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Upon hearing Hu Liena's inquiry, Dai Chengfeng was about to introduce Zhu Zhuqing when Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke up first.
Her cold voice carried a subtle tone of declaration, one she herself hadn't noticed:
"Hello, I'm Dai Chengfeng's fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing."
As she spoke, her gaze met Hu Liena's, laced with scrutiny. "And you are? What is your relationship with Chengfeng?"
At her words, Qiu'er nestled in Dai Chengfeng's arms seemed to sense the subtle shift in the atmosphere. She stopped her contented purring and burrowed deeper into Dai Chengfeng's arm, her eyes gleaming with mischief as if she were watching a show unfold.
When Hu Liena heard Zhu Zhuqing's introduction—especially the phrase "fiancée"—her usually hazy, charming fox-like eyes widened slightly, revealing clear surprise.
Her gaze darted back and forth between Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Fiancée?"
Hu Liena looked at Dai Chengfeng, repeating the word with a tone of confirmation.
Dai Chengfeng's face remained calm and composed, neither confirming nor denying anything.
Finally, Hu Liena turned her attention back to Zhu Zhuqing, who sat there with a serene, frosty demeanor.
"So that's how it is…"
For a moment, a faint sense of loss, like a small stone dropped into a still lake, rippled through Hu Liena's heart.
But this feeling came and went quickly, vanishing almost instantly.
After all, Hu Liena admired Dai Chengfeng primarily for his talent and the rare composure he displayed beyond his years, as well as for his strength.
"The union between the Zhu and Dai families… So you're the one from the Zhu family…"
With that, Hu Liena suppressed the fleeting emotion, her lips curling into a natural smile. "Forgive me, Miss Zhu Zhuqing."
"My name is Hu Liena, Dai Chengfeng's… fellow disciple. We're both students of Her Eminence, the Pope."
Upon hearing Hu Liena's introduction, Zhu Zhuqing noted the absence of any jealousy or more complex emotions. It was clear that Hu Liena was merely surprised.
"It seems I overthought things…"
Zhu Zhuqing mused inwardly, the wariness in her eyes fading. She gave Hu Liena a slight nod:
"Nice to meet you, Miss Hu Liena, a member of the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall. Your reputation precedes you."
"I've heard of you too…"
At this point, Dai Chengfeng, seeing that Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena had finished their introductions and begun the customary pleasantries, cut in directly.
"Alright, enough with the formalities. Pause."
With that…
Dai Chengfeng turned to Hu Liena. "Hu Liena, you suddenly came looking for me. Is there something on your mind?"
Hearing this, Hu Liena's relaxed smile faded slightly, as if she'd just remembered the purpose of her visit. Curiosity and excitement reignited in her eyes, but soon after…
Her gaze unconsciously flickered toward Zhu Zhuqing sitting nearby. Her lips moved as if hesitating.
"Mmm…" she faltered, "Well… this…"
Dai Chengfeng noticed Hu Liena's subtle actions and couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head lightly. "It's fine. Go ahead and speak. We're all friends here; nothing needs to be hidden."
Dai Chengfeng didn't think Hu Liena could bring up anything that needed to be concealed from Zhu Zhuqing, given their relationship was, at most, one of friendship.
Moreover, what secrets could Hu Liena possibly have?
On the other hand, upon hearing Dai Chengfeng say "we're all friends," Zhu Zhuqing's lips tightened almost imperceptibly, and her fingers intertwined on her lap curled unconsciously.
But in the end, she said nothing, choosing to remain silent. What she was thinking remained unknown…
Seeing Dai Chengfeng's reassurance, Hu Liena no longer hesitated. The curious light in her eyes reignited, brimming with excitement as if a secret was about to be revealed. A mischievous smile spread across her lips:
"Alright, I'll get straight to the point."
Hu Liena's gaze focused intently on Dai Chengfeng's face, openly examining him with curiosity, as if trying to uncover some hidden clue:
"Dai Chengfeng, two months ago, you left Spirit City with Teacher to hunt for your fourth soul ring, right?"
Dai Chengfeng nodded, his fingertips still absentmindedly stroking Qiu'er's back, his demeanor relaxed. "Right. And then?"
Dai Chengfeng wasn't surprised that Hu Liena knew this information.
After all, it wasn't exactly a secret, and he had never tried to hide it.
Still, he was curious why Hu Liena had come to ask about this specifically.
But…
Dai Chengfeng's indifference didn't mean everyone else felt the same way.
"Fourth soul ring?!"
Suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing, seated nearby, gasped instinctively before snapping her head up to look at Dai Chengfeng. Her clear, icy eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling with disbelief:
"Dai… Dai Chengfeng, your soul power… has already reached level forty?!"
To put things in perspective, Zhu Zhuqing had trained tirelessly since childhood, yet her soul power had only reached level twenty-six!
But Dai Chengfeng, only about a year older than her, had already reached the level where he needed to obtain his fourth soul ring?!
The vast gap between them left the proud Zhu Zhuqing nearly breathless.
"Level forty… Even if you were born with full soul power, your rate of progress shouldn't be this outrageous! This… this doesn't make sense!"
The records of her family and the experiences of Star Luo Empire's strongest individuals told Zhu Zhuqing…
Dai Chengfeng's rate of soul power growth was simply inconceivable!
Meanwhile, Hu Liena observed Zhu Zhuqing's shocked expression. Her curious fox-like eyes blinked, and a thought crossed her mind.
"When I first entered, I felt there was a subtle distance between these two…"
"So this so-called 'fiancée' knows next to nothing about Dai Chengfeng's true strength… In contrast, I know him much better!"
For some reason, this realization stirred a faint sense of pride deep within Hu Liena.
"Not just level forty!"
Hu Liena spoke again, her voice carrying a deliberate emphasis, successfully drawing Zhu Zhuqing's attention once more.
"Not just level forty?"
Hu Liena nodded. "Yes! Not just!"
As she spoke, she shifted her gaze from Zhu Zhuqing's face back to Dai Chengfeng, her curiosity almost overflowing: "Dai Chengfeng, it's only been two months!"
"I came today because I was curious to ask you…"
"Just two months ago, you were barely at the level to obtain your fourth soul ring, meaning your soul power should have been around level forty. So why did Teacher say today…"
"That your current soul power level has reached forty-nine?!"
As she said this, Hu Liena's voice unconsciously rose slightly, filled with disbelief: "This… how is this possible?!"
"In just two months, you've increased by a full nine levels?! This is unheard of!"
"How did you do it? Could it be… you've discovered some kind of special cultivation technique?"
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