By the time he returned to the dormitory, it was already past ten that night.
"Wang Dong should be asleep by now!" He quietly took out his key. The faint sound of the door opening rang especially clear in the silent night.
He whipped his head around, only to see Wang Dong standing in the doorway with a strange smile on her face. "Did I scare you?" she asked softly, her voice especially clear in the quiet corridor. "So you do remember to come back?"
Wang Dong shut the door and turned to stare at him. "Had plenty of fun out there today, didn't you? Come clean. Where did you go?"
"I wasn't out having fun. I just had something to take care of. Don't go making wild guesses," Tian Chen said casually.
"Really?" Wang Dong suddenly leaned in and sniffed him.
"What are you doing?" Tian Chen asked, trying to put some distance between them.
Wang Dong ignored his resistance and continued drawing closer, an inscrutable gleam in her eyes. Her breathing quickened slightly, as though she were searching for some clue.
"I don't smell anything unusual." Wang Dong let out a small sigh of relief, but then added, "Still, there's something strange about you."
Wang Dong frowned, seemingly struggling to identify it. "You seem... a little different."
"You've got the wrong idea. Why would I go do something like that? I went to cultivate," Tian Chen said calmly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Tian Chen then released his spiritual power and soul power. Surprise flashed through Wang Dong's eyes. Although she did not know his current soul power level, his aura made it obvious that he had grown considerably stronger.
Still, Wang Dong asked in puzzlement, "I really don't know how you cultivate. You got so much stronger in just one afternoon."
Tian Chen scratched his head and chuckled. "Maybe it's just natural talent!"
"By the way, did you absorb that soul bone?"
At Tian Chen's question, a smile appeared on Wang Dong's face. "I did. My soul power shot straight up to the peak of level twenty-five!"
Then she added with a smile, "And that's not all. I even gained a powerful skill."
Wang Dong raised her left hand. Her arm glowed faintly, a soft layer of golden light slowly flowing over it, as though countless tiny points of light were dancing across her skin.
Then Wang Dong thrust her arm forward, unleashing boundless majesty and the power of light.
"What skill is that?" Tian Chen could not help asking.
Wang Dong smiled faintly, a hint of pride in her voice. "It's the skill that came with this soul bone, called Saint Lion's Majesty. It contains the majestic might and light power of the Light Saint Lion. Nearby enemies are driven back and briefly plunged into fear, lowering their attack and defense. It's especially effective at suppressing evil and dark powers."
Tian Chen rubbed his chin and thought, Isn't this just another version of Sovereign's Arrival?
Then he smiled faintly. "Looks like that soul bone really suits you!"
Wang Dong nodded, a trace of gratitude in her voice. "Yes, this soul bone is very compatible with my soul power. Thank you, Tian Chen. If it weren't for you, I might never have had an opportunity like this!"
"All right, all right. Aren't we friends? There's no need to keep thanking me! That just makes us sound like strangers," Tian Chen said, waving a hand.
Wang Dong nodded, a barely perceptible hint of bashfulness flickering in her eyes. "Just friends?" she murmured.
Early the next morning, Wang Dong and Tian Chen once again walked shoulder to shoulder to their classroom, only to find it much livelier than usual.
Looking over, they saw a woman in red standing at the classroom entrance. She had a slender, well-proportioned figure, and her pale pink eyes could easily steal a person's soul. Fortunately, the coldness of her gaze somewhat restrained their bone-melting allure.
As soon as Tian Chen and Wang Dong arrived, almost everyone in the class turned to look at them.
Tian Chen and Wang Dong looked over as well. Upon seeing the woman, Wang Dong asked in confusion, "Tian Chen, isn't that the crazy woman who attacked us at Sea God Lake? What's she doing here?"
Tian Chen shrugged, indicating that he did not know.
Ma Xiaotao looked their way too and smiled faintly. "You must be Tian Chen and Wang Dong! Sorry for the trouble, but could you come with me for a moment?"
Tian Chen and Wang Dong exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.
Wang Dong spoke first, a hint of caution in her voice. "Who are you? I don't think we know you."
Ma Xiaotao smiled faintly. "My name is Ma Xiaotao. I'm an Inner Court student, and there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you!"
Wang Dong was about to say more, but Tian Chen caught her hand. "Senior, I know what you want to ask us. I can give you an answer."
Ma Xiaotao looked a little surprised, but quickly regained her composure, a flicker of appreciation crossing her eyes. "Oh? You know what I want to ask?"
Tian Chen smiled faintly, his tone composed. "Senior, although I don't know the exact details, I imagine it has something to do with what happened last time?"
Ma Xiaotao paused, then nodded. "You really are clever. Our Inner Court teachers are taking the incident at Sea God Lake very seriously. They'd like you to describe exactly what happened."
Tian Chen nodded and patted Wang Dong's hand before walking toward the classroom entrance, with Ma Xiaotao following. "Then let's find somewhere quiet to talk. It's too noisy here."
Ma Xiaotao smiled faintly, nodded, and followed behind him.
The two left the classroom and arrived at a quiet inn on the school grounds.
Ma Xiaotao spoke first. "First, let me apologize for attacking you that time. I had difficulties that left me no choice."
"I also owe you my thanks for stopping me and keeping me from attacking the other students."
"Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable, and I would have spent the rest of my life repenting."
A trace of lingering fear appeared on Ma Xiaotao's face. She had not exaggerated in the slightest.
If a Soul Emperor-level Soul Master charged into the outer court in such a frenzy, probably not a single student there could stand against her.
After hearing her out, Tian Chen said, "Senior Xiaotao, I know about your evil fire problem too."
Ma Xiaotao asked in surprise, "You know about my situation?"
"After all, it's a martial soul belonging to one of the original Shrek Seven Devils. I do know a little about it. If I'm not mistaken, the Soul Master with the Ultimate Light attribute you're looking for is me," Tian Chen admitted directly, hiding nothing.
Delight appeared on Ma Xiaotao's face. She was just about to ask Tian Chen for help when he raised a hand to interrupt her.
Then Tian Chen said, "Senior Xiaotao, do you really think suppressing your evil fire is the right approach?"
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