had brought back from the arena, no one dared to approach.

"Eat this. It's sweet; it'll help you settle your nerves."

Yu Tianyu pushed a plate of delicate Osmanthus Sugar Lotus Root toward Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling froze. She was accustomed to the cold food of the Ye Family and used to maintaining constant calm and restraint as a support-type Spirit Master. She had almost never touched such sugary snacks in her life.

"I don't like sweets..."

"Eat it even if you don't like it."

Yu Tianyu domineeringly picked up a piece and held it right to her lips. "You were a hero today, too. Without your light, that kick of mine wouldn't have looked nearly as cool. Open up."

Ye Lingling looked at the chopsticks held to her lips, then at Yu Tianyu's eyes, which brooked no refusal.

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. After hesitating for two seconds, she parted her cherry lips slightly and took a gentle bite of the lotus root.

Sweet.

The soft, fragrant, and sweet flavor melted on the tip of her tongue, and it seemed as if even the ice that had been frozen in her heart for years was beginning to melt under this touch of sweetness.

"Is it good?" Yu Tianyu asked with a smile, his eyes filled with a hint of doting.

Ye Lingling lowered her head and gave a soft "mm," her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.

Watching this scene from across the table, the kidney in Pang Hu's hand suddenly lost its flavor.

He felt like a multi-thousand-watt lightbulb, shining with blinding intensity.

"Uh... Brother Yu, Goddess Ye."

Pang Hu stood up abruptly and wiped the grease from his mouth. "I just remembered, I haven't brought in the laundry I hung out at the dorm! Anyway, you two take your time, I've already settled the bill! I'm heading out!"

With that, the fatty displayed an agility that defied his size and vanished into the crowd in a flash.

"That kid knows when to leave."

Yu Tianyu watched Pang Hu's retreating back and nodded in satisfaction.

Now, only the two of them remained at the table.

The previously lively atmosphere suddenly turned quiet, and a subtle, ambiguous tension began to flow between them.

"Pang Hu is a good person," Ye Lingling said, breaking the silence. She felt a bit uneasy and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"A good person? In this world, good people usually don't live long."

Yu Tianyu turned his head, looking at her with burning intensity. "Lingling, were you afraid on the stage today?"

"No."

Ye Lingling looked up, her eyes exceptionally firm. "Because you were in front of me."

Those six simple words carried more weight than a thousand romantic phrases.

Yu Tianyu's heart stirred. He reached out across the table and gently took hold of Ye Lingling's soft hand.

Ye Lingling's hand was cold, much like her Nine Heart Begonia spirit, carrying a chill. But the moment it was enveloped by Yu Tianyu's warm, large hand, she didn't struggle; instead, she subconsciously squeezed back.

"The curse of the Ye Family has kept you from getting close to anyone since you were a child, hasn't it?"

Yu Tianyu's voice turned low and gentle. "You're afraid that once you form a bond, it will hurt all the more when you lose it. So you wrap yourself in an icy shell and reject everyone's kindness."

Ye Lingling's body trembled slightly.

This was the deepest secret in her heart and her greatest vulnerability.

The Nine Heart Begonia is passed down through a single line. The blooming of each new Begonia often signifies the withering of the previous generation. This cruel method of inheritance had kept her living in fear since she was a child.

"Yes," Ye Lingling's eyes reddened, her voice choking up. "Those destined to be lonely don't deserve to have warmth."

"Bullshit."

Yu Tianyu suddenly pulled her closer with a firm tug. "Who decided this was destiny? The Heavens?"

"If the Heavens decided it, then I'll pierce through them."

"Lingling, look at me."

Yu Tianyu let go of her hands and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I am a Dragon Slayer Mage. Dragons are the most unreasonable creatures in this world. The person I have set my sights on, even the King of Hell wouldn't dare to claim, let alone a petty family curse."

"Stay with me. As long as I am alive, you never have to worry about loss. Because I will be stronger than anyone else, and I will live longer than anyone else."

The young man's vow was arrogant and overbearing, yet under the moonlight tonight, it possessed a magic that made one believe.

Ye Lingling looked into those eyes burning with fire and confidence, and felt her heart hammer like thunder.

In that moment, the defenses she had built around her heart for over a decade completely collapsed.

"Yu Tianyu..."

She murmured his name, and as if possessed, she leaned forward and planted a light peck on his smirk-curved lips.

Although it was just a fleeting touch like a dragonfly skimming the water, for Ye Lingling, it was the craziest thing she had ever done in her life.

"This is... a down payment."

Ye Lingling lowered her head, her face burning red. She quickly put on her veil, grabbed her backpack, and ran off. "It's too late, I... I'm going back to the dormitory!"

Watching her fleeing figure, Yu Tianyu touched his lips, the smile on his face gradually widening.

"A down payment, huh?"

"It seems I've made a huge profit on this deal."

The next morning.

Yu Tianyu walked into the classroom in an excellent mood, even humming an unknown tune.

However, the moment he reached his seat, he felt a thick, murderous aura.

Dugu Yan was sitting in her place, arms crossed, her dark green snake-like pupils staring daggers at him as if she wanted to bore two holes through his body.

"Morning, Yan-yan." Yu Tianyu greeted her as if nothing had happened.

"Morning?"

Dugu Yan sneered. "It certainly is early. Compared to some people who were out having a wild, romantic time until the middle of the night, being able to crawl out of bed for class shows some impressive stamina."

The air was thick with a pungent, sour scent.

Clearly, the news of Yu Tianyu taking Ye Lingling to the Great Spirit Arena and then out for a late-night snack (and perhaps even more scandalous rumors) had already reached her ears.

Although she hadn't been able to go yesterday due to special training, that didn't mean she could tolerate this kind of "home-stealing" behavior.

"What? Jealous?"

Yu Tianyu didn't bother to explain; he simply plopped down into the seat next to her and leaned over to look at her. "I can smell this sourness from three streets away."

"Who... who's jealous!"

Dugu Yan bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I just think you're neglecting your duties! You promised to help me detoxify, but instead, you ran off to fool around with another woman! Do you even care about my life at all?"

As she spoke, her eyes actually turned a little red.

She felt genuinely wronged.

She was the one who met Yu Tianyu first, and she was the one who had more intimate physical contact with him (even if it was for medical treatment), so why was it that Ye Lingling could always cut in?

Moreover, she heard that last night at the Great Spirit Arena, Yu Tianyu had crippled the person who harassed Ye Lingling.

That kind of dramatic display of rage for the sake of a beauty—why wasn't she the female lead?

Looking at Dugu Yan's aggrieved yet fiercely defiant expression, Yu Tianyu's heart softened.

He knew that with this kind of tsundere personality, explanations were useless; the best method was—

Action.

"Come with me."

Yu Tianyu suddenly stood up, grabbed Dugu Yan's wrist, and dragged her out of the classroom without a word.

"Hey! What are you doing! Class is about to start!" Dugu Yan exclaimed.

"Forget class, you're not feeling well, we're going to the infirmary."

Yu Tianyu spouted a random excuse, ignored the gazes of the entire class (especially Ye Lingling, who had just walked in), and pulled Dugu Yan straight out of the teaching building.

Behind the academy, in that familiar little grove.

This was the place where they had their first "secret meeting," and it was the most private space in Dugu Yan's heart.

Yu Tianyu pressed Dugu Yan against a large tree, bracing his hands on either side of her body to form a classic "tree-don" pose.

"What... what do you want to do?"

Dugu Yan looked at the handsome face inches away, her heart rate instantly accelerating. Her previous momentum vanished, leaving only panic and shyness.

"Didn't you just say I don't care about you?"

Yu Tianyu lowered his head until his nose almost touched hers, his warm breath washing over her face. "Now, I'll show you just how much I 'care'."

"Don't move, I need to check the results of your special training from yesterday."

After saying this, his hand skillfully lifted the hem of Dugu Yan's school uniform, resting upon her slender, graspable waist.

"Ngh!"

The moment their skin touched, Dugu Yan shuddered, instinctively wanting to push him away, but she felt her body go limp, unable to muster any strength at all.

This time, Yu Tianyu did not rush to activate his Dragon Slayer Magic to absorb the poison.

His palm, carrying a scorching heat, wandered gently over her flat, smooth abdomen. The sensation of his fingertips rubbing against her skin sent an unprecedented tremor through Dugu Yan.

"Here... and here..."

Yu Tianyu's voice was low and hoarse. "The toxins seem to have accumulated a bit more. It seems your grandfather's special training was quite intense yesterday, forcing you to mobilize your origin poison power?"

"Mm... Grandfather made me try to control the poison of the Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor... it hurt so much..."

Dugu Yan's voice was now as soft as a puddle of water, her eyes unfocused, and she could only stand by leaning against the tree trunk behind her.

"Pain is good. You must break in order to build."

Yu Tianyu's gaze sharpened, and a powerful suction force suddenly erupted from his palm.

"Bear with it, I'm going to absorb a bit deeper this time."

"Ah--!"

Dugu Yan tilted her head back, her slender neck forming a graceful arc.

This absorption was more intense than any time before. It was not just the extraction of toxins from her flesh, but more like a plunder of her very soul.

The Poison Dragon Factor within Yu Tianyu was like a greedy beast, crazily devouring the high-quality snake venom inside Dugu Yan's body. During this process of devouring, their spirit power actually produced a subtle resonance.

It was a fluctuation similar to the precursor of a "Spirit Fusion Skill."

Dragon and snake.

The superior and the submissive.

Dugu Yan felt as if her soul had been sucked away by this man. The feeling of extreme emptiness being instantly filled left her mind completely blank.

She couldn't help but wrap her arms tightly around Yu Tianyu's neck, hanging onto him, her nails digging deep into the muscles of his back.

I don't know how much time passed.

The wind stopped, and the leaves no longer rustled.

Yu Tianyu let out a long breath and slowly withdrew his hand.

At this moment, Dugu Yan's eyes were tightly shut, her eyelashes still trembling slightly. She looked as if she had just been fished out of the water, her clothes disheveled, and her face flushed with a lingering heat.

"How is it? Do you still think I don't care about you?"

Yu Tianyu helped her straighten her clothes and gently flicked her nose.

Dugu Yan slowly opened her eyes, those snake pupils that were originally full of wildness now filled with tenderness and sweetness.

She bit her lip, suddenly leaned forward, and bit down hard on Yu Tianyu's neck.

"Hiss-- are you a dog?" Yu Tianyu gasped.

"That's the interest!"

Dugu Yan let go, looked at the clear tooth marks, and hummed with satisfaction. "Whatever Ye Lingling has, I must have too. And I want more than her!"

"From now on... you are not allowed to only take her to the Great Spirit Arena! I want to go too!"

"I want to form a team with you! I've even thought of the name, let's call it 'Dragon Snake Romance'! Did you hear me?"

Looking at Dugu Yan, who had returned to her tsundere nature, Yu Tianyu smiled helplessly.

"Fine, fine, fine, whatever you say. But can you bite somewhere else next time? If someone else sees this, how am I supposed to maintain my image as a cold, aloof god?"

"I don't care!" Dugu Yan hugged his arm. "Anyway, now that I've stamped you, you're mine."

After pacifying the "main wife" (self-proclaimed), Yu Tianyu brought Dugu Yan back to the classroom.

As soon as they entered, they felt the atmosphere was off.

Pang Hu was pacing anxiously at the door, and seeing Yu Tianyu return, he immediately rushed over.

"Brother Yu! It's bad! Something happened!"

"What is it now?" Yu Tianyu was in a good mood and felt annoyed at being interrupted. "Did the sky fall?"

"Pretty much!"

Pang Hu took out a red challenge letter, his hands shaking. "Someone just sent this challenge letter, naming you specifically! And... and the signature is 'Mad Rhino'!"

"Mad Rhino?"

Dugu Yan, standing to the side, changed color slightly. "Is that the captain of the Mad Battle Team who is famous in the Great Spirit Arena? I heard he is already a level 38 Spirit Venerable, and he is ruthless; he cripples his opponents in every spirit duel!"

"Exactly!" Pang Hu said with a mournful face. "That bald guy you crippled yesterday seems to be Mad Rhino's cousin. Now Mad Rhino has declared that if you don't show up at the Great Spirit Arena tonight, he will bring people to block the academy gate and beat us every time he sees us! He won't even spare Goddess Ye!"

Yu Tianyu took the challenge letter, didn't even look at the content, and a wisp of flame emerged from his fingertip, burning the letter to ashes.

"A level 38 Spirit Venerable?"

He brushed the dust off his hands, a cold, sharp smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Perfect. Since getting my first Spirit Ring, I haven't had a proper fight against someone twenty levels higher than me."

"That bald guy yesterday was too fragile; he couldn't take a hit. I hope this big rhino has thicker skin and doesn't disappoint me."

Dugu Yan looked worried. "Tianyu, that's a Spirit Venerable. Plus, the Mad Battle Team is a seven-man squad with seamless coordination. You're strong, but you're only level fifteen..."

"Who said I was going to fight them alone?"

Yu Tianyu looked at Dugu Yan, then glanced at Ye Lingling, who was sitting in her seat and watching them silently.

"Haven't you been pestering me to team up?"

"Tonight, I'll let you see what I can do."

Yu Tianyu extended both hands, pointing at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling respectively.

"Poison Dragon on the left, Begonia on the right."

"The three of us are going to teach that so-called Mad Rhino Battle Team a lesson."

"And while we're at it, we'll let all of Heaven Dou City know who the real boss is around here."

That night.

On the training grounds of the Heaven Dou Junior Spirit Master Academy.

Yu Tianyu, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling stood side by side.

"Special training begins."

Yu Tianyu looked at the two beauties with their vastly different styles, his expression serious. "Although I'm confident I can crush them, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Especially you two..."

He pointed at them. "You used to be rivals who couldn't stand the sight of each other, but tonight, I need you to trust each other with your backs."

"Dugu Yan, your poison is primarily for control and debuffing. Ye Lingling, your healing is for sustainability and support."

"As for me, I'm responsible for tearing everything apart."

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance.

It felt as if sparks were crackling in the air between them.

"Hmph, as long as she doesn't hold me back," Dugu Yan said, turning her head away with a haughty sniff.

"I will perform my duties," Ye Lingling replied calmly.

Yu Tianyu watched this scene, a secret smile forming in his heart.

Though their words were sharp, he could feel that the hostile, hair-trigger tension between the two women had diminished significantly. In its place was a subtle sense of competition.

And on the battlefield, this kind of rivalry often ignited astonishing combat power.

"Very good."

On Yu Tianyu's hands, flames ignited on one side while poisonous mist rose on the other.

"There is only one goal tonight."

"Snap that big rhino's horn off and bring it back as a trophy!"

"Let's move!"

Under the cover of night, this embryonic team, which would one day shake the entire continent, bared its fangs for the first time.

Whether it was the Mad Rhino or whatever forces stood behind him.

Under the iron fist of the Dragon Slayer Mage, they would all become nothing more than dry bones on the path to the throne.