"Zhu Qing, I'm a little surprised to see you here tonight."
Ma Hongjun's eyes sparkled with a gentle smile.
His calm, pleasant voice eased Zhu Zhuqing's nervousness little by little.
Looking at the red-haired boy's handsome face, the girl summoned her courage, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.
Ma Hongjun looked down at Zhu Zhuqing, who was now inches from him. Still smiling, he wrapped his arms around her waist.
With a slight pull, he drew her entire body against his.
Bang—
The door closed with a soft thud, and the hallway returned to darkness.
Inside the room, Zhu Zhuqing was clearly uneasy. It was her first time here, and she clutched Ma Hongjun's sleeve tightly.
Ma Hongjun smiled tenderly, took her hand in his, and gently held it.
Her ears flushed red with heat, and though she was shy, she encouraged herself silently.
This was a rare opportunity—tonight, she had to make it count. She couldn't let it slip by.
Determination lit up her eyes as she suddenly looked up.
She reached out and stroked Ma Hongjun's cheek, her fingers sliding downward slowly.
She tried to undo his shirt buttons, but her nervous fingers fumbled even on the first one.
To hide her awkwardness, she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, eyes narrowed slightly.
Her lashes quivered from nervousness.
Ma Hongjun didn't stop her or react—he simply watched with calm amusement.
After some effort, Zhu Zhuqing finally managed to unbutton his shirt. Her face was flushed and covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
Ma Hongjun reclined against the bed, his gaze fixed on her.
Zhu Zhuqing continued boldly. She tugged off half of his shirt, which had already slipped down his shoulders.
The tension from before had mostly faded.
She had done her homework before coming here. Though still a bit anxious, she was getting the hang of it quickly.
Their bodies soon intertwined, and a faint red glow flickered at the edge of the bed.
The next morning, Ma Hongjun rubbed his temples as he woke up.
He was alone in the room. Zhu Zhuqing had left at some point during the night.
She had been terribly nervous at first—completely stiff and hesitant.
But the longer it went on, the more intense she became. She was even harder to handle than Xiao Wu.
Ma Hongjun had a strange feeling that the girls had somehow made a pact. They'd come at him one after another last night and nearly drained him dry.
He exhaled heavily and forced himself to get up.
When he arrived at the training ground, he saw a group of girls gathered, seemingly chatting about something.
Zhu Zhuqing was surrounded, and the others seemed to be teasing her.
When Ma Hongjun approached, Dai Mubai and Oscar, who had been nearby with nothing to do, looked over.
"Fatty, you're running late today. That's not like you."
Oscar said casually.
Ma Hongjun was usually the first to arrive, but this time, he was the last.
"I've been exhausted lately. Slept in a bit," Ma Hongjun replied calmly, showing no sign of abnormality.
After what he endured last night, the fact he could even stand was impressive.
Behind him, Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him shyly, stealing secret glances.
Xiao Wu and Gu Yuena, who were nearby, gave Ma Hongjun meaningful looks.
Seeing their expressions, he immediately understood what they were implying and quickly turned away, avoiding eye contact.
Ning Rongrong, standing to the side, didn't notice the subtle tension. She kept smiling sweetly at Ma Hongjun, unaware that all the other girls had already taken the initiative and claimed their spots.
Before long, Flander appeared, arm-in-arm with Liu Erlong, looking quite pleased with himself.
After a romantic night, he was understandably in a good mood.
Liu Erlong shot him a glare, clearly finding his behavior a bit over-the-top.
"Dean, what are you doing?"
Oscar's eyes widened as he looked at Flander's arm around Liu Erlong, full of curiosity.
In the past, the old dean had never dared to act so boldly. He had always just admired Liu Erlong from afar.
As someone who had been raised by Flander, Oscar knew him well.
If their relationship hadn't already been made public, Flander would never have dared to show off like this.
"I told you to keep a low profile. See? These kids noticed you the moment you got here."
Liu Erlong gave Flander a sidelong glance and pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
Flander winced in pain but didn't dare cry out in front of everyone.
He leaned in and whispered for mercy.
"Okay, Erlong. I was wrong. Please forgive me this time."
Seeing him admit his mistake, Liu Erlong finally let go.
Flander coughed twice to compose himself, then turned to the students with a serious look.
"I'm sure you all know—the Advanced Spirit Master Tournament is about to begin. You don't have much time left."
"Besides Dai Mubai, who's already at level 40, the rest of you need to work harder. Try to reach level 40 before the tournament starts."
"In the meantime, Dai Mubai, you'll go with Zhao Wuji to get your next spirit ring. The rest of you, begin focused training!"
Flander instructed.
"Dean, you mentioned special training before. What kind of training will it be?"
Ning Rongrong asked with curiosity.
Her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had its own cultivation methods.
If the dean wasn't familiar with their techniques, she could rely on her sect's guidance instead.
"Your Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda's main function on the battlefield is to boost your teammates."
"Each tier provides a different enhancement. Sometimes, you'll need to boost two or even three teammates at the same time. If you don't have precise control over your martial spirit, you'll waste its potential."
"Your training will focus on control—learning to handle multiple tasks at once."
Flander explained lightly.
Ning Rongrong nodded seriously.
That was indeed how their sect trained. Her father could simultaneously enhance seven teammates, each with a different attribute.
She clenched her fists, a firm resolve on her face.
One day, she would become just like him.
"Teacher, I think I'll break through to level 40 in a few days. I'd like to join Boss Dai and get my spirit ring."
Ma Hongjun said.
Though still at level 39, he knew it wouldn't take long to advance.
"Dean, I want to go to the Spirit Beast Forest too. I've already reached level 40."
Xiao Wu raised her hand, a bit embarrassed.
The Acacia Heartbreak Red had truly been miraculous. It had increased her spirit power by seven levels in one go.
Flander was a little surprised—he hadn't expected so many of the students to have reached level 40 already.