Dugu Yan dropped her provocative attitude, too, and put on a sweet, obedient smile.
"Master, there are still parts of my Soul Ring I haven't fully mastered. I was just about to come find you."
Ning Rongrong, standing at the entrance, reacted even faster. She hurriedly pushed open the courtyard gate and trotted over to Chen Xuan, her face bright with a sweet smile.
"Master Dean! I... I've only just evolved my Martial Soul, so my foundation is unstable. I wanted to ask you to help me reinforce it!"
Looking at the three pretty faces before him, each wearing an expression of "eager thirst for knowledge," Chen Xuan's eyes flashed with an amused, helpless smile.
Did he really not know what these little girls were thinking?
"Come in, all of you."
He shook his head and turned toward the house.
"If you have any questions, we can talk inside."
"Yes!"
The three girls answered in unison, their voices crisp and melodious.
They followed Chen Xuan inside and exchanged glances. Each saw in the others' eyes the sly delight of a plan coming together.
By dusk, the setting sun had bathed all of Blue Silver Academy in a warm orange glow.
Chen Xuan saw off the three girls, who still seemed reluctant to leave, then returned to the courtyard alone.
He stood in the courtyard and focused his thoughts.
"System, extract 'Supreme Spiritual Vein.'"
[Ping! Supreme Spiritual Vein extracted successfully!]
As the system's prompt rang out, a dazzling orb of light appeared out of thin air in Chen Xuan's palm.
The orb was only about the size of a fist, yet it seemed to contain an entire world. Within it, the shadows of mountains, rivers, the sun, and the moon flickered in and out of existence, emanating an ancient, boundless aura born at the dawn of creation.
"Go!"
Chen Xuan flicked a finger.
The orb became a streak of light and instantly sank deep beneath the courtyard, vanishing from sight.
The next moment, a sudden transformation took place!
Hum—
An invisible ripple centered on Chen Xuan's courtyard and surged across the entire Blue Silver Academy!
In an instant, everyone in the academy felt it.
The air had changed.
What had once been merely fresher than the air outside was now thick as honey.
With every breath, it felt as if they were inhaling the purest energy between heaven and earth. Every one of the thirty-six thousand pores on their bodies opened wide, greedily drinking in the heavenly dew.
The academy's flowers and trees grew greener by the second, vivid enough to catch the eye.
Even some unopened buds quietly blossomed in that moment.
Student dormitory area.
"W-what's going on?"
A student meditating cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, his face full of shock.
Just then, he had felt the Soul Power circulating in his body suddenly speed up several times over!
"My god! The spiritual energy... It's at least ten times denser than before!"
Another student leaped out of bed. Feeling the spiritual energy around him, so dense it seemed almost liquid, he spoke with a trembling voice.
"I feel... I feel like my bottleneck has loosened!"
"Me too! What happened?"
The entire dormitory area erupted into a commotion. Countless students rushed from their rooms, their faces alight with shock and delight as they experienced this sudden blessing from the heavens.
"Do you even need to ask?"
A voice rang out from the crowd, filled with boundless reverence and fervor.
"In Blue Silver Academy, who else could possess such heaven-defying power besides the Dean?!"
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers.
"It's the Dean!"
"The Dean's might is unrivaled!"
"Being accepted into Blue Silver Academy is the greatest fortune of my life!"
Every student gazed toward the heart of the academy with fervent, heartfelt admiration.
They had gained an entirely new, earth-shattering understanding of Chen Xuan's power.
Yet amid the academy's jubilation, a tall, lean figure stood frozen in the shadows of a secluded corner.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong was almost indistinguishable from the darkness, his aura concealed to the utmost.
He had come at Ning Fengzhi's behest to investigate Blue Silver Academy and the mysterious Dean.
But the instant he slipped inside, he had encountered this miraculous change in the heavens and earth!
He felt the spiritual energy around him, dense beyond comprehension, and waves of astonishment crashed through his heart.
Heaven Dou City!
He knew this city better than most!
Since when had it ever held a blessed paradise like this?
Let alone Heaven Dou City—even the secret grounds within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had less than one-tenth of the spiritual energy here!
And this spiritual energy had appeared in an instant, from nothing!
Could it be...
A thought so absurd that even he could hardly believe it surfaced in his mind.
Could this really be the work of Blue Silver Academy's Dean?
This was beyond the reach of mortal power. It was nothing short of a miracle!
Just as Gu Rong's mind reeled, a calm voice, touched with amusement, sounded beside his ear without warning.
"When friends come from afar, is it not a pleasure?"
"Friend, would you care to come up for a cup of tea?"
Every hair on Gu Rong's body stood on end in that instant!
His pupils contracted, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
He'd been discovered?!
How was that possible?!
He had concealed himself with spatial power, completely blending his aura with his surroundings.
Even Chen Xin, another Titled Douluo, would never have been able to detect him outside of battle!
How had this Chen Xuan discovered him?
A sheen of cold sweat broke across Gu Rong's forehead.
This man... was unfathomable!
At this point, there was no point in hiding any longer.
Gu Rong hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and dropped the act.
He slowly emerged from the shadows, his tall, lean figure exposed to the moonlight. A solemn glint shone from his sunken eye sockets.
He raised his head toward the second floor of the nearby courtyard and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I've long heard of Blue Silver Academy's Dean. Having met you today, I see the rumors were true! I am Gu Rong. I've come to exchange a few moves!"
As his voice fell, the second-floor window swung open.
Chen Xuan appeared by the window, teapot in hand. He leisurely poured himself a cup of tea. Moonlight fell across his face, revealing no hint of his mood.
He raised his teacup toward Gu Rong below, his tone as calm as before.
"We can exchange moves."
"But first, have a cup of tea."
"Tea doesn't taste as good once it's cold."
The corner of Gu Rong's eye twitched.
Putting on airs!
A surge of anger welled up in him. Chen Xuan's attitude, as if he didn't take Gu Rong seriously at all, had infuriated him.
"No need for tea!"
Gu Rong snorted and stopped suppressing his aura.
"Let this old man see what gives you the right to be so arrogant!"
Rumble!
A terrifying aura burst from his tall, lean body!
Black Soul Power spread like ink, and nine Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—rose abruptly from beneath his feet, gleaming brilliantly!
The might of a level ninety-five Titled Douluo soared into the sky without restraint!
Before you continue