Wang Sheng watched Yu Xiaogang's retreating figure as he ran off like a madman with Tang San slung over his shoulder, and the corner of his eye twitched hard twice.
He turned to Lin Chuan beside him and took a deep breath, his expression instantly shifting from astonishment to heartfelt admiration as he exclaimed:
"Boss, you really are something. When I first saw you facing off against that fake Grandmaster, my palms were sweating for you."
"That theory about Soul Ring ages might have been plagiarized, but everyone who's anyone on the Douluo Continent is using it right now. I was really afraid he'd talk circles around you and make you suffer in silence."
"I was just worrying about how you'd refute him, but you stripped him down to his underwear with a few words, then proved through action that there's always someone greater, always another heaven beyond the heavens. Looks like I was worrying for nothing. Boss, you're the god of Dorm Seven! A thousand-year first Soul Ring-in all of Douluo history, who besides you has ever managed that?"
At those words, everyone else in Dorm Seven immediately crowded around, their eyes positively shining as they stared at Lin Chuan.
Recalling the moment Lin Chuan had revealed his first Soul Ring, that radiant purple glow had nearly made their eyes pop out of their heads.
In their minds, Lin Chuan was a genuine living immortal.
A thousand-year first Soul Ring-who else in the world could claim that?
Lin Chuan gave a soft laugh tinged with disdain:
"I told you already, his theory doesn't hold water at all. In the end, his horizons are just too narrow. He has no idea what it means for there to always be someone greater, always another heaven beyond the heavens."
"All right, forget about him for now. Look at Dorm Seven-the stench is practically reaching the heavens. Let's hurry up and give this place a thorough cleaning, or none of us will get a decent night's sleep."
Only then did everyone in Dorm Seven come back to their senses.
Thanks to Tang San's masterpiece, which could only be described as a "biological weapon," Dorm Seven now reeked so sourly that a single whiff shot straight to the crown of the head.
If they didn't clean it up soon, there probably wouldn't even be anywhere to stand tonight.
Wang Sheng immediately thumped his chest and took on the job with a smile:
"Boss, how could we let you and Sister Xiao Wu do this kind of rough work yourselves? Leave it to us. You and Sister Xiao Wu can just rest on the sidelines."
The others in Dorm Seven nodded along, chiming in over one another that they could handle all this rough work.
Hearing that, Lin Chuan glanced at Wang Sheng in mild surprise.
This kid really knows how to handle things.
But on second thought, that worked out nicely. He couldn't have them work for nothing.
He smiled and said:
"All right, I'll leave this to you, then. Tomorrow, I'm treating you all to a good meal. Don't worry about the price-eat your fill."
At those words, Dorm Seven erupted, the cheers nearly lifting the roof.
Their excitement was hardly surprising.
Everyone in Dorm Seven was a work-study student, each from a poorer family than the last. Normally, they ate the cheapest meals in the cafeteria. Forget taste; being able to fill their stomachs was good enough.
Now that their boss was taking them out for some meat, nothing could have lifted their spirits more.
Seeing this, Lin Chuan shrugged, not bothering to say anything more, and walked straight to an empty bed to get it ready.
But just then, Xiao Wu followed him over.
Xiao Wu stood beside Lin Chuan with her head lowered, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers, looking bashful and hesitant to speak.
Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow at her unusual behavior and asked in some confusion:
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? If you have something to say, just say it."
A faint blush instantly spread across Xiao Wu's cheeks, and her voice was as quiet as a mosquito's hum:
"Well... I don't really understand your human rules. I was in too much of a hurry when I came here and didn't buy any sheets or a quilt, so could I squeeze in with you?"
"Also, you smell really nice. Your presence helps my cultivation a lot."
Xiao Wu truly hadn't made up that last part.
The bloodline of an Auspicious Beast flowed through Lin Chuan's veins. To Soul Beasts, whether hundred-thousand-year beasts that had taken human form or ordinary wild beasts, that presence carried a fatal attraction.
Not only could it soothe the mind, but it could genuinely speed up cultivation, so naturally, she wanted to stay close to Lin Chuan.
At those words, Lin Chuan visibly froze for a moment, then turned his head and looked Xiao Wu up and down with a somewhat peculiar gaze.
Had this hundred-thousand-year hooligan rabbit never even filed away the idea that men and women were different?
Or did the world of Soul Beasts simply not bother with these human social conventions, going all in on innocence and simplicity?
But on second thought, how could he turn away affection delivered right to his doorstep?
In his current rotten situation, affection points were what he lacked most, and growing closer to Xiao Wu was exactly what he needed right now.
What was this called?
Having a pillow delivered just as you were getting sleepy.
The little abacus in Lin Chuan's mind clacked away, but his expression remained unchanged as he pretended to consider it:
"That's fine, but are you sure it won't be too cramped? You saw for yourself just now what sort of quality these lousy wooden beds in Dorm Seven are."
Hearing Lin Chuan relent, Xiao Wu's eyes visibly lit up. Her head bobbed like a chick pecking grain as she hurriedly said:
"It won't be cramped! I already checked. These beds can be pushed together, and yours was the closest to mine anyway."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Xiao Wu darted back to her little wooden bed in a few quick strides, without even waiting for Lin Chuan to reply.
She planted both hands on it, leaned her body into it, and gave it a push with her momentum.
Accompanied by the sound of wood scraping across the floor, the two beds slid snugly together without a gap.
Watching this, Lin Chuan couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Those movements flowed like clouds and water, and her judgment of the distance was spot-on. He wouldn't believe she hadn't rehearsed it a thousand times in her head beforehand.
This was no spur-of-the-moment idea. She'd clearly been plotting it for ages.
Lin Chuan had actually guessed right.
This was no spur-of-the-moment idea at all. She had clearly been plotting it for ages.
The little abacus in Xiao Wu's mind clicked more shrewdly than anyone's.
If she wanted to gain Lin Chuan's approval, how could she do that without getting closer to him?
Besides, the presence of an Auspicious Beast that Lin Chuan gave off was practically a natural cultivation accelerator for her. A single breath left her refreshed and clearheaded, let alone staying together every day.
That attraction was impossible to resist.
So she had long since planned everything out.
If Lin Chuan knew what was going through Xiao Wu's mind right then, he would probably have been dumbfounded on the spot.
Who said Soul Beasts weren't smart?
This was clearly far too clever.
Lin Chuan glanced at the two beds pushed together, then turned his hands over, and an ice-blue bedsheet appeared in them.
The bedsheet was made of ice silk. Snow Empress had personally prepared it for him when he left the Far North.
Moreover, the material was extremely precious, all of it taken from Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old.
There was no denying it-Snow Empress really did dote on Lin Chuan.