In Spirit City, a gentle breeze carried a hint of dryness.
Dai Chengfeng, who had just left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family's estate, walked back to his residence with a satisfied smile. "I wonder if Yu Tianheng will be so angry he might die? And…"
"Will he tell his uncle, Yu Xiaogang?"
Dai Chengfeng pondered this but then shook his head, not overly concerned. The reason he had teased Yu Tianheng earlier was simply because of the relationship between Yu Tianheng and Yu Xiaogang.
Perhaps, just maybe, through Yu Tianheng's mouth, Yu Xiaogang would come to know…
But in the end, this was merely a casual move. If Yu Xiaogong misunderstood and distanced himself from Liu Erlong, that would be ideal. If he didn't know, it wouldn't matter much—it had little impact.
As he thought, Dai Chengfeng returned to his residence.
"Squeak~"
With the door opening, Dai Chengfeng paused slightly as he stepped into the room.
Inside, Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena were already waiting for him. However, they weren't sitting together; instead, each occupied a corner of the room, far apart from one another.
The air still carried a lingering misty aura mixed with moisture that hadn't fully dissipated.
Moreover, unlike their appearance earlier in the morning, both had clearly changed their clothes.
Zhu Zhuqing now wore a cold, moon-white combat outfit, while Hu Liena donned a soft pink battle skirt. Observing their hair, it was clear they had recently bathed—some strands were still damp, clinging to their pale necks or cheeks.
Evidently, they had just finished bathing not long ago…
At this moment, hearing the sound of the door opening, the two girls noticed Dai Chengfeng entering.
Instantly, almost simultaneously, they turned their heads, their gazes like 'arrows' shooting toward him.
Their eyes were filled with lingering embarrassment, frustration at being forced into a "task," and a touch of awkwardness and unnaturalness from having just completed the "task" Dai Chengfeng had assigned them.
Soon, they quickly glanced at each other, each letting out a cold laugh.
"Hmph! Big fox!"
"Heh, better than being a little cat, right?"
"Hmph!" *2
After exchanging these 'cold taunts,' the two girls swiftly averted their gazes, turning their faces away.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng's eyes swept between the two, taking in their deliberately distant and uncomfortable states.
A playful yet satisfied smirk tugged at the corners of his lips—it was exactly the effect he had hoped for.
The reason he had specifically assigned this "task" was partly to tease the two girls and see their reactions afterward…
But more importantly, his primary goal was to make the two girls open up to each other in every sense of the word.
Dai Chengfeng believed that this strong dose would dissolve the layer of unfamiliarity and estrangement caused by their short acquaintance.
It would make subsequent normal interactions—and even cooperation during battles—much more acceptable.
"Cough~"
Soon, Dai Chengfeng cleared his throat to draw the girls' attention.
"What?" *2
Dai Chengfeng smiled, unfazed by the murderous glares from the two girls. He calmly spoke, "It seems the task I assigned you was completed quite well?"
"Now that you've built some rapport, it's time to put it into practice at the soul arena!"
"Heh~"
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena shot a fierce glare at Dai Chengfeng, then turned her face away with a cold snort, pretending to ignore him. However, she stood up and moved behind him.
Zhu Zhuqing also gave Dai Chengfeng a sharp look, but similarly rose to her feet.
Seeing the two girls outwardly protesting but inwardly compliant, Dai Chengfeng paid no heed to their glaring eyes. With a smile, he gestured for them to follow. "Let's go, ladies. Business first."
The two girls stopped arguing with Dai Chengfeng, each giving a cold snort before walking out of the room.
After all, whether it was Hu Liena or Zhu Zhuqing, becoming stronger was their top priority!
One was naturally proud and didn't want to disappoint her teacher's expectations, while the other had an even more compelling reason to grow stronger—if she didn't want to face the possibility of fratricide one day…
---
Soul Arena, Spirit City.
Hu Liena stood amidst the noisy crowd, looking at the match information board. "I wonder what kind of opponents we'll be matched against today? Hopefully, it'll be interesting."
Dai Chengfeng chuckled, scanning the line of people waiting. Shaking his head, he said, "Don't expect much today. After all, encountering a strong team like the Tian Dou Imperial Academy yesterday was just luck—a rare occurrence."
"Most of the time, the opponents we match against won't be too strong."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing furrowed her brows slightly. "If the opponents are too weak, does the fight still hold any meaning?"
"After all, the quality of our opponents directly affects the effectiveness of our practical training."
"Don't worry," Dai Chengfeng said confidently, his expression relaxed. "I've already thought it through…"
"For the next few days, we'll start by fighting teams of similar strength or slightly weaker ones. The focus will be on familiarizing ourselves with each other's soul skills and getting used to our trio's combat rhythm."
"Later, when our coordination becomes smooth and our chemistry improves, we can actively head to the 'Challenge Zone' and seek out teams with significantly higher soul power levels to use as 'whetstones'!"
Instantly, a look of realization flashed in Hu Liena's eyes. "Although they're at the same level, they can't give us enough pressure. But under the condition of suppressed soul power, their abilities are still not to be underestimated."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded as well. "And such opponents… are never in short supply!"
"Exactly!"
Dai Chengfeng smiled, looking at the two girls. "Are you worried about the intensity of the fights now?"
Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena shook their heads, their eyes simultaneously flashing with a hint of excitement and fighting spirit.
Just then, the arena's announcement system rang out: "Next match: The Netherworld Fox Team versus the Mountain Shaker Team! Both teams, please enter Arena 7 within five minutes to prepare!"
"It's our turn." Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes slightly.
Dai Chengfeng smiled. "Let's go. Today's 'whetstone' has arrived."
"Mountain Shaker? Sounds like a power-type team." Hu Liena muttered.
"We'll find out soon…"
With that, Dai Chengfeng took the lead, stepping toward the entrance tunnel.
Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
Soon, the three of them reached the stage, facing a seven-member team. Each member was a muscular powerhouse, exuding an overwhelming presence.
However, as Dai Chengfeng had anticipated…
The Mountain Shaker Team's strength wasn't top-tier when compared to Dai Chengfeng and Hu Liena.
Their overall tactics and soul master combinations were inferior to those of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy team from the previous day.
Nevertheless, even so, with Dai Chengfeng intentionally restraining his power to a level where he could cooperate with Zhu Zhuqing without easily overwhelming the opponents, the battle dragged on for quite some time.
Even though Hu Liena's charm remained sharp, without Dai Chengfeng's explosive breakthroughs, she often found herself entangled by the opponent's power-type soul masters.
Zhu Zhuqing's swift attacks also lost their previous fluidity.
Her speed was ghost-like, but when cutting in, she frequently encountered the obstruction of defensive soul skills or was caught by the range of soul skills while trying to retreat, resulting in several close calls.
The two had to rely more on each other: Zhu Zhuqing used her speed to disrupt the opponent's defensive rhythm, creating a safer environment for Hu Liena to control the field; Hu Liena, in turn, tried to find key moments to unleash her charm, attempting to create openings for Zhu Zhuqing's fatal strikes.
Dai Chengfeng quietly held the center, sometimes using brute force to repel the opponent's core members, sometimes skillfully dodging attacks aimed at the two girls, acting as the glue that connected their somewhat awkward teamwork.
About half an hour later, the battle finally ended.
However, unlike yesterday, Dai Chengfeng didn't choose to leave after just one fight.
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