Parting

Seeing the group drift further away, Flender clapped his hands. "Go on back. You two arrange your own training; I won't bother scheduling it for you. I trust neither of you needs me to worry about that."

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Dean!"

Flender waved a hand, walking toward his quarters while letting out a hiccup.

Watching Flender depart, Zhu Zhuqing turned her head to look at Huo Yuhao, waiting for his instructions.

Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin. "We'll stick to the usual routine. Let's cultivate first, and I'll spar with you in the afternoon."

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing nod in agreement, the two headed toward the dormitory. The young girl, trailing half a step behind, tilted her head slightly to look at the handsome youth beside her, the corners of her mouth curling upward.

"Your Grilled Fish is truly delicious."

"Huh?" Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment before he reacted and laughed.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Can I have more in the future?" Zhu Zhuqing's voice came again.

"Of course. Just let me know whenever you want some."

"Mm."

Several days passed in succession. Zhu Zhuqing began to grow accustomed to this pattern of being together from dawn till dusk: cultivating in the morning, sparring with Huo Yuhao in the afternoon, and heading out to participate in Soul Fighting at night, competing in both two-on-two and one-on-one matches.

After returning to the academy, they would review their performance in Huo Yuhao's room. In the last few days, because it was too late, she simply rested in his room; there were two beds, after all, as long as she brought her own bedding.

Zhu Zhuqing had no complaints about this packed schedule. Even when she couldn't keep up, she would grit her teeth and continue without a word, adapting rapidly.

Huo Yuhao was more than satisfied with this. It was as if he saw his past self in Zhu Zhuqing; with such a resilient state of mind, becoming stronger was inevitable.

Zhu Zhuqing's improvement over these few days was also immense. Her combat techniques advanced rapidly, and even her Soul Power Level had reached twenty-eight.

Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill had also been tested thoroughly, and Huo Yuhao named it "Watch of the Night Goddess."

Once fused, Zhu Zhuqing took the lead. It provided a comprehensive boost, and beyond incorporating Huo Yuhao's skills and teleportation, it possessed a skill that even left him in awe: it could temporarily strip an enemy of their five senses!

It could be called a divine skill capable of deciding the outcome of a battle, meaning the opponent would be left at their mercy.

The only regret was that the skill could only be cast on one person, and the duration of the deprivation was calculated based on the Soul Power Level of both parties. If the opponent's level was much higher than theirs, the duration would be very short.

But these were not issues; their cultivation would not stop here, and this Martial Soul Fusion Skill would only grow stronger in the future.

Midnight.

Looking at the earnest profile beside him, Zhu Zhuqing's pupils grew slightly unfocused.

"If only it could be like this forever."

The soft murmur echoed through the dormitory.

"Hm? What was that?" Huo Yuhao almost thought he had misheard.

Zhu Zhuqing no longer had the courage to say it a second time. "It's nothing. Thank you for helping me so much."

"Heh, it's only right."

Huo Yuhao tactfully didn't press the matter, then closed his eyes, continuing to recall the scenes of Zhu Zhuqing's combat in his mind.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze brushed past. Before he could react, he felt a soft, warm sensation on his lips.

"!?"

Huo Yuhao realized instantly what was happening, but the sensation on his lips continued. He didn't know if he should open his eyes—it would be too awkward to open them now!

The cheeky voice of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm suddenly rang out in his mind.

"Oh, oh, oh!!! Congratulations to Yuhao's ancestor for scoring another point! You're way in the lead now!"

Huo Yuhao had no time to care about the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's teasing; he was about to go crazy. Why wouldn't she pull away!

Finally, after a long time, the sensation vanished. Huo Yuhao opened his eyes to see Zhu Zhuqing with her head bowed, a crimson flush already climbing from her face to the tips of her ears.

"I'm sorry."

If not for Huo Yuhao's keen hearing, he wouldn't have even caught those three words.

He scratched his head and gave a light cough.

"Well, let's call it a night. It's getting late; we'll continue tomorrow."

"Mm."

"Yuhao! I'm back! I'm already a Soul Elder now, pretty impressive, right?" The girl's excited voice rang out from outside the door.

She stood before the door, full of anticipation, waiting for the surprise of the moment it would open.

"..." There was no response.

"Yuhao?"

Xiao Wu tilted her head and reached out to knock, only to find the door was merely ajar. It swung inward at her touch.

Looking inside, the room was pristine: the bed boards were clean, the desk was spotless, and the stools were tucked away neatly. Everything was perfect.

Xiao Wu stood at the doorway, staring fixedly at the empty dormitory before abruptly turning and rushing out.

"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Didn't you go to find Huo Yuhao?"

Ning Rongrong, who was on the road, watched Xiao Wu sprinting with her head down and felt quite confused. How did things end up like this after she went to Huo Yuhao's dormitory? Could it be that she was scolded for being snatched away by the Titan Giant Ape? But hadn't Xiao Wu returned safely?

Would Huo Yuhao really reprimand Xiao Wu for encountering danger?

The image of that warm-smiling youth surfaced in her mind, and Ning Rongrong decisively dismissed that answer. At the same time, her heart tightened as a realization dawned on her.

"Something happened!"

There was no time to ask questions; Ning Rongrong hurried off in the direction Xiao Wu had taken.

She hadn't run for long before she saw Xiao Wu again.

Xiao Wu was standing in front of a dormitory, raising her hand to knock with such force that the door thudded loudly.

Her voice even carried a hint of a sob, "Zhu Zhuqing! Where did Huo Yuhao go??"

Ning Rongrong finally understood what had happened.

"Huo Yuhao is gone!?"

She couldn't afford to be shocked and quickly walked to Xiao Wu's side, waiting together for Zhu Zhuqing to provide an explanation.

A moment later, the door opened, and as the two saw Zhu Zhuqing walk out, their pupils couldn't help but constrict.

The person before them had completely changed; her skin was deathly pale, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her bloodshot eyes were devoid of any luster.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong almost failed to recognize the person before them as the cold and beautiful Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing's listless eyes swept over Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, and her hoarse voice rang out, "He left, and told me to give this to you."

A letter was held out before Xiao Wu, leaving her stunned and unresponsive until Ning Rongrong gently nudged her, causing her to shiver.

With trembling hands, she took the envelope, which contained only a single sheet of paper and nothing else.

"Xiao Wu, by the time you read this letter, I will have left Shrek for certain reasons. You must cultivate diligently; I hope that when we meet again, I will see you have become stronger. Parting is for the sake of a better reunion. Goodbye."

The young girl's pupils trembled, tears welled up and spilled over, and she abruptly covered her mouth, sobs leaking through her fingers.

"Impossible, he wouldn't just leave like this. What were the reasons he mentioned!? Zhu Zhuqing! Tell me!"

From muttering to herself to a blood-curdling roar, Xiao Wu suddenly raised her head, her blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned by that frantic gaze; her eyes flickered, and she spoke slowly.

"I don't know the specific reasons either. After he was called away by the Dean that day, he started packing his luggage as soon as he returned. He gave me the letter, said a few more words, and then left..."

"I asked Flender, but he wouldn't say anything. He just sighed and said he had let Huo Yuhao down..."

"Flender..." Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and turned, intending to head straight for the Dean's office.

Just then, the tolling of a bell rang out—it was the signal to assemble.

Ning Rongrong grabbed Xiao Wu's arm in concern, fearing she might do something foolish, and whispered a comfort.

"The Dean calling us to assemble must be to talk about this. Let's go to the assembly first and see what the Dean has to say."