Toward the end of the month, evening, in front of the cafeteria.
"Brother Zhuang, do you want to team up with us for the midterm exam?" Xu Minghui asked.
"Midterm exam?" Yang Yunhai was stunned. This continent even had midterms and finals?
"It's a practical Soul Battle between classes. Three people per team, with one auxiliary soul master allowed as substitute," Xu Minghui explained. "The first dean of the academy once said that combat is the best way to keep students motivated. So this tradition has been passed down ever since."
"Makes sense." Yang Yunhai nodded. "Since I don't know anyone else, I'll join your team."
'When I return to the Douluo Continent, I should also adjust Yunhai Academy's system to add more competition.'
"I'll report it to the instructor tomorrow," Xu Minghui said.
Xue Hongchen pursed her lips but said nothing.
Since enrollment, Yang Yunhai spent his days either in class or soaking in the library, and his nights eating and cultivating soul power in his room. He was a perfect mix of talent and diligence—a true model student—which softened her attitude somewhat.
Though his mouth was always shameless, he really did work hard.
And he hadn't shown any signs of pursuing her cousin. If anything, he treated her more like a little sister next door. Cute, sweet, polite, good at cooking—what was wrong with that?
Thinking back, maybe there wasn't much of a problem.
But he still acted cold toward her.
'All I did was test his strength when we first met. Did he really have to hold a grudge this long? Feels a bit petty.'
"Thank you, Sister Jing, for making dinner. I'll head back to cultivate." Yang Yunhai picked his teeth with a toothpick and stood up.
"Loser washes the dishes." With that, he walked off with an arrogant swagger.
"…" Xue Hongchen's chest rose and fell, teeth grinding in frustration.
Xu Minghui kept his head down, scarfing food. Win or lose, the one always left behind washing dishes was his royal sister.
He had also asked about treatment for her cold poison.
Yang Yunhai had said she wouldn't die from it for now. Each outbreak could even temper her will and strengthen her spiritual power. That nearly made his cousin explode with rage.
But he had also promised that when she broke through rank 50 and obtained her next soul ring, he'd ask his teacher about it. That gave her a sliver of hope. With that, even if she complained that his very presence clashed with her fate, she held her temper.
He had her completely in his grasp.
Slurping down the last of his meal, Xu Minghui leapt up. "I'm going to cultivate too." He dashed off.
"Don't be upset, sister," Xu Mingjing whispered. "I'll help you wash later."
"No need. I, Xue Hongchen, am not afraid to lose." She huffed.
Xu Mingjing stayed quiet, nibbling slowly at her food.
—
The end of the month arrived. Morning. The academy's midterm exams began.
The Soul Battle Arena was a circular coliseum like ancient Rome, stands packed with students, with the academy's leadership seated on the main platform. On the tier below stood a beautiful instructor holding a microphone-type soul tool, giving a speech.
The stage below was a flat field two hundred meters across.
"Next, the first group of participants, enter!"
At the announcement, Yang Yunhai rose and walked into the arena with Xu Minghui and Xue Hongchen.
"Brother Zhuang, good luck! Brother, Sister, good luck too!" Xu Mingjing cheered from behind.
"A fine-looking group," commented Emperor Xu Fengyang from the main stand, attending as a special guest.
The gathered officials smiled knowingly. Of course they understood His Majesty's intent—Yang Yunhai had two Titled Douluo behind him.
"Let things happen naturally," Xu Fengya said, glancing at her younger brother. "Don't you dare meddle."
If the children genuinely liked each other, fine. But if not, she would never allow her niece to be forced into marriage.
"Yes, sister," Xu Fengyang quickly replied.
Ming Hongchen only shook his head slightly, silently watching the match, eyes fixed on Yang Yunhai.
Truth be told, he thought this "Zhuang Zhou" looked a lot like Yang Yunhai—the same height, build, hair, and eyes.
But martial souls and soul rings could not be faked. Yang Yunhai's martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, and he was already at four rings.
As the referee called for the match to begin, six martial souls flared on the field.
"???" Yang Yunhai blinked. "Hey, what's with that guy? Where's his martial soul?"
"According to Master Yang's classification, it's a Body Martial Soul—his arms. His strength is enormous," Xu Minghui explained.
"Ah, that explains it." Yang Yunhai nodded, then glanced at Xue Hongchen. After her martial soul possessed her body, her hair turned snow-white and her pupils fiery red, giving her an entirely new allure.
'Crimson-Eyed Ice Toad… what a fascinating martial soul. Built-in transformation feature.'
"Match start!" the referee called.
"Third soul skill, Radiant Dragon Ascent!" Xu Minghui spread his arms and soared upward.
"First soul skill, Growth." Yang Yunhai pretended to focus, his martial soul's roots extending rapidly, forming a thick vine that whipped out like a lash.
The opponents sneered, easily hopping over it as if skipping rope.
"Second soul skill, Parasite."
Swish, swish, swish! Suddenly, saplings sprouted from their bodies, branches and roots binding them tight.
'Brother Zhuang, you sly bastard.' Xu Minghui's eyes lit up. He nearly blurted something cheeky, then remembered all the elders were watching.
"Well done!" he shouted instead.
Even Xue Hongchen's eyes brightened. She glanced at Yang Yunhai briefly but said nothing. Complimenting him would feel like slapping her own face. Instead, she poured her emotions into strength, charging harder at their helpless foes.
"What the hell is this?!" the three opponents panicked, unable to understand when they'd been trapped.
And the roots wouldn't break, no matter how they pulled. With a crash, all three toppled.
"We surrender!" their captain cried. None of them wanted to risk a dose of Xue Hongchen's cold poison.
"Ahh…" Xu Minghui landed with a sigh. "Brother Zhuang, you make me feel useless."
"True." Yang Yunhai shamelessly nodded. "So unless we face truly strong opponents, I'll just sit out."
He tilted his head skyward with a lonely expert's expression.
"Arrogant!" Xue Hongchen couldn't stand it, especially with so many watching. She spat lightly and stalked away.
"Ah, youth." Emperor Xu Fengyang chuckled from the stands.
Once upon a time, he had been just as flamboyant—though his older sister's fists had often cut his performances short.
"I'd really like to know what kind of person his teacher is," Xu Fengya muttered, lips twitching.
"Did you get that?" Students around the stands were bewildered. "That ended way too fast. One lash, then they grew trees and collapsed. How the hell?"
"Brother Zhuang is amazing!" Xu Mingjing cried sweetly, making fists in delight.
'Just like my Yiner used to be…' Warm memories flickered in Yang Yunhai's mind, and he smiled faintly.
"Nothing special."
"Brother Zhuang, here." Xu Mingjing beamed and offered him two meat buns.
Xue Hongchen scoffed, snatched one, and bit down hard.
"Thank you, Sister Jing." Yang Yunhai smiled, taking the other and munching happily.
'What about me?' Xu Minghui nearly keeled over. His chest ached as if pierced by an arrow.
Only when his sister made another bun for him on the spot did his pain ease a little.
The second round soon began. Yang Yunhai stayed out, watching quietly.
The arena was spacious, giving Xu Mingjing time to prepare buns. Her first soul skill produced large meat buns to restore stamina, soul power, and health. Her second made small steamed buns to boost agility and speed. Her third, Barbecued Pork Bun, increased all attributes by 10%.
With buns stacked in hand, Xu Minghui and Xue Hongchen charged like tigers. Within a few rounds, they crushed their opponents.
Xu Minghui even ran his hand through his hair and strutted out with cocky steps.
On the main platform, Xu Fengyang's face twitched. But remembering Zhuang Zhou's personality, he let it pass.
'Both of them are show-offs. No wonder they get along.'
"Well done, Brother Hui!" Yang Yunhai praised freely. "And Sister Jing, you were amazing too."
"…" Xue Hongchen's face darkened, chest heaving.
'This little bastard really does clash with my fate!'
"Hmph." She plopped into her seat and turned away.
Her grandmother Xu Fengya sighed, shaking her head helplessly.
Ming Hongchen also smiled bitterly, regretting that he had told his daughter too much. It had only stoked her competitiveness, making her clash with Zhuang Zhou the instant they met.
Ming Hongchen remained silent, eyes fixed on the arena.
—
Time passed. By noon, the matches ended.
The four returned to their villa, ate Xu Mingjing's cooking, napped, and came back for the afternoon.
The midterms lasted three days—preliminaries, semifinals, and finals. The top three would receive prizes.
With Yang Yunhai's disruptive presence, their team easily swept to first place.
The reward was a pair of mechanical wings, modeled after birds. A flight-type soul tool, its strength lay in its low soul power consumption.
'Good stuff.' Yang Yunhai accepted them gladly. This technology wasn't in the library's lower floors.
'With a sample in hand, my penetrating spiritual vision, and meticulous observation, replicating this won't be hard.'
Afterward, they listened to Principal Jian Hongchen's speech, then returned to their dormitory.
"Cheers!" They clinked juice instead of wine and celebrated.
After eating their fill, everyone returned to their rooms.
At his desk, Yang Yunhai pulled out a vial of Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well spring water.
The night passed without incident. The next day, his routine resumed as always.
"This child really is steady," Jian Hongchen remarked of Yang Yunhai's disciplined lifestyle.
Teacher Yi Lin shook her head. "He may seem carefree, but his heart is mature. He doesn't need supervision. I can hardly imagine what kind of teacher raised him—there aren't many at his age with such a mindset."
"If my daughter had half his focus, I'd be satisfied," Jian Hongchen sighed. "Since Zhuang Zhou already has his own plan, we should leave him be."
"Agreed," Yi Lin said with a nod.
Thus, the days passed peacefully.
A month later, July arrived.
At dinner, Yang Yunhai sat calmly at the table and said, "I've broken through rank 40."
'Perfect timing. My business here is done. Time to leave.'
"So fast?!" Xu Minghui stared, shocked and a little crushed.
"Not bad, I guess," Yang Yunhai said humbly.
"Breaking through isn't something to brag about," Xue Hongchen huffed, staying in her proud persona.
"Congratulations, Brother Zhuang!" Xu Mingjing's big eyes sparkled, her sweet voice carrying warmth.
"Now that's how you talk. When I return, I'll bring you something good," Yang Yunhai smiled.
"Thank you, Brother Zhuang," she beamed.
"My pleasure." Yang Yunhai nodded. "I'll set out tomorrow to meet my uncle. Brother Hui, help me take leave with the instructor."
"No problem," Xu Minghui agreed readily.
"Let's eat!" Yang Yunhai raised his bowl and dug in.
Xu Minghui matched him bite for bite.
"You two are pigs," Xue Hongchen muttered.
Xu Mingjing only smiled softly, happy that her cooking was appreciated.
Afterward, Yang Yunhai picked his teeth and strode to his room.
Xu Minghui followed soon after.
At dawn, before sunrise, Yang Yunhai awoke, washed, dressed, and strode into the living room.
He laid two books, three letters, and a crimson crystal necklace on the table.
Casting one last glance at the hallway and upstairs, he opened the door and flew off into the night.
Half an hour later, Xu Minghui emerged, rubbing his neck. He froze at the sight of the table.
Rushing over, he called the others. Soon, all three stood before the items.
Each letter was addressed with a name, weighted with a gift.
Xu Minghui's letter was pinned beneath a book: "Notes on Developing Advanced Soul Skills."
Xu Mingjing's letter came with another: "Notes on Soul Power Control and Application."
Xue Hongchen's letter lay under a silver necklace, hung with a red teardrop-shaped gem the size of a pigeon's egg. Waves of golden light shimmered within, radiating faint soul power. A soul tool, clearly.
Her letter bore a single note:
"Contains Ultimate Fire Poison, capable of suppressing your cold poison. Wear it at your chest. Do not try to dismantle it, idiot."
This time, Xue Hongchen did not get angry. Her expression was complicated. She touched the gem lightly. Warmth spread through her chest, driving away the icy chill. Her pores opened under the golden glow, filling her body with comfort.
Her fingers lingered on the gem, dazed.
"Looks like Brother Zhuang won't be back," Xu Minghui sighed, flipping through his book absentmindedly—until his eyes widened.
"Whoa!" He couldn't help blurting out.
Both girls looked over.
"These books he left… they're incredible," Xu Minghui said gravely. "We should take these to Grandpa Ming immediately."
The three rushed off to the back mountain.
After reading, Ming Hongchen marveled. "This is no less important than the theory of absorbing higher-age soul rings."
Xu Fengya examined the necklace. "It contains pure life energy—perfect for nourishing the body and even extending life. The red liquid is terrifyingly potent fire energy. Suppressing Xue'er's poison will be trivial."
"I can't imagine how he produced this. It must have been difficult and costly."
Xue Hongchen's expression grew even more conflicted.
She had never expected the boy who always clashed with her to sacrifice so much behind the scenes for her sake.
"Xue'er, try it on," Jian Hongchen urged.
Xu Fengya handed it back. She put it on quickly, tucking it against her chest. Warmth spread, easing the poison. Her body felt light, her cheeks flushed.
'Pervert!' she thought, embarrassed. 'He must have measured this distance beforehand.'
"It works perfectly," Xu Fengya said.
"This debt is heavy," Jian Hongchen sighed.
'If only he hadn't left… he'd have made a fine son-in-law.'
"What a shame," Ming Hongchen lamented. "We may never meet the master behind these works."
"Don't say that," Jian Hongchen countered. "Everyone contributes in their own way. You've given your all to the Empire and the academy. Don't belittle yourself."
Ming Hongchen relaxed slightly and nodded. "I suppose I was overthinking."
"Alright, children. Back to cultivation. If fate allows, we'll meet Zhuang Zhou again."
"Yes, Grandpa Ming," they replied.
Watching them leave, Jian Hongchen muttered, "Father, maybe you shouldn't have said that last part."
His parents ignored him and returned indoors.
—
Days later, on the eastern shore of the Capricorn Plains, Yang Yunhai and Ghost Douluo boarded the Dragon Abyss Vessel and sailed into the distance.
(End of Chapter)
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