Qian Renxue's Heart Fluttered?! Revive Ah Yin!

A supple vine reached out cautiously, gently brushing against the hem of Chen Xuan's robe, brimming with a sense of attachment.

"..."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Xuan's face, and just as he was about to say something more, he suddenly sensed footsteps approaching from behind.

He turned around and saw Qian Renxue, who had changed back into her female attire.

The young woman was dressed in a pale yellow gown, her figure slender and graceful, with her golden hair draped over her shoulders; under the moonlight, she looked like an ethereal sprite untouched by the mundane world.

That stunningly beautiful face, usually hidden beneath the dignity of a crown prince, was now revealed without reservation, and it was truly a sight to behold.

Chen Xuan said, "In my residence from now on, there is no need for a disguise."

"It is safe enough here; no one will see."

"..."

After a pause, he added another sentence.

"It looks awkward."

Upon hearing this, a trace of imperceptible disappointment welled up in Qian Renxue's heart.

Is it... merely awkward?

Could it be that there isn't even the slightest bit of affection?

This thought flashed through her mind only for a moment before she suppressed it, not daring to voice it aloud.

She performed a graceful bow toward Chen Xuan and said softly, "Yes, Teacher."

"This student has come because there are some aspects regarding the application of soul power that I do not quite understand, and I wish to seek your guidance."

She had chosen the most common of excuses.

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.

"Regarding the method of circulating soul power through the meridians, did I not explain that to you just a few days ago?"

Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed red instantly, like a ripened apple.

She lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"It... it is this student's stupidity; after hearing it, I have forgotten it again."

Seeing her like this, Chen Xuan did not think much of it, assuming she had simply encountered a bottleneck in her cultivation.

"No matter."

He walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, saying, "Sit. Tell me again which parts you do not understand."

"Yes."

Qian Renxue obediently sat on the stone stool beside Chen Xuan and began to recount her "questions."

Chen Xuan patiently began to explain, his voice calm and magnetic, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

As Qian Renxue listened, her mind gradually began to drift.

Her gaze fell uncontrollably upon Chen Xuan's handsome profile.

Under the moonlight, his features were well-defined, his eyelashes long, and those eyes, usually as still as an ancient well, appeared exceptionally deep as he focused on his explanation.

Qian Renxue's heart began to race for no reason.

Driven by an impulse, she shifted her body an inch closer to Chen Xuan.

Then another inch.

Chen Xuan did not seem to notice her unusual behavior, continuing to explain the intricacies of soul power circulation.

Seeing that he did not react, Qian Renxue grew bolder.

Her body was almost pressed against Chen Xuan's arm, and she could even feel the faint warmth radiating from him.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of her heartbeat drummed in her ears like a rhythmic beat; a sense of tension and excitement, unlike anything she had ever felt, made her both fearful and exhilarated.

To avoid being discovered by her teacher, she quickly composed herself, putting on an expression of intense focus and earnest learning, her golden eyes fixed intently on the stone table in front of her.

During a pause in Chen Xuan's explanation, he also sensed that something was amiss.

The young woman's soft body was pressed almost against his own, and waves of elegant, delicate fragrance kept drifting into his nose.

He turned his head, only to see Qian Renxue with a serious, earnest expression, looking as if she were thirsty for knowledge.

Chen Xuan felt slightly strange, but seeing her so absorbed in the lesson, he did not dwell on it and continued his explanation.

The night deepened, and an ambiguous atmosphere quietly permeated the space between the two.

And at this moment.

Outside the gates of Blue Silver Academy, a slender and aloof figure appeared.

She had short, emerald-green hair and a beautiful face, though it carried a cold, indifferent air.

Dugu Yan.

The plaque of Blue Silver Academy was made of plain, unadorned wood, and the calligraphy was ordinary, showing not a shred of aristocratic grandeur.

Dugu Yan stood outside the main gate, arms crossed over her chest, her pretty face etched with impatience.

Grandfather must be senile.

She grumbled inwardly.

To think he was spun around by a few words from some nobody who popped out of nowhere.

Not only did he hand over the family's ancestral treasure, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, but he was also forcing her to come to this unheard-of academy to apprentice.

Blue Silver Academy?

She had never even heard of this name before.

And that dean named Chen Xuan—rumor had it his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass.

A helpless, curious smirk tugged at the corners of Dugu Yan's mouth.

A Soul Master with a trash Martial Soul, even if he had some lucky encounters, how much skill could he possibly have?

Claiming he could eradicate the Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison from her and her grandfather... it was simply a fantasy.

If not for her grandfather's insistence, she would never have stepped foot in this place.

Despite her intense displeasure, Dugu Yan eventually lifted her feet and walked through the academy gates.

The academy was very quiet; passing through the front courtyard, a voice that was not loud, yet exceptionally clear, drifted over from an open-air classroom.

"..."

Dugu Yan followed the sound.

She saw dozens of young Soul Masters sitting cross-legged on the grass, and on a raised platform in front of them stood a young man dressed in a simple white robe.

He was tall and straight, his black hair like ink, standing with his hands behind his back, speaking eloquently.

Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, casting dappled spots of light upon him, making his handsome face look ethereal, like an immortal from a painting.

Dugu Yan's breath hitched slightly.

This guy... he certainly looks the part.

She snorted inwardly, quickly suppressing that fleeting moment of awe.

What's the use of being good-looking?

He's probably just a gilded ornament, rotten on the inside.

She found an inconspicuous corner and leaned against a large tree, intending to hear what this charlatan was actually saying.

Chen Xuan's calm voice drifted over.

"...Therefore, Innate Soul Power is not the destination; it only determines how high your starting point is, but it cannot limit how far you can go in the future."

"There is no hierarchy among Martial Souls; so-called trash Martial Souls are merely a result of you failing to find the correct path of evolution."

"As for the age of Soul Rings, that is even less of a fixed number; it depends on the limits your will and soul can endure, not merely your physical body..."

Dugu Yan frowned deeply as she listened.

These theories were simply heretical, completely contradicting the common knowledge of Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent for tens of thousands of years.

Beside her, several other newly arrived noble disciples could no longer help but whisper to one another.

"What the hell is this? Innate Soul Power is useless? Trash Martial Souls can evolve? This guy must be crazy!"

"I heard it long ago—the dean of this Blue Silver Academy is just a grandstanding fraud. I didn't expect his words to be even more outrageous than the rumors!"

"It turns out the rumors are true; he just used his silver tongue to swindle an investment from the Heaven Dou Crown Prince."

Hearing this, Dugu Yan nodded in deep agreement.

It seemed the eyes of the masses were indeed sharp.