The days that followed returned to that same dull cycle, day after day.
Endurance, strength, combat, meditation-every day was an endless loop.
The more Zhang Fei trained, the more he felt that working "nine to nine, six days a week" really would be a "blessing" compared to his current life.
Although Xue Qinghe usually doted on him, she was surprisingly firm when it came to training.
If he went to her because he could not take any more, she would only let him rest a little before sending him back to keep getting beaten up.
Over time, Zhang Fei resigned himself to his fate.
Zhang Fei did not actually run off to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at every opportunity. He only occasionally accompanied Xue Qinghe on visits, and those occasions were few and far between.
Ever since he had been tricked last time, he had also maintained a clearheaded resolve to keep Ning Rongrong at a respectful distance.
That little girl was full of schemes down to her very bones. She looked as finely carved as jade, innocent and guileless, but nobody knew what rotten idea she might come up with next to trip him up.
A Little Demoness like her was not someone he could afford to provoke. Really, he could not.
The more Zhang Fei thought about it, the more he felt that his own little angel was the best. A little girl could never compare to a mature beauty.
Two years was neither particularly long nor particularly short, yet the time slipped quietly away amid training that continued every day, come thunder or rain.
That night, the moon hung high in the sky.
Zhang Fei sat cross-legged on his bed, his hands resting on his knees, his eyes lightly closed, and his breathing deep and even.
The soul power within him circulated ceaselessly through his meridians. Each full cycle was a shade faster than the last, and his soul power grew a little more condensed.
He had maintained this state for four full hours. A fine sheen of sweat seeped from his temples, and his brows were tightly knitted. Clearly, he had reached an extremely critical juncture.
The soul power in his meridians had swelled to a critical threshold, circulating faster and faster.
Finally, in a single instant, the invisible shackle within him burst apart with a boom.
Zhang Fei's entire body jolted, and a ring of surging air rippled outward from him.
He slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air.
Zhang Fei clenched his fists, the corners of his mouth rising involuntarily as he murmured to himself.
"Level twenty... I've finally broken through."
Nearly two and a half years had passed since his martial soul awakening, and he was now eight and a half years old.
Over those two years, perhaps because of the body tempering through ice and fire combined with the nourishment of medicinal baths, he had shot up like bamboo shoots after the rain.
Now, when Zhang Fei stood up, he was a full 1.7 meters tall, while most ordinary children of eight or nine were still around 1.4 to 1.5 meters.
Standing there, he looked every inch a young man.
Along with his increase in height, his physique had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Years of hellish training had stripped his skin of its porcelain-white delicacy, replacing it with a wheat-colored tan steeped in sunlight and sweat, glowing with health and masculine appeal.
His shoulders were considerably broader than they had been two years ago. The muscles of his arms and abdomen were smoothly defined and firm-not exaggerated slabs like blocks of iron, but lean, compact strength.
His features had matured further over those two years. His brow was prominent, his nose straight, and his jawline sharp and distinct. His features were rugged without losing their refinement, combining resolve with a young man's fresh elegance.
Most striking of all were his eyes. His pitch-black pupils were sharp and clear, carrying an edge that made people think twice about underestimating him.
After two years of tempering, the delicate-looking boy of the past had fully grown into a face brimming with striking, heroic charm.
Wherever he went, people could not help taking another look.
Even the maids at the Crown Prince's Residence, accustomed as they were to high officials and nobles, would unconsciously lower their eyes when they happened upon Zhang Fei in the corridors, a faint blush quietly rising to their cheeks.
Zhang Fei rose from the bed and casually straightened his collar.
He pushed open his bedroom door and headed toward the Crown Prince's study.
It was already late at night.
Zhang Fei arrived outside the study.
He raised his hand and knocked twice. Hearing a gentle "Come in" from within, he pushed the door open and entered.
The study was brightly lit, and Xue Qinghe was bent over the documents before her, reviewing them.
At the sound of the door, she looked up. When her gaze landed on Zhang Fei's face, her hand involuntarily paused.
Zhang Fei stood in the doorway, the lamplight bathing him in a pale golden halo.
The light etched his increasingly handsome features into clear relief. His brow cast a faint patch of shadow, making his eyes seem particularly bright.
He stood there, tall and straight, his shoulders and back relaxed, like a treasured sword freshly drawn from its sheath-young, sharp, and dazzling, impossible to look away from.
Xue Qinghe's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and her fingers tightened slightly around her pen.
She felt her heart beat a little faster than usual, a shifting gleam in her eyes.
"It's so late. What is it?" she asked, her voice exceptionally soft, nothing like the tone of the man she was currently pretending to be.
Zhang Fei grinned and strode inside with easy familiarity. "Your Highness, I've reached level twenty. I can go get my second soul ring."
As he spoke, his dark eyes shone as he looked at Xue Qinghe. The corners of his mouth were lifted, and he radiated high spirits.
Xue Qinghe looked up at him again, then quickly averted her gaze, lowering her eyes to the official document before her.
Yet all her attention was consumed by the young man's figure.
Xue Qinghe steadied her breathing, trying to keep her tone calm and composed. "Mm. Tomorrow, I'll have Uncle She take you to the Sunset Forest to choose a suitable soul beast. Go back and rest for now."
Zhang Fei took two steps forward and glanced at the thick stack of documents beside her, still nowhere near finished, then sighed inwardly.
Ah, how much of her cultivation had she delayed to deal with all this government business?
In the original story, Qian Renxue had such exceptional talent, yet years trapped in the whirlpool of political intrigue had forced her to squander so much of her youth.
He walked over, picked up the teapot on the desk, and poured Xue Qinghe a cup of hot tea, setting it gently beside her hand.
"All right. You should get some rest early too, Your Highness. Don't stay up late."
His tone carried an unusual intimacy. Then he turned and left the study, closing the door behind him.
The moment the door shut, Xue Qinghe finally set down her pen.
She leaned back in her chair, raised a hand to rub between her brows, and let out a long breath, murmuring to herself, "That little rascal has grown so... dazzling. What's wrong with me? I don't even dare look at him a little longer."
Xue Qinghe sat up straight again, drank the hot tea Zhang Fei had poured, and picked up the official documents to continue reading. Yet she found herself staring at the same line for quite some time without taking in a word.
In the end, she simply put the documents down, rose, and headed to her bedroom.
Meanwhile, back in his own bedroom, Zhang Fei tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
His mind was filled with thoughts of his second soul ring.
For his second soul skill, Zhang Fei still planned to choose an enhancement-type ability.
But the question was, which soul beast should he choose? And how old should it be?
My Golden Python has already evolved into a golden dragon. That little bit of dragon qi in a dragonkin soul ring would probably be barely better than nothing for me now.
Then do I still need to insist on finding an extremely rare dragonkin soul ring?
The string of questions tangled into a knotted mess in Zhang Fei's mind. Even after thinking for ages, he could not find a starting point.
"Forget it. I'll ask Grandpa tomorrow."
Zhang Fei buried his face in his pillow, and only after a long while did he finally fall into a deep sleep.
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