Chapter Twenty-Five: A Day of Rest (Seeking Recommendations and Support)

Adorable Bibi Dong held Xu Sheng tightly. Although he desperately wanted to break free, he could hardly force her arms apart with brute strength. Besides, that would surely wake her up.

Xu Sheng slowly lifted his gaze, looking at Bibi Dong’s exquisite features, and reached out with a trembling hand. He felt it would be better to wake her himself, lest she think he had done something to her. But his trembling hand lacked resolve; tense and nervous, it suddenly dropped, perfectly caressing her soft, baby-smooth skin. A ripple of emotion stirred in Xu Sheng’s heart.

As he realized what he had done, his heartbeat accelerated. What had he just done? Caressed Bibi Dong? This was disastrous. She would wake up any second, and if she saw him acting so rashly, he would surely be ruined. However, after a long moment, the elegant Bibi Dong only let her long eyelashes flutter slightly before returning to stillness.

The heavy stone in Xu Sheng’s heart finally settled, and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Thank goodness she didn't wake up." He carefully retracted the hand that had touched her cheek and extended his right hand. With no other choice, he focused his energy, and the Nine-Heart Blood Begonia, glowing with an eerie crimson light, slowly emerged from his palm.

The petals of the flower linked together, drifting toward his back to cover Bibi Dong’s arm. The petals wrapped around her arm with extreme gentleness, pressing against her skin and releasing a faint toxin that temporarily numbed her arm, robbing it of sensation. With a flick of his palm, the petals lifted her arm slightly, shifting it away from his back.

Having done all this, Xu Sheng quickly rose from the bed. After a comfortable stretch, he turned to look at the sleeping Bibi Dong. With her sharp, ruthless edge diminished and a touch of adorable, approachable charm in its place, she was a sight he could hardly look away from. Offering her a faint smile, Xu Sheng walked out and gently pulled the door shut behind him.

Little did he know, the moment she sensed the door close, Bibi Dong, lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes. Her expression was complex as she stared at the closed door. In truth, she had been awake for quite a while, but out of fear of making Xu Sheng feel awkward, she had pretended not to stir. As for how Xu Sheng, who had fallen asleep on the floor the night before, ended up on the bed—it was she who had carried him up.

***

After leaving Bibi Dong, Xu Sheng arrived at the academy and pushed open the door.

He was met with the sight of Hu Liena, dressed in a small white robe and radiating the pure charm of a young girl, though the dark circles under her eyes and her sleepy expression added a touch of cuteness. Xu Sheng walked toward her and said with a smile, "Liena, good morning! Did you not sleep well?"

Hu Liena gave Xu Sheng a resentful look. "Oh, it’s you, Xu Sheng. We didn't sleep at all last night; we were studying knowledge about soul beasts the whole time!"

"Oh?" Xu Sheng was slightly surprised. He looked toward Xie Yue and Yan, who were sitting behind her, their eyes also filled with fatigue. It seemed that after he had left yesterday, the three of them had undergone another round of high-intensity study.

Yan slammed his hand on the desk, rolled his eyes, and slumped down, looking incredibly disgruntled. "I can't take it anymore! I need to sleep. Not having even a moment to sleep day after day—is this even something humans are meant to endure?"

Xie Yue shook his head helplessly. "Just get up. Don't let Instructor Qi Ruo see you, or he’ll punish you again. Try cultivating your soul power; it can help alleviate the fatigue."

"Easy for you to say!" Yan retorted before closing his eyes and drifting off into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, the other three didn't know whether they should wake him or not. Xie Yue spread his hands, indicating he was powerless to help. The intensity of their studies was on a completely different level than other academies: morning theory on soul beasts, afternoon soul power cultivation, and night sessions that lasted until dawn. While this terrifying regimen boosted their cultivation rapidly, it also frequently led to sleep deprivation.

Xie Yue shook his head and turned his gaze back to Xu Sheng, asking curiously, "Xu Sheng, where did you go last night? How did you manage to avoid being stopped by the extremely strict Instructor Qi Ruo?"

Before Xu Sheng had arrived, Qi Ruo had been incredibly rigorous with the three of them. Unless it was something of vital importance, they were required to be in a constant state of study or cultivation. As for resting, that was something they didn't even dare to dream of! He hadn't expected that on Xu Sheng’s very first day, he could get away with it. How did Qi Ruo tolerate it?

Xu Sheng pondered for a moment and told a casual lie. "Me? I went to discuss some matters with the teacher, so I didn't come." He could hardly admit that he had spent the night sleeping with Bibi Dong.

Hearing this, Xie Yue couldn't help but exclaim, "I see. No wonder Instructor Qi Ruo agreed. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

***

Beside Xu Sheng, Hu Liena struggled with herself for a moment before poking his sleeve, her face slightly flushed. "Xu Sheng, um... why don't you sit next to me?"

Xu Sheng turned back, paused for a moment, and smiled lightly. "Sure."

Xie Yue took in the scene, looked at the slumbering Yan behind them with sympathy, and thought with disdain, "Yan, it seems my sister has already set her heart on someone else. Poor you, still oblivious and sleeping away!"

The next moment, he realized a serious problem. His gaze toward Xu Sheng turned cold. "Damn it! This guy is trying to steal my sister! Hiss... if only I could beat him!..."

Before he could finish his thought, Qi Ruo walked in from the doorway with a stern face. Xie Yue quickly shut his mouth, Hu Liena and Xu Sheng sat down, and Yan, who had been sleeping soundly on the desk, was startled awake by the sound of the door and sat bolt upright, staring intently at Qi Ruo.

Qi Ruo first swept his gaze over the three of them. When his eyes landed on Xu Sheng, the thought that this child was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse made him break into a cold sweat.

Qi Ruo covered his mouth and coughed. "Ahem..."

"Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, you three have worked very hard in your studies lately, so today, you may take a day off! But do not forget to cultivate your soul power!"

Yan’s eyes widened. He picked at his ear, unable to believe what he heard. "Did I hear that right? This old geezer is letting us rest? Has he lost his mind?"

Xie Yue buried his head, deep in thought. "This isn't logical. Could Qi Ruo have had a change of heart and decided to let us return to normal training? Impossible, there must be a trap!"

Hu Liena asked suspiciously, "Instructor Qi Ruo, did you misspeak? Or are you telling us to cultivate through the night instead?"

Xu Sheng remained silent, watching Qi Ruo with great curiosity, waiting for what he would say next.

Seeing the reactions of the three, Qi Ruo’s face darkened. Was he really such an unfeeling instructor in their eyes after all he had taught them?

"You heard me correctly. You have the day off! And... Xu Sheng, come with me." Qi Ruo’s gaze toward Xu Sheng was filled with a sense of reverence.