At the entrance of the Seventh Dormitory stood a little girl. She was delicate in appearance, about the same size as Ren Arakawa, and looked to be around six years old. Her skin was pale and rosy, which made her look somewhat different from others. Her soft, pink cheeks resembled a ripe peach, making one almost want to take a bite. She was dressed simply, wearing a pink skirt that showed off her long, fair legs. Her brown hair was braided, with the end just reaching her perky rear. Her big, bright eyes curiously examined the interior of the Seventh Dormitory. What stood out most, however, were the pair of light pink bunny ears atop her head—this little detail made her appearance absolutely adorable. Combined with her large, sparkling eyes, she was irresistibly cute!
"Is this a girl?" Tang San asked, his face full of surprise.
"We are just a basic Soul Master Academy here, so there's no need to separate by gender for now. It's only at the Intermediate Soul Master Academy that we have to separate boys and girls into different dormitories. Last year and the year before, we didn't have any working students, but this year we have three," Wang Sheng explained, his voice filled with emotion.
"No one is answering me? Is this the Seventh Dormitory?" the little girl asked again.
"Yes, this is the Seventh Dormitory," Wang Sheng replied, his gaze shifting toward Ren Arakawa. He placed his hand on Ren's back and gave him a push. "Boss, a newcomer has arrived. You should try her out. Go ahead, give her a punch."
Ren, still staring at Xiao Wu, was pushed forward by Wang Sheng. He froze as he looked at Xiao Wu. He had to admit—Xiao Wu was… really… cute.
Xiao Wu seemed a little shy, her big eyes frozen in place. Thinking back to the villagers' advice, to smile when meeting new people and never hit those who smile, Ren smiled sweetly and introduced himself.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Xiao Wu. Xiao Xiao Xiao, Wu Wu Wu," she said, giggling.
"Hello, I'm Ren Arakawa. Ren Arakawa, like a mountain peak. I'm the boss here," Ren replied.
"Boss?" Xiao Wu interrupted Ren's self-introduction with a playful question. "Ren Arakawa, mountain peak. With leaves, there's a mountain. My martial soul is a rabbit. So, aren't you part of my family?"
"Heh, you're really something," Ren chuckled and continued his introduction. "My martial soul is... it's Pear Blossom. Like this. In our Seventh Dormitory, we have a rule: new students have to challenge the boss. The loser has to obey the winner and respect the winner as their superior. So, we need to learn from each other."
"Are you sure?" Xiao Wu asked confidently, smiling.
"I'm sure," Ren nodded firmly.
Ren's martial soul wasn't actually Pear Blossom, but rather the mutated Nine Heart Begonia, transformed into Nine Heart Mystical Hall. However, since the Soul Hall had certified Ren's martial soul as Pear Blossom, Ren wisely decided to use this identity to avoid unnecessary trouble.
As a time traveler, Ren knew that Xiao Wu's first soul skill—Waist Bow—was formidable. Meanwhile, Ren had learned a powerful sword-and-soul fusion technique from his master, Sword Dao Chen Xin, but hadn't yet mastered it. Nevertheless, Ren was confident that he could counter Xiao Wu, especially because he knew a fatal flaw in her Waist Bow skill.
Ren thought to himself: if he used this weakness to his advantage, he could defeat Xiao Wu. Yes, Ren Arakawa was going to be the boss!
"Alright, let's do it!" Xiao Wu excitedly handed something to Wang Sheng.
Wang Sheng took it from her, and before Ren could catch his breath, Xiao Wu charged at him. Fortunately, Ren was quick on his feet, kicking with all his strength and jumping backward just in time to avoid Xiao Wu's attack. Xiao Wu, missing her target, twisted on her toes and continued to pursue him. The two exchanged punches and kicks, a back-and-forth battle of dodging and striking, a fight that couldn't be fully explained in words.
The longer the battle went on, the more Xiao Wu admired Ren. As a soul beast with a ten-year lifespan, her combat experience was rich. Yet here was Ren, a six-year-old child, matching her move for move. In the Star Dou Forest, even the Titan Giant Ape and the Green Bull Python had to address Xiao Wu as "Big Sister Xiao Wu." Xiao Wu was excited—she was about to become the boss of the Seventh Dormitory!
In the middle of the fight, Xiao Wu suddenly glowed. Her first soul skill, the Waist Bow, allowed her to move toward Ren, treating him like a mountain. Her hands climbed over his body, appearing on his right one moment and his left the next. Just when Ren thought she was behind him, she would suddenly appear in front of him, effortlessly and almost unnaturally, as if floating. Standing with her hands behind her back, a mischievous smile appeared on her face as her legs pressed against his waist.
"Such a move! The rabbit riding the eagle..." Ren thought, realizing it was too late to react. Xiao Wu was about to grab his wrist, but Ren, with quick reflexes, managed to pull off a counter. He grabbed her wrist with both hands, stepped hard with his feet, and propelled himself forward, taking Xiao Wu by surprise.
Before Xiao Wu could focus on Ren's waist, he acted quickly, throwing her down to the ground like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
"Ouch!" Xiao Wu cried out in pain as she hit the floor. In the next moment, due to the momentum of the fall, Ren's head—or rather, his lips—suddenly came very close to hers.
"Ouch!" Xiao Wu screamed again. Her first kiss… seemed to have been lost. That was the thought that flashed through her mind.
Her head went blank. She tried to cover her lips with her hand, but everything happened too quickly for her to react in time. One second, two seconds, five seconds—Xiao Wu stared at Ren, who was now just a couple of centimeters away from her face, holding his breath.
Her first kiss was still safe.
Ren and Xiao Wu stared at each other for a moment, each wondering what to say next.
"Get up already!" Xiao Wu glared at Ren, her face flushed red with embarrassment, but she had never experienced such a defeat before.
"Take it," Ren said, standing up and letting go of Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu slowly got up from the ground, rubbing her sore bottom. Blushing, she looked at Ren and asked, "According to the rules here, do I call you boss now?"
Ding-dong!
"Congratulations! You have altered the storyline of the Douluo Continent: you defeated Wang Sheng before Tang San; then you fought Xiao Wu for the position of the Seventh Dormitory boss. Rewards: 3 points."
(End of Chapter)