Over the next stretch of time, Xu Peinian's days became much more leisurely.
Ever since returning from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Xu Peinian's mind had cleared up as well.
The scent he had caught when Hu Liena pinned him down until he could barely breathe was exactly the same as the familiar milky fragrance he smelled every morning upon waking.
Under his harsh interrogation, Hu Liena finally confessed to her monstrous crime.
Combined with the threats from the two worshippers before, Hu Liena restrained herself considerably in public. She no longer dared to flirt with Xu Peinian openly, only using every trick she had in private to beg her A-Nian for forgiveness.
Zhu Zhuqing had been acting strangely lately too. She no longer wanted his guidance, and Xu Peinian could even sense that she was avoiding him.
Still, that left him with much more free time. He was no longer as busy as before.
He had once wished upon the stars and moon for a more leisurely life, but now that he was truly free, why did his heart feel a little empty instead?
Just seven short days later, Xu Peinian received word that Zhu Zhuqing had left without saying goodbye.
"Go. Follow her. Unless it's an emergency, don't reveal yourself."
"Yes, Young Master."
A black-clothed bishop with the strength of a Soul Sage accepted the order and withdrew.
This girl really never let him stop worrying... Xu Peinian pressed his fingertips against his brow and sighed inwardly.
But he had no intention of having someone bring Zhu Zhuqing back directly. With her stubborn personality, even if she were brought back, she would probably run away again after a while.
He could only first see what she wanted to do, then prescribe the right remedy.
"A-Nian, what are you doing?"
A familiar soft, seductive voice drifted over, making Xu Peinian's ears itch.
"What did you come here for?"
Xu Peinian did not answer Hu Liena's question. Instead, he frowned and questioned her in return.
Wasn't she supposed to keep her distance from him in public? Why had she come looking for him again?
"When are you coming back to the dorm today?"
"I'm not."
"How annoying~" Hu Liena rolled her eyes at him, then pulled a set of extremely skimpy clothes from her Soul Tool. "Then it looks like I can only wear them for myself to see."
Hm?
Xu Peinian's pupils widened slightly. He raised his left fist to his lips and said:
"Ahem, well... I just remembered that the dorm sheets haven't been changed in ages. I need to go back and change them tonight."
A triumphant smile appeared on Hu Liena's face, making her seem even more enchanting.
"Let's go back now. Otherwise, it'll be too dark to finish washing them."
There was a hint of urgency in Xu Peinian's voice.
"Weren't you not going back~?"
A soul-stealing smile hung on Hu Liena's lovely face. The lower house had nearly succeeded in seizing power from the upper house.
Just you wait!
Xu Peinian grabbed Hu Liena's little hand and headed straight for the dormitory area, drawing a short cry of surprise from the fox beauty.
Dormitory area, inside Hu Liena's room.
"Do I look good, A-Nian?"
Hu Liena had changed into a strappy maid outfit, and had even summoned her martial soul.
With a pair of fox ears and a fluffy tail, Hu Liena bent forward and thrust out her hips. Her full red lips bit down on her jade-white index finger, while her bewitching fox eyes occasionally sent charged glances Xu Peinian's way.
She had even used her enchantment soul skill!
Fine, fine. Does she really think I'm some saint? Looks like I'll have to teach this disobedient little fox a harsh lesson today... Xu Peinian locked the door, a teasing smile curling at his lips as he pressed closer.
"Ah! A-Nian, why are you getting handsy too?"
A sharp, brief cry rang out from the room.
"Heh, little Nana, didn't you bring this on yourself?"
"D-Don't call me little Nana. You... you have to call me big sister."
Hu Liena's breathing was slightly rushed, and her whole body went limp in Xu Peinian's arms, as if he had seized some weakness of hers.
She really was a little fox who was bad at this but loved to play.
Xu Peinian leaned close to her ear and breathed out a stream of hot air.
"Will you still dare to tease me like this in the future? Hm? Say something~"
"N-No, I won't."
As they spoke, Xu Peinian grasped two key points and kept extracting the essence.
"Mm~ Please spare big sister, okay?"
Xu Peinian said nothing, merely lowered his head.
"A-Nian, I like you so much."
"Ah! Don't... don't use your tongue!"
Late at night.
Delicate songbirds sang sweetly, and spring filled the garden.
Meanwhile,
Suotuo City, Suotuo Great Soul Arena.
Before the magnificent building, a masked girl in leather approached at an unhurried pace, her steps as graceful as a cat's.
Her originally tall and voluptuous figure appeared petite beneath the nearly one-hundred-and-twenty-meter-tall structure.
At the reception desk in the main hall.
After filling out her basic information on the registration form and paying the ten-gold-coin registration fee, Zhu Zhuqing stepped aside for a Soul Power test.
After passing everything smoothly, she took the Iron Soul Battle Badge she had received and entered the combat soul battle section of the Great Soul Arena.
At the Great Soul Arena, only those whose Soul Battle Badge rank had reached a certain level, or whose soul master level was exceptionally high, could compete in the main Spirit Arena.
Thus, a newcomer like Zhu Zhuqing, who had only just registered, could only compete in one of the twenty-four subsidiary Spirit Arenas.
Winning one match at the Iron Soul Battle level earned ten gold coins, while losing earned no prize money.
Of course, Zhu Zhuqing had not come here to make money, but to improve her practical combat ability.
Ever since Hu Liena successfully plucked the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Zhu Zhuqing had felt stifled inside and had no desire to remain at Spirit Hall Academy any longer.
She was afraid of seeing Xu Peinian and Hu Liena together. Clearly, she and he were only friends, so she should not have cared about such things...
In the end, Zhu Zhuqing still decided to leave quietly without disturbing them. When she had the chance in the future, she would repay Xu Peinian for saving her life and showing her the way.
"Next is the first one-on-one soul battle of our Eighteenth Spirit Arena! The competitors are two Soul Elders! They are the Battle Soul Elder Zhu Zhuqing, wielder of the beast martial soul Hell Spirit Cat, versus the Battle Soul Elder Niu Lai, who has already won one match and wields the beast martial soul Black-Horned Bull!"
"Will Soul Elder Niu Lai continue his glory and claim a second consecutive victory, or will the newly arrived Soul Elder Zhu Zhuqing make a name for herself? Let us wait and see! Now, please welcome both contestants to the stage!"
On the Spirit Arena, a middle-aged host in a tailcoat stood at the center of the stage with a microphone raised in hand, his voice impassioned and resounding.
That passionate opening brought Zhu Zhuqing back to her senses.
She adjusted her state, took a deep breath, then walked along the passage toward the Spirit Arena.
Even though it was only a subsidiary Spirit Arena, it was still quite large. The Spirit Arena alone had a diameter of twenty meters.
Unfortunately, there were very few spectators in the stands, with only around one-sixth of the seats occupied.
The audience's cheers were not very loud either. A few people occasionally shouted, "Niu Lai! Niu Lai!" while everyone else looked uninterested.
A tall, burly figure soon leaped onto the Spirit Arena.
The man had broad shoulders and a thick back, stood at an astonishing height of over two meters, and was covered in knotted muscles. His large eyes were wide as bronze bells, gleaming with a fierce, intimidating light.
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