The "Special Interest" of Crown Prince Qinghe, and the Dark-Night Catgirl's Private Training

Heaven Dou City, Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As the empire's highest-ranking academy for Spirit Masters, the main campus was unusually solemn that day. A red carpet had been laid out in front of the administration building, where three elderly men in black-and-gold robes stood waiting eagerly.

They were the academy's three board members: Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin.

"Old Meng, is the information reliable?"

Sweat covered Board Member Bai Baoshan's chubby face. Some of it was from the heat, but most came from excitement. "Did the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really join us? And... is that legend true?"

"Could a letter personally written by Dugu Bo be false?"

Meng Shenji took a deep breath, his eyes flashing. "If it's true, our Heaven Dou Academy may make history this year!"

Just then, a luxurious carriage bearing the dual crests of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Imperial Fighting Team slowly entered the plaza, pulled by eight Snow Dragon Steeds.

The carriage door opened.

Yu Tianyu stepped out first, dressed in dark, fitted clothes. He made no deliberate attempt to release his Soul Power, yet the aura of someone long accustomed to authority and control put the three Soul Douluos under a strange, inexplicable pressure.

Then four stunning beauties filed out.

Dugu Yan's allure, Ye Lingling's cool reserve, Zhu Zhuqing's chilling air, and Ning Rongrong's grace.

Ning Rongrong, in particular.

The moment she stepped down, Meng Shenji's gaze locked onto her.

"Student Ning Rongrong..." Meng Shenji's voice trembled. "I heard your Martial Soul..."

Ning Rongrong glanced at Yu Tianyu. When he gave a slight nod, she stopped holding back.

"Hum!"

She opened her right hand, and dazzling light shimmered across her palm.

A nine-tiered pagoda radiating a sacred aura appeared before them!

"One, two, three... nine! There really are nine tiers!"

Board Member Zhi Lin cried out in shock, nearly yanking off his own beard. "The legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! It's actually appeared!"

"Heaven Dou has been blessed!"

The three board members were so moved that tears streamed down their faces. As educators, what greater honor could there be than witnessing such a miracle with their own eyes—and seeing it come to life in their own academy?

"There's no need to get so excited, board members."

Yu Tianyu spoke calmly, with an air of natural arrogance. "This is only the beginning. At this year's Continental Elite Tournament, I'll personally place the championship trophy on your desks."

"Just make sure those blind flies don't come buzzing around to bother me."

"Of course! Of course!" Meng Shenji nodded repeatedly. "From this day on, the Imperial Fighting Team gets top priority for all resources! Anyone who dares stand in its way will answer to me!"

As everyone basked in their joy, a crisp round of applause sounded nearby.

"Wonderful. Truly wonderful."

They all turned around.

A young man in the formal attire of a crown prince approached with a warm smile. He had a handsome face and a refined, gentle bearing.

The crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.

He was also the young master of Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue, who had been in hiding for many years.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" The three board members hurriedly bowed.

Yu Tianyu looked at the "man" before him, the corners of his mouth curling with amusement.

So this was Qian Renxue?

There was no denying it: the disguise created by the Angel Spirit Bone was flawless. If Yu Tianyu hadn't possessed the Dragon God Bloodline, with its extraordinary sensitivity to auras, he might not have seen through the skin that concealed a peerlessly beautiful woman.

And there was also that faint, sacred scent of Angel Holy Light.

"Brother Yu Tianyu."

Xue Qinghe stepped up to him. Her gaze seemed admiring, but beneath it lay a probing curiosity. "I heard about your exploits in Suotuo City while I was in the palace. You subdued Shrek single-handedly and won over the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Truly, you're an outstanding young man."

"Your Highness certainly gets the news quickly."

Yu Tianyu looked at her with an amused smile. "But Your Highness has a great deal to attend to. What brings you here to the academy? Did you come all this way just to... see me?"

His slightly flippant words made the three board members break out in a cold sweat. This was the crown prince, after all!

But Xue Qinghe wasn't offended at all. Instead, she laughed heartily.

"Fine birds choose their trees to nest in, and worthy ministers choose the right lord to serve. A talent like you, Brother Tianyu, is exactly the sort of person I eagerly seek."

As she spoke, Xue Qinghe held out her hand. "Would you care to visit the Crown Prince's residence tonight, Brother Tianyu? I have some fine tea in my collection that I'd like you to try."

Yu Tianyu reached out and took her hand. It looked long and strong, but felt soft and delicate.

As their hands met, Yu Tianyu's thumb discreetly brushed across Xue Qinghe's palm.

At the same time, a faint but utterly pure dragon's might surged through his hand and into hers.

"Hm?!"

Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted. Her body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Was that... a challenge? Or a flirtation?

Could that dragon's might really stir the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul inside her?

"I'll pass on the tea."

Yu Tianyu released her hand, leaned closer to Xue Qinghe, and murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your Highness's 'tea' is too hot. I'm afraid that if I drink it, I might discover some... secrets I shouldn't."

"Like the true face concealed beneath Your Highness's skin."

Boom!

The words exploded beside Qian Renxue's ear like thunder.

She jerked her head up, staring at Yu Tianyu's mismatched eyes, and felt her heart pound violently. Had he seen through her? Impossible! Even Titled Douluos couldn't see through the disguise! Was he bluffing?

But Qian Renxue was Qian Renxue. She regained her composure in an instant, her smile unchanged, though her gaze had grown more profound.

"Brother Tianyu does love to joke."

Xue Qinghe withdrew her hand and clasped it behind her back. If one looked closely, one could see her fingers trembling slightly. "Since you're busy tonight, I'll ask you another time. There's no hurry. We'll have plenty of chances to get to know each other better."

With that, Xue Qinghe gave Yu Tianyu a long look and turned to leave.

Watching her walk away, Yu Tianyu chuckled to himself.

"Qian Renxue, I bet you won't sleep tonight. Just wait. Sooner or later, I'll strip away that disguise with my own hands."

The night was deep and quiet.

Inside the luxurious detached villa assigned to the Imperial Fighting Team, someone gently knocked on Yu Tianyu's bedroom door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Zhu Zhuqing entered.

She had just bathed; a faint dampness and the fresh scent of soap clung to her. Her usual stiff leather outfit had been replaced by a black silk nightgown. Though loose, it couldn't conceal her striking curves.

"Captain... I'm here."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her voice a little tense, and clutched the hem of her nightgown.

Remembering Yu Tianyu's talk earlier that day about "special training" and "intimate contact," she couldn't stop her cheeks from burning. But she was willing to pay any price to grow stronger and escape the shadow Dai Mubai had cast over her.

"Lock the door."

Yu Tianyu sat on the edge of the bed and pointed to the open space in front of him.

Zhu Zhuqing did as he asked. With a click of the lock, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned suggestive.

"Take it off."

Yu Tianyu spoke calmly. "I told you that this cultivation method requires opening the hidden meridians in your back. Your clothes will interfere with the flow of Soul Power."

Zhu Zhuqing shuddered.

She had been prepared for this, but actually doing it in front of a man...

She bit her lower lip, a determined look flashing in her eyes.

Swish.

Her silk nightgown slipped to the floor.

Her flawless body was revealed before Yu Tianyu. Aside from the black underwear covering her most intimate areas, much of her pale skin was exposed to the air. Her figure was remarkably full for her age, and rose and fell slightly with each breath—enough to stir any man's blood.

"Lie face down on the bed."

A hint of admiration flashed in Yu Tianyu's eyes, but his focus was elsewhere. He wasn't a man driven by lust; tonight, his main purpose really was to help her improve.

Blushing with embarrassment, Zhu Zhuqing lay obediently on the bed like a well-behaved kitten, offering Yu Tianyu her smooth, jade-like back.

Yu Tianyu flicked his wrist.

A jade box appeared out of thin air.

The lid opened, revealing an Immortal Herb as green as carved jade.

Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone.

"Zhuqing, open your mouth."

Yu Tianyu held Zhu Zhuqing's chin and gently tilted her head up.

Zhu Zhuqing obediently parted her red lips. Yu Tianyu dripped several drops of refined Immortal Herb essence into her mouth.

"This Immortal Herb is called Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone. It nourishes the tendons and bones and opens the body's seven meridians and eight channels."

"It can fundamentally change your constitution, making your body as resilient as jade and as supple as water. This is the foundation for cultivating the highest secret technique of the agility-attack system, 'Nether Shadow Kill.'"

The essence slid down her throat and turned into a cool current that immediately coursed through her body.

"Mm..."

Zhu Zhuqing let out a comfortable hum, feeling as if her body had grown lighter.

"Don't get comfortable yet. The main event is still to come."

Yu Tianyu's voice suddenly grew stern.

"Next, I'll use my thunder-and-fire Soul Power to force the medicine's effects to take hold and break through the three blocked acupoints in your back: Wind Gate, Vital Region, and Spirit Door."

"It'll hurt, and it'll feel... strange."

"Bear with it."

The moment he finished speaking, Yu Tianyu's burning palm pressed directly against Zhu Zhuqing's bare back.

Boom!

An overwhelmingly powerful force of thunder and fire surged into Zhu Zhuqing's body, crashing into the cool medicinal energy.

"Ah—!!"

Zhu Zhuqing jerked her head up, clutching the bedsheets as her long legs went rigid.

Pain!

A searing pain! It felt as if countless red-hot needles were stabbing her meridians.

But mingled with the agony was an intensely strange tingling sensation. It was like electricity running over her nerve endings, making her want to tremble, to... cry out.

"Relax! Don't tense your muscles!"

Smack!

Yu Tianyu slapped Zhu Zhuqing's upturned backside. He did it to guide the Soul Power toward her lower body, and the sharp sound rang through the quiet room.

"Mm!!"

Zhu Zhuqing was so embarrassed that tears nearly came to her eyes.

No one had ever dared hit her like that.

But after the slap, her tense meridians really did loosen, allowing the Soul Power to pass through smoothly.

Yu Tianyu's technique was highly professional, even if it looked like he was taking advantage of her.

His fingers pressed down one vertebra at a time, each press accompanied by a surge of Soul Power.

"It's blocked here."

Yu Tianyu's fingers stopped at the small of her back. "Bear with it."

Bzzzt!

The current intensified.

Zhu Zhuqing's whole body convulsed. Broken moans escaped her lips. "C-Captain... I can't take it... It's too hot..."

"Do you want Dai Mubai to keep stepping on you for the rest of your life?"

Yu Tianyu snapped coldly. "If you do, then get out right now!"

At the mention of Dai Mubai's name, the dazed look in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly sharpened.

No!

She didn't want to be that weak fiancée anymore! She wanted to grow stronger!

"I... I can do it!"

Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth. Instead of resisting the heat flowing into her body, she began guiding it herself, urging it to break through her bottlenecks.

During the process, her feelings toward the man behind her shifted in subtle ways.

His hands brought her pain, but they also gave her a sense of strength she had never known before.

He had seen her body and taken control of her meridians. This extreme intimacy and control awakened a twisted sense of dependence in Zhu Zhuqing, whose heart had always been adrift and uneasy.

He was her master.

And she was willing to become his sharpest claw.

An hour later.

The final barrier gave way.

Boom!

A dense black glow burst from Zhu Zhuqing's body.

The bottleneck at level 27 shattered in an instant.

Twenty-eight... twenty-nine... thirty... thirty-three!

With the combined effects of the Immortal Herb and Yu Tianyu's lightning-and-fire power, her Soul Power soared straight to level 33 (although she still didn't have a Spirit Ring)!

More importantly, there was her aura.

She had once been nothing but cold, but now there was a hint of mystery and bewitching allure about her. Her skin had become crystal clear, like the finest white jade.

"Whew... whew..."

The special training was over.

Zhu Zhuqing was drenched in sweat from head to toe, limp and sprawled on the bed like she'd just been pulled out of the water.

Yu Tianyu withdrew his hands and looked at the perfect masterpiece before him, nodding in satisfaction.

"Go take a bath."

Yu Tianyu picked up a robe and draped it over her. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to Sunset Forest to hunt for your third Spirit Ring. I've already picked out a two-thousand-year-old Ghost Tiger for you."

Zhu Zhuqing struggled to sit up.

She didn't head straight to the bathroom. Instead, she knelt on the bed and turned to face Yu Tianyu.

Her usually cool black eyes now held nothing but obedience and adoration.

She suddenly lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against Yu Tianyu's palm, like a real little cat.

"Thank you, Master..."

The word "Master" came so naturally, as if her submission had risen from the depths of her soul.

Yu Tianyu smiled.

He lifted her chin and gazed at her stunning face.

"Call me captain when we're outside. In private... call me whatever you like."

"Go on."

That same night.

In a shabby little inn in Suotuo City.

The atmosphere at Shrek Academy was as oppressive as a graveyard.

Tang San lay on the bed, his body wrapped in bandages. Though his broken bones had been set after several days of rest, he was frighteningly gloomy.

Two of his Eight Spider Lances had been broken. They could grow back, but he had suffered a heavy loss of vitality.

Even worse, he felt as if his fortune had been stripped away. Whenever he practiced the Purple Demon Eye, he couldn't focus. When he tried to make Hidden Weapons, he found that this dump of a place didn't even sell decent iron essence.

"Xiao San, have something to eat."

Grandmaster walked in with a bowl of thin porridge, his face just as ashen.

Ever since Dugu Bo had scared him so badly he'd wet himself, Grandmaster couldn't hold his head up in front of Flender and Zhao Wuji. But he'd redirected all his hatred toward Yu Tianyu.

"Teacher..."

Tang San's voice was hoarse. "That Yu Tianyu... who is he, really? Why doesn't my poison work on him? Why can't my Hidden Weapons hurt him?"

"He's an unpredictable force, practically an Evil Soul Master!"

Grandmaster said through gritted teeth, "Xiao San, don't lose heart. You still have Twin Martial Souls, and you still have the Tang Sect Secret Arts! Once we reach Heaven Dou Royal Academy and make use of its Mimicry cultivation environments, you'll definitely surpass him!"

"And besides..."

A vicious glint flashed in Grandmaster's eyes. "If the direct approach won't work, we can use underhanded methods. Once you've mass-produced the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, even a Soul Ancestor will be killed in an instant!"

"Right!"

The flames of vengeance reignited in Tang San's eyes. "And there's my Clear Sky Hammer... One day, I'll smash his bones to pieces with a single blow!"

The poor master and student had no idea.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy they pinned all their hopes on had already become Yu Tianyu's private garden.

The Mimicry cultivation grounds they wanted to visit had already been seized by Yu Tianyu.

The chance to obtain Immortal Herbs that they hoped to rely on had long since been picked clean, down to the last root.

This was a tragedy whose ending had already been decided before it even began.