Heaven Dou Royal Academy (5)

Everyone below the platform held their breath.

But Lin Chen remained where he stood. Only when the dragon claw was three inches from him did he finally move.

Hum-

A pale gray shield of light suddenly spread open, protecting his entire body. It was his First Soul Skill, Chaos Shield.

The Thunder Dragon Claw slammed into the shield with an ear-splitting boom, sending sparks of lightning flying in every direction. But the gray shield did not budge, and only the faintest ripple passed over it.

"What?!" Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted.

That attack was enough to seriously injure an ordinary level-thirty Soul Elder, yet it could not even break through his opponent's defense?

"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might!"

He gritted his teeth, and his Second Soul Ring lit up. Countless bolts of lightning rained down, pounding the Chaos Shield in a dense barrage. The entire practice platform was engulfed in lightning so dazzling that no one could keep their eyes open.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Lin Chen was still standing where he had been, his Chaos Shield completely intact.

"Is that all you've got?" Lin Chen said flatly.

Before his words had faded, he suddenly vanished.

Third Soul Skill, Void Shift! With a swish, Lin Chen appeared instantly at Yu Tianheng's side.

Yu Tianheng reacted swiftly, twisting sideways and swinging a lightning-wreathed fist at Lin Chen's face. But Lin Chen flashed away again, vanishing into thin air and appearing behind him the next second.

Yu Tianheng felt a heavy blow between his shoulder blades as a gentle yet irresistible force struck him. His Soul Power stalled throughout his body, and the lightning vanished in an instant. He stumbled forward several steps before barely managing to steady himself.

When he looked back, Lin Chen was already standing in his original spot, as though he had never moved.

"You lost," Lin Chen said calmly.

The entire classroom fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief. Yu Tianheng, the young clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and a level-thirty-four Soul Elder, had lost without even touching the hem of Lin Chen's clothes?

And from beginning to end, Lin Chen had used only one defensive Soul Skill and one teleportation Soul Skill. He had not even used his Second Soul Skill, much less gone all out.

Dugu Yan sprang to her feet, her expression sour. "You cheated! What kind of bizarre Soul Skill is that? What kind of skill is it to rely on tricks and shortcuts?!"

"Yanzi, be quiet," Yu Tianheng barked, stopping her. His face was pale, but he straightened his back. "I lost. Your Martial Soul is unusual, and your strength truly is greater than mine." Proud though he was, he could accept defeat. He had lost this battle fair and square.

Instructor Qin walked onto the platform, his eyes full of amazement. "Good! What a fine spatial Soul Skill! Lin Chen, the potential of your Martial Soul far exceeds my expectations. From today onward, Lin Chen will be class one's class leader."

Everyone looked at one another, but no one dared object.

Strength reigned supreme, and Lin Chen had cowed every noble scion with his undeniable results. Ye Lingling raised her eyes, her cool gaze settling on Lin Chen with a hint of curiosity. Yu Feng and the Shi Mo brothers were full of awe.

The bell rang, and the students began to leave. Yu Tianheng walked up to Lin Chen and said in a low voice, "I underestimated you this time. The next time we spar, I won't lose again."

"Anytime," Lin Chen said with a nod.

Watching Yu Tianheng walk away, Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue. "Brother Lin Chen, you were so cool just now! You made him admit defeat in no time!"

"I was only testing my blade on a little ox," Lin Chen said with a smile.

During their first week at the academy, the private courtyard they had been assigned was officially made available to them.

The courtyard stood in the lakeside area on the mountain behind the academy. It had its own entrance and grounds, and occupied a vast area. The little residence had white walls and blue-tiled roofs, with flowers and plants in the front courtyard and a dedicated cultivation room and quiet room in the back. Opening a window revealed the shimmering surface of the lake. The surroundings were peaceful and elegant, comparable to a noble's estate.

"Wow! It's so big!" The moment Xiao Wu entered, she ran all over the place, touching the stone table in the courtyard one moment and darting into the cultivation room to look around the next. Her eyes shone like stars. "It's a hundred times better than the dormitory in Nuoding!"

Lin Chen followed her inside and nodded in satisfaction. The treatment at Heaven Dou Royal Academy truly left nothing to be desired. The accommodations provided to the chief core disciple were comparable to the grounds of a small sect. Having his own cultivation space also made it easier for him to secretly cultivate the Heaven-Slaying Sword and build up his own forces.

Xiao Wu eagerly set about arranging the rooms and putting away their belongings one by one. She chose the master bedroom overlooking the lake, then tidied up the secondary bedroom next door for Lin Chen. When she was done, however, she frowned and said, "Brother Lin Chen, I'm scared at night. Could I sleep in the same room as you?"

Lin Chen was wiping down the stone platform in the cultivation room. At her words, he paused and turned to look at her. The twelve-year-old girl had already grown tall, her features lively and expressive. Her pink dress set off skin fairer than snow; she was no longer the little girl who had followed behind him all those years ago.

"You're this old and still scared?" he teased with a smile.

Xiao Wu's cheeks reddened slightly. She ran over, grabbed his arm, and shook it. "I don't care. We always used to sleep together. This house is too big and empty. I can't sleep by myself."

She was telling the truth. From their meeting in Star Dou through their five years in Nuoding, the two had hardly ever been apart and had always slept close together at night. She really was not used to being separated so suddenly.

Lin Chen looked at her reddening eyes, and in the end, his heart softened. "All right. You can sleep on the bed, and I'll make a bed on the floor."

"No! The bed's so big!" Xiao Wu rose onto her tiptoes and leaned close to whisper in his ear, "Brother Lin Chen, it's not like I mind."

The girl's breath was warm, carrying a faint floral fragrance as it brushed his ear. For some reason, Lin Chen's heart trembled. He looked away and coughed lightly. "As you wish."

Xiao Wu immediately broke into a delighted smile and skipped off to fetch the bedding.

Night fell, and moonlight streamed through the window lattice, laying a sheet of silver frost across the floor.

The two lay side by side on the bed, with a little space between them. Xiao Wu lay on her side, looking at Lin Chen's profile. "Brother Lin Chen," she said softly, "do you think we'll always be like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like we are now, always together." Xiao Wu's voice was soft. "Back when we were in Star Dou, I was always wondering what the world outside was like. Now I know that as long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine."

It was as though something had gently bumped against Lin Chen's heart.

He turned to look at Xiao Wu in the moonlight. Her eyes sparkled, holding both the moonlight and his reflection. From their meeting at six to the age of twelve, six years had passed. She had grown from a naive little rabbit into a girl who could be shy and act coquettishly, and in her world, he had been the only one from beginning to end.

He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his voice low and tender. "We will. I promised you I'd never let anyone hurt you. I'll always stay by your side, too."

Xiao Wu's cheeks grew redder. She edged closer to Lin Chen, gently leaned against his shoulder, and carefully grasped his sleeve with her small hand. "Brother Lin Chen..."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." She kept her head down, her voice muffled but filled with unconcealable joy. "I just think it's so wonderful to have you."