Ren Jun did not take Xu Tianyi to the academy infirmary, which could only treat simple injuries.
Although Xu Tianyi's injuries were not fatal, he had quite a few wounds.
If they were not properly treated, they might delay his cultivation.
So Ren Jun went straight to a Soul Saint-level healing Soul Master at the academy.
With this healer here, Xu Tianyi's injuries would soon mend.
Standing outside the room, Kong Xuan could also feel a tremendous vitality spreading outward.
Clearly, the treatment had begun.
Ren Jun stood by the door as well, his gaze filled with complicated emotions as he looked at Kong Xuan.
Joy, astonishment, jealousy, envy...
In that brief span, the emotions in his eyes kept shifting like colors on a palette.
As a graduate of Shrek Academy, he had seen countless geniuses.
Yet even after finally witnessing this young man's strength as he had wished, he still found it somewhat unreal.
Noticing Ren Jun's gaze, Kong Xuan looked up and met his eyes.
"Kong Xuan."
Ren Jun spoke slowly, his voice even deeper than usual. "Your performance today..."
He paused, seemingly weighing his words.
"Exceeded my expectations."
The setting sun shone through the window glass, gilding Kong Xuan's face.
His expression was calm, as though the victory that had shaken everyone present had been no more than a casual effort.
"He underestimated me." A faint smile appeared on Kong Xuan's face. "If he'd gone all out from the start, he wouldn't have lost so quickly."
Ren Jun could not help chuckling.
Wouldn't have lost so quickly?
In other words, even if Xu Tianyang had gone all out from the start, Kong Xuan still believed he could win?
He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and did not pursue that possible answer.
Changing the subject, he sighed in admiration. "To have already mastered Spear Intent at your age, you truly are without precedent!"
"As far as I remember, even Mu En, the current Master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, hadn't mastered 'intent' at your age."
Kong Xuan readily accepted Ren Jun's praise.
After all, even Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion Master ten thousand years in the future, had not mastered Spear Intent at his age.
His teacher Yun Ming had personally confirmed that!
"If you keep praising me like that, Teacher, I'll get conceited."
"There's nothing wrong with being proud. You have the right to be."
Before this, Ren Jun had never imagined that he would sincerely say something like that to a student from the Sun Moon Empire.
After their brief exchange, Ren Jun finally asked his ultimate question.
"I didn't quite understand that flight prohibition you used at the end. It wasn't a Soul Skill, and it probably wasn't a Soul Bone Skill either, much less an effect of your Spear Intent."
"That's an innate domain of my Martial Soul."
Kong Xuan's answer was brief and direct, and he seemed to have no intention of explaining further.
Ren Jun's pupils contracted sharply at those words. He had not even dared to consider that possibility.
There were many kinds of Soul Skills, but domain skills were something every Soul Master dreamed of.
An innate domain of his Martial Soul-his appraisal of both Kong Xuan's Martial Soul and Kong Xuan himself rose another level.
Ren Jun fell silent for a moment before finally nodding.
Though he was a genius himself, this teacher suddenly felt thoroughly humbled before his student Kong Xuan, to the point that he even began doubting his own talent.
Just then, the door suddenly slid open without a sound, and the vitality spilling out only moments before abruptly ceased.
Xu Tianyi emerged with a hand on the doorframe. All the wounds on his body had actually healed, though he looked somewhat weak from excessive blood loss.
Ren Jun looked at him and instructed, "Don't cultivate for the next two days. Get some proper rest."
Xu Tianyi had originally thought the competition between him and his older brother was his own business, but today he had still dragged Kong Xuan into it.
Today's defeat had been a lesson for him, but it was also enough to bring about some changes in him.
Even if only for the sake of those around him, he felt that there really were times when he could not insist on having his own way.
Only after seeing Xu Tianyi nod earnestly did Ren Jun relax a little. "Then head straight back. Remember, if you run into anything at the academy that you can't handle, come directly to me!"
Watching Ren Jun's figure disappear, Kong Xuan and Xu Tianyi finally headed outside.
The sunset's lingering glow draped the academy in a veil of reddish gold. Fiery clouds glowed red on the horizon, while a crescent moon had already risen on the other side of the sky. Night would soon fall.
Judging by Xu Tianyi's light steps, he seemed to be more or less fine.
With his dark skin, his complexion looked practically the same as usual; only his lips were a little pale.
Kong Xuan chuckled. "How did it feel to be healed by a Soul Saint?"
Xu Tianyi seemed not to hear the teasing in his voice and instead answered in all seriousness, "It felt great. My whole body was warm, and then my wounds healed really quickly..."
Kong Xuan interrupted his account of the treatment. "Sounds like you enjoyed it. Next time you run into your brother, are you planning another desperate fight like that?"
Xu Tianyi fell silent at his words. He stopped, turned to glance at Kong Xuan, and smiled. "Looks like you'll be laughing at me over this for a long time."
Kong Xuan raised an eyebrow, not expecting Xu Tianyi to actually crack a joke.
He could clearly sense the change in Xu Tianyi and knew he probably would not have to worry about him in the future.
His words, however, remained merciless. "Of course. Whose fault was it that a certain idiot tried to take him head-on?"
Xu Tianyi did not get angry. He started walking forward again, his voice carried to Kong Xuan's ears on the evening breeze. "I won't do it again!"
The two walked side by side, the sunset's last lingering rays stretching their shadows long.
They walked toward the darkness, but would eventually greet the light.
Kong Xuan, the Soul Master class monitor, had domineeringly stood up for his own and defeated a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor above his level.
After a day of brewing, word of the incident had spread throughout the academy.
Kong Xuan was now unquestionably the academy's "top star."
Whenever he walked through the academy, he could feel the gazes directed at him.
Even during lessons in the classroom, plenty of people came to "take a look."
To be honest, Kong Xuan absolutely loved the feeling.
Fortunately, this did not last too long. A few days later, the excitement died down, and his life returned somewhat to normal.
"Hello there!"
Outside the classroom, a clear voice reached Xu Wei's ears.
He involuntarily turned around and saw a slender girl standing behind him.
She was more than a head taller than Xu Wei, with striking wine-red hair that fell to her waist, its ends curling slightly.
Her ice-blue eyes were clear yet held a hint of distance, and her skin was so fair it was almost translucent. She looked as though she had been carved from ice and snow.
They stood only a step apart. Looking at the exquisite beauty before him, Xu Wei could not help blushing.
Usually loud and boisterous, he now seemed to struggle even to speak smoothly.
"H-hello. Is there something you need?"
Xu Wei unconsciously straightened up and puffed out his chest, as though that might make him a little taller.
"Could you call Kong Xuan from your class for me?"
Her next words sent a wave of disappointment through Xu Wei. So she was not here for him.
Quite a few people had come to their class looking for Kong Xuan lately, but at most, they only took a look from the doorway or windows.
This was the first time Xu Wei had encountered someone asking for him directly.
"Wait a moment. I'll go get Brother Xuan!"
Faced with such a beautiful girl, even in the world of Soul Masters, few people could bring themselves to refuse her outright.