Meng Hongchen's probing and the defensive line
Xiao Hongchen stood up, one hand in his pocket, his short, silvery-white hair gleaming coldly in the light streaming in from the window.
He is indeed exceptionally handsome.
He casually glanced around the classroom, a lazy smile playing on his lips.
"Xiao Hongchen, Level 55. Nice to meet you."
Short and direct, exuding an air of nonchalant arrogance.
Meng Hongchen stood up and respectfully clasped her hands in front of her.
Her icy blue pupils circled the classroom before finally settling on Dai Huabin, and she nodded slightly.
"Meng Hongchen, Level 53. Please take care of me."
Her voice was soft and cool, but everyone in the class with a decent eye noticed that last glance she gave Dai Huabin.
Cui Yajie gave a soft hum from behind.
Xiao Xiao tilted her head and whispered, "Why does Meng Hongchen keep looking at the class monitor? It's just because he defeated her in the Soul Master Tournament!"
Wang Dong'er didn't turn around, and gave a soft snort:
"Another one."
Dai Huabin leaned back in his chair, expressionless.
After taking attendance, Mu Jin began to explain the course schedule and assessment system for this semester.
But the undercurrents within the classroom had clearly begun to stir within those few short minutes.
The moment the bell rang, Meng Hongchen stood up from her seat and walked towards Dai Huabin.
Meng Hongchen walked unhurriedly from her seat by the window, drawing dozens of stares from across the class.
Wang Dong'er was the first to move.
She stood up from her seat, turned to block Dai Huabin's left front, crossed her arms, her long pinkish-blue hair cascading over her shoulders, and slightly raised her chin.
Cui Yajie followed closely behind, walking around to Dai Huabin's right side from the side. With a flick of her long pink hair, she sat down confidently on the edge of the desk, crossed her legs, and smiled as she watched Meng Hongchen approach.
Xiao Xiao's movements were the smallest but most genuine; she directly grabbed Dai Huabin's sleeve and leaned closer to him.
Di Lingxi squeezed in from the other side, her long golden hair swaying, and plopped down on Dai Huabin's desk, her legs dangling in the air, her intention to take over the seat couldn't be clearer.
Zhu Lu wasn't that dramatic, but she naturally stood beside Dai Huabin, her ponytail lightly brushing her shoulder as she turned around.
Dai Huabin glanced around at the group of people around him.
Well, they've surrounded them like an impenetrable fortress.
In the back corner, Ice Empress leaned back in her chair, her emerald green twin tails hanging down her chest. Her orange-gold pupils swept over the group of people in front of her, and her lips twitched.
"How childish."
Snow Empress sat beside her, her hands folded on her knees, her sky-blue eyes holding a faint smile as she watched the scene with great interest.
Ning Tian was more composed.
She rested her chin on the back of her hand, looking like she was about to watch a good show. The other trainees in the front row and middle were not so calm.
As soon as the bell rang, most people who were still packing up their things immediately quickened their pace threefold upon seeing this scene.
"Let's go, let's go, hurry up!"
"Stop looking! What are you staring at? Don't you want to live?"
"I just want to see..."
"What are you looking at! Last time, that guy wanted to watch the show, but he got a sliver of Cui Yajie's Charm and had to lie in bed for two days. Have you forgotten?"
The boy shrank back and obediently ran after him.
In less than half a minute, the classroom was completely empty except for Dai Huabin and his group, and Xiao Hongchen by the window.
Mu Jin looked at everyone and said in a low voice:
"Huabin is really popular."
Then, she left the classroom.
Meng Hongchen stopped three steps away from Dai Huabin.
Her long, silvery-white curly hair fell quietly to her waist, and the blue bow at the back of her head shimmered softly in the sunlight. Her gaze lingered on Wang Dong'er and Cui Yajie for a moment each, then moved past them and landed on Dai Huabin's face.
"Dai Huabin."
"Um?"
Dai Huabin spoke in a very normal tone, showing no sign of embarrassment at being surrounded.
Cui Yajie tilted her head and looked Meng Hongchen up and down, then chuckled, "Meng Hongchen, what's up? You rushed over as soon as class ended, quite eager indeed."
Wang Dong'er didn't say anything, but her crossed arms said it all.
Meng Hongchen glanced at Cui Yajie, her expression unchanged, her icy blue pupils perfectly calm.
"I want to ask Dai Huabin some questions about cultivation."
Cui Yajie raised an eyebrow. "Cultivation? Isn't your Sun Moon Empire known for its Soul Tool? You come asking our class monitor about cultivation?"
"Soul Tool and Soul Power cultivation are not contradictory."
Meng Hongchen's voice was soft, yet clear and articulate.
"Furthermore, the cultivation speed that Dai Huabin displayed in the Soul Master Tournament is extremely rare on the entire continent. As someone who was defeated by him, it's not unreasonable for me to be curious, is it?"
These words were so well-chosen that Cui Yajie couldn't really retort immediately.
Xiao Xiao muttered to herself, "She's so good with words..."
Di Lingxi sat on the table, tilted her head to look at Meng Hongchen, then at Dai Huabin, and suddenly spoke:
"Huabin, she's quite pretty."
Zhu Lu reached out and covered Di Lingxi's mouth.
"Ling Xi, shut up."
Di Lingxi made two "uh-uh" sounds, her golden pupils blinking innocently.
The Ice Empress in the back row rolled their eyes.
Dai Huabin couldn't help but chuckle. He raised his hand and patted Di Lingxi's head, then reached out his left hand and naturally took Zhu Lu's hand.
Zhu Lu's fingertips twitched slightly, and then she gripped his hand in return.
This action came into Meng Hongchen's view, but her expression remained unchanged.
"What do you want to ask?" Dai Huabin asked.
Meng Hongchen took a step forward and brushed past Wang Dong'er.
Wang Dong'er stepped aside, neither blocking nor moving too far.
"How do you usually cultivate?" Meng Hongchen asked with genuine curiosity.
"My cultivation method is not much different from others."
Dai Huabin held Zhu Lu's hand, his tone casual.
"The only difference is that I had some good fortune, plus the Martial Soul Fusion Skill between my and Lulu's martial souls."
"An opportunity?" Meng Hongchen tilted her head slightly.
"Yeah, I'm lucky."
The answer was blatantly perfunctory, but Meng Hongchen didn't mind.
Dai Huabin said "good luck" lightly, but Meng Hongchen knew the truth perfectly well.
After losing to Dai Huabin in the Soul Master Tournament, she returned to the Sun Moon Empire and went through all the information she could find about Dai Huabin.
The eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, he was at level 33 when he entered the academy, and his Martial Soul White Tiger.
After the first-grade holiday, his White Tiger attribute suddenly gained the characteristic of Ultimate Ice.
Not only him, but his fiancée Zhu Lu's Hell Spirit Cat also evolved to the Ultimate Ice attribute at the same time.
A sudden change in a person's Martial Soul can be described as a stroke of luck.
The fact that two people's Martial Soul evolved to their Ultimate Attribute at the same time cannot be explained by luck.
Moreover, Meng Hongchen glanced at Bing Hanyue and Xue Qingyao, and then at the two women sitting quietly in the corner of the back row. These two women had only appeared beside Dai Huabin after the first-year holiday.
Bing Hanyue, with her emerald green twin ponytails, is a powerful Titled Douluo.
Xue Qingyao, with white hair and a white dress, Ultimate Ice, possesses the strength of Soul Emperor.
These clues led Meng Hongchen to a vague guess, but she was unsure and wouldn't speak out rashly.
"Opportunities do sound enviable," Meng Hongchen replied softly.
Xiao Hongchen remained motionless in his window seat.
Xiao Hongchen rested her chin on one hand, her bright blue pupils half-closed, watching her younger sister chat with Dai Huabin amidst the group of women.
He didn't mean to stop him.