A Promise with Ling Luochen: The Truest Kind of Love (Please Vote and Keep Reading)

Ling Luochen winked at Jiang Chen and smiled sweetly, showing all the tenderness of a young woman.

Jiang Chen nodded and said firmly, "With your support, I'll win the Freshman Assessment. I'll prove I'm a genius in deed, not just in name, and silence everyone talking about me."

Ling Luochen nodded resolutely, offering Jiang Chen her unconditional support.

With Ning Tian's help and Wu Feng working alongside him, Jiang Chen was unlikely to stumble.

Ling Luochen's main fear was that a defeat would crush his spirit and leave him unable to recover.

As one of Shrek's top students, she knew how fragile a young person's ambition could be. If he couldn't climb out of the pit of defeat, even the greatest talent would go to waste.

Then Jiang Chen spoke again. "How about a bet?"

A bet?

Ling Luochen raised her slender brows, intrigued. "What are we betting on?"

Jiang Chen lowered his voice. "Whether I can win the Freshman Assessment. If I don't, I'll do whatever you say for a day. If I do, will you grant me one request?"

Ling Luochen pursed her lips. Suddenly, she didn't want to win the bet.

In her heart, Jiang Chen was the Champion. There was no question about it, even if he lost.

Besides, she wasn't as proud as Ma Xiaotao. She had no taste for ordering a boy around. How embarrassing would that be for him?

A man's pride mattered most when he was out in the world.

In the end, Ling Luochen accepted Jiang Chen's bet. She would watch the Freshman Assessment.

Jiang Chen smiled, reassured.

Only then did he understand one part of love: someone who truly liked you would support you without conditions, joke with you, and share in your happiness.

That was love at its most genuine.

With that thought, Jiang Chen said, "Senior Ling, you've worked hard at cultivation, but you still haven't reached an Ultimate Attribute."

"But I want you to know I can help you."

Help me?

Ling Luochen froze and lifted her eyes, looking a little dazed.

Before she could collect herself, Jiang Chen took both her hands and closed his eyes.

At that moment, Ling Luochen felt the Soul Power within her begin to move. Beyond her control, it flowed toward Jiang Chen, while his Soul Power entered her body.

Ling Luochen was stunned.

Jiang Chen could actually exchange Soul Power with her and cultivate together with her—and at twice their previous efficiency.

His Ultimate Ice was also subtly refining her own attribute.

"Senior, just focus on cultivating. Keep working hard, and you'll reach it one day."

Jiang Chen said this with his eyes still closed.

Ling Luochen nodded firmly, then closed her beautiful eyes and accepted this rare help.

It felt wonderful. She had no resistance to it at all.

But weren't things moving a little fast? She and Jiang Chen hadn't even made their relationship official.

What does that make me?

Do I like him?

Ling Luochen really did like Jiang Chen. Ever since he had saved her near the Jiang Family estate, she had been drawn to this decent young man.

He had strength and courage. He was far better than those Inner Court boys whose heads were full of filthy thoughts.

She wasn't naming anyone from the Evil-Eyed White Tiger line!

Before long, a proud smile appeared on Ling Luochen's lovely face—the smile of a victor.

Hmph—!

Ma Xiaotao, you cast this boy aside. I'll hold him close and spoil him, right in front of you.

Perhaps their Martial Souls were drawn to each other. Jiang Chen and Ling Luochen had only been holding hands, but somehow they entered a state of deep meditation and ended up in each other's arms.

Just then, Ma Xiaotao passed by the Far North's Mimicry Cultivation Environment and saw them.

She gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly, You shameless pair! Hugging in broad daylight! If you booked a hotel room, would you have to hunt for a kappa too? How disgraceful—especially you, Ling Luochen!!!

Even after cursing them, Ma Xiaotao still felt awful, as though her chest were clogged with frustration.

Ma Xiaotao stared hard at Jiang Chen and said coldly, "You could never have awakened without my fortune. I refuse to believe you can really win the Freshman Assessment. I curse you with my fortune."

After venting a little more, she left for good. She didn't want to stay another moment or see Ling Luochen and Jiang Chen in each other's arms.

Three days later, Jiang Chen left the Inner Court's Mimicry Cultivation Environment. The Freshman Assessment was less than two days away. He needed to return early to prepare and familiarize himself with his teammates' Soul Skills.

That period of cultivation had brought enormous benefits to both him and Ling Luochen.

Jiang Chen had advanced straight to level thirty-five, while the attribute of Ling Luochen's Ice Martial Soul had improved slightly.

Given time, Ling Luochen could become an Ultimate Ice Soul Master too.

Jiang Chen soon returned to the Outer Court after his long absence and had a simple breakfast at the Cafeteria.

The Cafeteria was crowded with students, but its usual relaxed atmosphere was gone. That alone showed how much pressure the Freshman Tournament had put on them.

Just then, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao spotted Jiang Chen from nearby.

They didn't know about Jiang Chen receiving the Ice Empress's Sacrifice. Word of it had spread only among the academy's higher-ups, and Ning Tian and the others had all been ordered to keep quiet.

Too much was bound up in the matter. If the Outer Court students learned of it, panic would follow.

After all, it was a genuine Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

"Yuhao, our scariest opponent in the Freshman Assessment just showed up. I heard Jiang Chen came across some new stroke of fortune."

Wang Dong nudged Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, who were sitting beside her.

Xiao Xiao blinked but couldn't see anything different about him.

Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes. Jiang Chen seemed unfathomable to him.

But at that moment, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was startled awake in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness. He shouted, "Yuhao, something's happened!"

Huo Yuhao immediately entered his Sea of Consciousness and asked, "Brother Sky Dream, what happened? Why are you so worked up?"

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm raised a trembling leg and stammered, "Jiang Chen... he has the Ice Empress's aura on him. He also has her Soul Bone—even her Soul Ring. Brother Sky Dream prepared all of that for you, but someone snatched it first."

"Something must have happened to the Ice Empress, and Jiang Chen picked up what was left."

"Ultimate Ice on top of Ultimate Ice... His Martial Soul is almost divine-grade."

Hearing Brother Sky Dream say this, Huo Yuhao's expression changed instantly.

What did he mean, Jiang Chen had a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, and the Ice Empress's essence?

Wasn't that the opportunity Brother Sky Dream had arranged for me? How had Jiang Chen gotten there first? What would happen to my Second Martial Soul?

Huo Yuhao lost sight of his goal. He turned to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and asked, "Brother Sky Dream, tell me this isn't true. What happens to my Second Martial Soul? What happens to my future? Can I still take you to the top?"

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm took a deep breath. After calming Huo Yuhao, he raised his head and said, "I can sense that the Ice Empress isn't dead. I need to speak with her. Get closer to Jiang Chen, and I'll use my spiritual power to reach her. She'll answer me, and no one will notice."

"Brother Sky Dream has to find out why the Ice Empress's Soul Ring, Soul Bone, and essence are with Jiang Chen. I prepared all of those for you."