Five days later.
Silence had always set the tone in Dormitory Zero. Unlike the academy's other dormitories, Qian Renxue occasionally appeared in class during the day, while at night, she did nothing but sleep or cultivate. The second and third floors were separated not by a single story, but by a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers. Even the few times Su Chen struck up a conversation, it always ended with a lukewarm response.
For the students of Dormitory Zero, loneliness seemed to be another compulsory course on the path to becoming strong.
In the courtyard of Dormitory Zero, a six-year-old boy sat atop the enclosing wall, quietly gazing at the brightly lit, bustling city. He reached to his waist and took out an elegant jade flute. As his little fingers danced like sprites, clear, stirring notes rang out in waves of beautiful music.
Was he playing the flute?
Qian Renxue, who had been cultivating inside Dormitory Zero, was drawn by the sounds that suddenly rose from the courtyard. Standing at her window, she looked down at the boy on the wall. From her angle, she could only see his back.
The boy sitting on the wall exuded a peaceful serenity, as though he sought nothing from the world, making it easy to feel fond of him. Qian Renxue stood quietly beside the window, listening to the beautiful music. As the daughter of Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff, she had taken some music lessons in her spare time. Despite her young age, she knew a little about musical instruments. The flute music reaching her ears sounded very different from anyone else's.
Qian Renxue listened, wondering whether the flute's melody held the same serenity as the boy's silhouette.
Su Chen quietly played his flute. His melody was soothing and possessed a certain magic, drawing listeners back into memories of days gone by. It even moved Qian Renxue to tears. His lonely silhouette seemed to breathe life into the music, stirring an irresistible urge to step forward and embrace him.
The next day.
Just as Qian Renxue woke up, a delicious aroma drifted into her room from the courtyard. Curious, she got up and stood by the window, where she could see Su Chen busying himself with some strange racks below.
Curious, Qian Renxue dressed and went down to the courtyard. "Su Chen, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Barbecuing!" Su Chen replied.
"Barbecuing?" Qian Renxue murmured, watching him brush a little oil onto vegetables and meat. He then placed them on an iron rack to cook over charcoal, sprinkling some powder over them from time to time. "Can you eat this stuff?" she asked.
"Of course. Have a taste and see how my cooking is." Su Chen held out a piece of tenderloin that had been grilled golden brown. When she remained reserved and showed no intention of taking it, he smiled. "I prepared plenty of ingredients this time. Just think of it as helping me finish them!"
Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment. A gentle breeze carried the enticing smell of meat straight to her, thoroughly whetting her appetite. She accepted the grilled meat, held the little skewer, and opened her small mouth to take an elegant bite before chewing. The savory flavor flowed down her throat, making her eyes widen. Qian Renxue would wager that she had never eaten anything so delicious.
"Well? Is it good?" Su Chen asked with a smile.
"It's better than what Spirit Hall's chefs make," Qian Renxue replied.
Su Chen smiled proudly, then returned his attention to turning the meat on the grill.
Qian Renxue studied the boy before her. He wore white clothes, and his pale violet eyes were crystal clear. Every gesture carried a subtle nobility that felt neither arrogant nor aloof, but wonderfully approachable.
Looking at Su Chen, Qian Renxue silently marveled. It was hard to imagine that this boy, whose methods were so ruthless, could play such beautiful flute music last night and now prepare such distinctive delicacies. He was so perfect that she could not find even the slightest flaw.
"Who taught you the tune you played last night?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.
"Did I disturb you? If I did, I can play in the hills behind the academy from now on!" Su Chen paused his grilling for a moment and looked at her.
"No. Your playing was lovely," Qian Renxue said hastily, as though afraid she would never get to hear it again.
"I happened to learn that tune by chance. It's called Wandering Melody!" The corners of Su Chen's lips lifted slightly. There was clearly an indescribable expression on Qian Renxue's face.
In the five days since entering the junior Soul Master Academy, Su Chen had attended only music lessons and Noble Etiquette Class. He had not missed a single music lesson during those five days. In that time, he had already learned to play every instrument.
Ever since he received the Dragon God's Nine Trials and the rainbow light cleansed his body and marrow, not only his reflexes and strength, but even his ability to learn had been honed to an extraordinary degree. Su Chen could now truly be described as someone who never forgot anything he saw. Beyond that, his appearance was gradually becoming more and more handsome.
In other words, obtaining the Dragon God's Nine Trials at the outset was equivalent to starting with extraordinary memory, innate divine strength, and breathtaking looks.
Familiar with the story that lay ahead, Su Chen knew that Qian Renxue would fall in love with Tang San at first sight during his noble etiquette graduation ceremony. Because she held Tang San in her heart, he repeatedly managed to escape her grasp. Su Chen could not deny that his initial reason for learning musical instruments was Qian Renxue. He wanted to win her heart ahead of time.
Everyone loved beauty. Since Su Chen clearly had the ability, he had no intention of living this life as a lone dog.
"Su Chen, is your Martial Soul the Golden Sacred Dragon?" Qian Renxue asked solemnly after finishing the grilled meat in her hand.
"Yes." Su Chen nodded.
"Could you let me see it?" Qian Renxue requested. She always sensed something strange about Su Chen, a feeling much like the connection Dai Mubai felt toward Zhu Zhuqing.
"Of course."
Su Chen nodded, set down the grilled meat in his hands, and clenched both fists. "Come forth, Golden Sacred Dragon (Five-Clawed Golden Dragon)!"
Golden light burst from Su Chen's body. Only one Soul Ring circled him, and it was black!
"A black Soul Ring? Your very first Soul Ring has a ten-thousand-year age!" Qian Renxue stood rooted to the spot, her expression blank with shock. She finally understood why Su Chen had been able to defeat a rank-twenty-one Battle Soul Master with two rings so swiftly. His Soul Ring had reached a ten-thousand-year age.
Whew...
His very first Soul Ring was ten thousand years old. Across the entire continent, such a feat had never been seen before and would never be seen again.
Behind Su Chen, the golden light condensed into a gigantic golden dragon ten meters long.
"Is this the Golden Sacred Dragon?" Qian Renxue silently marveled.
"Yes." Su Chen nodded.
"Su Chen, I have a feeling that your Martial Soul can fuse with mine to form a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Qian Renxue said, her eyes full of anticipation.
"What? You mean we can fuse our Martial Souls?" Su Chen asked in surprise.
"Yes." Qian Renxue nodded emphatically. At last, she understood that the person who had given her that strange feeling a few days ago was the boy standing before her-Su Chen.
"Then what are we waiting for? Reveal your Martial Soul, and let's see what our Martial Souls can fuse into!" Su Chen urged excitedly.
"We can't yet!" Qian Renxue shook her head slightly.
"Why not?" Su Chen asked in confusion.
"Because using a Martial Soul Fusion Skill requires two people whose hearts beat as one. They must trust each other completely and hold nothing back!" Qian Renxue replied.
"Uh!"
Su Chen was stunned. Didn't that mean that, before he could fuse his Martial Soul with Qian Renxue's, the two of them would first have to develop feelings for each other?
Before you continue