Chapter 29: The Ocean of Knowledge

Gu Yechén looked at Jiuying in surprise, while Jiuying, in turn, gazed at him with confusion.

Never mind how his seemingly fatal wounds had managed to heal so quickly—what truly baffled her was that, while unconscious, he had been calling out the name "Lingling" over and over again. That had left her feeling incredibly awkward; she had thought he was fighting for her.

As it turned out, it was someone named Lingling who had awakened his consciousness, causing him to stop his attack, which indirectly saved her life. It hadn't been Gu Yechén's conscious choice.

That girl named Lingling must be someone very important to big brother…

At the very moment Gu Yechén was about to strike Jiuying down, he had felt a strange sense of resonance between them—a kind of connection on the level of martial spirits.

It was the kind of bond that allowed them to understand each other without words. Gu Yechén could even hear Jiuying's inner thoughts—thoughts filled with longing and emotion, the kind reserved for family.

Gu Yechén was the first to break the silence, speaking sincerely, "I'm truly sorry. Are you… alright?"

Jiuying rubbed her tear-reddened eyes, then shook her head. "I'm fine!"

"I told you before, no matter what you hear, don't look back. So why did you come back for me?" Gu Yechén asked with a trace of reproach.

Due to the defect in Gu Yechén's martial spirit, he hadn't yet found a way to suppress it. The only thing he could do was avoid other living beings—otherwise, he would uncontrollably kill anything within a ten-meter radius, friend or foe.

Hearing his reprimand, Jiuying lowered her head like a child who had done something wrong. "Because I wanted to give you the cinnabar lotus that Old Man Sun rewarded me with… so I came back."

As she spoke, she took out a cinnabar lotus—an herb that could boost one's soul power—from her soul guide bracelet.

"Big brother, here~~"

Gu Yechén looked into her pure eyes. They were crystal clear, untouched by any shadow of impurity.

It was as if she were the most innocent soul in the entire world.

At that moment, Gu Yechén didn't know what to do. He didn't like owing favors. He already owed Lingling so much, and he didn't want to be indebted to another girl. He genuinely didn't know how he would ever repay it.

Waving his hand, Gu Yechén declined the cinnabar lotus and said seriously, "Little sister, you should keep this herb for yourself. You've already helped me a great deal—there's no need to do even more."

"We barely know each other. If you're only doing this because I look like your brother, then just helping me take a leave of absence is enough."

"As for any gifts… really, there's no need. I'm afraid I won't be able to repay them."

Jiuying pouted and silently returned the cinnabar lotus to her soul guide.

"Oh right, here… this is yours."

Then, with her soft white hand, she slowly opened her palm, revealing a purple leaf-shaped hairpin.

"So you took that hairpin. What did you even want it for?" Gu Yechén said, clearly annoyed.

Jiuying replied softly, "I really liked it. But… I realized it already has an owner. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it to play with."

"Play? That's not something to play with. If Lingling knew I lost it or gave it away, she'd skin me alive. Good thing you returned it. If you'd hidden it, I wouldn't know what to do."

Gu Yechén snatched the hairpin back and said, "Little sister, if you really like hair accessories, I'll buy you a new one next time—as a thank-you for helping with the leave request."

"Really? You said it yourself! No take-backs. I'll be waiting for that gift!" Jiuying said happily.

"You should go back now. I'll clean up here on my own. Tomorrow, I still need to report to the education committee to request compensation for what happened here."

Jiuying glanced around and asked, "But… where are you going to sleep? There's not even a bed left here. Why don't you stay at my dorm for the night?"

Gu Yechén shook his head. "That's probably not a good idea. You may look young, but you're still a girl. It's improper for a boy to stay in a girl's dorm, and against the academy's rules."

"It's not like that!"

Jiuying explained, "There are over 500 students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, divided into three levels based on soul power."

"Students with soul power below level 25 are classified as Tianwei-level, those between 25 and 30 are Tianzhi-level, and those above 30 are Tiandou-level."

"With different ranks come different dormitories. Those above level 25 get their own two-story townhouse dorm."

"So my dorm doesn't have any other girls living in it. You can stay without a problem. It's just missing an extra blanket."

After a moment of hesitation, Gu Yechén nodded. "Alright then. I'll just sleep on the couch."

...

And that was how the night unfolded between Gu Yechén and Jiuying—nothing out of the ordinary, no unexpected surprises.

...

The two passed by each other without saying much. They didn't need to. They could sense each other's thoughts. This kind of spiritual connection was strange and hard to explain.

In her heart, Jiuying said, "Today we're heading to the Heaven Dou City Grand Soul Arena to participate in a group battle. With you absent, we've just got the seven members needed."

"Captain Wang Li said all seven of us need to earn silver-level soul badges before we're allowed to return to the academy for mimicry training."

"As for your leave, Captain Wang Li said you can manage it yourself. As long as you get a copper-level soul badge, that's enough. Since you can't join our group battle anyway, you'll only be doing one-on-one fights. To be honest, you're just a backup's backup."

"If you don't want to fall too far behind, I suggest you focus on mimicry training based on the materials in the library. Three months later, you can rejoin us at the Grand Soul Arena."

"By then, your soul power should be at least level 25. Your chances of winning battles at your rank will be much higher."

"Cai Xiang and I are both near level 30, so we'll be doing real combat training instead of mimicry."

"If you don't want to be left behind, you should consider using soul power-boosting herbs like the cinnabar lotus."

"My dorm isn't locked. If you change your mind, you're welcome to come and take it anytime."

It was the first time Gu Yechén had seen Jiuying speak so seriously. Just yesterday, she was calling him a bald donkey and calling Wang Li the Demon King. Today, she was like a completely different person—graceful and composed.

In his heart, Gu Yechén replied, "No problem. Let's meet again in three months. As for the cinnabar lotus—thank you, but I'll pass."

And with that, their awkward but heartfelt conversation came to an end. They were close—ambiguous, even—but couldn't quite take that next step.

After Jiuying left, Gu Yechén headed to the second floor of the library—the vast ocean of knowledge.

As soon as he entered, he saw a few people browsing the bookshelves.

Some were rude, flipping through books carelessly just to accompany a girl.

Some were silent and focused, clearly absorbed in the sea of knowledge.

Some were refined and poised, alternating between concentration and relaxation, exuding an unmistakable aristocratic aura.

At the front-left counter sat an old man, likely in his sixties or seventies, with graying temples and a dignified posture.

Through his martial spirit sense, Gu Yechén could tell that this old man was a Soul King—at least level 50.

(End of Chapter)

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