Strange Attributes Increased

"Good that you know."

Xiao Hongchen began to retrieve the loose metal scattered across the training ground, walking in her direction as he did so.

Just then, he caught a subtle movement in his peripheral vision.

Without him noticing, a small flame-wreathed dagger had appeared in Xu Tianzhen's hand. The blade flickered with orange flames as she lunged at him from a tricky angle. She had timed it perfectly, catching him while he was distracted by the metal retrieval.

"Sigh."

Xiao Hongchen shook his head helplessly; even a clay figurine had a temper.

His right arm suddenly liquefied, the golden liquid metal extending like a living creature to form a flowing rope. Before the flame dagger in Xu Tianzhen's hand could even get close, it was precisely whipped away.

The metal coiled upward, wrapping from her slender calves all the way to her chest, binding her firmly in place.

"If you thought I wasn't good at close-quarters combat, you were gravely mistaken."

"You—" Xu Tianzhen struggled in vain, her eyes darting. "You used your fifth soul skill! You cheated!"

"You're accusing me of cheating?" Xiao Hongchen looked at her. "You were the one who conceded first."

As he spoke, he gave his wrist a sharp tug, pulling Xu Tianzhen toward him.

"Hey!"

The arrogant expression on Xu Tianzhen's face suddenly faltered.

Especially when she looked down and saw the sticky golden liquid wrapped tightly around her body, the tips of her ears involuntarily flushed with heat.

"This move of yours is just too weird..."

She muttered under her breath.

But in reality, that wasn't what she truly wanted to say. Because as the liquid metal flowed slowly against her skin, she felt a very strange sensation.

It was as if no matter how she struggled, she could never escape his control.

Especially when Xiao Hongchen stood there so calmly, yet could suppress her with such ease; the intense disparity in their strength made her feel inexplicably flustered.

Xu Tianzhen was startled by her own thoughts.

She was a princess!

Usually, she was the one who tormented others; when had it ever been her turn to be pinned down and beaten like this?

Yet, strangely, she didn't hate it—it was even a little... refreshing.

"If Your Highness finds it uncomfortable, I can let go."

Xiao Hongchen, completely oblivious to her chaotic inner thoughts, only felt that this princess was far too much trouble.

"Don't—"

Xu Tianzhen blurted it out almost subconsciously, but she froze the moment the words left her lips.

Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow.

Xu Tianzhen's face turned bright red.

"I, I meant..."

She abruptly turned her head away.

"I meant I can break free on my own!"

As she spoke, she immediately channeled her Soul Power. A burst of light erupted above her head, and the scorching Sun Fire surged wildly, the terrifying high temperature causing the surrounding air to distort violently.

The liquid metal wrapped around her began to heat up instantly. Feeling the burning sensation on his right arm, Xiao Hongchen couldn't help but wince.

"Fine, fine, I'll let go, alright?"

Speechless, he deactivated the liquefaction and restored his right arm to its original state.

As the restraints vanished, Xu Tianzhen suddenly felt a void around her waist.

Once that strange sensation of being enveloped disappeared, she felt an inexplicable sense of loss, and an extremely dangerous thought crossed her mind.

Thinking of this, Xu Tianzhen's face turned even redder. She quickly took two steps back, pretending to brush off the metallic residue from her clothes to hide her unease.

"Xiao Hongchen," she said, her tone lacking its usual bravado, "you win."

"Don't state the obvious," Xiao Hongchen said flatly.

"..."

Xu Tianzhen stared at him for two seconds, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and lifted her chin.

"A bet is a bet. I'll keep my word and transfer to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy."

Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "Who asked you to? When did I ever make a bet with you?"

"I don't care." Xu Tianzhen put her hands on her hips. "I say what goes, and from now on, I'm sticking to you."

Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched.

Sure enough, the most annoying scenario had come to pass.

"...Is there anything else? I'm heading back."

"Go on then," Xu Tianzhen waved her hand.

Xiao Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.

"Xiao Hongchen!"

His footsteps faltered.

Behind him, Xu Tianzhen clenched her small fists, a resolute light flickering in her amethyst-like eyes as she shouted:

"I will pursue you at all costs and become your woman!"

Xu Tianzhen shouted this so loudly that the onlookers in the stands heard every word clearly.

"What? Her Highness the Princess actually wants to pursue my Xiao-Xiao! I cannot accept this!"

"Big Sister Maya, stop daydreaming. Even without the princess, could you even compete with Ye Guyi by his side?"

Her best friend, who had been dragged along by force, retorted mercilessly.

Scenes like this were playing out all over the stands at this very moment...

There were even those who feared nothing, pulling out soul guidance imaging devices to film the scene secretly, thinking that this bombshell news would soon occupy the headlines of every underground tabloid.

"Suit yourself," Xiao Hongchen said without even looking back.

This girl was truly something else; if she had to say something like that, couldn't she have found a place with no one around?

He left Xu Tianzhen behind, stomping her feet in a huff.

This man actually didn't take her declaration of pursuit seriously at all. But she never took back words once they were spoken; since she said she would pursue him, she would pursue him to the end. Just you wait!

Over the following week.

The entire Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, and even the circle of young soul engineers in Ming Capital, were completely flooded with the same piece of news.

The little princess of the imperial family, Xu Tianzhen, had publicly announced her intention to pursue Xiao Hongchen.

And she had shouted it out herself in the Soul Fighting Arena, with countless people watching.

Busy-bodies had even used soul guidance imaging devices to secretly record the entire process. It was said that the number of copies of that footage in underground channels had broken four digits in just a single day. The price had skyrocketed, yet it remained in short supply.

Some people even went as far as to analyze Xiao Hongchen's expression frame by frame, trying to determine if he had been moved at all.

As one of the central figures of the event, Xu Tianzhen showed no intention of keeping a low profile.

She processed her transfer paperwork faster than anyone else.

By the next day, she was already wearing the new uniform of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, appearing at the academy gates with a swagger.

From that point on.

A little tail that he couldn't shake off no matter what appeared by Xiao Hongchen's side.

It wasn't that Ye Guyi hadn't thought about stopping her.

But the problem was that the other party was an imperial princess, while she was merely a soul master of commoner origin.

Regardless of status or position, she could not openly prevent Xu Tianzhen from getting close to Xiao Hongchen.

And so, she could only watch helplessly as that purple-haired girl sidled up to Xiao Hongchen time and time again, righteously occupying the spot that belonged to her.

Deep down, a feeling she couldn't quite name began to weigh on her.

Bitterness, irritation, and a tiny, lingering sense of... crisis.