After saying that, even he froze for a moment. Then he shook his head with a rueful laugh. What was he even talking about?
He pulled over the blanket beside him and gently covered Wang Dong with it, carefully tucking in the edges to keep her from catching a chill. Only after that was done did he return to his own bed and turn off the Soul Guidance Lamp.
The first rays of dawn slipped through the pale blue curtains of Dormitory 108, casting a long, narrow patch of golden light across the floor. The dormitory was quiet, with only two steady breaths breaking the silence.
On the bed by the window, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes. A streak of pale golden light quietly faded from his gaze.
He barely experienced the usual grogginess of waking up. His mind cleared in an instant. After gently exhaling a breath of stale air and feeling the Soul Power surging through him, more solid than it had been yesterday, the corner of Su Chen's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
My Soul Power has improved again. At this rate, I'll break through to level twenty-eight in a few days. He made a quick estimate. If all goes well, I might even reach the bottleneck at level thirty before the Freshman Assessment begins.
Level thirty meant he could obtain the third Soul Ring for his Six-Winged Angel. It also meant... it was time to head to the Far North and claim the Second Martial Soul he had been planning to acquire for so long.
At the thought, Su Chen's gaze deepened. He had already given careful thought to the choice of his Second Martial Soul last night, after Wang Dong had fallen asleep.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's plan was to lure the Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North—the 399,900-year-old Ice Jade Empress Scorpion—into offering herself as a sacrifice. The Ice Empress was powerful, and her Ultimate Ice attribute made her an absolutely top-tier foundation for a Second Martial Soul.
But... Su Chen's ambitions were greater.
He remembered that in the heart of the Far North stood an even more terrifying being: the Snow Empress. With a cultivation base of 690,000 years, she was the true ruler of the Far North, the sovereign of ice and snow.
If he could use the Snow Empress as the foundation of his Second Martial Soul, its starting point would be so high and its potential so vast that it might surpass that of any Twin Martial Souls in the history of Douluo Continent!
However, as appealing as the idea was, achieving it would be exponentially more difficult. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm could lure the Ice Empress with the temptation of his million-year Spiritual Origin, but when it came to the Snow Empress... Tian Meng couldn't even lure her, and probably lacked the nerve to face her overwhelming pressure.
The Snow Empress's strength and temperament were far beyond the Ice Empress's. She would almost certainly never accept a "sacrifice" of that kind.
Su Chen's eyes fell on the Super Sect Card, floating quietly in his system space and radiating an ancient, powerful aura.
It seems that when the time comes, achieving this goal will still depend on me—and... this trump card. Su Chen pondered. A hidden sect with a Limit Douluo and multiple Super Douluo might wield enough power and influence to give him some unexpected bargaining chips in his "negotiations" with the Snow Empress.
"Gurgle..."
A faint rumble from his stomach interrupted Su Chen's thoughts. He looked down and remembered that since last night, he had eaten nothing but a little dry food. With his current physique and the demands of cultivation, he needed a fair amount of food.
He glanced at the bed across from his.
Wang Dong was still fast asleep, nestled in the soft blankets with only half of her delicate profile and a few strands of pink-blue hair showing. Her breathing was slow and even, her chest rising and falling gently. She was clearly in a deep sleep, with no sign of waking.
She sleeps like a little pig. The thought crossed Su Chen's mind as he got out of bed, moving carefully and making no sound.
After a quick wash, he changed into a clean white school uniform, left the dormitory, and headed for the academy cafeteria.
Shrek Academy had already come to life in the early morning. The air was fresh, and plenty of students who had gotten up early to cultivate could be seen along the paths. Su Chen's striking looks and distinctive aura still drew a few glances, but he was used to it by now and walked on without looking aside.
The cafeteria was already quite lively, filled with the aromas of all kinds of food. Su Chen got himself a generous breakfast: thick meat porridge, soft bread, a fried egg, and several refreshing side dishes. When it came time to pay, he hesitated briefly, then ordered an identical meal to take away.
Consider it... a gesture of "affection" for yesterday's "Daddy." Carrying both breakfasts, Su Chen thought this with a perfectly straight face.
When he returned to Dormitory 108 and opened the door, Wang Dong was still in the same position, sleeping as if the world could end around her. If not for her steady breathing and the occasional faint smacking of her lips, Su Chen might have wondered whether the little girl had taken losing their fight and being verbally one-upped so badly that she had lost the will to live...
Of course, that thought vanished as soon as it appeared. With Wang Dong's proud, stubborn streak, "getting revenge" was probably her strongest motivation right now. Losing the will to live? Not a chance.
Since the new school year would not officially begin for another three days, these two days were set aside for freshmen to get used to their surroundings. Su Chen's plan was simple: a two-point routine between "cultivating in the dormitory" and "eating in the cafeteria," making the most of every minute to shore up his foundation and push toward level twenty-eight.
Life at Shrek was generally orderly enough, except for two minor problems that gave the freshmen a headache.
First was the "battle for resources" at the public restrooms. More than four hundred freshmen shared a few public washrooms and toilets, and the morning and evening rush hours were practically a war without smoke.
But this was hardly a problem for Su Chen. Perhaps word of how easily he had defeated Wang Dong the day before had spread in a small circle; perhaps it was simply his face and unapproachable aura. Whenever he showed up, the freshmen nearby would instinctively make room for him. No one fought him for a spot.
The second problem was a severe shortage of seats in the cafeteria. With so many freshmen pouring in, there weren't enough tables and chairs, so many people had to eat standing up with their trays.
That didn't trouble Su Chen either. Simple—why not just eat somewhere other than the cafeteria? He took almost every meal back to the dormitory, where he could eat in peace without wasting time.
Toward evening, the setting sun bathed the dormitory in a warm orange glow. Su Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, a faint golden halo swirling around him.
The dinner he had brought for Wang Dong sat on the desk beside her bed.
After who knew how long, just as Su Chen slowly finished cultivating, a soft, sleepy hum came from the bed across from him. "Mm..."
Wang Dong had finally woken up.
Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times before she slowly opened her hazy pink-blue eyes. For several seconds, she looked dazed. Then her gaze gradually focused, and the first thing she saw was Su Chen cultivating on the bed across from her.
The setting sun traced the calm outline of Su Chen's profile. His eyes were closed in concentration, his expression focused, while his golden hair looked especially soft in the light.
She had to admit, when he was quietly cultivating, the guy did look rather impressive... Bah! Wang Dong hurriedly shook off the "dangerous" thought.
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