The morning sun stubbornly squeezed through a gap in the curtains and into the boys' dormitory.
On the narrow single bed lay a sight that would make any man's blood run hot.
Yu Tianyu sprawled in the middle, arms and legs spread wide, still bleary-eyed. On his left, Dugu Yan clung to him like a beautiful serpent, wrapped around his arm and waist. Her long legs rested without a care across his lower abdomen as she slept soundly. On his right, Ye Lingling slept a little more modestly, but her head rested on his shoulder, and one hand clutched the hem of his clothes as if it were the only thing keeping her safe in her dreams.
A faint scent of begonias mingled with a unique, delicate fragrance in the air, blending into an intoxicating aroma.
"Ugh... My arm's gone numb."
Yu Tianyu tried to pull his arm free, but accidentally stirred the beauty in his embrace.
Dugu Yan opened her eyes, still hazy with sleep. The moment she saw Yu Tianyu, she instinctively rubbed her face against his chest and murmured in a soft, hoarse voice, "What time is it...? Let me sleep a little longer..."
"Sleep any longer and we'll be late." Yu Tianyu grinned and pinched her nose. "Who was it last night who said she'd get up early to train today and was determined to surpass me?"
"Mm... That was the me from last night. What does she have to do with the me right now?" Dugu Yan shamelessly rolled over. The breathtakingly pale curve of her collarbone appeared and disappeared in the morning light.
Ye Lingling had woken up as well. She said nothing, simply sitting up. When she noticed how disheveled her clothes were, her cool, pretty face instantly flushed to the tips of her ears. She quickly turned away to straighten her clothes.
Just as the room was filled with warmth and an ambiguous air...
"Bang, bang, bang!!"
A series of hurried, rough knocks shattered the pink haze in the room.
"Brother Yu! Brother Yu, are you awake? Something terrible has happened! Open the door!"
Pang Hu's pig-like wails came from outside.
Dugu Yan bristled at once, all traces of sleep gone from her eyes. In their place was murderous fury at having her fun interrupted. "That damn fatty! If it's not something earth-shattering, I'll poison him until he can't speak!"
Yu Tianyu sighed helplessly and patted the two girls on the back to soothe them. "All right, get dressed first. That fatty may be stupid, but he's not completely lacking in sense. He wouldn't come barging in to cause trouble at a time like this without a good reason."
A few minutes later...
The door opened.
Pang Hu stood in the doorway, drenched in sweat. He held a gold-embossed invitation, his hands trembling.
"B-Brother Yu! Look at this!"
"What is it? Someone demanding repayment?" Yu Tianyu took the invitation.
The invitation was made from exceptionally fine material, woven from the finest Snow Silkworm Silk, and gave off a faint scent of ink. A Swan Emblem with outstretched wings was printed on the cover—the symbol of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
He opened the invitation. A line of elegant, refined handwriting came into view:
"I heard of your dazzling performance at the Great Soul Arena yesterday and have long admired you. If you do not object, please join me for a chat at the Heaven Dou Royal Tea House at noon today. —Xue Qinghe"
"Xue Qinghe?"
Dugu Yan leaned over his shoulder. Her expression changed when she saw the signature. "His Highness the Crown Prince?! Why would he send you an invitation?"
Ye Lingling stepped closer as well, frowning slightly. "Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, is renowned for his virtue and respect for talent. But he rarely invites students from junior academies. Tianyu, I'm afraid this..."
"I'm afraid it's either a trap or an attempt to recruit me."
Yu Tianyu closed the invitation, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
Xue Qinghe.
Or rather, Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall, the Six-Winged Angel who was secretly living in the Heaven Dou Empire.
After making such a commotion at the Great Soul Arena yesterday—especially with his move, Roar of the Poison Flame Dragon—he had surely drawn the attention of those who were watching. He just hadn't expected the Crown Prince to move so quickly.
"Brother Yu, are you going?" Pang Hu asked nervously. "That's the Crown Prince! The future emperor! If you get on his good side, won't we be able to do whatever we want in Heaven Dou City?"
"Of course I'm going. Why wouldn't I?"
Yu Tianyu spun the invitation around his fingers. "His Highness the Crown Prince went to the trouble of inviting me in person. If I didn't go, I'd be doing myself a disservice. Besides..."
A glint flashed in his eyes.
He was also curious about what the legendary Qian Renxue, whose disguise was supposedly flawless, smelled like.
Did she smell like a swan? Or was there a sacred, angelic scent?
"I'm going with you," Dugu Yan said at once, her eyes full of caution. "People in the Imperial Family have too many tricks up their sleeves. I don't trust you going alone."
"I'll go too." Ye Lingling took a step forward. She said nothing more, but her resolve was clear.
Yu Tianyu looked at the two girls, who were acting like they had to protect him from the world. Warmth rose in his heart, but he still shook his head.
"No need. He invited only me. Bringing my family along would make me look like I lack confidence."
He reached out and ruffled their hair. "Don't worry. I'm going for tea, not a fight. Besides, even if he is the Crown Prince, before he tries to touch me, he'd better make sure his teeth are sharp enough."
"But..."
"Listen to me." Yu Tianyu's voice brooked no argument. "Stay at the academy and help put Pang Hu through some extra training. He's too weak. If he goes out like this, he'll make me look bad."
Pang Hu: "???"
The Heaven Dou Royal Tea House stood in the busiest part of Heaven Dou City. It was private property of the Imperial Family and usually served only high-ranking officials and nobles.
Today, however, the entire top floor had been cleared to receive a single guest.
With a servant leading the way, Yu Tianyu climbed to the top floor.
The decor wasn't lavish. Instead, it had an elegant, classical charm. A young man in civilian clothes sat by the window.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with a face as handsome as jade and a refined, easygoing manner that put people at ease. He held a book and read quietly in the sunlight streaming through the window.
Even without the slightest trace of Soul Power, he naturally became the center of the world simply by sitting there.
If no one told you, who would guess that beneath that handsome exterior hid a breathtakingly beautiful woman and a conspiracy that could overturn an empire?
"Your Highness, Young Master Yu has arrived," the servant reported respectfully.
The young man put down his book and looked up. His warm eyes settled on Yu Tianyu, and he smiled with flawless ease.
"Junior Yu, I've heard so much about you."
Xue Qinghe stood up without putting on any airs as Crown Prince. Instead, he extended a hand as if welcoming an old friend. "Your battle at the Great Soul Arena yesterday was truly extraordinary. I hope you'll forgive me for inviting you on such short notice."
Yu Tianyu looked at the hand held out to him.
It was pale, long-fingered, and well-defined, yet still seemed strong.
He didn't hesitate and shook it.
"Your Highness is too kind. Someone's offering me tea, and I get to save the cost of lunch. I couldn't be happier."
Their hands met.
Then separated.
But in that instant, the Dragon Slayer Magic Power inside Yu Tianyu stirred faintly.
Not because of the other person's Soul Power, but because of the scent.
"Smells nice."
Yu Tianyu suddenly blurted out the words without context.
The smile on Xue Qinghe's face stiffened slightly, but he recovered at once. "Oh? Are you talking about the tea? This is Snow Peak Emerald, bestowed by my father. Its fragrance is indeed wonderful."
"No."
Yu Tianyu sat down of his own accord, took a pastry from the table without asking, and bit into it. His differently colored eyes stared straight at Xue Qinghe.
"I mean your scent."
"It's not some tacky perfume, nor the smell of a man's sweat. It's... how should I put it?"
Yu Tianyu leaned a little closer, his nostrils twitching like a young dragon sniffing out its prey. "It's very clean and sacred, but there's a hint of danger to it. Like... a blade in the sunlight."
Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat.
As an infiltrator, her greatest fear was being seen through. Although her Angel Spirit Bone's disguise could fool even Titled Douluo, the boy's frank stare and comments about her "scent" made her feel as if he were inspecting her with her clothes stripped away.
Sacred? Dangerous?
Those were the very traits of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!
"Junior Yu, you do know how to joke."
Xue Qinghe subtly moved a little farther away and poured Yu Tianyu a cup of tea herself. "Perhaps it's because I often read beneath the sun. I must have picked up a little of its warmth."
"Maybe."
Yu Tianyu shrugged and let the matter drop. He took the tea and drained it in one gulp. "Good tea. Your Highness didn't invite me here just to discuss perfume, did you? Get to the point. I'm a rough sort and don't understand all those twists and turns."
If the other man wanted to play the virtuous Crown Prince, then Yu Tianyu would play the arrogant genius.
Xue Qinghe set down the teapot. Some of the amusement in his eyes faded, replaced by a trace of seriousness.
"In that case, I'll be direct."
"Junior Yu, though you come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I've heard that your circumstances in the clan are not good. The title of 'Abandoned Disciple' must have brought you no small amount of hardship."
"I'd like to invite you to join the Heaven Dou Royal Imperial Guard, or become one of my personal retainers."
Xue Qinghe extended an offer. "I can provide you with the best cultivation resources, and even help you find a way to resolve the backlash from your Twin Martial Souls"—she was testing him—"and once you've grown strong enough, I'll grant you a dukedom. All you'd have to do is stand with me."
There was no denying that the offer was tempting. For an ordinary "Abandoned Disciple," it was a chance to rise to the top overnight.
But Yu Tianyu laughed.
"Your Highness, you've done your homework."
He toyed with the teacup in his hand. "But you've got one thing wrong. I'm not an 'Abandoned Disciple.' I'm a 'Rebellious Disciple.' I didn't leave the clan because I was driven out. I left because its pond was too small to hold a dragon like me."
"As for your offer..."
Yu Tianyu leaned forward, his gaze turning sharp. "I have a big appetite. I can get a dukedom and resources for myself. Why would I become your dog?"
Xue Qinghe wasn't angry. If anything, he looked even more impressed. "Ambition is a good thing. But in this world, geniuses without backing tend not to live long. Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire, even the clan you came from—they may all refuse to let an uncontrollable variable like you grow stronger."
"I can be your shield."
"Your shield?" Yu Tianyu scoffed. "Your Highness, forgive my frankness. That shield of yours might not be as tough as my own scales."
"Besides..."
Yu Tianyu suddenly stood and walked over to Xue Qinghe.
They stood so close they could feel each other's breath.
"I don't like being someone's subordinate. But if you're offering to be partners, or... friends, I might consider it."
"Friends?" Xue Qinghe murmured, taken aback.
As the Crown Prince and the young mistress of Spirit Hall, she was surrounded only by subordinates, pawns, and enemies. She had never had a true friend.
"That's right. Friends."
Yu Tianyu reached out and lightly patted Xue Qinghe on the shoulder—a highly disrespectful gesture toward the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, you live too much of a tiring life. Wearing that mask all day doesn't get stuffy?"
"Even angels need to come down to earth and get some fresh air once in a while."
Boom!
The words exploded in Xue Qinghe's mind like a bolt of thunder.
Angel!
He'd mentioned an angel again!
A cold glint of killing intent flashed deep in Xue Qinghe's eyes, but when she saw Yu Tianyu's flippant expression, as if he'd said it in passing, she forced herself to suppress it.
Coincidence? Or was he testing her?
If it was a coincidence, the boy's intuition was terrifying.
If it was a test... how much did he know?
"Junior Yu, you speak in riddles." Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Still, I like your suggestion of 'friends.' Since we're friends, come to me whenever you run into trouble."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Yu Tianyu turned to leave, waving over his shoulder. "The tea was good, and so were the pastries. Next time we meet, I hope to see a more genuine version of Your Highness."
"Oh, right."
At the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back with a grin.
"Your Highness, don't look at me as if you're trying to see through me next time. I might mistake it for interest."
With that, he laughed and left the tea house.
Xue Qinghe remained alone, staring at the empty doorway, her expression shifting from one moment to the next.
After a long while...
She lowered her head and sniffed her clothes.
"Does my scent... really stand out that much?"
Then the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile she had never worn before. It wasn't just a cold smirk; it held the excitement of meeting someone like herself.
"Yu Tianyu... Friends, huh?"
"Good. This game is getting more and more interesting."
By the time he returned to the academy, it was already afternoon.
As soon as Yu Tianyu entered the dormitory area, he sensed that something was wrong.
Pang Hu was crouching by the door, trembling. When he saw Yu Tianyu return, he looked as if he'd seen his savior. "Brother Yu! You're back! The sisters-in-law... I mean, Sister Yan and Sister Ye have been waiting inside for ages!"
Yu Tianyu pushed open the door.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were sitting on his bed. Neither was training. Instead, they both stared at the doorway with stern expressions.
It looked a bit like they were about to interrogate a husband caught cheating.
"You're back?" Dugu Yan spoke first, her tone dripping with jealousy. "Was the Crown Prince's tea good? Did he introduce you to any princesses or noble ladies from the Imperial Family?"
Ye Lingling said nothing, but her cool eyes made it clear: "Confess and you'll be treated leniently. Resist and you'll be punished."
They knew perfectly well that although Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was a man—or so everyone currently believed—he represented power and temptation. If Yu Tianyu really did side with the Imperial Family, there would be no end to the women surrounding him.
Yu Tianyu closed the door and locked it behind him.
Then he did something neither of them expected.
He walked over, spread his arms, and pulled both girls into his embrace where they sat on the edge of the bed. Then he fell backward, taking them down with him.
"Ah! What are you doing?" "You smell like wine... No, tea! Get off!"
Though the two girls protested, their bodies softened against him.
"Don't move. Let me hold you for a while."
Yu Tianyu buried his face in the hollow of Dugu Yan's neck, his voice weary. "Talking to people who are always scheming is more exhausting than a Soul Fighting match. Being with you two is so much more comfortable."
At his words, most of the jealousy in their hearts vanished, replaced by a touch of concern.
Dugu Yan reached out and stroked his hair, her tone softening. "Was that Crown Prince... hard to deal with?"
"Yeah. He's an old fox. A wolf in sheep's clothing."
Yu Tianyu spoke with his eyes closed. "But don't worry. I didn't agree to be his dog. I'm going to become the man who rules as Dragon God. How could I ever settle for being beneath someone else?"
"That's good." Ye Lingling said softly. "We don't want you getting caught up in the royal family's power struggles, either. It's a filthy business."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Yu Tianyu lifted his head and looked at the two pretty faces close beside him.
On his left was a gorgeous, fiery beauty—a viper. On his right was an elegant, ethereal begonia flower.
With a life like this, what more could a man ask for?
"To reward you for caring so much about me, I've decided to give you two some special training tonight."
"Special training?" Dugu Yan watched him warily. "What are you up to now? It's not time to absorb poison yet."
"It's not about absorbing poison."
Yu Tianyu sat up, his expression growing a little more serious. "Meeting Xue Qinghe today made me realize something. We may be pretty strong compared to others our age, but we're still far too weak when facing truly formidable forces."
"Yan Yan, your poison is powerful, but it lacks explosive force. If you run into an opponent who counters you with wind or fire, you'll be in trouble."
"Lingling, your healing is unparalleled, but you're terrible at protecting yourself. If Yan Yan and I get pinned down, you'll be a lamb waiting for the slaughter."
The two women fell silent.
Yu Tianyu had hit the nail on the head. They'd won yesterday's Soul Fighting match, but if their opponents had focused on Ye Lingling from the start, or had a powerful long-range wind Spirit Master blow away Dugu Yan's poison, things would have been very difficult.
"Then what do we do?" Dugu Yan asked.
"Special training."
A glint flashed in Yu Tianyu's eyes. "I'll teach you some ways to use Dragon Slayer Magic."
"Yan Yan, I'll teach you how to compress your poison and form explosive attacks like a 'Poison Dragon,' instead of relying on it to simply seep through the air as a mist."
"As for Lingling..."
Yu Tianyu looked at Ye Lingling. "Who says Support Spirit Masters have to stay in the back? I'll teach you a set of footwork, and... how to kill with your begonia petals."
"Kill?" Ye Lingling blinked.
"That's right."
Yu Tianyu plucked a petal from a flower on the windowsill and sent a pulse of Soul Power through his fingertips.
"Whoosh!"
The tender petal instantly sharpened like a blade and sank into the hard wooden table, burying itself a full inch deep!
"When the light of healing is concentrated to its limit, it becomes the sharpest blade."
"That's the Self-Cultivation of a Healer."
That evening, they went to the academy's Mimicry Training Ground.
It was a place where Spirit Masters trained in simulated environments. Yu Tianyu had paid a hefty sum (which, in fact, was money Pang Hu had won) to book a secluded mountain valley area with a hot spring.
"Why did we have to come here?" Dugu Yan looked at the steaming hot spring, her cheeks faintly red. "Does special training mean we have to take our clothes off?"
"Of course."
Yu Tianyu nodded with a perfectly straight face. "I need to guide the flow of energy through your bodies with my Soul Power. How can I sense your acupoints through your clothes?"
"Pervert!"
The two women scolded him, but still changed into lighter training clothes, blushing all the while.
In the moonlight, beside the hot spring,
two beauties emerged like water lilies. The sight would have been enough to make any man's nose gush blood.
But Yu Tianyu looked exceptionally "upright" at that moment.
He first went behind Dugu Yan and pressed both hands against her back.
"Sink your breath to your dantian. Imagine the poison inside you isn't mist, but molten lava flowing through your body."
"Compress it! Compress it further!"
With Yu Tianyu's guidance, the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison inside Dugu Yan began to transform. The loose poison mist started to gather in her meridians, eventually converging in her palm and forming a small, deep-purple sphere.
"Go!"
Dugu Yan struck out with her palm.
"Boom!"
The unassuming sphere of poison struck a boulder in the distance and exploded instantly. Not only did it blast the boulder to pieces, but, more terrifyingly, a layer of black smoke immediately began to eat away at the fragments.
"So this is... explosive poison?" Dugu Yan looked at her hand in delight.
"Exactly. This is the prototype of the Poison Dragon's Crushing Fist." Yu Tianyu nodded in satisfaction.
Then he turned to Ye Lingling.
"Your turn, Lingling."
Unlike the wildness of Dugu Yan's training, teaching Ye Lingling required a much gentler touch.
Yu Tianyu took her hand and guided the flow of the Nine Heart Begonia's Soul Power.
"Put your gentleness aside. Imagine those petals are your thorns."
"Right, just like that. Infuse them with Soul Power, harden them, spin them..."
With Yu Tianyu guiding her hand in his (and the unavoidable physical contact), Ye Lingling finally managed to control a petal and slice through a falling leaf.
The attack was still weak, but for someone who had never attacked before, it was a qualitative leap.
"I did it..." Excitement sparkled in Ye Lingling's eyes.
"Well done."
Yu Tianyu looked at the two women, glistening with sweat, and felt a stir in his heart.
"Now that training's over, shouldn't we... relax a little?"
He pointed at the hot spring beside them.
"Take a dip together?"
The two women glanced at each other, their faces red as apples.
"Dream on!" Dugu Yan shoved him. "Turn around! No peeking!"
"All right, all right. I'm turning around."
Yu Tianyu turned his back. Hearing the splash of water and the women's laughter behind him, he couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.
They still couldn't do anything together, but even this "mixed bathing" was already a huge step forward.
And besides...
He could feel that during the Soul Power guidance, the Dragon Slayer Factor inside him had absorbed a trace of each woman's aura.
Poison and flowers.
Perhaps before long, he really would develop a "Harem Fusion Technique" of his own.
The night was gentle.
At that moment, neither the Crown Prince's schemes nor the pressure from the sects could intrude on the springtime scene in the pool.
For Yu Tianyu,
growing stronger meant slaying dragons, and slaying dragons meant better protecting this pool of tenderness.
Before you continue