Sun's Fire, Warm and Passionate

"Gone home for matters, do not worry."

Long Yaochen murmured, his eyes gradually darkening.

He had originally assumed the other party had returned to obtain her third soul ring.

But tomorrow was the final day; even in a rush, there was no reason to leave in the middle of the night.

Given her personality, it was impossible for her to leave without a word, let alone without showing off, leaving behind nothing but a scrap of paper.

Fortunately, the handwriting was indeed Wang Dong's, and there were no signs of a struggle in the freshman dormitory.

So...

Had the Clear Sky Sect taken her away?

A flash of realization crossed Long Yaochen's eyes, but the next second, he frowned again.

Little Scoundrel, what kind of trick are you pulling now?

It took him only 0.1 seconds to guess who was behind this.

However, Long Yaochen was not in a hurry.

Even without their interference, Wang Dong would have naturally returned to the Clear Sky Sect when the holiday began tomorrow.

Shrek's break lasted only a month; it wouldn't be too late to ask that Silly Goose when school resumed.

What was more important now was that he had officially reached level forty, and it was time to set off for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"Second martial soul..." Long Yaochen said to himself.

When the new semester started, what kind of expression would Wang Dong have when she saw his second martial soul?

As he thought about this, he took the Black Dragon Scale out of his storage Soul Tool.

'Teacher, the time has come. Please come quickly to assist.'

The next instant, a low dragon's might emanated from the depths of the scale.

The corners of Long Yaochen's mouth curled up slightly.

It seemed his teacher had been waiting for this moment as well.

He tucked the dragon scale back into his storage Soul Tool, his gaze lingering once more on the note on the table.

After a moment of hesitation, he stowed the note away as well, then turned and left the dormitory.

The next day.

After the final class ended, Zhang Lexuan briefly explained the rules, and the holiday officially began.

Amidst the cheers and laughter of the freshmen, Long Yaochen followed Zhang Lexuan back to her office.

"Senior Sister, do you remember what I told you before?" Long Yaochen asked after closing the door.

Since it concerned his life, he naturally wouldn't wait until the last minute; he had already hinted at it to Zhang Lexuan previously.

"I remember..." Zhang Lexuan poured Long Yaochen a cup of hot water and sat down beside him. She said with some hesitation, "Can my martial soul really help you?"

"Of course." Long Yaochen nodded earnestly.

"That's good then." Zhang Lexuan let out a long sigh of relief.

It wasn't that she didn't want to help him; on the contrary, she wanted to help Long Yaochen so much that she felt anxious.

A fourth soul ring, a second martial soul.

If anyone else had told her such an incredible thing, she would have thought they were joking.

But coming from him...

"Long Yaochen, sometimes I really feel like you don't seem like an Outer Court student."

"Hm?"

Long Yaochen's teacup paused in mid-air, and he looked at Zhang Lexuan beside him with some confusion.

The setting sun fell upon Zhang Lexuan, casting a faint, warm glow over her black hair.

"More like a sun," she said softly.

"One can feel the warmth, yet it is so far away.

Fortunately... this time, I can be with you."

Long Yaochen was stunned for a moment.

Before he could speak, Zhang Lexuan had already leaned in gently.

She said nothing more, simply resting her forehead against his shoulder.

Long Yaochen's body stiffened for a moment, then he raised his hand and gently held her arm.

"Get too close, and you'll be scorched by the sun," Long Yaochen chuckled, his voice suddenly becoming a bit more serious. "But the moon, it won't."

"Then let me be your moon."

Zhang Lexuan slowly closed her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Over the past year, through countless nights of collapse, it was Long Yaochen who had pulled her back from the abyss time and time again.

Now, she finally had someone to rely on.

As long as this ray of sunshine did not leave, even if she were to be burned to ashes, she would be willing.

The office fell into a quiet stillness, the setting sun stretching their shadows long across the floor.

Until—

Bang!

The door was suddenly pushed open.

"Long Yaochen, are you ready yet? If we don't leave now, I'll—"

Ma Xiaotao's voice came to an abrupt halt.

She stood at the doorway, staring at the scene before her, frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

Zhang Lexuan was leaning against Long Yaochen's shoulder, his hand still resting on her arm.

Ma Xiaotao could not believe for a second that the two were simply discussing class affairs.

Her lips trembled, her voice shaking: "Senior Sister... you!"

Although she knew she couldn't keep a man like Long Yaochen entirely to herself, she never imagined she would see a scene like this.

She had guarded against everyone, yet she never expected it to be her respected Senior Sister!

Zhang Lexuan's body stiffened, and she stood up and stepped back half a pace almost instantly.

She maintained a calm expression, but the tips of her ears were visibly flushed a faint red.

"Xiaotao, you've come at the right time." Long Yaochen gave a light cough and smoothed his sleeves as if nothing had happened. "Teacher will be here soon; let's head to the Sea God Pavilion first."

Ma Xiaotao looked at him in disbelief. "You really have the nerve to act like nothing happened?"

Long Yaochen said with a straight face, "We were discussing end-of-semester class affairs."

Ma Xiaotao sneered, "Discussing them to the point where Senior Sister is leaning on you?"

Zhang Lexuan said softly, "Xiaotao..."

"Senior Sister, don't say anything." Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, her gaze locked onto Long Yaochen. "I knew it. You've been running to this office every day for the past eight months—it definitely wasn't just to help organize files."

Long Yaochen pondered for a moment. "Actually, I did organize quite a lot of files."

Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth in anger, stomping her feet repeatedly. "Long Yaochen!"

Seeing the Evil Fire beginning to flare up on Ma Xiaotao, Long Yaochen immediately changed the subject. "By the way, this trip to the Sunset Forest isn't just about my fourth soul ring; it also concerns your Evil Fire problem."

"Naturally, I won't let you work in vain. This opportunity isn't just for me—it includes a share for you and Senior Sister." As he said this, he looked at Ma Xiaotao, his expression turning serious.

Ma Xiaotao had been ready to lash out again.

But upon hearing this, the anger on her face faltered. "Is it the opportunity you mentioned that can completely transform my martial soul?"

"Naturally." Long Yaochen smiled mysteriously. "And this opportunity is most suitable for you and Senior Sister."

Senior Sister...

Ma Xiaotao cast a resentful glance at Zhang Lexuan.

So much for being good sisters.

Zhang Lexuan, feeling the weight of that gaze, lowered her head and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Ma Xiaotao shifted her gaze back to Long Yaochen and finally let out a cold huff. "I'll settle the score with you when we get back."

Long Yaochen breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I won't let you down."

Zhang Lexuan watched the two of them, a flicker of complexity crossing her eyes before she quickly regained her composure.

"Let's go."

"We'll head to the Sea God Pavilion first to bid farewell to Mu En."