The gentle sunshine was warm and pleasant, and the soft spring breeze carried an armful of fragrance.
After a night of cultivation, Tian Chen felt no fatigue at all. He stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet, pushed open the window, and took a deep breath.
A pale golden light flickered in his clear blue eyes. With his presence fully withdrawn, he watched the crimson sun slowly rise, a smile on his face.
Indeed, after a night of cultivation, he had broken through from the peak of rank fifteen to rank sixteen.
After all, Xie Yue and Yan were already eight years old, yet they were only rank sixteen as well.
Tian Chen quickly slipped on a brand-new silver robe. After a quick wash in the bathroom, he left the manor and headed straight for Spirit Hall Academy.
His breakthrough to rank sixteen had already delayed him considerably that morning. There was no longer enough time for him to properly enjoy an exquisite breakfast.
Tian Chen mobilized all his Soul Power and quickened his pace slightly, buying a few meat buns at a roadside bun shop to fill his stomach.
With his deliberate increase in speed, Tian Chen arrived at Spirit Hall Academy, not far from Spirit City, in less than twenty minutes.
After yesterday's events, the gatekeepers had firmly committed Tian Chen's appearance to memory.
Seeing Tian Chen approach, they hurriedly opened the gates themselves in an ingratiating manner and welcomed him inside.
They did not dare show Tian Chen the slightest neglect.
Following the route he had taken yesterday, Tian Chen easily found his way back to his classroom.
By then, the classroom was almost full of students, but fortunately, Li Yuan had not arrived yet.
Because of his memories of his previous life, his body still held an instinctive fear of being late.
But then he thought of his current status and relaxed. Shaking his head with a smile, he reached out with his right hand and pushed the door open.
Just as he had expected, a trace of instinctive fear flashed through his classmates' eyes when they saw him enter.
The sight of him tearing apart a Diamond Tiger with his bare hands yesterday had simply been too shocking. Most of the students present were only six or seven years old. When had they ever seen such a bloody scene?
There were exceptions, however, such as Li Kai.
After a night of his father's "profound instruction," he had gained a deep ideological awareness.
Seeing Tian Chen enter, he immediately approached him ingratiatingly and said with an honest, simple air,
"Young Master Tian, this way, please."
He led Tian Chen to the seats he had already saved.
Naturally, Tian Chen would not decline. Since Li Kai had already taken the initiative to fawn over him, he did not mind taking on a lackey.
Tian Chen walked ahead, while Li Kai consciously stayed half a step behind him. Naturally, Li Yuan had taught him that as well.
The two settled into seats in the very center of the classroom, one after the other, at just the right distance from the lectern. Seeing how well Li Kai knew his place, Tian Chen's impression of him improved considerably.
What surprised him somewhat, however, was that Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan happened to be sitting right behind them. Hu Liena was directly behind Tian Chen.
When Hu Liena saw Tian Chen's gaze sweep over, she gave a fearless little snort. Remembering her embarrassing performance yesterday, her shame and anger intensified, and she took them out on Tian Chen as though it were only natural.
Had Tian Chen known what Hu Liena was thinking, he would probably have taught her a lesson in minutes to see whether she still dared throw feminist punches.
In reality, however, Tian Chen could not read minds. He was a little baffled as to why Hu Liena bore such inexplicable hostility toward him.
Still, he could not be bothered with him. He was not that veteran simp Yan, and he would not indulge her.
Besides, with his talent and background, did he need to worry about no one throwing themselves at him? He had no interest in any of that bullshit romantic nonsense right now. All he wanted was to grow stronger.
Ignoring Hu Liena's murderous expression, Tian Chen cast an expressionless glance at Yan and Xie Yue beside her, then sat down with Li Kai, one on the left and the other on the right.
"What class do we have this morning?"
Out of habit from his previous life, Tian Chen instinctively asked Li Kai beside him.
"A theory class on Soul Beasts."
"Then we're good. I'll sleep for a bit. Keep watch for me."
"..." Li Kai.
When he had first transmigrated to the Douluo Continent, Tian Chen had been very interested in its unique Soul Beasts. He had asked Tian E to get him an illustrated Soul Beast encyclopedia and would flip through it whenever he had nothing to do during the years before his Martial Soul awakened. Almost all its contents were already imprinted in his mind.
Besides, he knew Li Yuan probably would not make things difficult for him.
Tian Chen only woke up when class ended. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the short-haired blonde Hu Liena standing beside his seat with a frosty expression, blocking his way. He asked impatiently,
"What?"
"I want to challenge you!"
"Oh."
"I said! I want to challenge you!"
"Oh..."
"Want to get something to eat, Li Kai?"
Are you an idiot? Just because you challenge me, I have to accept? Does being pretty make you so great?
Tian Chen could not be bothered with this self-important person. Taking a bewildered Li Kai with him, he left the classroom.
"Young Master Tian, she's the Supreme Pontiff's personal disciple. Isn't it a bad idea to offend her like this?"
Looking at Tian Chen's unconcerned demeanor, Li Kai could not help asking.
"It's nothing. Let's eat first."
"Uh, well..." Li Kai.
Tian Chen and Li Kai happily made their way to the third floor of Spirit Hall Academy's dining hall, where they enjoyed nutritious meals made with various medicinal tonics and Soul Beast meat.
Hu Liena, on the other hand, was having a miserable time.
Everything had gone smoothly for her since childhood. Her talent was astonishing, and the Supreme Pontiff had even taken her as a personal disciple.
When had she ever suffered such an indignity?
Feeling the strange looks from the others in class, Hu Liena's fair, pretty face flushed crimson with anger, and she ground her pearly teeth fiercely.
In the end, she was only a child not yet seven years old, without such deep reserves of cunning.
So angry that she no longer cared about her image, she rolled up her sleeves and was about to chase after Tian Chen and Li Kai.
"Nana, calm down."
Seeing Hu Liena lose control of her emotions and prepare to chase after Tian Chen, Xie Yue hurriedly grabbed one of her arms.
Xie Yue had always been the most mature of the three, and more importantly, he did not think his younger sister could defeat Tian Chen.
"He's the Second Worship's grandson. Don't make trouble for Her Holiness."
"Nana, why don't I challenge him? I'll vent your anger for you."
Yan's simp sickness seemed to have flared up again, and he kept fawning over her.
He thought he could do it again, as though he had already forgotten how Tian Chen had torn apart a Diamond Tiger with his bare hands yesterday.
But a simp would never get the house in the end. Hu Liena did not appreciate his gesture and instead shoved Yan away.
"My business is none of yours!"
Then she broke free of Xie Yue's right hand, which had not been holding her with much force, and headed toward Spirit Hall Academy's dining hall.