Flame Demon Tiger

The first thing Zhou Sining saw when he woke was Mu Nujiao sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast with quiet focus.

The young woman wore a loose blue-striped shirt. It draped over the curves of her chest, and the sleeves were pushed up to reveal wrists as pale as jade.

Her soft, lustrous black hair fell naturally around her shoulders, a few playful strands clinging to her cheeks and framing her flawless oval face.

Below, she wore a white high-waisted skirt that matched her shirt, with white socks rising just above her ankles.

Warm sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling window and fell over her, bringing out her youthful energy while lending her an air of quiet elegance.

Zhou Sining swallowed without thinking.

For a woman like her, I'd give up anything to marry her!

He shook his head, clearing away those fanciful thoughts.

He still remembered what had happened last night. First, he had been fooling around with Mo Fan and Xu Zhaoting. Then, emboldened by drink, he had called Mu Nujiao and pestered her shamelessly.

And Mu Nujiao had actually come to pick him up.

I knew it. Mu Nujiao must have feelings for me too.

This isn't one-sided!

After finishing her meal, Mu Nujiao elegantly wiped her mouth. When she turned, she found that the man on the sofa was awake.

"You're up. Want something to eat? I can have the hotel bring it over."

Only then did Zhou Sining realize Mu Nujiao had come right up to him. Her delicate fragrance washed over him, setting his heart fluttering again.

"Sure. Sorry for the trouble."

Mu Nujiao said thoughtfully, "It's no trouble. The shared bathroom is over there if you want to wash up. Or you can use one of the suites if that's more comfortable. All three have private bathrooms."

"Thanks." Zhou Sining nodded politely.

"What would you like? They can make anything."

"Beef noodles, a small bowl. Extra spicy, extra vegetables, extra beef, and two fried eggs."

"Okay."

After a moment, Zhou Sining asked, "By the way, I was drunk and out of it last night. I didn't do anything awful, did I?"

Mu Nujiao paused, then shook her head with a soft laugh. "No."

Far from acting up, he had been well-behaved, his eyes clear and honest.

He had seemed like a completely different person from the terrifying figure who had stood at the center of that sea of white flames.

"That's good." Zhou Sining had a fair idea already, but he wanted to ask Mu Nujiao just to be safe.

After washing up and eating, they left the hotel together. Zhou Sining checked his phone and saw a reminder for his flight.

He smacked his forehead. "Damn, I almost forgot I'm flying home this afternoon."

"What's wrong?" Mu Nujiao asked.

"My flight's about to leave." Zhou Sining showed her the message.

Only an hour and a half remained before takeoff.

And Pudong International Airport was forty minutes away by car.

"Which hotel are you staying at? I'll get someone to pack your things and check you out." Mu Nujiao took out her phone to contact someone.

"There's nothing I need to pack. I'm just not sure I'll make the flight," Zhou Sining said.

"It'll be tight. I'll have someone drive you." Mu Nujiao hurriedly made a call.

The Mu Clan's car arrived quickly. When the Maybach pulled up before him, a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside Zhou Sining.

He looked at Mu Nujiao beside him. "I'll message you when I get home."

"Mm. Travel safely." Mu Nujiao nodded.

Zhou Sining gazed into her beautiful eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he gathered his courage, stepped forward, and gently hugged her.

"I'll come visit you when we're on break."

Before Mu Nujiao could say anything, Zhou Sining turned and climbed into the Maybach, telling the driver to go.

The embrace had lasted only two or three seconds. Mu Nujiao had no time to react, but her body had unmistakably remembered the heat of his.

At last, Mu Nujiao realized what had happened. Two rosy patches bloomed on her lovely cheeks, making her so beautiful that passersby stopped and stared.

Zhou Sining arrived home right on time at four thirty that afternoon.

He first messaged Mu Nujiao to let her know he was safe. When she had not replied after two or three minutes, he figured she might be busy and left it at that.

He was in an exceptionally good mood now.

He might have stolen that hug while she was caught off guard, but Mu Nujiao had not been angry, had she?

Otherwise, why had she messaged him afterward to tell him to travel safely?

This really isn't one-sided!

The thought lifted Zhou Sining's spirits even further. Humming a tune, he went back to his room, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.

During the pleasant week he had spent with Mu Nujiao, he had barely tended to his three elements. He had simply let his cultivation artifact charge them little by little.

As soon as he entered his inner world, the Summoning System and Mind Element shone so brightly they nearly dazzled him.

Zhou Sining knew this sight all too well.

A breakthrough was close.

Going out to have fun once in a while really isn't a bad thing.

In high spirits, he stilled his breath and focused. He pushed his spirit-grade cultivation artifact and Soul-Consolidating Heart Chain to their limits, gathering power to strike at the barriers around the two Star Dusts.

Bang!

The Star Dusts had long since accumulated enough power and were eager to grow bigger and stronger. This breakthrough came more easily than Zhou Sining had imagined.

The barriers broke with a single strike.

"Yes!"

Both the Summoning System and Mind Element had reached Beginner Level 3. Zhou Sining could feel that he had grown stronger.

He had only just broken through, so pushing for Intermediate Level was unrealistic.

His Fire Element was still some way from Intermediate Level 3. There was no need to rush.

After some thought, Zhou Sining decided to search the Summoning Plane for a suitable Summoned Beast. Raising his combat strength would help him handle the upcoming freshman military training with ease.

Once he made up his mind, he wasted no time and began linking the stars of his Summoning System's star path.

Pale moonlit stars appeared around him one by one. Guided by his will, they linked swiftly and smoothly, forming a distinct star path.

Together, they resembled a moonlit blade slowly cutting a rift through ordinary space into another plane.

Zhou Sining opened his eyes, their depths vast and profound. His body remained seated on the bed, but his soul had reached another mysterious plane.

With the dark passage and moonlit Dimensional Gate behind him, Zhou Sining felt as though he had burst from a cramped, pitch-black cave into a vast hidden paradise.

An entirely new continent spread before his eyes.

It was like a mirage: seemingly right before him, yet impossibly far away. It was as though he had become a god in a dream, gazing quietly down at the scene below.

With a shift of his will, he felt himself sweep across that dreamlike land at incredible speed.

Creatures racing across the ground were left behind in an instant, vanishing beyond the horizon.

The lush green forest disappeared from view, replaced by an immense expanse of fiery red earth.

Zhou Sining immediately spotted a terrifying volcano towering below. It was vast and high, and when he looked down, he could see crimson lava seething and bubbling within it.

"Roar!"

A roar suddenly erupted from the crater and shook the heavens, instantly drawing his attention.

Zhou Sining held his breath and focused all his attention on the source of the sound.

The scene before him shifted rapidly. Soon he was above the crater, where he caught sight of a fierce, proud red figure.

It stood on four legs, proud in bearing, its body tall and broad. Crimson fur covered it from head to toe, marked by faintly regular stripes. The stripes gleamed brighter than its fur, as though boundless power lay within them.

At its command, countless ferocious flames could erupt!

The golden-red eyes gleamed with the authority of an undisputed ruler. On its forehead, the character for "king" glowed red.

It was one of the most terrifying Servant Level Demon Beasts.

The Flame Demon Tiger!