It was the peak hour for students heading to class.
Qin Feng's tall, straight figure and extraordinary bearing drew plenty of eyes as he walked.
Especially after last night's transformation, the confident, unrestrained air about him made him impossible to ignore.
"Who's that? A new teacher at our academy?"
"He looks like Qin Feng, the one from the Heaven Dou Grade Fighting Team."
"Wow, he's so handsome! How did I never notice before?"
A few passing female students whispered among themselves, their eyes sparkling with stars.
Qin Feng looked straight ahead, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
Being the center of everyone's attention really wasn't bad.
Just then, several familiar figures came toward him.
They were members of the Imperial Fighting Team.
Yu Tianheng was at the front, followed by the Shi Brothers, Osler, and the others.
They had clearly spotted Qin Feng too.
Yu Tianheng halted, his gaze instantly locking onto Qin Feng.
Although Qin Feng hadn't officially rejoined the team yet, Dugu Yan had stayed out all night, then left Qin Feng's dormitory in the morning. The matter was discreet, but word had still gotten around.
Yu Tianheng had always liked Dugu Yan. Though she had never given him the time of day, he had already considered her his own.
Seeing Qin Feng looking so pleased with himself, Yu Tianheng felt an inexplicable flare of anger.
"Qin Feng."
Yu Tianheng's face was cold as he blocked Qin Feng's path.
The students nearby immediately stopped, excitedly settling in to watch the show.
The young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, facing off against the mysterious genius Qin Feng.
This was premium gossip.
Qin Feng stopped and lazily lifted his eyelids.
"What is it?"
Two simple words, delivered with casual contempt.
That attitude made Yu Tianheng's temper flare even hotter.
"I heard Yanzi went to see you last night?"
Yu Tianheng forced down his anger, his voice low. "What did she go there for?"
Qin Feng looked at the tragic second male lead from the original story and found the whole thing amusing.
So this was the misery of being a simp?
She wasn't even yours. What gave you the right to meddle?
Rather than answer, Qin Feng brushed at some nonexistent dust on his sleeve, then drawled, "What she went to see me for has anything to do with you?"
"Yu Tianheng, are you her father? Or her man?"
"If you're neither, then move. A good dog doesn't block the road."
The crowd erupted.
He was really going for it!
He actually dared to speak to the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan like that?
Yu Tianheng's face turned livid. His fists clenched, the veins in his arms bulging as faint arcs of lightning flickered over them.
"You're asking to die!"
As a heaven-blessed genius, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"What? Want to fight?"
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes.
He had just broken through and was still raring to go. Now a punching bag had come right to him.
"Then come and try."
"Let's see if that so-called number-one Beast Martial Soul under heaven can take one punch from me."
Qin Feng stepped forward.
Boom!
An overwhelming aura burst from him.
It wasn't the direct suppression of Soul Power, but the pressure of a superior being, rising from his bloodline and the depths of his soul.
Behind him, it was as if an ancient Ferocious Beast were awakening.
Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted sharply.
That aura...
How was this possible?!
He felt the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul inside him trembling!
It was the instinctive fear of facing a natural enemy.
Before Yu Tianheng could react, a sharp cry rang out from nearby.
"Yu Tianheng! What are you doing?"
Everyone turned to look.
Dugu Yan was hurrying toward them, with a curious-looking Ye Lingling following behind her.
Dugu Yan had changed into a dark green school uniform, her long hair tied high. She looked bold and spirited.
Yet her movements seemed slightly less natural than usual. She had lost some of her customary decisiveness and gained a touch of softness.
She reached Qin Feng and stood naturally at his side, half a step behind him.
Anyone who knew what to look for could tell at a glance what that position meant.
She was taking the role of a subordinate—or perhaps... someone who depended on him.
Dugu Yan fixed Yu Tianheng with a cold stare, displeasure filling her emerald eyes.
"Qin Feng is my... He's my grandfather's honored guest!"
"You want to attack him? Did you ask me first?"
Seeing how Dugu Yan stood up for Qin Feng, Yu Tianheng felt his heart sink halfway to the ground.
What broke him even more was realizing that Dugu Yan looked stunning today.
She was radiant, like a flower nourished by the rain and dew.
How could he, as a man, not understand what that meant?
"Yanzi, you..."
Yu Tianheng pointed at Dugu Yan, his finger trembling. "You and him..."
Dugu Yan couldn't be bothered with his thoughts. She turned to Qin Feng, and the coldness on her face melted away at once, replaced by a shy, ingratiating smile.
"Qin Feng, ignore these boring people."
"Grandpa asked me to see if you're free to go to Sunset Forest again tonight."
"He said... there are still some questions about medicinal theory he'd like to ask you."
Asking about medicinal theory was just an excuse. What Dugu Bo really wanted was to cadge a few more pills.
Of course, Dugu Yan had her own reasons too.
Once you'd tasted the marrow, you craved more.
The feeling of rapidly increasing her strength was simply addictive.
Qin Feng looked at the obedient Dugu Yan in front of him and naturally reached out to pinch her smooth, tender cheek.
"We'll see how I feel."
"But since you've put it that way, I'll do him the favor."
Dugu Yan didn't get angry when he pinched her cheek in front of everyone. Instead, her cheeks turned pink, and she softly murmured, "Mm."
That sight crushed the last of Yu Tianheng's hopes.
Crack.
It was as if something had shattered and echoed through the air.
The sound of a young man's heart breaking.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling's gaze remained fixed on Qin Feng. Her mind was full of Dugu Yan's words from the night before: "liquid pills."
If she could really get that kind of miraculous pill from him...
Ye Lingling pressed her lips together. The seed in her heart began to quietly sprout.
Back in his dormitory, Qin Feng closed the door behind him.
Dugu Yan's shy yet bold manner was still lingering in his mind, but he had something more important to do now.
He hadn't finished today's diary entry.
Qin Feng sat on the edge of the bed and summoned the black notebook that only he could see.
The pen touched the paper, scratching softly.
[Finally, I have time to keep writing.]
[I helped Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo clear all the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison from their bodies.]
[Honestly, this was my first proper attempt at Pill Refining, and my technique was still a little rusty. Thankfully, the result was pretty good.]
[That old Dugu Bo may look sinister, but he really does care about his granddaughter. He was even willing to dig into his own family's reserves to cure her poison.]
On the other side of the Diary Copy,
the women, who had been getting ready to rest, were shaken when they saw those lines.