Confession and Farewell

Late at night.

The pattering of insects, mingled with trembling breaths, left a romantic melody in this dormitory.

Under the moonlight, both of them kept their eyes closed, enjoying this moment of peace while feeling each other's heartbeat and breath.

Honestly, looking at the current situation, it wouldn't even feel out of place for Lin Yan to call Wen Ruan "Mom."

One could only say that the difference in their builds was simply too authoritative.

Before long, Lin Yan, whose breathing had gradually steadied, suddenly spoke up.

"Come with me."

"Hm? Go where?"

"To Heaven Dou City."

"What?"

The two exchanged questions and answers, appearing very natural.

But the moment Lin Yan said he was about to head to Heaven Dou City, Wen Ruan could no longer remain calm.

This was something she had never even considered.

Wen Ruan had been a child of an ordinary family since she was small; the furthest city she had ever been to was Soto City.

It could be said that she was a very typical girl from an ordinary family.

She had no grand ambitions, no excessive desires, and was not greedy; living a stable and secure life was the best destination she could hope for.

However, now Lin Yan was suddenly talking about going to Heaven Dou City?

That was the core city of the entire Heaven Dou Empire. The people who lived there were either wealthy or noble. Even if she were willing to follow Lin Yan out, what about her parents?

"Little Senior Sister, I'm leaving the academy. Come with me."

Sensing that Wen Ruan had remained silent for a long time, Lin Yan held her and continued to add gently.

Wen Ruan frowned slightly.

"Why? Isn't it good here?"

"Because I want to become stronger! The teaching resources here are too meager; my talent deserves to be nurtured with more resources."

As soon as these words were spoken, Wen Ruan's delicate body trembled for a moment.

Because she thought of Lin Yan's extraordinary talent and strength.

Level 15, possessing the Treasure of the Blood River external spirit bone, a thousand-year first spirit ring for a weapon-type, and winning his very first battle against a seven-hundred-year-old sub-dragon spirit beast.

In time, he would surely stand at the pinnacle of this continent.

Title Douluo, or even Super Douluo or Limit Douluo—perhaps for Lin Yan, it was only a matter of time.

And as for herself, she even needed others to help her hunt for her second spirit ring. Could she really be worthy of such a genius?

An emotion called inferiority spread deep within the girl's heart until it filled her chest.

Wen Ruan lowered her eyes.

"So, did you come to say goodbye to me tonight?"

Lin Yan did not speak, because he could not bring himself to say it, so he chose to let silence serve as his answer.

"You..."

"Can't we just live a stable life here? I don't want to become a powerhouse, and I don't need much money or power. As long as I'm with you..."

"I don't want to leave..."

Clinging to a final shred of hope, Wen Ruan hugged the boy in her arms tightly.

She was not just resisting a life of wandering; she was trying to fight for a sense of worthiness in Lin Yan's heart.

If Lin Yan agreed to stay, they could live a stable life together in the future. They could be like any ordinary couple, long-lasting, stable, and happy.

Unfortunately, Lin Yan did not guess the girl's inner thoughts. He only wanted to become stronger, so he once again let silence serve as his answer.

At this point, a sense of unease and trepidation welled up in Wen Ruan's heart.

Her previously steady breathing began to grow heavy, because she liked Lin Yan too much. From childhood to now, Lin Yan was the first person to truly care for her.

Flender had never spent the effort to map out a spirit development path for her, and her parents had never spent the effort to carefully raise her. Only Lin Yan...

He had risked danger to help her hunt a dragon-type spirit ring she had never imagined she would possess, causing her spirit skill to undergo a qualitative change.

The moment she thought about losing all of this, Wen Ruan panicked.

Her brain raced, but in the end, she could not think of any other way to make Lin Yan stay.

Could she really ask him to stop a genius from becoming stronger just to live an ordinary life with a common spirit master like her?

In her inferiority, she could not do such a thing.

Finally, Wen Ruan spoke with a pleading, tearful tone.

"Will you accompany me home tomorrow?"

This time, Lin Yan did not remain silent. He slowly lifted his fair face, which had been buried against Wen Ruan's chest, and met the young girl's gaze.

"If you don't like the outside world, then once I become stronger, I will come back to pick you up."

"But I don't need you to become stronger."

"..."

"It is I who crave strength..."

Lin Yan sighed softly. Looking at the stunning girl before him, who was already shedding two lines of tears, he vaguely guessed what was on her mind.

He then slowly raised his hand, gently wiping the tear stains from Wen Ruan's face.

"Rest assured, I am just going to a better academy, not dying."

"I will come back every once in a while."

This time it was Wen Ruan's turn to be silent, for she could not bring herself to say words that would stop Lin Yan from becoming stronger.

The gap between their talents and strength was like clouds and mud; perhaps before long, Lin Yan would surpass her, becoming an existence she would need to look up to.

By that time...

Thinking of this, she dared not let her thoughts continue.

The air remained quiet for a long time. The moonlight stayed the same, but the cool breeze grew even colder.

There was no helping it; parting was always like this, carrying both sorrow and sincere intentions from each side.

A long time passed, so long that the tear stains on the girl's face had already dried, before Lin Yan finally spoke slowly.

"Little Senior Sister."

"I am an orphan. You are the first, and the only, family I have in this world."

Under the moonlight, the youth's eyes were clear and bright, allowing light to return to Wen Ruan's gray, desolate mental world. This sliver of light gradually spread until color returned to her eyes.

The only family?

Before she could ponder it further, the next second, their lips met.

This time, Lin Yan's hands did not wander over her body, but instead gently cradled her fair cheeks.

The next day.

At the entrance of Shrek Academy.

Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others, having learned that Lin Yan was leaving, were now bidding him a reluctant farewell.

They all knew deeply that Lin Yan was no ordinary person and would surely attain the rank of Titled Douluo one day; they truly wanted to keep him at the academy.

However, during their recent sparring sessions, they had seen the disappointment in his eyes.

It was a disappointment born from not getting what he wanted—and as for what he lacked? Naturally, it was combat experience.

Both of them were commoner spirit masters who had relied on avoiding harm and bullying the weak to get where they were; they knew nothing of refined combat techniques.

Zhao Wuji was slightly better off, having at least experienced a great escape in the past, which gave him some combat experience.

But Flender truly relied on his speed and spirit skills to traverse the continent; if he encountered an enemy he couldn't beat, he would run, and if he couldn't run, he would just drop dead to show the enemy.

His combat experience was pitifully scarce.

When Lin Yan showed his disappointment time and again, and eventually stopped seeking them out altogether, they realized that their teaching abilities were indeed insufficient to cultivate him.

Therefore, for the sake of Lin Yan's future, they did not hold him back.