"How could there possibly be a million-year-old soul beast? Just reaching one hundred thousand years is already an ordeal beyond imagination." Xiao Wu shook her head, clearly skeptical.
As a soul beast herself, Xiao Wu deeply understood how difficult growth was.
Though one hundred thousand years referred to cultivation level, not actual age, it still required tens of thousands of years of cultivation to reach that level.
The life of a soul beast was fraught with danger. Every single day came with the risk of being devoured by a stronger creature. To survive and reach one hundred thousand years was a one-in-a-million feat.
And to persist until a million years of cultivation—unimaginably harder.
Ao Tian chuckled: "If you don't believe me, one day when there's a chance, I'll take you to see it."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at Ao Tian and said: "If a million-year soul beast really exists, who would dare go see it? They'd just end up getting eaten."
"Then when you return to the Star Dou Forest someday, I'll go with you," Ao Tian said. "Let you see the real secrets of the forest."
"Fine." Xiao Wu instinctively replied, but quickly snapped out of it. "No! That's not okay!"
Her family and friends were all in there. How could she possibly bring a human in? Especially one with such a powerful older brother. What if they killed her kin?
Then she said: "What secrets could the Star Dou Forest possibly have? You think you know it better than me?"
Xiao Wu was visibly unconvinced.
An outsider claiming her home held secrets? If that was a joke, it wasn't funny at all.
The two returned to the dorm entrance. Xiao Wu quickly wriggled out of Ao Tian's embrace.
She was still struggling inside—should she really leave this place? Could Ao Tian's words be trusted?
Wang Sheng, Tang San, and the others were still cultivating. When they heard Ao Tian and Xiao Wu return, they just opened their eyes briefly and continued meditating.
Nighttime cultivation was a tradition among soul masters. But meditation consumed mental energy, and once that was depleted, sleep was needed to recover.
So the most they would cultivate was a few hours before going to sleep.
Ao Tian lay down directly on his bed.
Xiao Wu hesitated, then sat at the edge of hers.
She sat in silence, conflicted over whether or not she should leave, occasionally sneaking a glance at Ao Tian.
After a few minutes, she suddenly grabbed her bag and stood up.
Ao Tian opened his eyes and asked: "You don't trust me, and you're leaving?"
"I'm going to the bathhouse to shower," Xiao Wu snapped irritably, carrying her bundle and striding out.
Ao Tian's gaze followed her until he confirmed she was indeed heading toward the bathhouse, then he relaxed and closed his eyes with a faint smile.
If Xiao Wu had really wanted to leave, he wouldn't have stopped her. He'd just find it a bit of a pity.
After all, having such a cute little girl around to occasionally order about—wasn't a bad life.
Drowsy, Ao Tian fell asleep. About an hour later, Xiao Wu returned, waking him.
Wang Sheng and the others had also finished cultivating and were grabbing their washbasins to go shower.
Xiao Wu lay on her bed, pulling the soft silk quilt over herself. She looked over at Ao Tian and asked: "Aren't you going to shower?"
"No, my body isn't dirty," Ao Tian replied.
His body had long since reached a pristine state. No impurities would be discharged, not even dust could cling to him.
Xiao Wu moved away from him in disgust.
Seeing her reaction, Ao Tian laughed: "Don't you think I smell nice?"
Xiao Wu nodded: "There is a very special fragrance."
"Actually... I haven't showered in years..."
Xiao Wu froze. She remembered how she used to secretly take deep whiffs of his scent. Now, her stomach suddenly felt a bit queasy.
"I'm ignoring you. I'm going to cultivate," Xiao Wu declared as she sat cross-legged to begin her daily practice.
However, after a few minutes of meditation, she couldn't settle her mind. Her thoughts kept drifting back to everything that had happened tonight.
Her identity being exposed was extremely dangerous for her.
Though she didn't feel any danger or malice from Ao Tian or his brother, that was the only reason she had stayed.
But she still worried—had she made the wrong choice?
After half an hour of trying to cultivate, she gave up and lay down.
On her bed, she quietly moved her bundle aside and secretly watched Ao Tian's sleeping profile.
She watched and watched... and dozed off herself.
No idea how much time passed before Ao Tian suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed something rolling toward him.
Turning his head, he saw that Xiao Wu had, at some point, rolled over in her sleep.
Her sleeping posture was anything but ladylike. Without her bundle to block her, her body easily rolled toward him.
Ao Tian gently pushed her back.
But she rolled over again before long, even snuggling toward him.
Ao Tian gave up after a few attempts to push her back.
Luckily, everyone else was asleep. Otherwise, there'd be another ruckus.
…
In the morning, Xiao Wu woke to whispered gossip.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, puzzled by why Wang Sheng and the others were looking at her so weirdly, occasionally letting out snickers.
Where was Ao Tian? Xiao Wu turned her head.
Her jaw dropped, and her face froze—she had somehow ended up sleeping on Ao Tian's bed.
She whipped her head back and saw that her bundle of clothes had been kicked into the corner.
Her face turned bright red in an instant. She yanked the blanket over herself and hid inside.
Wang Sheng chuckled: "Sister Xiao Wu, time for breakfast. The opening ceremony starts soon."
Xiao Wu stayed hidden under the blanket, too embarrassed to come out.
"If you're shy, we'll go first. Catch up with us later, hehehe..." Wang Sheng and the others couldn't hold in their laughter any longer.
Only after they left did Xiao Wu come out, teeth clenched: "Ao—Tian!"
She had no memory of her nighttime rolling. So she blamed the whole thing on Ao Tian.
…
Ao Tian was the first to get up. Shortly after, Tang San woke too.
Then, Ao Tian saw Tang San and the Grandmaster leave Nuoding Academy and buy a large amount of white radishes and field supplies in Nuoding City.
He knew they were going to the Soul Hunting Forest.
If all went as expected, in a few days, Tang San would obtain a nearly 400-year-old Mandala Snake soul ring.
The academy's wide training field was packed with people, gradually dividing into groups by class.
Right before the ceremony started, Xiao Wu finally arrived.
The principal, an old man, gave a slow speech that dragged on for half an hour. Then came the dean…
An hour later, the beautiful host teacher loudly announced:
"Next, please welcome our top student from last semester— Xiao Chenyu—to give a speech!"
Amidst roaring laughter, the infamous Boss Xiao of Nuoding Academy, with a bruised face and several bumps on his forehead, blushing furiously, stepped onto the podium.
Wang Sheng and the others laughed so hard their stomachs hurt. It was deeply satisfying.
…
Three days later, around noon after class, the now mostly recovered Boss Xiao led a new challenge against the work-study students.
On the small hill behind the academy, Xiao Wu stood with Wang Sheng and nine others, facing off against more than twenty of Boss Xiao's group.
Ao Tian stood lazily at the back, watching this elementary school brawl with great interest.
.....
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