We're Still Too Young for That

Wu Changkong said, "Because I've been practicing for years."

Xue Wu asked doubtfully, "Years? Don't make yourself sound so old, okay?"

"Do I?" The others all nodded.

Shui Yue'er asked, "How did you train your sword aura? Teach us."

"Training with a sword naturally relies on repeated practice. Swing the same move ten thousand times, while also comprehending sword intent. Given enough time, you'll become like me."

"Ten thousand times?"

Shen Liuyu didn't ask any further questions, merely committing those words to memory.

After lunch, they wandered around the academy to walk off the meal.

After agreeing to meet before afternoon class, everyone returned to their rooms for a nap.

Wu Changkong pushed open the dormitory door, took off his coat, and draped it over the back of a chair.

He sat by the bed and closed his eyes to meditate...

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door.

"Changkong." Shui Bing'er's voice came from outside.

"It isn't locked." Wu Changkong opened his eyes.

The door was pushed open, and Shui Bing'er slipped inside, casually pulling it shut behind her.

Seeing her rare, bashful demeanor, Wu Changkong asked, "What's wrong?"

"Well... can I see the blueprint you drew last night?"

"You said this morning that after wearing that armor, a Soul Elder could fight a Soul Ancestor."

"I've been thinking about it all along. I wanted to ask while we were eating in the cafeteria, but there were so many people that I couldn't bring myself to ask. I want to know what it actually looks like."

Wu Changkong looked at her and fell silent for a moment.

The expression on her face when she asked that question was exactly like Long Bing's.

"Sure."

He took out the thick stack of blueprints from his storage device, spread them over the table, and gestured for her to come over.

Shui Bing'er hurried to the table and looked over the blueprints covered in intricate lines.

"This is called Battle Armor." Wu Changkong pointed at the parameters marked on the shoulder guard outline. "It's different from the armor you know."

"Ordinary armor is a lifeless object worn on the outside, but Battle Armor is different. It uses a Soul Master's Soul Power as its driving core, spreading that Soul Power throughout the body through specialized energy transmission routes and merging with the Soul Master's body."

"It isn't armor you wear. It's a part of your body, your second skeleton."

Wu Changkong went on and on, while Shui Bing'er became utterly absorbed in listening.

She supported herself against the edge of the table with one hand, unconsciously leaning closer and closer until her shoulder pressed against Wu Changkong's upper arm.

Yet she didn't notice at all. Her gaze followed the blueprints closely, and from time to time, she asked, "Mm," or, "And then?"

Wu Changkong continued explaining, but his throat had unconsciously become a little dry.

With Shui Bing'er leaning against him like this, his heartbeat uncontrollably quickened in his chest.

"And then?" Shui Bing'er turned to look at him.

"And then... this part needs to be customized according to the Soul Master's own Martial Soul traits."

"For example, your Ice Phoenix has an attribute similar to my Skyfrost Sword, so most of the parameters in this set of blueprints can be used directly."

"But if it were a fire- or lightning-attribute Soul Master, the energy transmission routes would all have to be recalculated."

Shui Bing'er pointed at the words in the upper-right corner of the blueprint. "'Ice'—is that its name?"

"A temporary codename. I haven't thought of a full name yet."

"Oh..."

Suddenly, Shui Bing'er turned around to face him.

"So this is Battle Armor. Changkong, can you teach me?"

It was the first time in her life that she had ever begged someone for something.

"I can, but what do I get in return?"

Following his gaze to her hand, Shui Bing'er finally realized how tightly she was gripping his arm and how close she was standing to him.

Her face instantly flushed red. She quickly released him and stepped back.

She cleared her throat, trying to regain her usual poised and composed manner.

"Then... then what do you want in return?"

"Money? I can pay—all the materials and labor costs are on me."

"I've saved up quite a bit of pocket money. If it isn't enough, I'll ask Dad for more."

Watching her force herself to stay calm, Wu Changkong pinched his chin in thought.

"Mm... I want you..."

"Me?" Shui Bing'er suddenly widened her eyes. "I-I, we're still too young... we can't do that..."

Seeing her flustered appearance, Wu Changkong finally couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his lips.

"What I mean is... I want you to accompany me to hunt my fourth Soul Ring."

Shui Bing'er's expression shifted from panic to stunned blankness, then from blankness to embarrassment. To her surprise, a faint trace of disappointment rose in her heart.

She secretly muttered to herself, I thought you were going to say something else. It was only about hunting a Soul Ring.

"C-can you stop pausing like that when you talk next time?"

Seeing how embarrassed and shy she looked, Wu Changkong hurriedly wiped the smile from his face and resumed his usual seriousness.

"Then it's settled. You accompany me to hunt my fourth Soul Ring, and I'll teach you how to make Battle Armor. But before that, you need to choose a direction."

"A direction?"

"That's right. Battle Armor production is divided into four stages, and none can be omitted."

"They are design, fabrication, repair, and forging."

"Generally speaking, a set of Battle Armor is completed through the division of labor between four people, with each person mastering at least one or two stages."

Shui Bing'er lowered her head to look at the blueprint, her brows knitting together.

"What are their functions?"

Wu Changkong explained, "A designer designs the Battle Armor..."

After listening, Shui Bing'er more or less understood.

"Designer. I want to learn design."

"Why choose that?"

"Because you said that a designer is responsible for turning a Soul Master's physical parameters and Martial Soul traits into blueprints."

"Since it's the first step, it's the foundation of every stage that follows."

"Besides, I want to draw my Ice Phoenix into the blueprints myself. I want to personally design the Battle Armor that suits me best."

Wu Changkong looked at her for two seconds, then nodded. "All right. Finish reading these first. Mark anything you don't understand, and I'll answer everything tonight."

Just then, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping toward the tightly shut door.

Under Shui Bing'er's puzzled gaze, he stood, walked to the door, gripped the handle, and yanked it open.

Suddenly, three figures pressed against the door and eavesdropping tumbled inside before they could react.

Shui Yue'er had it the worst. Her whole body had been pressed against the door, so the instant it opened, she pitched forward, staggering several steps before steadying herself against the wall.

Xue Wu reacted quickly. The moment the door was pulled open, she stepped back half a pace, crossed her arms, and wore an utterly nonchalant expression.

Gu Qingbo stood at the very back, covering her face with both hands as she said softly, "I-I was dragged here by them..."

"Weren't you resting?" Shui Bing'er stood from the table, her gaze passing over the three uninvited guests.

"We woke up when we heard something," Shui Yue'er said with a giggle.

"Big Sis, why were you two sitting so intimately together?"

"The door was even shut. A lone man and woman alone in a room—were you doing something you don't want others to see?"