When Tang San returned, everyone in the dormitory was cultivating except for Aotian, who was sleeping.
He moved lightly. Arriving at his bed, he discovered a food container placed beside it.
Puzzled, Tang San opened it. Inside were several fragrant chicken legs, though they had already gone cold.
"Tang San, you're back?" Xiao Wu's voice sounded out.
Tang San turned his head and saw that Xiao Wu had opened her eyes.
The others in the dormitory also awoke from their cultivation and noticed Tang San.
"This is..." Tang San asked.
Wang Sheng came down and said, "Tang San, I apologize for what happened at noon. Aotian treated us to lunch, and I packed this for you. Unfortunately, it's cold now."
Half a day had passed, and Tang San's anger had mostly dissipated. "Let's just forget about what happened," he said.
Looking at the food container, he added, "I just ate with Grandmaster, so I'm still full."
Xiao Wu hopped off her bed, rubbing her stomach. "I'm hungry. Wang Sheng, let's go eat. Since Tang San has already eaten, let's not let this food go to waste. We can take it with us and eat it."
Wang Sheng nodded. "Alright."
Xiao Wu looked at Aotian, still comfortably curled up on his bed, and furrowed her little brows.
Aotian had been sleeping ever since he returned from lunch, without cultivating at all.
She went to Aotian's side and shook him gently.
"Get up, it's time to eat."
Aotian rolled over and mumbled, "You guys go ahead. I'm not hungry."
The food in the cafeteria might seem delicious to Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng, and the others, but Aotian found it very ordinary and had no appetite for it.
He and Bibi Dong had wandered for ten years, eating practically every delicacy on the continent. His palate had become extremely discerning.
"Alright then."
Xiao Wu had no choice but to go to the cafeteria with Wang Sheng and the others.
Only Tang San and Aotian were left in the dormitory.
Tang San watched Aotian for a moment before climbing onto his own bed to lie down and rest.
He had traveled for several hours in the morning and then studied with Grandmaster for several hours in the afternoon. He was exhausted.
Before long, Tang San was fast asleep.
A little over half an hour later, Xiao Wu and the others returned.
Seeing Aotian still asleep, Xiao Wu couldn't help but shake him a few more times. "Aotian, is your martial soul a pig? You sleep from day to night and I never see you cultivate."
Aotian sat up helplessly.
He didn't need to cultivate deliberately. The Dragon Race's legacy cultivation technique was constantly circulating automatically within his body.
Besides, at his realm, cultivating on the Douluo Continent was already effectively useless.
He feared that even if he absorbed all the spiritual energy of the entire Douluo Star, it wouldn't be enough to advance his cultivation by much.
If he wanted to progress faster, he would have to go to a higher-level world, like the God Realm, or venture out into the universe.
But he had slumbered for five hundred million years. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy himself for a while. He decided he would resume his training after he grew tired of playing around. In any case, no one here could threaten his life.
Xiao Wu had just finished eating and didn't want to start cultivating immediately. Seeing Aotian was up, she said, "Let's go for a walk outside."
Aotian suddenly frowned. He sensed a wave of spiritual power, at the level of a Titled Douluo, coming from outside and enveloping Xiao Wu.
The fluctuations of this spiritual power were somewhat familiar to him.
Due to their lack of strength, Xiao Wu and the others couldn't sense it, but it couldn't escape Aotian's notice.
His gaze sharpened, his line of sight piercing through multiple obstacles. He saw a black-robed figure standing in a dark corner not far from the dormitory building.
Tang Hao!
*Has he found out?* Aotian glanced at Xiao Wu.
"Hurry up and put on your shoes. Come take a walk with me," Xiao Wu urged.
Aotian smiled. "Alright."
Wang Sheng and the others looked on with envy. Their talent was average, so they had to cultivate arduously after eating, leaving them with little time to play.
Tang San suddenly sat up and said, "Xiao Wu, I have something to tell you."
Xiao Wu, who was just about to leave with Aotian, stopped, turned to look at Tang San, and asked, "What is it?"
Tang San said, "My soul power has reached level ten. Grandmaster is taking me to get my first soul ring tomorrow. It might take a few days."
Tang San informed Xiao Wu because she was the boss of Dormitory Seven.
After all, he was a work-study student. School started tomorrow, and then he would have to do his chores. If he was away from the Academy, his portion of the work needed to be arranged.
Xiao Wu's expression was a bit complicated. "Are soul rings really that important to you people?"
Only Aotian could understand the complexity in her expression.
Tang San nodded. "Yes. Only by hunting a soul beast to obtain a soul ring can a soul master continue to cultivate."
Wang Sheng spoke up, "Tang San, you're worried about the work-study student's chores, right? Don't worry, I'll take care of them for the few days you're gone."
Tang San nodded. "Thanks. After I get back, I'll help you guys make up for it."
"Don't mention it. After all, you're the first soul master in our dormitory," Wang Sheng said with envy.
He had been cultivating at Nuoding Academy for several years but still hadn't reached level ten soul power.
Yet Tang San was going to get his first soul ring on his very first day at the Academy. How could he not be envious?
Aside from Aotian and Xiao Wu, everyone else was also filled with envy.
Tang San looked at Aotian and said, "Aotian, Grandmaster asked me to ask you if you also want to get your first soul ring. If you do, you can come with us tomorrow."
"No need," Aotian refused.
"Let's go." Xiao Wu was in a bad mood and dragged Aotian out.
By now, the sky had completely darkened. Only the cool moonlight and the starlight brought a faint glow to the land.
Few teachers and students were walking around the campus.
Soul masters usually cultivated at night, so the campus was somewhat deserted.
Xiao Wu pulled Aotian all the way to the side of the sports ground and sat down on a large, smooth boulder.
"Aotian, why do you think people have to hunt soul beasts?"
Lying on the large boulder, Xiao Wu gazed at the stars in the sky and asked this question once again.
"Human cultivation is inseparable from soul rings. This is a natural law. It's useless no matter how much you think about it," Aotian said.
He remembered that before he fell into his long slumber, the laws weren't like this. There were no soul beasts on Douluo Star that produced a soul ring upon death.
Presumably, this thing called a soul beast appeared sometime later.
"Then nature is truly unfair to soul beasts," Xiao Wu said, her expression a little sorrowful.
Aotian reached out and pinched her cheek. "Why are you thinking so much? Don't tell me you're a soul beast?"
A flash of panic crossed Xiao Wu's large eyes. She quickly said, "Nonsense! How could someone as cute as me be a soul beast?"
Aotian just smiled and didn't press the issue.
"Did you pull me out here just to talk about this?" he asked.
Xiao Wu jumped down. "Of course not. I actually brought you out here because I want to fight you."
"Why? Didn't I already admit defeat?" Aotian asked.
Xiao Wu said, "That was out of necessity during the day. I wanted to be the boss, and if I lost to you, I wouldn't be able to. But if you lost, I was afraid you would lose face. I really just want to fight you."
"So, you chose a time at night when no one is around?"
Xiao Wu nodded happily. "This way, if I lose, I won't lose my position as boss, and if you lose, you won't lose face. Right?"
"Come on, let me see how strong you are." Xiao Wu pulled Aotian down from the boulder.
Aotian glanced at the dark corner not far away and smiled. "Alright then, let's have a good spar."
(end of chapter)