Wang Dong's Disgust +1

"BOOM--!!!"

The golden Wing Guillotine and the purple Black Iron Thunder Pattern Hammer, light and thunder, collided head-on in mid-air!

In an instant, blinding golden-blue and purple radiance erupted!

A deafening roar resounded throughout the area!

A visible ring-shaped shockwave centered on the point of impact surged outward violently!

"Whoosh--!"

The powerful blast of air tore up the lawn, sending grass clippings and dust flying everywhere!

The surrounding students were forced to retreat repeatedly by the shockwave, gasping in alarm.

Even Huo Yuhao, standing under a tree not far away, had his robes whipped loudly by the wind, yet he remained as steady as a rock, his gaze piercing through the swirling dust to lock onto the center of the collision.

Mu En, lying on his recliner, saw his eyes brighten even further and nodded slightly: "Such powerful explosive force... these two little ones have a grasp and application of soul skills that far exceed the average freshman."

The dust slowly settled.

The scene on the field gradually became clear.

Wang Dong had already deactivated her Martial Soul Possession and landed back on the ground. Her naturally fair cheeks were slightly flushed, a trace of bright red blood stained the corner of her mouth, and her breathing was slightly ragged.

She looked at Lin Yan, her eyes filled with unwillingness and shock.

During that last clash, she felt as if her Wing Guillotine had struck a mountain of thunder; the recoil caused her blood to churn, her internal organs to suffer minor tremors, and her soul power to be heavily depleted.

On the other side, Lin Yan also landed. He had already retracted his Black Iron Thunder Pattern Hammer, and the glow of his Thunder Pattern Armor had dimmed significantly, though it had not completely dissipated.

He panted heavily, sweat beading on his forehead; clearly, that all-out strike had cost him dearly.

But compared to Wang Dong, his condition was much better. He had no obvious injuries, only the weakness brought on by excessive soul power consumption.

The outcome was decided.

Lin Yan had won, relying on his higher Soul Power Level, the deeper and purer foundation of soul power granted by the high-level meditation technique from the Hundred Treasure Pearl, the dynamic visual assistance from his Eagle Eye, and the advantage of the Black Iron Thunder Pattern Hammer in strength and explosive power, defeating Wang Dong, whose martial soul was of higher quality but whose soul power was slightly inferior.

Although the quality of Wang Dong's Radiant Goddess Butterfly martial soul far surpassed the Black Iron Thunder Pattern Hammer, the disparity in overall strength left little suspense in the result of this battle.

Whispers erupted among the onlookers, and many students of the same grade began to look at Lin Yan with a sense of seriousness and gravity.

This handsome, slightly arrogant-looking freshman was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Wang Dong bit her lower lip tightly, almost drawing blood from the thin, tender flesh.

She was proud by nature and had rarely met an opponent among her peers since childhood. Yet, on this very first day of school, under the gaze of the crowd, she had lost to an unknown peer.

But she was not someone who couldn't accept defeat.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her churning blood and emotions, Wang Dong raised her hand and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. Her voice was cold and brief, yet every word was clear:

"I lost."

Just three words, crisp and decisive, without any excuses, nor any lingering, awkward unwillingness.

This upright attitude in defeat actually caused some of the onlookers to hold her in higher regard.

Lin Yan steadied his ragged breathing, looking at Wang Dong, who stood before him with a pale face yet still held her head stubbornly high. The sense of triumph he had suppressed for so long almost burst from his chest.

He tried hard to keep his expression calm, gentle, and magnanimous, even deliberately curling his lips into a friendly smile: "I accept the win, classmate Wang Dong."

His voice was also intentionally softened, carrying a hint of feigned humility, "Your Radiant Goddess Butterfly is truly powerful; its quality far exceeds my Black Iron Thunder Pattern Hammer.

It is just that I was lucky enough to have a slightly higher soul power level and took advantage of that. From now on in Dormitory 108, let us live in peace, shall we?"

These words were flawless—he acknowledged the opponent's advantage, provided an objective reason for his victory based on "higher soul power," and took the initiative to extend an olive branch of "peaceful coexistence."

To others, this boy was humble in victory and possessed great character.

However, as Wang Dong looked at the gentle smile on Lin Yan's face, she only felt a chill crawl up her spine.

The smile was indeed standard; the curvature, the gaze, and even the slight tilt of his head were impeccable.

But the way Lin Yan looked at her—the aggression, the heat, and a certain possessiveness of someone who had already claimed his prize, all leaking from the depths of his pupils despite his deliberate suppression—created a bizarre sense of dissonance with his gentle smile.

Only moments ago, she had argued with him without reservation and even initiated the duel to give him a warning.

This was naked "insult" and "provocation."

Yet now that he had won, he showed no anger at all, instead putting on this mask of gentleness and tolerance so quickly, as if the tense confrontation from moments ago had never happened...

This person... Wang Dong's internal alarm bells rang wildly. The sticky feeling of being watched by a snake made her want to turn and run immediately. Could he really be a sodomite? And... and he seems to be...

She dared not think further, feeling goosebumps break out all over her body.

Almost subconsciously, she took half a step back.

Then, she took a deep breath and spoke, word for word, in a tone even colder and more distant than before: "No need."

The smile on Lin Yan's face stiffened slightly.

"I don't intend to stay in the dorm anymore." Wang Dong looked away, no longer meeting his eyes, her voice filled with undisguised detachment and disgust. "Besides, this dorm is dirty and broken, the bed boards are as hard as stone, and the cabinets are rusted. It's simply not a place for people to live."

Having said that, she stopped looking at Lin Yan's stiff face and ignored the whispers of the crowd, turning to leave.

Her pace was hurried, her skirt fluttering in the wind, as if something filthy were chasing her from behind.

Lin Yan stood rooted to the spot, the flawless, gentle smile on his face frozen solid.

He was stunned.

Wait... the plot... it wasn't supposed to go like this, was it?

In his fragmented memories, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were supposed to live together in Dormitory 108, spending their days side by side, going from mutual dislike to gradual understanding and eventually developing feelings for one another... wasn't that the standard script?

He had snatched the key to Dormitory 108 a step ahead of time, intercepting Huo Yuhao's spot.

And according to his plan, shouldn't he and Wang Dong be living under the same roof now, where he could use his talent, strength, and carefully cultivated gentle persona to slowly win her favor and eventually walk away with the beauty?

But now, she wasn't even living in the dormitory?

Then what exactly had he intercepted? Had he intercepted nothing but air?

The muscles in Lin Yan's face twitched slightly, his mind unable to fathom what had gone wrong.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to make her stay, only to realize he had no idea what to say.

Was he supposed to say, "The dormitory is actually quite nice, won't you reconsider?"

These words clogged his throat, and not a single syllable could escape.

By then, Wang Dong's back had already vanished into the shadows of the dormitory entrance, not even sparing him a single glance.

The crowd of onlookers, seeing the excitement had ended, gradually dispersed, leaving Lin Yan standing alone, his expression shifting between shades of uncertainty and gloom.