Taking the Initiative? Or Not?

In the end, Wu Bai took the Virility Pill Formula after all. A Fifth Rank Aphrodisiac Pill would sell for a fortune, wouldn't it?

"Oh, right. This Pill Formula was never lost."

"What?"

Wu Yan stopped short, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"The formulas for pills that improve aptitude were all lost, so how did the Virility Pill Formula survive?"

How did that make sense?

"It sounds ridiculous, but it's true."

Wu Bai understood. Humans on the Dou Qi Continent weren't so different from people on Earth, especially when it came to virility.

The first day of classes was a novelty for most new students.

But that was only true of ordinary students. Those from powerful families thought little of it.

Some had received one-on-one instruction from Dou Wang or even Dou Huang experts back home. Mentors at the Da Dou Shi or Dou Ling level had little left to teach them.

For these gifted students, the Outer Academy's mentors focused mostly on practical training.

In other words, the mentors sparred with them personally. Once they were strong enough, they could train in the Black-Corner Region and gain combat experience.

The main goal was to get these talents into the Inner Academy as soon as possible. That was where they truly belonged.

The Outer Academy was better suited to ordinary students.

Following Han Yue's aura, Wu Bai found her fighting a mentor.

At the sight, he stopped rushing. He leaned against a tree and watched with interest.

Han Yue was only a Two-Star Dou Shi, but with the mentor deliberately holding back, she traded blows with him on even terms.

It made sense. Given Han Yue's standing in the Han Family, she must have received excellent training. She had the temperament for it, too. Under the guidance of her family's experts, her combat experience naturally surpassed that of her peers.

Or rather, Han Yue had received a normal early education by Dou Qi Continent standards: learning how to kill came first.

The two remained deadlocked for more than ten minutes. In the end, Han Yue ran out of strength and conceded.

Applause rose from the students watching nearby. Their eyes were full of envy and admiration.

Most students were ordinary people. Some of their parents had only reached the Dou Shi Realm.

How could they stay calm when a classmate had arrived with cultivation equal to their parents' and combat experience that rivaled a Jia Nan Academy mentor's?

The mentor spent another two minutes summing up, then dismissed the class like the other mentors had.

When Han Yue turned around, Wu Bai raised a hand and waved.

Han Yue's first thought was, Who's that waving? She even looked behind her to see whether he was greeting some other student.

The next moment, her eyes widened in disbelief.

A brilliant smile bloomed on her usually frosty face, like a snow lotus opening on an icy mountain.

Wu Bai walked forward to meet Han Yue as she hurried toward him.

"What are you doing here?" Han Yue asked with a curious smile.

"I got hungry and wanted to eat with you."

"Oh? How long have you been here?" The smile in Han Yue's eyes didn't fade.

"About twenty minutes. If I hadn't come today, I'd never have guessed that someone as quiet and gentle as you could handle a spear so well. You made it look fierce."

He meant it. Wu Bai was genuinely surprised. Who would have thought such a quiet girl would wield a spear, a weapon so often associated with men?

At the words "quiet" and "gentle," Han Yue narrowed her eyes, unable to keep the corners of her mouth from rising.

"My father says the longer the weapon, the greater its reach. A long weapon gives you an advantage in a direct fight."

"Makes sense."

"Come on. Let's eat."

As the young man and woman walked away, the hearts of many students behind them broke.

After watching that fight, many of the boys had fallen for the beautiful young prodigy. They had planned to approach her after class, only to discover before they could make a move that she was already taken.

Worse still, the man wore a badge on his chest: the insignia of a Fourth-Rank Alchemist.

A Fourth-Rank Alchemist was someone most of them could only look up to!

The dining hall at Jia Nan Academy offered plenty of food. Anyone who wasn't especially picky could eat their fill.

After the meal, they left the dining hall.

The two walked ahead, followed by more than a dozen of the same students from earlier.

Then one particularly sharp student sensed the mood, quickly ushered the others away, and left the pair walking side by side some space.

With Wu Bai's keen senses, how could he fail to notice?

Still, that suited him just fine.

Dating at fifteen—Wu Bai had never experienced a romance this young. Lacking experience, he couldn't quite find the words.

The Yellow Springs Demon Saint watched his disciple stay silent for so long that he nearly jumped with impatience.

He wanted to give Wu Bai a push but feared it might backfire.

Before they knew it, the last sunlight had faded, and a full moon had risen into the night sky.

Gazing at the bright moon, Wu Bai lost himself for a moment.

When he came back to his senses, he found something in his hand.

He lifted it and saw that it was Han Yue's soft hand.

Han Yue's earnest face came into view. Wu Bai's mind went blank. What was happening?

"Wu Bai, there's something I want to tell you."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

Even the Yellow Springs Demon Saint stopped fretting.

His expression turned peculiar. Eyes wide, he waited expectantly to see what would happen next.

Han Yue pressed her lips together and let out a soft breath.

"First, I want to apologize. Before coming to the academy, I always thought of myself as the Han Family's eldest young lady. I never truly understood the gap between us."

"You don't need to apologize. You are the Han Family's eldest young lady."

Wu Bai hurried to stop her. That was simply a fact.

But Han Yue shook her head. Lowering it before Wu Bai, she continued:

"Only after I came to the academy did I realize I'm just an ordinary woman who relies on her family. You're the one who's truly extraordinary."

Huh?

Was a seventeen-year-old Two-Star Dou Shi really that unimpressive?

"Maybe I'm asking too much, but I still want to try. The sense of safety you've given me has made me want to stay close to you. I don't want to let go. I don't want you to leave me behind."

What?

I'm a Dou Zhe, and I make you, a Dou Shi, feel safe?

"I'll do everything I can to protect you with all the strength I have. Wu Bai, would you mind if I stayed by your side?"

"..."

Han Yue bit her lip and looked expectantly at the silent Wu Bai.

"I don't know. But I don't find you annoying."

The next moment, Han Yue fell into his arms, and Wu Bai gently held her close.

Their lips drew nearer. After a brief kiss, the embarrassed girl buried her face against him.

The young man licked his lips, savoring that moment of sweetness.

Breathing in the scent of her soft hair, Wu Bai had only one thought.

Did this count as dating too young?