Heading to the Star Dou Forest

But the instant they rounded the corner, their footsteps stopped in perfect unison.

The next second, their eyes went blank with shock, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable.

In the open space by the distant dormitory entrance, Xiao Wu lay sprawled on the ground in a sorry state.

Wang Sheng then shot forward and stopped in front of Tang Chuan. His eyes gleamed as he looked at him, genuine admiration in his voice. "Brother Chuan! You defeated Sister Xiao Wu! From today onward, you're the boss of Dorm Seven!"

The other Work-Study Students nodded and echoed him one after another, their eyes filled with awe and worship.

At that moment, Xiao Wu was still lying on the ground nearby. She glared at Tang Chuan through clenched teeth, her face full of unwillingness and her fists tightly balled. She looked completely unconvinced.

Tang Chuan glanced at Wang Sheng, then at Xiao Wu on the ground. His expression was indifferent, and his calm voice carried a sharpness that brooked no argument:

"I have no interest in being anyone's boss."

"Xiao Wu, I've already taught you a lesson today."

"If you dare interfere with what I'm doing again, don't blame me for holding nothing back."

With that, Tang Chuan turned and walked toward the dormitory.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground.

After Tang Chuan had taken only a few steps, a furious roar came from behind him through gritted teeth:

"Just you wait, Tang Chuan! Sooner or later, I'll defeat you!"

At that, Tang Chuan's steps paused slightly, but he did not turn around. He merely raised his right hand and waved lightly behind him, his voice calm as he said:

"An enemy defeated by me has never been regarded as my opponent. I'll give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even see me from afar!"

A moment later, his figure disappeared from everyone's sight.

Watching this scene, Wang Sheng and the others flushed red. Their shoulders trembled uncontrollably as they desperately held back their laughter.

At last, Wang Sheng could not endure it any longer and burst out laughing. "Hahaha... Sister Xiao Wu actually got beaten up too! Brother Chuan's kick just now was incredible!"

His laughter was like a gate opening. The other Work-Study Students immediately clutched their stomachs and laughed out loud as well.

"Laughing? What are you laughing at?!"

Suddenly, an angry shout exploded!

Xiao Wu abruptly raised her head. Her face burned with fury, and her eyes seemed ready to spit fire as she glared at Wang Sheng and the others like a rabbit with its fur standing on end.

"Go ahead and laugh one more time! See if I don't beat you until even your mothers can't recognize you!"

At that, Wang Sheng and the others shuddered. Their expressions instantly changed as they forcibly suppressed their smiles, shaking their heads like rattles.

"We're not laughing anymore, not laughing anymore... Sister Xiao Wu is mighty! Sister Xiao Wu is invincible..."

Xiao Wu gave a harsh snort, spun around, stomped her foot, and stormed toward the dormitory.

After her figure had completely vanished around the stairwell, Wang Sheng and the others held it in for more than ten seconds before finally collapsing onto the ground and bursting into laughter again.

"That felt great! I'll be able to laugh about that kick for three days!"

"Hahaha—"

The others joined in with uproarious laughter. For a moment, the entrance to the Work-Study Student dormitory became a gathering place of joy.

From that moment onward, Tang Chuan's name completely spread among the Work-Study Students of Nuoding Academy. The ruthless man who had kicked Xiao Wu flying had risen to prominence from Dorm Seven.

At night, Nuoding Academy was bathed in moonlight. Silvery radiance spilled across the tree-lined path, while the breeze brushed past and the leaves rustled.

Under a large pagoda tree in a corner of the rear garden, Xiao Wu and Tang San walked side by side. Xiao Wu hugged her arms and angrily kicked at the stones by her feet, her expression gloomy to the extreme.

Tang San walked quietly beside her. Seeing her displeased expression, he could not help asking:

"Xiao Wu, what's wrong today? Who made you angry?"

Xiao Wu abruptly stopped and told Tang San what had happened that day.

When she finished, Tang San froze, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"What did you say? You were... defeated by my brother?"

"It's true! I didn't take him seriously at first. Who would have thought that guy would be so incredibly fast? I couldn't hit him at all!" Xiao Wu stomped her foot in anger, her voice carrying unwillingness and embarrassment.

"In the end, I even used my Soul Skill, but he actually used Blue Silver Grass to tie me up like a dumpling. Then... he even kicked me!"

By the end, Xiao Wu turned her face away in a huff, looking aggrieved.

Tang San remained stunned for quite some time before recovering. His brows slowly furrowed as he murmured, "My brother... only has Innate Soul Power of rank one."

"You're a proper Soul Master with a Soul Ring and a Soul Skill. How could you lose?"

Xiao Wu nodded gloomily as well. "Yeah, I find it strange too! His Blue Silver Grass seems especially tough. He clearly doesn't have a Soul Ring, yet he's practically a freak."

At that, Tang San's gaze gradually turned solemn. Recalling everything his brother had done over the past few days, he could not help pondering in secret:

Could it be... that my brother has been hiding something from me all along?

An unprecedented curiosity and wariness quietly took root in his heart.

Without speaking at once, Tang San merely tilted his head slightly and gazed at the night sky. As he looked at the cold, luminous full moon, his eyes gradually deepened.

"If that's really the case, then I need to find a chance..."

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Life at Nuoding Academy was not easy, but Tang Chuan gradually carried out his plans amid the constant bustle.

During the day, he attended classes and handled the Work-Study Student chores. At night, he cultivated Soul Power while setting up a stall at the dormitory entrance to roast rabbits.

Over the past few days, he had hunted more than a hundred wild rabbits, skillfully cleaning, marinating, and roasting them. The fragrance spread so thoroughly that Dorm Seven was almost becoming a rabbit-meat research base.

Relying on that seemingly insignificant rabbit stall, Tang Chuan quietly accumulated a small fortune. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.

Nuoding Academy was taking several days off.

For the students, it was a brief period of rest. But for Tang Chuan, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to leave the Academy. He intended to use this time to make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Early that morning, he rose and tidied up simply.

Afterward, he put on a new gray cloth robe bought at the market, donned a hat, and deliberately kept a low profile as he quietly left through the Academy's side gate.

When Tang Chuan reached the market outside Nuoding City, the sky had only just brightened, and the streets had yet to grow noisy. He then easily found the carriage company he had previously inquired about and rented a sturdy two-wheeled carriage.

The coachman was a weathered old man in his fifties named Uncle Li. His face was rough, his speech sparse, and he looked steady and reliable.

"My destination is the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Avoid the main roads and take as little of the official route as possible. Try not to attract attention." Tang Chuan handed him a small bag of Bronze Soul Coins and spoke calmly.

Uncle Li accepted the Bronze Soul Coins and looked him over a few times. He did not ask any questions, merely nodding. "All right. We can leave Nanling before dark. After another two days on the road, we'll reach the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. There's a small town there where we can stay overnight."

Tang Chuan nodded and gently lifted the carriage curtain before climbing inside.