Heaven Dou City, Blue Tyrant Academy.
Dugu Yan was unusually excited today. She walked through the academy gates, smiled and waved at the guard watching her, and, after getting permission, hurried inside.
Nearly two months had passed since she'd first gone to challenge Mo Li.
She'd gotten to see his shocking Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but in the end, she'd been cleanly defeated again.
She hadn't even seen his second Soul Skill.
Although Mo Li's instinctive move to protect the back of her head had stirred something in her heart, the position they'd ended up in was just too, too easy to misunderstand!
For Dugu Yan, proud and somewhat sensitive by nature, the whole thing had been an unbearable source of shame.
To wash away the shame that lingered in her heart, she'd thrown herself into arduous cultivation as soon as she returned to the academy.
Even Ye Lingling, who knew her usual habits well, had been a little surprised by her sudden drive.
Still, Ye Lingling had only smiled, offered a few reminders, and let her be.
Then, not long ago, Dugu Yan's Soul Power had finally broken through to level twenty-nine. She'd immediately rushed over to find Mo Li and take her "revenge."
After crossing a dense forest, Dugu Yan's view suddenly opened up.
Compared with what she remembered from her first visit, a pair of stone seats and a stone table had appeared in the grass near the pool.
Two figures sat at the table.
One of them had her back to Dugu Yan. Her smooth, dark-green hair fell to her slender waist, and the black hem of her skirt rested beneath her. Even seated, she looked exceptionally tall.
That should be Dean Liu, Dugu Yan thought.
She looked across the table and, sure enough, there was Mo Li.
But Mo Li hadn't noticed her. His gaze was focused, his chin resting on one hand, his expression gentle as he listened to the person in front of him.
"Mm-hm, got it, Sister Erlong."
Once Liu Erlong had finished explaining, Mo Li picked up the teacup on the table and handed it to her.
Liu Erlong shot him a glare, took the cup, and drained it. "Did you remember everything I just said?"
Mo Li nodded and smiled. "I did, I did."
His eyes swept past Liu Erlong's profile, and he spotted Dugu Yan sneaking closer.
"Sister Yan Yan, you're here."
At Mo Li's greeting, Dugu Yan blushed. Seeming to realize she'd been acting inappropriately, she walked over properly.
"Good day, Dean Liu."
At the sound of her voice, Liu Erlong turned her head and looked at Dugu Yan, a little surprised. But she quickly greeted her as well. "Xiao Yan's here." Liu Erlong glanced at Mo Li. "You came to see him."
After greeting her, Liu Erlong stood to leave. Mo Li called out, "Sister Erlong, don't forget tonight. I've prepared a surprise for you."
"Do I need you to prepare any surprises for me? Focus on your cultivation." Liu Erlong glared at Mo Li as she stood, but there wasn't the slightest hint of annoyance in her eyes.
"I don't care. You have to come back tonight," Mo Li insisted.
"I'll come back when I'm done," Liu Erlong replied naturally.
"Have a seat."
Mo Li invited Dugu Yan to sit.
Dugu Yan took Liu Erlong's seat. She'd been too far away to see before, but now that she was closer, she noticed a simple tea set on the smooth stone table.
Mo Li put away the teacup he'd set in front of Liu Erlong, picked up another cup, and poured Dugu Yan some tea.
"Didn't Leng Leng come with you today?" Mo Li asked curiously.
He craned his neck to look behind Dugu Yan, but Ye Lingling's familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.
Dugu Yan nodded. "Leng Leng went to Heaven Dou City to look for medicinal herbs."
Mo Li understood.
Over the past two months, the three of them hadn't sparred, but they'd gone into Heaven Dou City together a few times on their days off.
Once, they'd accompanied Ye Lingling to buy medicinal herbs.
Though Ye Lingling believed what Mo Li had told her, she hadn't given up searching for rare herbs and plants. Her mother had always done the same.
After learning all this, Mo Li considered things for a moment, then looked across at Dugu Yan. She could barely hide how happy she was.
"Why are you so happy today?" Mo Li asked with a smile.
At that, Dugu Yan, who'd just taken a sip of tea, immediately put her cup down. "If you hadn't said that, I might've forgotten. You think I came here to chat? I'm here to wipe away my past defeat!"
"Ahem, don't rush, Sister Yan Yan."
Before Mo Li could finish his tea, Dugu Yan impatiently grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the training ground they usually used.
The two stood facing each other on the field. Dugu Yan smiled smugly. "I haven't wasted the past month or so. My Soul Power's already at level twenty-nine."
Looking at Dugu Yan's smug face, Mo Li struggled to keep a smile off his own. He nodded with a grave expression. "Not bad, Sister Yan Yan."
"But as it happens, I've made a little progress too."
Seeing the smile that Mo Li could no longer suppress, Dugu Yan's expression immediately changed. "Y-you didn't break through too, did you?"
"Correct. But there's no prize."
Mo Li clapped his hands and replied with a grin.
Seeing what Mo Li had done, Dugu Yan wept inwardly, but she refused to back down. She gritted her teeth. "So you broke through. Who's afraid of you!"
"Want me to go easy on you?"
"Give it everything you've got!" Dugu Yan snapped, every word deliberate.
Mo Li slowly wiped the smile from his face, his expression turning serious. "Understood, Sister Yan Yan. Here I come!"
"
In the blink of an eye, the two were back at the stone table.
Dugu Yan sat stiffly, her eyes reddened, her teeth clenched with a faint grinding sound as she glared at Mo Li.
Mo Li poured the tea. Looking at the purple-haired girl seething in front of him, he couldn't help teasing her. "Sister Yan Yan, I really did give it everything I had. You told me to, so why are you still acting so aggrieved?"
"You pervert!"
Mo Li couldn't help spraying out the tea he'd just taken into his mouth. "Cough... cough, cough! Sister Yan Yan, you can't go around saying things like that!"
Mo Li had sprayed tea all over Dugu Yan. Trembling with anger, she ground out, "What am I saying that's wrong? Aren't you a pervert?"
"How am I a pervert?"
"Isn't your second Soul Skill perverted?"
"Well, it's not that perverted, actually."
Mo Li was at a loss. He should've known better than to show the girl his second Soul Skill earlier, but hadn't Dugu Yan been the one to ask?
Seeing that Dugu Yan only meant his Soul Skill was perverted, Mo Li breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he smiled and said, "Sister Yan Yan, don't say that in front of other people. It's easy to give them the wrong idea."
"I'll say it if I want!" Dugu Yan abruptly stood up and leaned forward. Only by doing that did she seem to gain a sliver of the upper hand, enough to console her a little.
"All right, all right."
Mo Li knew she was still fuming and didn't hold it against her. He picked up his cup with a smile. "Then have some tea and calm down, Sister Yan Yan."
Dugu Yan looked at Mo Li, still annoyed. She snatched the teacup from his hand and drained it.
Seeing Mo Li's odd expression, Dugu Yan knitted her brows. "What are you looking at?"
"That's my cup," Mo Li explained.
At that, a blush suddenly spread across Dugu Yan's fair cheeks.