Ma Xiaotao

Five hours later,

Wang Dong finally found a little relief from the agonizing pain and could not help letting out a long breath. "Ugh!"

She was drenched in sweat, her face pale and her legs still trembling slightly.

Wang Dong tried to stand. Although her body still hurt, she could feel the lightning power injected into her gradually being channeled and integrated. Her condition was much better than before.

Once she barely managed to steady herself, she could not help complaining, "Tian Chen, you bastard, this cultivation method is practically murder! You nearly killed me with the pain. I seriously suspect you're doing this to mess with me."

Then Wang Dong lowered her head and sniffed herself.

Wang Dong was not like Huo Yuhao in the original story, whose childhood malnutrition had left his body as full of impurities as a mud pit.

Still, the cleansing effects of the Mystic Water Pill had expelled some impurities from her body, producing a faint, fishy stench that happened to cancel out her own subtle fragrance.

She frowned and said, "This smells awful. That Mystic Water Pill really did give my body a 'cleaning.' But that was way too painful."

Wang Dong could no longer stand the strange smell on her body, and a powerful urge immediately sprang into her mind—she needed a bath.

However, just as she was about to act, she noticed Tian Chen sleeping soundly nearby with earplugs in.

Wang Dong hesitated, feeling conflicted as she watched him sleep. She muttered, "Look at this guy. He can sleep so soundly after putting someone else through all that. But with him here..."

To avoid waking Tian Chen, Wang Dong decided to test him first. She carefully walked to his bedside, gently touched his shoulder, and called softly, "Tian Chen? Tian Chen?"

When Tian Chen did not respond, Wang Dong relaxed a little, though she still did not dare let her guard down.

She continued tiptoeing toward the door and opened it as quietly as she could.

After successfully opening the door, Wang Dong cautiously poked her head out. Once she confirmed that no one else was in the corridor, she quickly slipped out, fetched a basin of water, and hurried back.

She carefully set the water on the floor, then glanced at Tian Chen and found him still sleeping soundly.

Wang Dong could not help breathing an inward sigh of relief, but her gaze lingered on Tian Chen's face longer than she had expected.

She studied his peaceful sleeping face. His gold-and-red eyes were hidden beneath his eyelids, and the sharp presence that was usually so hard to ignore had faded with them, replaced by a rare gentleness.

After confirming that he was still sound asleep, she nervously took off her clothes.

First, she undid the buttons of her outer garment, moving extremely slowly for fear of making even the slightest sound.

Next, she gently draped it over the back of a chair, then removed the clothes underneath, revealing her fair skin.

With those preparations complete, Wang Dong looked down at the basin on the floor, bent over, scooped up a handful of clean water, and slowly poured it over her shoulder.

Then she picked up a bar of soap that gave off a faint, fresh fragrance.

This specially made soap contained herbs that could soothe the mind and improve concentration.

As Wang Dong rubbed the soap, a fine lather gradually built up, spreading with the water and through the air as she washed.

Because the dorm room was relatively cramped, the faintly fragrant bubbles soon drifted over to Tian Chen's bed nearby.

One particularly light cluster of tiny bubbles slowly floated toward Tian Chen's face on the air currents.

Feeling the dampness on his face, Tian Chen frowned slightly and instinctively raised a hand to brush it away, his eyes unconsciously opening a crack.

After being woken, Tian Chen rubbed his eyes a little.

When he lifted his head, however, he saw an expanse of snow-white skin, dazzling as white clouds.

"Wang Dong, you..." The sight brought him fully awake in an instant, and the words slipped out reflexively.

Wang Dong turned her head slightly.

"Ah!" A somewhat shrill scream rang out. Immediately afterward, the white before Tian Chen's eyes turned into a brilliant, dazzling blue as the Light Goddess Butterfly instantly possessed her.

With the appearance of the Light Goddess Butterfly, Wang Dong quickly wrapped herself in its blue light.

"Y-you... when did you wake up?" Wang Dong put on her school uniform beneath the cover of the Light Goddess Butterfly's blue light. Her voice trembled slightly, and a shy blush rose to her cheeks; she looked both nervous and a little thrilled.

Watching Wang Dong's flustered movements, Tian Chen's lips curved into a faint smile. He answered calmly, "I only just woke up, actually. Those bubbles floated onto my face and woke me properly."

Wang Dong felt a little relieved at his answer, but she was still somewhat uneasy.

She pressed on, "Then did you see anything strange just now?" Her voice held a trace of nervousness as she probed.

Sensing Wang Dong's nerves, Tian Chen deliberately teased her. "Nothing strange, though your skin and figure are pretty nice."

At Tian Chen's teasing reply, the blush on Wang Dong's face deepened.

A surge of embarrassment and anger suddenly welled up in her heart. Damn it! I'd barely been at Shrek for any time at all, and someone already saw me naked! At least he didn't see me from the front. Otherwise...

Wang Dong simply did not dare follow that thought any further. It was too mortifying.

"All right, first check how many levels your soul power has risen!" Tian Chen interrupted the conversation, speaking with a hint of deeper meaning.

At his words, Wang Dong hurriedly gathered her thoughts and began sensing the changes in her soul power. She closed her eyes and concentrated, quickly detecting an unprecedented power surging within her. It felt like a little stream had suddenly flowed into the sea, vast and turbulent.

"Well? Can you feel it?" Tian Chen's voice sounded again, carrying a trace of anticipation.

Wang Dong opened her eyes, her gaze filled with surprise and delight. "M-my soul power seems to have broken through! It was only a little above level twenty before, but now it's actually reached level twenty-three!"

Tian Chen nodded, light gleaming in his gold-and-red eyes. "Not bad. Looks like that little interlude didn't affect you. In fact, your potential goes far beyond this. As long as you keep cultivating, you'll definitely become even stronger."

Wang Dong took a deep breath, her heart filled with gratitude and determination. "Thank you, Tian Chen. If it weren't for you, I might still be caught up in those conceited ideas I used to have."

"If you want to thank me, words alone won't do!" Tian Chen deliberately paused, a meaningful smile curling his lips. "How about treating me to a meal, for example?"

Wang Dong smiled. "Sure! It's just a meal, isn't it? I'll get you a double portion."

The two of them were the first to arrive at the dining hall, so even by the time they finished eating, only a handful of other students had shown up.