"You... You promised to become that person's disciple, didn't you? She's from the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, from Shrek City. She's definitely going to take you away..." Mu Xi's voice grew quieter as she spoke.
After all, the cultivation and educational resources at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters were countless times better than those in Eastsea City.
Su Chen had a chance at a better future. She should have been happy for him.
But at the thought of Su Chen leaving her side, she couldn't bring herself to feel happy at all.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. You and Master have been so good to me. How could I leave? I still have to get into Eastsea Academy and go to school with you~"
Su Chen looked into Mu Xi's eyes and spoke earnestly.
"R-really?"
Mu Xi's eyes gradually brightened. Her gloom vanished, replaced by delight.
"Of course~"
As Su Chen spoke, he gently tightened one arm and pulled Mu Xi into his embrace.
"Ah..."
Mu Xi let out a soft cry, her body suddenly going rigid.
Before Mu Xi could say anything, Su Chen's voice sounded beside her ear again. "Of course I mean it. Besides... joining the Spirit Pagoda... could never matter as much as you, Senior Sister..."
His warm breath brushed Mu Xi's ear, turning her earlobes and cheeks crimson. She went limp in Su Chen's arms, as delicate as a flower.
"You... What are you saying... You rotten little junior..."
Mu Xi chided him coyly, her small hand patting Su Chen's chest with little strength.
Although Su Chen's hands had already started to wander.
She made no attempt to escape his embrace. Instead, she rather enjoyed his warmth.
At first, she'd simply thought Su Chen was talented at blacksmithing, handsome, and good with words. She'd liked him a great deal, and had even wanted to keep him by her side for the rest of her life...
But after Su Chen revealed his terrifying talent and was taken as a disciple by someone as powerful as Leng Yaozhu, she'd begun to feel uneasy, afraid of losing him.
She was afraid that one day, Su Chen would leave her...
But it seemed her worries had been unfounded. Su Chen was still the same Su Chen, her little junior.
The two embraced for a while.
When Su Chen's hand grew more and more unruly, showing signs of pushing his luck, Mu Xi finally slipped gently out of his arms.
"Enough, I'm heading back. You'd better keep your word. Don't go back on it just because that person's pretty."
Mu Xi smoothed the hair by her ear and warned him softly.
Su Chen was good in every way, except that he was far too easily distracted by a pretty face.
He usually ate with Ouyang Zixin, and whenever Ouyang Zixin flirted with him a little, Su Chen would start ignoring her, his Senior Sister. She had firsthand experience with that.
Leng Yaozhu outclassed her in looks, figure, status, wealth, talent, and strength.
She was genuinely afraid Su Chen would be so captivated that he'd lose his head.
"Senior Sister, how could I be that kind of person? You can't slander me," Su Chen said righteously.
"Hmph."
Mu Xi shot Su Chen a look, straightened her clothes, which he'd rumpled, and then turned to leave.
The next day.
Su Chen arrived at the Spirit Pagoda.
With the identity token Leng Yaozhu had given him, he was quickly escorted to a huge training ground.
The Training Ground seemed to be on the topmost floor. Through its enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see the bustling city below.
It was filled with all sorts of testing equipment, all state-of-the-art. Each machine was worth enough to buy a small family.
The testing equipment at Su Chen's home couldn't hold a candle to these.
Leng Yaozhu was already waiting there. With her back to Su Chen, she wore the same dazzling red dress, which outlined her perfect figure and the mature, womanly fullness of her curves. Her red hair spilled over her shoulders, and she had an imposing air about her.
"Greetings, Teacher."
Su Chen quickly bowed, not daring to entertain a single improper thought.
Although he'd grown used to Leng Yaozhu's imposing presence, she was still a powerful figure. He had to show her the respect she deserved.
Well, actually, he hadn't added her to the Goddess Illustrated Handbook yet. Without any affection points, he didn't dare make a move—she could kick him to death.
"You're here. Come with me. I'll check your body." Leng Yaozhu turned to look at Su Chen, approval still in her eyes, and spoke calmly.
Su Chen's combat ability was formidable, but she still needed to know his exact physical measurements to plan his future cultivation.
"A checkup? Isn't that a bit..."
Su Chen hesitated.
"What are you thinking? I'm just going to run a few physical tests." Leng Yaozhu gave Su Chen a look, exasperated.
What went through kids' heads these days?
"Oh, oh..."
Only then did Su Chen quickly nod, behaving himself. He didn't resist at all.
His secrets weren't in his body, after all. It didn't matter how thoroughly they tested him.
The better he performed, the more she'd value him.
"Let's start by testing your strength."
Leng Yaozhu pointed to a strength-testing machine ahead and narrowed her eyes, anticipation in her gaze.
She'd looked into Su Chen's background and knew he seemed to have terrifying talent in strength. That was why he was so extraordinarily talented at blacksmithing.
Su Chen walked up to the strength-testing machine, drew a small breath, and, using eighty percent of his strength, threw a punch.
"Boom—"
Su Chen's fist struck.
The spot where his fist met the machine instantly caved in, leaving a fist-shaped dent. The enormous five-meter-tall metal machine shuddered violently.
After a long moment, a number appeared: 22923.
"Twenty thousand kilograms! Is this kid a Ferocious Beast in human form? No, even a Ferocious Beast in human form couldn't be this terrifying!"
Leng Yaozhu sucked in a sharp breath at the sight.
Even though she'd seen countless peerless prodigies, she couldn't help but feel shaken.
She'd expected a lot, but two thousand kilograms of force from a single bare-handed punch still far exceeded her imagination.
And Su Chen hadn't even used his Martial Soul. Clearly, he hadn't used his full strength.
If he released his Martial Soul, he would be even more terrifying.
And this was Su Chen's current strength.
With Battle Armor added in the future, she had no idea just how powerful he might become.
Leaving all other aspects aside, Su Chen's strength alone already far surpassed Yun Ming's when he was young.
But Yun Ming's excellence had never been about strength. It lay in his talent and comprehension.
At the same cultivation level, if Su Chen had nothing but brute force, he definitely wouldn't beat Yun Ming.
"Release your Martial Soul and try again."
Leng Yaozhu steadied herself and continued.
"Boom—"
Su Chen underwent Martial Soul Possession and threw another punch: 37829 kilograms.
"You're impressive. Come test your spiritual power."
Leng Yaozhu gave a slight nod, then led Su Chen into a small room and fitted him with a helmet for testing spiritual power.
Su Chen had been able to evolve his Spirit Soul to a thousand years, so his spiritual power was definitely above 200—meaning he'd reached the Spirit Connection Realm, a level most Soul Elders struggled to attain.
She wanted to know his exact spiritual power.
"Buzz—"
The helmet emitted a wave of stimulating vibrations, and Su Chen used his spiritual power to resist them.
The results appeared quickly. It was a three-digit number: 501.
"The Spirit Sea Realm! How is that possible?!"
Leng Yaozhu's pupils suddenly contracted, and she blurted out in shock.
Clearly, this terrifying spiritual power had far exceeded her expectations.
If Su Chen's strength was a gift of extraordinary talent, then what was this spiritual power?
She had never seen a One-Ring Soul Master with spiritual power this terrifying.
For an ordinary Soul Master, reaching the Spirit Sea Realm before the age of twenty would qualify them for the title of "Titled Douluo"—they would be an absolute genius.
And Su Chen was still so young...
He truly had the potential to become a Limit Douluo!
Before you continue