Hu Liena: A-Nian, You Smell So Good

After so many matches, Xu Peinian was somewhat exhausted. After helping the senior with the high ponytail to her feet, he left the training grounds and returned to his dormitory courtyard to rest and recover.

Though Xu Peinian had left, news of how he had swept through opponents of the same rank and even defeated a Soul Elder above his rank continued to spread, gradually reaching every corner of the academy.

"Have you heard?"

Liu Jia raised an eyebrow and spoke to Li Yi.

"Heard what?"

"A new eight-year-old junior arrived today. The moment he got here, he took down a bunch of students at the same rank. Even Zhao Yun, who had thirty-third-level Soul Power, got instantly defeated."

"Seriously? He's that fierce? He's practically on par with this generation's Golden Generation, isn't he?"

Li Yi was stunned.

"Hey, let me tell you, there's a new junior named Xu Peinian. He fought ten people alone and tore through everyone at the same rank. He even made Zhao Yun kneel and humiliated her."

"You've got that wrong, haven't you?"

"My second aunt's maternal uncle's youngest grandson was there. He told me himself."

"I heard the academy got a monster this time. With the strength of a Soul Grandmaster, he challenged hundreds of students alone, stomped on a Soul Elder, and defeated a Soul Ancestor above his rank."

"Big news! Eight-year-old Xu Peinian fought more than a thousand fellow students by himself. They say he knocked everyone down with a single slash and even forced female students to kneel and sing 'Conquest'—the Douluo Continent version."

"Does our academy even have that many people?"

"Damn it, how can this Xu Peinian be such a poser? I, Ye Bufan, should be the protagonist of all this! I've even come up with the slogan. After winning with one move, I'll turn my back on the world and recite with dramatic cadence, 'With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; in this world, none are like me.' Just thinking about it is making my crotch sweat. Cruel heavens, why create Nian when you already created Fan?!"

"I heard the new junior isn't just extraordinarily talented—he's also an adorable little boy with a cold face. I really want to cuddle him. I want to shower him with all my motherly love."

"Girl, restrain yourself. If you keep going like this, it won't just be the mouth on your face that drools."

Back in his courtyard, Xu Peinian had no idea that stories about him had already spread through the entire academy at an astonishing speed—and had become increasingly outrageous along the way.

Even if he had known, he would not have cared much. At most, he would have been wary of obsessive women following him around.

After reviewing the day's battles in his mind, Xu Peinian infused Soul Power into the Qili Belt at his waist. Two purple soul rings immediately floated into view.

That was right. Some time ago, after Xu Peinian's Soul Power had reached level twenty, he had unlocked another three-choice soul ring selection.

He still remembered the choices his cheat ability had given him:

[Second Three-Choice Soul Ring Selection]

1,

[Pretty Goat:

Soul Skill: *Song of Purification* (Can remove all negative effects and provide a slight recovery effect. A group Soul Skill that can affect allies. The higher its age, the more targets it can affect and the faster the recovery).

Passive: *Descent of the Beauty Goddess* (Increases charm and greatly boosts attraction to the opposite sex. It may sometimes also have a certain attractive effect on the same sex).]

2,

[Little Airplane:

Soul Skill: **Goat Village People Can Fly** (Shout "Goat Village People Can Fly" and start running. Upon reaching a certain speed, the user can hover and fly briefly).

Passive: **Stutter** (While the Soul Skill is active, the soul master will stutter).]

3,

[Boxing Wolf:

Soul Skill: **Mighty Muscle Power** (After activation, the soul master's muscles throughout the body swell, doubling their strength).

Passive: **Muscular Boxing Wolf Will Not Encounter Fishnet-Stocking Spiders** (Upon encountering spider-type soul beasts or spider-type martial souls, courage decreases by one hundred, producing instinctive fear and causing strength to decrease rather than increase).]

When Xu Peinian had seen the latter two options, he had nearly coughed up blood.

Where was Paddi the Lazy Goat's passive, the Emperor Luck Constitution? Those were the lousy options it gave him?

Muscular Boxing Wolf Would Not Encounter Fishnet-Stocking Spiders? Then he was a youthful pig-headed boy who would not encounter rabbit-girl senior students.

Fortunately, he had kept Pretty Goat during the first selection. Otherwise, with options like these, he would not even have had a place to cry.

Looking at the second soul ring belonging to the Qili Belt that he had selected some time ago, Xu Peinian released the Soul Skill without hesitation.

A pure, ethereal melody faintly lingered by his ears, and Xu Peinian immediately felt much of his condition recover.

The Soul Skill carried by Pretty Goat's soul ring truly deserved to be called the divine skill, Song of Purification. Its effects were indeed remarkable.

Xu Peinian silently gave it a thumbs-up, then stood before a full-length mirror in the room and examined himself.

His facial features had already reached their peak; he could not possibly become any more handsome. Yet his temperament had improved by a great deal, giving him an indescribable allure. Even Xu Peinian could not help taking several more looks at the elegant, jade-like handsome man in the mirror.

The passive effect of Descent of the Beauty Goddess was actually this terrifying!

Xu Peinian hurriedly looked away, afraid that if he kept staring into the mirror, he would fall in love with himself.

After fussing around for a while, the sun had long since set in the west, and the bright moon had quietly risen into the sky.

Having been tired all day, Xu Peinian had no desire to do anything else. After changing into his pajamas, he sank into the soft bed, intending to rest early and greet tomorrow with abundant energy.

The lights in Xu Peinian's courtyard went out, but the neighboring courtyard remained lit.

About two hours later, the lights in the neighboring house also went out.

A moment later, the door opened a crack just wide enough for one person to squeeze through, and a sneaky black shadow quietly slipped outside.

At Xu Peinian's residence, the window in front of his room opened a hair-thin crack. A wisp of deep purple smoke drifted through it into the room, making not the slightest sound.

A quarter of an hour later, the room remained silent except for steady, prolonged breathing.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on Xu Peinian's door.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

A soft, magnetic voice flowed into the room, yet received no response.

"Phew, looks like this specially made Soul-Entrancing Incense really works. A-Nian, this time I'll definitely get you before those vixens do. You're still young, so tonight I'll just collect a little interest first."

The murmuring gradually faded. The door was pried open, and a graceful figure openly walked into Xu Peinian's room.

This woman was none other than Hu Liena, the future Saintess of Spirit Hall and current core member of the new Golden Generation.

Following memories from before her rebirth, she had moved into the courtyard next to Xu Peinian's in advance. She had practically lived here every day, rarely even returning to the Pope's Palace, all for the sake of waiting for this day.

Clouds covered the moon's eyes, and the night deepened.

Even Hu Liena, who dared to love and hate fiercely, felt her face grow slightly hot at this moment.

But when she thought of how she had become a defeated loser in her previous life, a sickly gleam flashed through her narrow, seductive fox eyes. Then, fully clothed, she slipped beneath the covers.

"Hehe, A-Nian still smells the same. He smells so nice~"

"Little A-Nian is so cute too~"

The next morning.

Xu Peinian woke from the warm bed. He felt that he had slept exceptionally deeply last night, and had even dreamed that he was sinking into cotton-like softness.

But he did not think much of it, assuming that he had simply been too tired after enjoying himself in battle during the day.

Yet when Xu Peinian's nostrils unconsciously flared, a trace of confusion immediately rose in his heart:

Why is there a faint milky scent at the tip of my nose? I didn't drink any milk yesterday, did I?!