Qian San Fights Xiao Qing

Before the words had even faded, her body transformed into a cyan-blue afterimage, crossing several meters in an instant to appear before Qian San. There were no flashy techniques, just a simple, straightforward punch aimed directly at his chest.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary punch carried a hair-raising whistle of displaced air, heavy and powerful as if Haotian Mountain itself were crashing down!

Qian San's pupils constricted. He could sense the terrifying power contained within that strike; the physical strength of this girl did not seem human at all!

He chose not to meet it head-on. His footwork instantly turned illusory, his body twisting with the eerie grace of a willow in the wind, narrowly evading the heavy blow—Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

With her strike missing, Xiao Qing did not pause for a second. Her right leg swept out like a steel whip, whipping up a shrill gust of wind. Her fighting style was cold and ruthless, devoid of any wasted movement; it was all wide-open, heavy strikes that broke finesse with sheer force, much like a giant python lurking in the abyss—it would not strike unless it meant to kill.

Qian San took a deep breath, his hands instantly turning as warm and smooth as jade—Mysterious Jade Hand!

He reached out, precisely catching the leg Xiao Qing had swept toward him. At the same time, he channeled his Mysterious Heaven Skill at full speed, pushing the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon technique to its limit.

He retreated along with the terrifying force of her kick, his hands tracing a smooth arc in the air. Not only did he neutralize the majority of the power behind her leg, but he also used her own momentum to guide her body to the side.

Xiao Qing frowned slightly. She felt as if her strength had struck a ball of cotton; not only was there nowhere to exert force, but her very balance was being disrupted and led astray by his bizarre technique.

The moment Xiao Qing's center of gravity shifted, Qian San seized the fleeting opening. Stepping with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he pressed in, his arm—covered in the faint, ghostly blue luster of Spider Armor—stopping steadily less than half an inch from Xiao Qing's throat.

The outcome was decided.

The entire sparring session had lasted no more than a dozen breaths, yet the danger and finesse involved left the surrounding Work-Study Students gaping in astonishment.

The vertical pupils in Xiao Qing's eyes slowly faded, and the cyan scales retracted back into her body. She was neither furious nor embarrassed; her cold, clear face remained as calm as a still lake.

"You are very strong." Xiao Qing stood straight, looking at Qian San with a candid gaze.

"I lost."

Having said that, she turned around cleanly and prepared to return to her bare bunk, which didn't even have a bedsheet.

Watching Xiao Qing's slender back, Qian San sighed softly. He walked to his own bed, grabbed the bedding Ning Dagang had sent over earlier, and tossed it directly onto Xiao Qing's bed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Xiao Qing stopped and looked back at him, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"My father taught me to do one good deed every day." Qian San shrugged, making up a random excuse. In truth, the bedding was too stiff for his liking anyway, and besides, he couldn't bear to watch such a stubborn girl—who could lose so gracefully—freeze through the night.

Xiao Qing was stunned.

For the first time, an expression of genuine bewilderment appeared on her usually placid face. She looked quietly at the bedding on the bed, then back at Qian San, remaining silent for a full three seconds.

"You gave the bedding to me, what will you do?" Xiao Qing asked.

Qian San was already calculating which shop in Nuoding City sold the softest goose-down quilts, but he maintained a breezy, indifferent expression on the surface. "Don't you worry about that; my father will provide for me."

Xiao Qing looked at him, then at the bedding, a complex light flickering in her eyes. It seemed to contain surprise, a hint of confusion, and a faint, lingering warmth.

"Thank you."

She spoke the two words softly, her voice so low it would have been missed if one weren't listening closely. Afterward, she turned and walked to her bunk, beginning to quietly lay out the hard-won bedding.

Seeing that Xiao Qing was no longer paying him any mind, Qian San didn't take it to heart. He brushed the dust off his clothes and walked out of the door of Dorm Seven.

The day was still young. He planned to head into the city to solve his own bedding problem, then take a stroll through the blacksmith shops of Nuoding City. While the hidden weapon techniques of the Tang Sect were exquisite, even a clever housewife couldn't cook without rice; he needed proper tools. He didn't know how the craftsmanship in this world compared, so he had to see for himself, hoping to find some reliable smiths to forge his Silent Sleeve Arrow and Silent Sleeve Sword.

As for his old man... Qian San looked up at the rolling clouds on the horizon.

Old man, you'd better bring me back a powerful soul ring. My Blue Silver Spider depends entirely on you.

After leaving Nuoding Academy, Qian San headed straight for the commercial district of Nuoding City.

His goal was clear: the inconspicuous blacksmith shops in the city. As a former disciple of the Tang Sect, his mind was filled with countless brilliant blueprints for hidden weapons. Although he now possessed soul power, he would never abandon the signature skills of the Tang Sect.

To prevent the construction of his hidden weapons from being leaked, Qian San took a detour through several streets, finding two blacksmith shops that were far apart and had no connection to each other. He dismantled the blueprints for the Silent Sleeve Arrow, handing the mechanisms and springs to a smith in the east of the city, and the outer shells and arrow tubes to a smith in the west.

"The dimensions must be exact to the hair. Use the most refined, hundred-tempered iron." Qian San slapped a gleaming Gold Soul Coin onto the anvil, his tone so mature it didn't sound like a six-year-old at all, leaving the old blacksmith stunned.

After handling the initial weapon parts, he took a leisurely trip to a bedding shop, spending a Gold Soul Coin to pick out the softest goose-down quilt.

By the time he returned to Dorm Seven with the brand-new bedding, the sky had already darkened. The Work-Study Students in the dormitory were gathered in small groups, bragging to one another; when they saw the obviously expensive bedding in his arms, they all looked on with envy.

Qian San ignored their gazes and walked straight to his bunk to make his bed. In a corner not far away, Xiao Qing was sitting cross-legged on the old bedding he had given her, eyes closed in meditation. Hearing the commotion, she opened her eyes slightly, her cold gaze lingering on Qian San's goose-down quilt for a moment before she said nothing and closed them again.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Qian San followed the academy's schedule and attended his first class in the elementary grade. The content was very basic, mostly common knowledge regarding soul power meditation and types of soul beasts.

When the bell rang for the end of class, Qian San was just about to head to the cafeteria when he saw an older student waiting outside. "Qian San, Teacher Ning Dagang wants you to come to his office."

Qian San frowned slightly, but nodded nonetheless, following the person through the corridor to a private office located on the top floor.

Pushing the door open, he saw Ning Dagang standing with his back to him, hands behind his back, looking out the window at the students playing on the field—a posture of a profound and mysterious master.

"Teacher, you summoned me." Qian San spoke politely.