On the arena platform,
After a battle that could best be described as "weaklings pecking at each other," Li Chang'an and Zhang Tieniu came to a conclusion.
Bang!
Zhang Tieniu, covered in sword marks from head to toe, fell.
He had a dozen or so wounds on his body. His once-proud defense had proven as fragile as paper in the face of Li Chang'an's Jade-Scaled Sword, easily cutting through his flesh.
Had this been a real life-or-death duel, Zhang Tieniu would have been dead long ago.
Li Chang'an's sword could effortlessly pierce his chest, stab his heart, or even slice his throat—killing him would have been far too easy.
But because this was a Soul Duel spar, heavy-handed attacks were off-limits, limiting Li Chang'an's true power.
Additionally, the reason Zhang Tieniu fell wasn't due to the depth of the wounds themselves, but from a trace of poison that seeped into his body through the cuts.
Since this was a controlled duel, Li Chang'an couldn't risk killing his opponent. He carefully managed the poison on his sword, gradually increasing its potency until Zhang Tieniu was paralyzed and unable to fight back—but not dead.
Honestly, this required real skill. Poisoning someone to death is easy. Poisoning someone just enough to incapacitate them without killing them—that takes precise control.
"Match over! Winner: Li Chang'an!"
The referee announced the result. Soon after, a healer stepped onto the platform to remove the poison from Zhang Tieniu, who had collapsed in paralysis. Since the poison wasn't strong, he soon stood up again.
The dozen or so superficial wounds on his body were healed as well.
The duel didn't elicit cheers from the spectators. With three other duels happening simultaneously and neither Li Chang'an nor Zhang Tieniu being particularly famous, very few people paid attention to the result.
Everything was calm and unremarkable.
Li Chang'an quietly stepped down from the platform, returning to the spectator area to continue observing other duels.
This particular fight hadn't taught him much. His opponent was too weak—he couldn't even withstand the minor poison. Even without poison, simply using the sword, Li Chang'an could easily pierce the opponent's defenses. The iron-like hide meant to protect him could not withstand the blade's sharpness.
The opponent was too weak—or perhaps, Li Chang'an's sword was just too sharp.
Had the sword not been so razor-like, cutting through the defenses wouldn't have been effortless. The duel would have been a real challenge. Li Chang'an even had to be careful not to strike too hard, further restricting his fighting style.
"Still, fighting other Soul Masters isn't without gains. At least it made me realize that I cannot fully control my strength yet—I need to work on finesse…" Li Chang'an thought. Visiting the arena frequently to spar and hone his control was definitely worthwhile.
It also allowed him to accumulate combat experience. While it couldn't compare to real life-or-death battles, it was certainly better than nothing. At least, he wouldn't be panicked and clueless when facing an actual fight.
At noon,
Li Chang'an decided to head back to rest.
Halfway back to his dorm, he suddenly felt someone's presence. Sure enough, a familiar female voice rang in his ear:"Senior Chang'an~ what a coincidence! We meet again."
He stopped and turned around.
Sure enough, it was the girl with short purple hair and teal eyes—Du Gu Yan.
She was now wearing the school uniform, confirming that she had officially enrolled.
"So it's you, Junior Du Gu," Li Chang'an said, a faint smile appearing—neither distant nor overly familiar, just the casual demeanor of a senior addressing a junior.
But Du Gu Yan, hearing this formal address, puffed her cheeks slightly and pouted:"Junior Du Gu? Senior, isn't that a little distant? Aren't we friends? Those close to me call me Yanzi. You can call me that too."
"Alright, Yanzi," Li Chang'an replied, as if resigned, naturally changing his address.
"Mm."
Hearing the familiar tone, Du Gu Yan's face blossomed with a radiant, flower-like smile.
Since it was around lunchtime,
Li Chang'an smoothly invited his newly enrolled "junior" to have lunch together.
They chose the cafeteria.
As a noble academy, the cafeteria at Heaven Dou Academy wasn't just a cafeteria—it was more like an upscale restaurant. It had large communal halls as well as private rooms.
Since he was taking a girl to lunch, he naturally chose a private two-person room. The interior resembled a high-end modern Western restaurant. The food might not have been extraordinary, but the setting and atmosphere made even a simple meal feel luxurious.
"Yanzi, is there anything you particularly want to eat? Any dislikes? The chefs here are the best in the empire, and nothing they prepare will disappoint you," Li Chang'an asked, holding the menu and looking across at her.
"Senior, I don't have any particular tastes or dislikes. You can just order whatever you like," Du Gu Yan replied, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at him.
"Then I'll order some of the restaurant's signature dishes for you," Li Chang'an said after a moment's thought.
"Waiter!"
A neatly dressed waiter entered the room, bowing politely."How may I help you?"
"Bring everything I've marked on this menu," Li Chang'an said, handing over the menu.
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
The waiter took the menu, slowly leaving the room and gently closing the door behind him.
While waiting for the food, they naturally couldn't just sit in silence. They began to chat casually.
Du Gu Yan was unusually forward, subtly probing Li Chang'an about his romantic life—asking if he had a girlfriend, what type of girl he liked.
Her interest was obvious—she practically wore her affection on her face.
Li Chang'an played dumb, pretending not to notice. He honestly said he didn't have a girlfriend, and since he had never had feelings for a girl before, he didn't know what type he liked.
Du Gu Yan was overjoyed by his honest answer, her eyes filled with playful charm. If they had known each other longer, she might have confessed on the spot.
This girl is completely smitten!
Li Chang'an sighed internally, looking at Du Gu Yan, completely captivated by his looks. This damned world that judges by appearance!
He didn't even need to make a move—the girl was already throwing herself at him. If he weren't handsome, no one would believe it.
Tomorrow would be the first round of the new book's release!
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you want early access to nearly 60+ chapters, join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"