Secretly Bestowed Upon Three, Winning the Hearts of Three Girls While Keeping a Low Profile

Night fell over every corner of Shrek Academy like a spill of thick ink. Even the stars were hidden behind clouds. Only the evening wind stirred the leaves in the woods, its soft rustling echoing through the silent grounds.

In the dormitory, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun had been exhausted by days of high-intensity combat training. The moment they lay down, they fell into deep sleep, their soft snores unusually peaceful as they remained oblivious to everything around them. Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other academy instructors had finished a day of teaching and patrols and were resting in their respective quarters. There wasn't a single extra pair of eyes anywhere in the academy, nor the slightest trace of Soul Power detection. It was the perfect moment to act unseen.

Lin Chen sat in the middle of his room, Soul Power slowly circulating around him. He seemed to be meditating with his eyes closed, but in truth, he had spread his Soul Power perception into countless fine threads, blanketing the entire Shrek Academy. Only after repeatedly confirming that every corner was clear and that everyone unrelated to his plan was completely off guard did he slowly open his eyes. A glint of certainty flashed in them.

From his Storage Soul Tool, he carefully took out three Immortal Herbs wrapped in soft jade paper: Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, and Aromatic Silk Beauty. He had carefully brought them back from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, choosing these peerless opportunities specifically for the three girls. Tonight, he would bestow them in secret, without disturbing a soul, and keep every secret safe. He would protect Xiao Wu's identity as a Soul Beast and ensure that not a trace of this heaven-defying opportunity was exposed.

Three strands of Soul Power, fine as hairs, formed sound waves at his fingertips. They made no disturbance and no sound as they entered the rooms of Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong. Only those three could hear his low instruction: "Come to my room alone. This is absolutely confidential. Don't make a sound or wake anyone. Come quickly."

Xiao Wu arrived first.

She had always been a light sleeper, and with her thoughts constantly on Lin Chen, she was on her feet the instant she heard his message. Dressed in a plain white satin nightgown, she crept barefoot from her bed. Like a lively, alert little rabbit, she slipped into Lin Chen's room beneath the shadows of the eaves and trees, taking two steps for every one without making so much as a rustle of fabric.

Once inside, Xiao Wu went straight to Lin Chen. Her clear, almond-shaped eyes gazed directly at him. There wasn't a trace of doubt in them, only unreserved trust and dependence. Lin Chen immediately raised a hand, and pale golden Soul Power gathered into a double-layered barrier. It sealed in every sound and locked away the spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance. Even a Soul Saint standing outside would detect nothing amiss within.

"Xiao Wu, I risked my life to find this one and only Lovesick Heartbreak Red in the Polar Secret Realm. It belongs to you alone." Lin Chen gently unfolded the jade paper. The brilliant flower lay in his palm, its petals shimmering with a gentle glow. It carried no overwhelming pressure, only a soothing warmth. He deliberately avoided mentioning Soul Beasts and kept his voice tender, each word carefully chosen for her sake. "You only need to bind it with your blood, and it will protect you at all times, conceal every flaw in your aura, and keep anyone in this world from seeing through your secrets. It will keep you safe for the rest of your life. Only you and I can know about this. You must never tell anyone else, not even your closest friends."

Xiao Wu was quick to understand. Lin Chen was doing everything he could to protect her most dangerous secret, putting her safety above all else. Ever since she was little, she had wandered alone in the human world, always living in fear of being exposed. No one had ever understood or protected her like this, or treated her vulnerability as more important than their own. Warmth surged through her like a rising tide. Her eyes reddened, and her nose began to sting. When she looked at Lin Chen, her eyes brimmed with love and dependence. Her affection for him shot to its peak, and a faint blush spread across the tips of her ears. She gently tugged at his sleeve, her soft voice catching with emotion. "Lin Chen, you're so good to me. I'll listen to you. I won't tell anyone, ever. I trust only you."

Without the slightest hesitation, she lightly bit her fingertip and let a drop of crimson blood fall onto a petal. Lovesick Heartbreak Red blazed with light and transformed into a pink flower shadow, which gently melted into Xiao Wu's chest. A warm, enduring power flowed through her limbs, completely concealing the aura of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast within her and leaving not the slightest flaw. Lin Chen gently stroked the crown of her head and reminded her once more to keep her aura in check and slip quietly back to her room. Xiao Wu looked at him with reluctance, glancing back again and again as she left, before obediently vanishing into the night.

Next came Zhu Zhuqing.

This girl from the Nether Civet family had always been aloof and taciturn, cautious to the extreme. Burdened by her family's expectations and the constraints of her betrothal, she had endured everything alone. When she received Lin Chen's message, she suppressed her Soul Power to the utmost. Like a phantom in the dark, she skimmed silently along the walls to his room, so light on her feet she seemed to weigh nothing. After entering, she simply stood in a corner, her brows carrying their usual reserve.

But when Lin Chen brought out the lustrous Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone and clearly pointed out the weaknesses of her Nether Civet Martial Soul, the limits of her physical strength, and the bottlenecks in her speed and stealth, ripples suddenly stirred in Zhu Zhuqing's cool eyes. Lin Chen offered her the Immortal Herb, his tone calm but utterly certain. "This herb is perfectly suited to your Nether Civet Martial Soul. Once you refine it, it will fully temper your Martial Soul Origin and break through your current Soul Power bottleneck. Your physical resilience, speed, and stealth will all improve several times over, letting you overcome your family's Martial Soul's innate flaws. I'll protect you throughout the process and make sure not a trace of its medicinal power escapes."

No one had ever paid such close attention to her difficulties. No one had ever quietly secured such a heaven-defying opportunity for her. She had always shouldered everything alone, building thick walls around her long-frozen heart, but Lin Chen's attentive protection shattered every defense in an instant. Zhu Zhuqing's gaze gradually lost all its distance and wariness, replaced by deep trust and a love just beginning to bloom. The faintest blush colored her cool cheeks, and her affection for him reached its peak. She silently accepted the Immortal Herb and sat cross-legged on the spot. Under Lin Chen's protection, she refined its immense medicinal power in peace. Her Soul Power broke through without a sound, and the aura around her grew ever more restrained and ghostlike, though she kept it firmly hidden.

Once she had finished refining it, Zhu Zhuqing stood and bowed slightly to Lin Chen. Her voice was quiet but earnest. "Thank you. I'll remember what you've done for me forever." Then she turned and left, disappearing into the night, though Lin Chen's warmth had already filled her heart.

Ning Rongrong arrived last.

The young princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was charming and lively, clever at heart, and knew better than anyone how precious genuine kindness was. She carefully slipped past the sleeping Oscar, took a roundabout route, and quietly made her way to Lin Chen's room. Her eyes were full of curiosity, but she was sensible enough not to ask questions. When Lin Chen brought out the shimmering Aromatic Silk Beauty and told her that it could break the thousand-year-old Martial Soul limitation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, evolving her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda directly into a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong froze on the spot. Then her eyes reddened with excitement, and her whole body began to tremble.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's seven-layer limit had been a regret passed down through every generation of the sect, as well as Ning Rongrong's greatest fixation. She had never dared hope that she might one day break free of that fate. Yet Lin Chen had quietly found this heaven-defying opportunity for her, fulfilling both her dream and the dream of her entire sect. In that moment, all her usual spoiled stubbornness melted away. Her eyes were full of admiration and affection for Lin Chen, and he occupied her every thought. Her affection for him soared to its peak, and her voice caught with emotion. "Lin Chen, you really solved the sect's greatest problem for me! You're amazing. I'll listen to you from now on!"

Lin Chen smiled and reminded her to keep the secret of her Martial Soul's transformation hidden. She should continue showing her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda as usual and wait until the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament to reveal her trump card. Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly and focused on refining the Immortal Herb. Above her head, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly formed an eighth and then a ninth level. The brilliant Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda kept its pressure contained, completing its transformation.

After Ning Rongrong quietly left, Lin Chen slowly dispersed the barrier and cleaned every trace from the room, leaving it as though nothing had ever happened.

The entire affair had remained absolutely secret. Not a soul had noticed.

Xiao Wu's wholehearted dependence, Zhu Zhuqing's love quietly offered, and Ning Rongrong's admiration and devotion all became unreserved feelings for Lin Chen. The three girls concealed their transformations in tacit agreement, kept to their usual routines, and showed not the slightest hint of their newfound strength.

Lin Chen looked out the window at the pale light of dawn beginning to show and smiled faintly.

Three secret trump cards were ready, and he had gathered three hearts devoted to him. Victory in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament was already firmly in his grasp.