Making Friends?

Elder Sun stood beside the lectern, his grizzled brows rising as a hint of amusement entered his gaze toward Li Hanche.

He had taught at the Royal Academy for decades and had seen countless geniuses, as well as countless madmen.

But this was the first time he had seen a six-year-old dare to declare before the entire class that he would trample the continent beneath his feet.

Interesting.

Lin Ruoxi's expression was far more colorful.

She froze for a moment, then her face paled slightly as she instinctively glanced out the window.

There was nothing there, yet she could not shake the feeling that His Highness the Crown Prince's eyes and ears were watching everything from some corner.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to smooth things over, but when she met Li Hanche's calm eyes—eyes far too composed for a six-year-old—the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down.

Li Hanche himself had no time to care about the classroom's commotion.

Because the system's voice rang out in his mind once more.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing Option Two. The body-tempering cultivation art Nine-Turn Tyrant Body Art, Volume One has been issued. Please inspect it yourself."

Immediately afterward, a golden screen visible only to him unfolded before his eyes. On it appeared the phantom image of an ancient bronze-colored manual, its cover bearing five vigorous, powerful characters: Nine-Turn Tyrant Body Art.

The manual opened by itself, and the words within turned into a warm torrent that surged into his limbs and bones.

He could feel his body undergoing some subtle change.

It was not growing stronger, but... becoming more "solid."

It was like a pile of loosely stacked bricks being rearranged. Though the number of bricks had not increased, the structure had become tighter and sturdier.

His muscles, bones, and meridians were all trembling and reorganizing at an incredibly minute scale.

The process lasted roughly three breaths.

He could feel that he was no longer that frail child who would topple over at the first gust of wind.

And this was only the instantaneous transformation effect of entering Nine-Turn Tyrant Body Art.

Once he truly began cultivating it, the effects would only become more pronounced.

He withdrew his attention and found the classroom still buzzing with discussion.

Elder Sun finally spoke.

"Quiet."

The two words were neither loud nor harsh, but the classroom instantly fell silent.

Elder Sun glanced at Li Hanche, then at the students below, and said calmly, "You may speak arrogantly, but you must have the strength to match that arrogance. Li Hanche has Innate Full Soul Power and a top-tier mutated martial soul. How many of you here can achieve that?"

No one said a word.

"Since none of you can, shut your mouths and cultivate properly. When you have that kind of strength too, then you may speak."

After saying that, Elder Sun pointed to an empty seat by the window in the third row.

"Li Hanche, sit there."

Li Hanche nodded and walked toward the seat.

As he passed the little girl with twin ponytails, he felt a burning gaze settle on him.

He instinctively turned his head and met those sparkling, wide eyes.

The moment he looked at her, the little girl's face flushed bright red. She hurriedly lowered her head, twisting her hands together as even the tips of her ears turned pink.

Li Hanche: "..."

No, I only looked at you once. Why are you blushing?

He withdrew his gaze and sat down in his seat.

His consciousness had already sunk into the bronze-colored manual in his mind.

Nine-Turn Tyrant Body Art, Volume One.

First Turn: Copper Skin.

Second Turn: Iron Bones.

Third Turn: Silver Blood.

Once all three turns were complete, one could rely on physical strength alone to face a Soul Emperor-level expert head-on.

Li Hanche looked at the realm described in the manual, the corner of his lips curling upward.

Trample Douluo Continent beneath his feet?

He had not been joking.

Far away, at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Xue Qinghe sat before the window in his study, holding a letter in his hand.

The ink on it had long dried. Its contents were brief, only a few lines.

It recorded every word and action Li Hanche had made after entering the academy that morning, including his introduction in the classroom, word for word.

Xue Qinghe read the letter once, then again.

Then he smiled.

It was a smile of genuine amusement. He set down the letter, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at the sky beyond the window, his eyes curving at the corners.

"The entire Douluo Continent beneath your feet?"

He softly repeated the words, his tone teasing.

"Little fellow, you certainly have a big mouth."

He picked up the teacup on the desk and took a sip. The smile on his lips did not fade; instead, it deepened.

"Fine."

"Let me see whether you are merely talking, or whether you truly have what it takes."

A day of classes was neither particularly long nor particularly short.

For Li Hanche, it was mainly about learning faces.

Everything Elder Sun taught was basic theory—the classifications of martial souls, the fundamental uses of soul power, the geographical overview of Douluo Continent. Li Hanche had already studied it over and over countless times.

Still, he listened attentively and kept neat, orderly notes, looking every bit the model student.

The little girl with twin ponytails, on the other hand, barely paid attention throughout the day.

Her seat was two rows ahead and to Li Hanche's right. Whenever she entered the corner of his vision, he could see her secretly turn her head to sneak a quick look at him, then swiftly turn back, the tips of her ears still dusted with faint pink.

Li Hanche pretended not to notice.

What could a six-year-old little girl possibly understand?

When the dismissal bell rang, the classroom instantly became lively.

The noble children left in groups of two or three. A few deliberately slowed their steps when passing Li Hanche, studying him from the corners of their eyes.

Li Hanche packed his books unhurriedly, as though he had not noticed those gazes at all.

Just as he was about to stand and leave, a small figure blocked his way.

He looked up.

It was the little girl with twin ponytails.

Today, she wore a light lavender dress with a circle of pearls decorating the collar. It was clearly quite expensive.

Her hair was tied into two fluffy ponytails with pale pink ribbons, each ribbon ending in a tiny bell that gave off soft, crisp chimes whenever she moved.

She now stood before Li Hanche with both hands behind her back, her toes unconsciously grinding against the floor. She pressed her lips together again and again, as if making an immensely important decision.

Li Hanche looked at her without speaking.

The little girl drew a deep breath, as though she had finally gathered all her courage. She suddenly bent at the waist and performed an impeccably proper, almost rigid noble's bow.

"Li Hanche!"

Her voice trembled slightly with nervousness.

"My name is Su Nianxue! I'm the eldest daughter of the Su Family in Heaven Dou City! I-I'm six years old this year! My martial soul is the Ice Phoenix Zither! My Innate Soul Power is rank seven!"

She blurted it all out in one breath, as though afraid she would lose her nerve halfway through. Then she straightened, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Hanche.

"I... I want to be friends with you!"

The few students who had not yet left the classroom stopped and turned to look, each wearing a different expression.

Li Hanche fell silent for a breath.

Su Nianxue.

The Su Family of Heaven Dou City, nobility.

They were nothing in the eyes of the true top-tier aristocratic houses, but to ordinary commoners, they were already an unattainable existence.

The legitimate eldest daughter of a second-rate noble family, with Innate Soul Power at rank seven—she would have been considered a favored daughter of heaven in previous years.

She had simply been unlucky this year, assigned to the same class as him, someone with Innate Full Soul Power, leaving her brilliance completely overshadowed.

But that was not the point.

The point was that she wanted to be his friend.

Li Hanche was about to say something. He had not yet decided exactly what, perhaps something like "Oh," "Mm," or "Okay," when that damned golden light exploded in his mind again.

"Ding!"

The system's gloating voice sounded right on cue.

"Detected: Host has received a friendship invitation from a female of the same age. How can one respond ordinarily to the first time a girl has taken the initiative to strike up a conversation? The [Maiden's Heart] choice mission has now been triggered."

"Please make your choice within three breaths."

Three options appeared in his mind, gleaming with golden light.

Li Hanche fell silent after reading the three options.

Then he cursed viciously in his heart.