"Wait!"
Liu Erlong shook her head.
"What's wrong?"
Dai Chengfeng looked at Liu Erlong in confusion, unsure of what she meant.
Without answering, Liu Erlong stood up and walked to the desk. She picked up a freshly bound blue-covered book.
Instead of handing it to Dai Chengfeng, she slammed it down on the edge of the desk with a sharp "thud."
"This…take it."
"I promised you yesterday. Everything about the three-way spirit fusion technique—Flender's soul power circulation routes, key nodes, and critical points; and G... "
She paused, suppressing the nickname that almost slipped out habitually: "Yu Xiaogang's theoretical core, connection methods, and risk avoidance are all here."
"I think I've written it clearly enough. Take a look."
"If anything is unclear, ask me!"
Dai Chengfeng nodded, his smile unwavering, as if he hadn't noticed her unease at all.
He naturally reached out to take the book placed on the desk.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the cover, Liu Erlong suddenly yanked the book back, clutching it tightly in her hand!
"..."
Dai Chengfeng paused, raising his gaze to meet Liu Erlong's.
Liu Erlong met his eyes. "I'll give you this book, but Prince Dai Chengfeng…"
"When will you give me the Soul-Shaping Pill you promised?"
The Soul-Shaping Pill was incredibly important to her, and until it was in her hands, she couldn't feel at ease.
After all, Dai Chengfeng had let her down before, making her suspicious that he didn't want to give her the pill. Therefore, she believed the deal wouldn't be complete until the pill was safely in her possession.
On the other side, upon hearing Liu Erlong's demand for "cash on delivery," Dai Chengfeng was momentarily stunned, then chuckled lightly:
"Is Principal Liu afraid I might renege on my promise?"
Dai Chengfeng's tone was light, tinged with teasing. "Rest assured. I always keep my word."
As he spoke, a flicker of light flashed from the storage-type soul ring on his thumb.
A smooth jade bottle appeared in his palm out of thin air.
The bottle was translucent, and inside lay a pill the size of a longan, radiating a deep golden hue.
This was the specially "enhanced" version of the Soul-Shaping Pill!
"Principal Liu, here is the Soul-Shaping Pill you requested!"
With a gentle flick of his wrist, Dai Chengfeng tossed the jade bottle toward Liu Erlong. "Here!"
"The Soul-Shaping Pill is already ready?"
Seeing the pill Dai Chengfeng threw, Liu Erlong's eyes instantly lit up. Almost eagerly, she stepped forward to catch the bottle.
It was slightly warm to the touch.
Liu Erlong quickly uncorked the bottle. Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, causing her soul to involuntarily shudder, followed by an indescribable sense of comfort and relaxation.
"So this is the Soul-Shaping Pill?"
Murmuring to herself, Liu Erlong carefully tilted the bottle, cradling the dark golden pill in her palm. She meticulously examined it with her eyes and spiritual power.
Seeing Liu Erlong inspecting the pill, Dai Chengfeng smiled faintly, completely unfazed.
Though this Soul-Shaping Pill was tampered with, the subtlety of his alchemical techniques from Blue Star would likely baffle even someone like Yue Guan, who often refined pills. How could Liu Erlong, whose emotions were fluctuating and who wasn't a master alchemist, possibly detect anything?
Sure enough!
Despite Liu Erlong's careful scrutiny to find any irregularities with the pill…
No matter how she examined it, the pill was flawless both in appearance and internal energy. Especially the unique energy pointing directly to the soul's origin—it simply couldn't be faked!
"Phew~"
After a while, Liu Erlong's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the scrutiny in her eyes transformed into uncontrollable excitement—and gratitude.
Yes, gratitude!
She realized that the quality of this Soul-Shaping Pill far exceeded her expectations.
Thinking about it, she looked up at Dai Chengfeng. The complex emotions in her eyes nearly overflowed…
Excitement over Yu Xiaogang potentially breaking through to level 29 soul power, deep gratitude for Dai Chengfeng keeping his promise and providing such a valuable treasure, and a hint of secret shame.
"Dai… Prince Dai Chengfeng…"
Liu Erlong's voice trembled slightly, though imperceptibly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulence within her heart. "Thank you! This Soul-Shaping Pill… is excellent! I, Liu Erlong… am deeply grateful!"
With that, she carefully returned the pill to the jade bottle, clutching it tightly in her hand.
On the other side, Dai Chengfeng observed Liu Erlong's emotional shifts, a flicker of understanding flashing across his mind. "Guilt, huh?"
"As expected, just as I guessed. Liu Erlong isn't someone who plays fair. How could she be so straightforward?"
"There must be some parts of this book… problematic!"
Though thinking this, Dai Chengfeng didn't reveal it.
After all, he wasn't in a rush. It was only the second day, and Liu Erlong would stay for a month!
He was confident that before Liu Erlong left, he'd obtain all of her insights.
Thus, Dai Chengfeng simply nodded and turned his attention back to the book in Liu Erlong's other hand:
"Principal Liu seems satisfied. That's part of our agreement."
"So now…"
He tilted his chin slightly, gesturing toward the book. "Can I have that book containing the experience of the three-way spirit fusion technique?"
Liu Erlong's hand holding the jade bottle stiffened slightly.
Her eyes flickered. "Dai Chengfeng is so trustworthy, yet I deliberately wrote some crucial experiences in this book extremely vaguely…"
For a moment, a wave of guilt surged in Liu Erlong's heart, but she quickly suppressed it, forcing a somewhat strained smile:
"Of… of course."
This time, she didn't hesitate, handing the book to Dai Chengfeng with both hands.
Dai Chengfeng took the book. It was quite heavy, indicating the care put into its binding.
He casually flipped through a few pages. The ink on the paper was clear, the handwriting neat and forceful, showing that Liu Erlong had put effort into writing—at least in the parts she "chose to write."
Satisfied, Dai Chengfeng nodded and flipped his wrist, storing the book in his storage-type soul ring.
He looked at Liu Erlong: "Very good. Thank you for your hard work overnight, Principal Liu. I'll take this book."
Seeing Dai Chengfeng's satisfaction, Liu Erlong's guilt intensified. She struggled to maintain her smile, but it looked rigid.
"It's good that Prince Dai Chengfeng is satisfied."
"I… I'm a person of my word. Since I promised, I'll do my best."
She cleared her throat awkwardly, as if trying to move past this topic, forcibly changing the subject:
"Prince Dai Chengfeng, since you're satisfied with the book, shall we… continue the cultivation?"
Liu Erlong's voice regained a bit of its usual briskness, though her eyes still flickered. "Today, we'll continue. I'll guide you to familiarize yourself with the soul power circulation routes."
"And unlike yesterday, I'll simulate Flender's and Yu Xiaogang's soul power circulation routes separately, allowing you to become familiar with both."
Dai Chengfeng smiled and nodded, extending his long hand toward Liu Erlong with effortless grace: "Alright, then I'll trouble Principal Liu again!"
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