Chapter 158 Mission Reward_1

"You still have the nerve to say that, even when you're so powerful, yet still such a lecher." Shui Bing'er's pretty face turned slightly red, at a loss for words upon hearing Xu Ran's shameless remarks. Yet, what Xu Ran said was indeed true; if they both became Xu Ran's women, then she and Yue'er wouldn't have to part in the future.

"It's not something I can control," Xu Ran replied casually, lying on Shui Bing'er's thigh and yawning. "Besides, I'm hardly what you'd call a strong person. I'm definitely not the type of senior you're imagining. In fact, I'm younger than you."

He certainly didn't want Shui Bing'er and the others to misunderstand him as an old man preying on the young.

"Really?" Shui Bing'er was surprised, her beautiful eyes wide as she looked at Xu Ran.

She had already suspected that Xu Ran wasn't very old because the youthful vibrancy in his eyes was not something an old senior would possess.

But to be younger than her?

How could that be possible?

"My strength is just as you've seen, merely that of a Soul Elder," Xu Ran shrugged and continued to explain.

"Then how were you so strong before? And how did you manage to help so many people from our college break through?" Shui Bing'er asked, puzzled.

"I have some secret techniques that can temporarily increase my strength to a very powerful level, but they also cause me some damage. That's why I fell unconscious after using it last time. After that, you all saved me and brought me back to Tianshui College."

"As for helping you achieve a breakthrough, that involves other matters. Those I cannot tell you about just yet." Xu Ran smiled mysteriously.

"Is that so?" Shui Bing'er was taken aback and silent for a moment.

Though she now knew Xu Ran wasn't a strong fighter, he seemed to have become even more mysterious.

Before, they could guess that Xu Ran might be an unmatched strong fighter. But now, who exactly was Xu Ran?

A Soul Elder capable of using secret techniques to possess some of the most top-notch combat power in the world?

A Soul Elder who could casually cause thousands of Tian Shui College students to break through collectively?

Is that truly something a Soul Elder could achieve?

If Xu Ran claimed to be an unmatched strong fighter, they could understand. But claiming to be a Soul Elder and accomplishing such terrifying feats, even though Xu Ran spoke lightly of them, how could he be ordinary?

Even though they now knew he wasn't the unmatched strong fighter they had imagined, Xu Ran seemed to be even more enigmatic, shrouded in a fog that made him impossible to see through.

"What? Don't believe me?"

"This is my waist token. I am a student of Shrek Academy." Xu Ran took out a dark green token from his Storage Soul Guidance Device, on which was carved the pattern of an odd soul beast.

"Shrek Academy." Shui Bing'er read the characters inscribed on the token, etching the name deeply into her mind. At that moment, she utterly believed Xu Ran's words.

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel relieved. Even though Xu Ran wasn't the supreme strong fighter, he was someone she found herself liking even more. The slight sense of distance in her heart had vanished completely.

"Hmph, and you're even younger than me, yet you dared to pose as such a powerful figure. Even Auntie Shui Miao was deceived by you," Shui Bing'er said with a coquettish snort, a hint of playful arrogance in her voice. However, her affectionate demeanor was even more pronounced than before.

After all, although she had adored Xu Ran before, she felt somewhat inferior when it came to his identity and status. Now that Xu Ran was a student just like her, it evened the playing field somewhat.

No matter how talented Xu Ran was, at least in terms of status, they were similar, which naturally bridged the distance between them.

At that moment, Shui Bing'er's little hands were gently kneading Xu Ran's face, her actions betraying a touch of dissatisfaction. Xu Ran had deceived her for so long.

When she first interacted with Xu Ran, she was so nervous about his identity for a long time.

"What else could I have done? If you all knew my true identity, wouldn't you tear me to pieces? After all, my first kiss ended up with you," Xu Ran said with a laugh. He felt wronged— it was all their imagination running wild; he had never claimed to be some peerless powerhouse.

"Hmph." Shui Bing'er snorted again, her mind flashing back to the scene where she and Yue'er had taken turns kissing and feeding Xu Ran when he was unconscious. At that time, they hadn't had any real interaction with Xu Ran, and it was only because of the imposing aura of a supposedly peerless powerhouse that they had taken such measures.

Back then, had they known Xu Ran was not the kind of figure who could easily destroy Tianshui College and the Shui Family, but just a genius, they would never have willingly kissed a stranger.

"But my strength is actually pretty powerful. Even though my 'Cultivation Level' is only that of a Soul Elder, it's not much different from a Soul Emperor. It's more than enough to be your teacher."

"Mhm," Shui Bing'er nodded. She would obviously not underestimate him just because of his 'Cultivation Level'. Xu Ran at this 'Cultivation Level' could do things that even a Titled Douluo couldn't, and his future achievements were probably far beyond their imagination.

Plus, Xu Ran might even reach that realm one day.

"What about Yue'er then? You're so bad; if Yue'er finds out about us, will she be mad?" Shui Bing'er no longer focused on Xu Ran's 'Cultivation Level' or identity but instead spoke with a worried expression.

Sisters serving the same husband, although not uncommon on the Continent, still left her feeling out of her depth.

"What's there to be afraid of? Yue'er won't blame you," Xu Ran said with a smile, sitting up from Shui Bing'er's legs and suddenly pinning her down.

"Don't overthink it. No matter what happens, everything is under my control," Xu Ran said, looking into Shui Bing'er's bright, spring-water-like eyes, and once again he couldn't help himself and kissed her deeply.

Xu Ran and Shui Bing'er ended up spending most of the day outside. During that time, while Xu Ran didn't do much to Shui Bing'er, he couldn't avoid being somewhat handsy.

However, Xu Ran didn't go too far. Shui Bing'er was different from Shui Yue'er. Shui Yue'er was bold, open, and enthusiastic, so Xu Ran could make his move directly. But Shui Bing'er was thin-skinned, and even though she was the captain of the Tian Shui Battle Team and matured and wise on the surface, she was not much different from a young girl in that aspect.

Xu Ran naturally needed to give her time to gradually adapt.

Gobbling someone up without considering their feelings was not Xu Ran's style.

"Ding, congratulations to the 'Host' for completing the mission."

"Ding, congratulations to the 'Host' for receiving the mission reward: one thousand Skill Points and five pieces of Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow. The 'Host' now has a total of four thousand one hundred Skill Points."

"Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow is a priceless treasure. If these treasures are absorbed, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's already impressive Martial Souls could undergo a transformation and have a chance to evolve into Ultimate Ice. Shui Yue'er and the others' Martial Souls are a bit weaker, but this will still bring them considerable benefits," the System Miss explained.

Even in the far northern lands, a treasure like Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow was exceedingly precious. Even though there were only five pieces, for Shui Bing'er and the others, it was already more than enough.