Boom~
A violent wave of heat swept through Lin Yan's entire body. His meridians, filled with ice-attribute Soul Power, magnified the extreme heat produced by the Whale Rubber without limit.
In an instant, Wen Ruan's whole body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.
The First Soul Skill she had been maintaining disappeared along with it...
Lin Yan, who was refining the medicinal properties of the Whale Rubber, quickly sensed something was wrong. Without the aid of the Ice Ring skill, his body temperature shot up, and the scorching heat in his meridians soon became impossible to suppress.
"Little senior sister, hurry and cool me down!"
Now fully conscious, Lin Yan shouted anxiously at the person in front of him. But the only response was a series of heavy breaths that made him feel even hotter.
"Little senior sister?"
Lin Yan opened his eyes and saw that Wen Ruan had collapsed on the ground. Her pretty face was flushed crimson, and she was panting heavily, her gaze both dazed and resentful.
When she saw Lin Yan open his eyes, Wen Ruan immediately demanded, "You bastard, what did you make me eat?"
"Huh? What did I make you eat?"
Lin Yan looked utterly bewildered. He couldn't understand why she would ask him that.
Clearly, Wen Ruan was already somewhat out of her senses...
Suddenly, Lin Yan let out a startled cry.
"Holy crap, you ate my Whale Rubber?"
Wen Ruan looked utterly incredulous, as if she'd been betrayed by her lover.
She might not have known what Whale Rubber looked like, but there was no way she hadn't heard what it did.
She couldn't believe that what Lin Yan had been eating all these days was Whale Rubber!
"Whale Rubber? That thing in your hand is Whale Rubber? You actually ate Whale Rubber right in front of me!"
Faced with the girl's questioning, Lin Yan looked extremely anxious.
"Of all times, you're acting like a broken record! Hurry and use your First Soul Skill to cool me down!"
With a prompt to guide her through the panic, Wen Ruan had no time to think. She quickly completed her Martial Soul Possession once more.
But...
"I can't! I can't gather any Soul Power right now."
That was right. Apart from Huo Yuhao, Wen Ruan might well have been the only person foolish enough to swallow Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue outright.
At that moment, forget releasing a Soul Skill—under the influence of the burning heat in her meridians, the fact that she hadn't lost her mind outright was a testament to her good upbringing.
If it had been someone more seductive, like Hu Liena, she might have already pounced on the nearest person...
Beneath the bright moonlight,
heavy panting came from deep within the forest. As time passed, Lin Yan, too, was nearly on the verge of losing his senses.
He already had Evil Fire in his body, and with the bewitching sounds constantly reaching his ears, he felt utterly tormented.
Just then, Wen Ruan, whose willpower was not strong enough, actually crawled over to him of her own accord.
"I can't take it! I'm so hot!"
As the girl looked at Lin Yan, the springlike desire in her eyes seemed almost tangible.
It was only to be expected. She was a Level 20 Soul Grandmaster with a frail physique. How could she possibly withstand the effects of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue through sheer willpower alone?
In the clearing, the girl reached out and hooked her arms around Lin Yan's neck. Her delicate, fair cheeks, tinged with pink, drew closer.
Feeling the surging heat all around him, Lin Yan could only sense his nerves nearing the breaking point.
Just then, the girl breathed against him like an orchid and said, "I can't take it anymore!"
Lin Yan clenched his teeth.
"Damn it! You think I can take it?"
At dawn, the pitch-black night finally gave way to the first light.
Sunlight spilled across the valleys and mountains, across the flowing rivers, and into every corner of the land...
Wherever the sunlight reached, the earth belonged to the sun alone.
In the grass behind the academy,
Lin Yan was sprawled on top of Wen Ruan.
Just as Lin Yan had seen before, Wen Ruan really was a little plump...
At that moment, both of them were panting heavily.
The girl lay on the grass, drenched in sweat. Even her breathing trembled, and she looked thoroughly exhausted.
The Whale Rubber in Lin Yan's hand had long since disappeared. They hadn't lost it; the two of them had eaten it.
After a long while, Wen Ruan finally recovered from her utter exhaustion. She didn't move, but closed her eyes and spoke softly.
"Don't tell anyone. Let's just pretend none of this ever happened."
Wen Ruan knew how the whole thing had unfolded. She had no reason to blame Lin Yan; she had brought it all on herself, and she understood that perfectly well.
At the same time, she couldn't accept Lin Yan or face him.
So she chose to run away. Even a brief escape would make her feel a little better, at least for a little while.
Lin Yan didn't say anything, because he didn't know what to say.
He had planned to cultivate this way, but not now!
It had all happened far too suddenly.
Before long, seeing that Lin Yan still had no intention of speaking, Wen Ruan's eyes, turned away from him, revealed a trace of loneliness.
She let out a quiet sigh and silently began searching the ground for her clothes.
Her fingertips traced the marks the two of them had left behind. Her heart was in turmoil, but even so, she didn't say another word.
Finally, just as she turned to leave, Lin Yan called after her...
"Little senior sister..."
Wen Ruan froze, and her footsteps stopped.
For a moment, there was a hint of hope in her eyes. But...
"Um... I'm sorry."
The sun was already high in the sky.
The September sun was especially warm, bathing people in a cozy, comfortable glow.
Flender and Zhao Wuji stood at the academy entrance, with Ma Hongjun, Lin Yan, and Wen Ruan facing them.
"Old Zhao will personally lead you to the Star Dou Forest to hunt Soul Beasts for your Soul Rings. Remember to follow his instructions on the way! Especially you two—don't get yourselves killed out of curiosity."
"Understood, Dean."
As Flender spoke, he made a point of warning Ma Hongjun and Lin Yan. After all, they were both only Level 10 and had never seen what Soul Beasts looked like.
He had to warn them, lest they cause Zhao Wuji unnecessary trouble.
Soon, under Zhao Wuji's leadership, one adult and three youngsters set off on their Soul Hunting journey to the Star Dou Forest.
Along the way, Lin Yan's thoughts turned both to his First Soul Ring and to what had happened the previous night. Before long, his small face had creased into a frown.
As for Wen Ruan, he really wanted to confess his feelings to her!
After all, it had already happened, and there were no outside forces keeping them from being together. Being together would be the best possible ending.
But Wen Ruan's words that morning had left Lin Yan uncertain. He couldn't tell whether she had come to hate him because of what had happened.
As for Wen Ruan...
She wanted Lin Yan to take responsibility, but she had been raised in an ordinary family and had always received a traditional education.
Lin Yan's age made her feel guilty.
And the difference in their talents made the girl feel inferior. What was more, Lin Yan's reaction that morning had disappointed her, so... she never made her feelings clear, and even deliberately kept her distance.
And so, the two of them, both hopelessly conflicted, remained silent the whole way.