Cultivate for Five Minutes, Sleep for Two Hours

On the other side, Su Chen and Wang Dong had already returned to Dormitory 108.

Along the way, Wang Dong chattered incessantly, but Su Chen remained silent. This made Wang Dong feel somewhat uneasy, as she assumed Su Chen was angry with her—after all, not only had she failed to help today, but she had also nearly held him back.

Back in Dormitory 108, Wang Dong watched Su Chen's wordless demeanor and felt a sense of trepidation. Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly gave a cheeky grin, waving her small hand:

"Alright, alright, this young master knows you care about me, but the matter has passed, and aren't we both perfectly fine now!"

She pulled a small box from her robes and handed it to Su Chen: "Oh, right, these are three Soul Ascension Pills. Director Du came looking for you this afternoon, but since you were with Teacher Mu, he just handed them to me and asked me to pass them on to you."

Su Chen took the box and opened it to take a look. Inside were three pills the size of longans, deep green in color, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance and ripples of soul power. The quality was good; they were indeed Soul Ascension Pills.

"I don't need them." Su Chen closed the box and handed it back to Wang Dong.

Wang Dong was stunned, assuming Su Chen didn't know what a Soul Ascension Pill was, and hurriedly explained: "Hey! This is a very precious medicinal pill! It's refined from several rare treasures as medicinal catalysts and is on the same level as the Mystic Water Pill."

"Although the Mystic Water Pill is relatively more precious, after all, it has the effect of cleansing the marrow and changing the bones..."

She counted on her fingers, listing the details as if they were treasures: "The main function of the Soul Ascension Pill is to increase soul power, providing an boost roughly equivalent to a soul master advancing from level thirty to level thirty-one—it can increase your soul power by a whole level at once! You are currently at level twenty-eight, so after taking it, you will definitely be able to break through to level twenty-nine. It's a rare and excellent item!"

Wang Dong paused and added: "Of course, a soul master can only take one in their lifetime; taking more would affect one's future cultivation potential... So take it quickly, don't tell me you want to get this young master into trouble? Director Du specifically instructed me to make sure it reached your hands!"

She spoke with great seriousness, her small face taut, and those powder-blue eyes clearly saying, "If you don't accept it, I'll be upset with you."

Su Chen looked at her like this and suddenly found it somewhat amusing. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and took the box back from Wang Dong's hand.

"Fine, I'll take one." Su Chen took out one Soul Ascension Pill and handed the remaining two back to Wang Dong. "You take one, and the last one, you pass on to Xiao Xiao."

Wang Dong blinked, not expecting Su Chen to distribute them this way. She took the box, thought for a moment, and said: "Then... I've decided, I'll eat this Soul Ascension Pill tonight, and then I'll be able to break through to level twenty-five!"

She clenched her small fist, vowing: "I must strive to reach level thirty as soon as possible! Su Chen, let me tell you, I bet that if I had three soul rings today, carrying you while flying would be absolutely no problem! At least I wouldn't have crashed..."

Recalling the scene in the afternoon where she had spread her wings to carry Su Chen only for them both to nearly meet their end, Wang Dong felt a bit embarrassed, but she refused to back down.

Watching Wang Dong's determined expression, Su Chen smiled helplessly. He reached out and ruffled Wang Dong's hair—the movement was very natural, so natural that both of them froze for a second.

Wang Dong's face turned bright red, but this time she didn't dodge.

Su Chen withdrew his hand and teased with a smile: "Protect me when you're stronger. Also, tell me this once you've managed to break your habit of falling asleep the moment you start cultivating."

He paused, deliberately using a mocking tone: "Come to think of it, you claim to be a genius, yet you've only reached level twenty-four; if it were me, I'd be too ashamed to show my face, yet you have the nerve?"

"Ahhh—Su Chen, are you looking to die?" Wang Dong jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pouncing toward Su Chen with claws bared: "Don't say that, don't say that! It's not like I don't want to cultivate, it's just that for some reason, I've been prone to drowsiness since I was little... I get sleepy as soon as I start cultivating, I'm desperate too, but what can I do!"

She sat back on the bed, pouting and hugging her pillow in a fit of pique.

Su Chen smiled and stopped teasing her. He sat down on his own bed and began to close his eyes and regulate his breathing, recovering the soul power he had consumed today.

The room grew quiet, with only the steady breathing of the two.

After a long while, Wang Dong suddenly spoke, her voice filled with intense curiosity: "Come to think of it, when that terrifying crazy woman charged at us, I passed out, and I only remember that we almost died. In the end... how were we saved?"

She turned her head to look at Su Chen, her eyes sparkling: "Su Chen, what actually happened? Tell me about it!"

Su Chen opened his eyes, his golden pupils appearing exceptionally bright in the dim light. He glanced at Wang Dong and suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.

"You really want to know?"

"Of course!" Wang Dong nodded vigorously.

Su Chen said slowly: "Actually... I'll come clean."

Wang Dong: "?"

"I am the Young Master of the Holy Heaven Sect." Su Chen said with a straight face, "When that crazy woman tried to harm us, my family's Titled Douluo guard appeared in time and knocked her out."

Wang Dong: "..."

She stared at Su Chen for three seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Su Chen, stop joking!" Wang Dong laughed until she was doubled over, tears almost streaming down her face, "You? The Young Master of the Holy Heaven Sect? Who doesn't know that the Holy Heaven Sect is a super sect, hidden from the world for ten thousand years, with unfathomable foundations—even compared to Shrek, they are second to none!"

She wiped away the tears from laughing and said in a mocking tone: "If you put it that way, then I'm the Young Master of the Clear Sky Sect!"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Are you?"

Wang Dong: "...Of, of course not! This big master comes from an ordinary family!"

Her voice was a bit weak, and her eyes drifted away. But Su Chen pretended not to notice.

"So," Wang Dong said righteously, "let's stop bragging, shall we? Just honestly tell me what happened!"

Su Chen shrugged: "I'm telling the truth, believe it or not."

"I don't believe it!" Wang Dong snorted, "If you won't say it, then don't! This big master isn't even interested in knowing!"

"I'm ignoring you! I'm going to cultivate! I must break through to level twenty-five tonight!" She said firmly, then took a deep breath and popped the Soul Ascension Pill into her mouth.

The pill melted upon contact, turning into a warm, gentle energy that flowed down her throat into her abdomen. Wang Dong immediately closed her eyes and began to circulate her soul power, guiding that energy to cycle through her body.

Time passed second by second.

About half an hour later, the blue halo around Wang Dong's body suddenly brightened, then quickly retracted back into her body. She opened her eyes, a flash of surprise crossing her powder-blue pupils.

"I broke through!" She jumped off the bed in excitement, feeling the soul power in her body that had nearly doubled. "Level twenty-five! Hahaha, this big master is indeed a genius!"

She turned to look at Su Chen, wanting to show off, but found that Su Chen had his eyes closed, seemingly in the middle of cultivation. Wang Dong curled her lips and muttered: "Hmph, cultivation fanatic..."