Spring passed, and autumn arrived.
More than two years had passed since Ye Qiu first came to Notting Academy, and nearly a year had gone by since he asked Xiao Wu to help him gather information about the immortal herbs.
Everything progressed so smoothly that it felt unreal.
At first, Ye Qiu had expected some resistance. Unexpectedly, it all happened on that very first day.
Xiao Wu had merely flipped through the booklet in front of Tang San, yet he immediately lost control. In order to gain her forgiveness and grow closer to her, he confessed everything without reservation.
Perhaps Tang San spoke so freely because he believed these immortal herbs were too ethereal to be real.
Regardless, Ye Qiu got what he wanted.
Moreover, through frequent sparring between Xiao Wu and Tang San, Tang San's Xuan Yu Hand, Ghost Shadow Misty Steps, and Crane Control Dragon Capture had been almost completely copied.
Aside from techniques related to hidden weapons, poison, and the Chaotic Cloak, Tang San's three great legacies had been nearly drained dry.
Ye Qiu knew what he was doing was improper, but becoming enemies was only a matter of time. It had been destined from the moment Xiao Wu entered his life.
After all, the third principle of the Xuan Tian Bao Lu stated:
If you are certain your opponent possesses the means to kill you, show no mercy.
...
In Dormitory Seven, only Ye Qiu remained. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he cultivated in silence.
"Sigh…" He let out a long breath, helplessness evident in his voice.
His soul power had already reached level ten, yet his Sharingan remained stuck at the two-tomoe stage.
Because of this, he was unable to attach a soul ring to his martial soul.
He refused to simply attach a four-hundred-year soul ring.
---
Through years of observation and understanding, Ye Qiu knew that the intelligence of soul beasts was extremely difficult to awaken. Although they indeed possessed advantages over humans in physical strength and raw soul power, humans were superior when it came to spirit and mental strength.
The Sharingan could greatly enhance Ye Qiu's mental power, and for his plans, the three-tomoe state was the most perfect and suitable form.
Maximizing profit—
"Hoo…" Ye Qiu slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and stopped dwelling on it. If it truly didn't work out, he would have no choice but to make do with the two-magatama state for now.
As usual, he glanced toward the bed beside him.
Xiao Wu, who normally liked to cling to him, had been gone all night. He couldn't help but miss her a little. Ye Qiu naturally knew what she was doing.
I wonder if she's condensed her second soul ring yet.
Thinking of this, the corners of Ye Qiu's lips slowly lifted into a smile. However, when his gaze shifted to the bed on the other side of Xiao Wu's, his expression immediately turned cold.
That was Tang San's shameless bed.
Perhaps because Xiao Wu often sparred with him, Tang San had developed some ridiculous misunderstanding—maybe even a severe case of erotomania.
When Xiao Wu was around, he didn't dare cause trouble. But after Xiao Wu left, Ye Qiu returned late last night only to find that Tang San had actually moved his bed right next to hers.
It was extremely annoying.
Click.
The door to Dormitory Seven opened, and a boy with somewhat dark skin walked in.
Ye Qiu's gaze swept over him, and he immediately sensed it—Tang San had broken through again.
Tang San smiled as if he had just noticed Ye Qiu.
"Eh? Ye Qiu, still cultivating? You're really diligent."
Although it sounded like praise, Ye Qiu heard nothing but mockery.
"Hm," Ye Qiu replied coldly.
Tang San didn't seem to care. He walked over to his bed and began tidying up, chatting nonstop.
"Oh, right, I've got some good news! I've broken through to level twenty! The teacher will take me to obtain my second soul ring soon…"
"Then congratulations," Ye Qiu said indifferently. "You'll soon be a Great Soul Master."
"Haha… thanks! But compared to Xiao Wu, I'm still a little slower. Still, it doesn't matter. After today, Xiao Wu and I will both be two-ring Soul Masters."
As he spoke, Tang San's expression grew increasingly smug, and a trace of tenderness even flickered in his eyes.
Ye Qiu observed all of this without saying anything further, only curling his lips in disdain.
After finishing his preparations, Tang San stored his belongings using the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlight. He walked to the door, opened it, then suddenly turned back.
"Ye Qiu, you'd better work harder," Tang San said meaningfully.
"Otherwise… Xiao Wu—hehe."
With that, he left.
"Heh…" Ye Qiu found the situation laughable.
"What is this? A show of dominance? Or a warning for me to know my place and stay away from Xiao Wu?"
Tang San's behavior was nothing short of an insult—essentially saying:
Who do you think you are? You don't even deserve to stand beside Xiao Wu.
"Ah~" Ye Qiu stretched lazily and decided to stop cultivating for the time being. He headed out, planning to practice Ghost Shadow Steps or something similar.
Ye Qiu left, and Dormitory Seven became completely empty.
...
Noon
Bang!
The door to Dormitory Seven was suddenly kicked open.
Who would dare be so presumptuous in the dormitory of Notting Academy's big sister?
Wang Sheng and the others inside were already used to it—after all, only Little Wu dared to act this way.
Before anyone even saw her, her voice rang out clearly.
"Xiao Qiu, I'm back!"
Xiao Wu, arms already open, looked around in confusion.
"Huh? Where's Xiao Qiu?"
"Sister Xiaowu, have you really become a Great Soul Master?" Wang Sheng ran up to her, circling her excitedly. He had never seen such a young Great Soul Master before.
"Of course!" Xiao Wu replied proudly. "I already went to the Spirit Hall for verification, and I even brought back some gold soul coins!"
She patted the small pouch at her waist.
Xiao Wu didn't linger on the topic. She had been away for too long and missed Ye Qiu.
"By the way, where did Xiao Qiu go?"
"Oh, Ye Qiu went out this morning and hasn't come back yet," Wang Sheng replied, deliberately avoiding her gaze. For some reason, Sister Xiaowu seemed even more beautiful today.
"Oh? Is that so?" Xiao Wu pouted unhappily. "You said you'd wait for me…"
She waved Wang Sheng away and walked toward Ye Qiu's bed.
"Huh?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Xiao Wu suddenly noticed that the bed beside hers—which had long been cleared out—was now occupied again.
Didn't they know no one was allowed to sleep there?
"Wang Sheng!" Xiao Wu frowned, pointing sharply at the bed. "What's going on there?!"
"Uh… Sister Xiaowu, that's where Third Brother is sleeping now…" Wang Sheng hesitated. The affairs of two big shots weren't something he dared interfere with.
"Tang San?" Xiao Wu's eyebrows shot up. "That guy… he's really annoying!"
It was bad enough that he constantly interrupted her time with Xiao Qiu, but now he had crossed the line.
Is Xiao Qiu angry because of this?
Thinking of that, Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips and gave a decisive order.
"Throw his things out!"
"Sister Xiaowu… isn't that inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it?"
"Third Brother is also a Great Soul Master… we're scared…" Wang Sheng scratched his head and didn't dare meet her eyes.
"Hmph! Who's afraid of who?" Xiao Wu snorted.
"Sister Xiaowu will handle this herself!"
She would not tolerate anything that threatened her relationship with Xiao Qiu.
...
Dusk
As the sun set, Tang San successfully hunted a Ghost Vine and obtained his second soul skill—Parasite.
After bidding farewell to his teacher, he hurried back to the dormitory, confident that Xiao Wu should already be there.
As expected, the moment he entered, he saw Xiao Wu sitting on the edge of the bed.
She looked even more beautiful than before.
Tang San froze.
Xiao Wu's second soul skill, Charm, subtly altered her temperament. To Tang San, it was nothing short of poison.
"Xiao Wu… you're back," he said softly, his voice low and gentle, as if afraid to offend her.
"Hmph."
To his surprise, Xiao Wu ignored him completely, turning her head away with a cold snort.
Only then did Tang San notice something was wrong.
Wang Sheng and the others stood in the distance, silent and trembling. In the corridor lay a pile of scattered belongings.
---