After a long while, Xun Er and the others finally stopped their cultivation.
Xun Er's "Cultivation Level" was stable at "Eight-star Dou Ling", while Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei both had a "Cultivation Level" of "Three Stars Dou Ling".
The vigorous "Dou Qi" ebbed and flowed, and the female students near the nearby dormitory all felt a strong oppressive force. Fortunately, the three of them lived in an independent large courtyard.
"The breakthrough was quick."
The three women had yet to emerge from the marvel of the breakthrough, only feeling their bodies filled with endless power.
Their bodies brimmed with immense power, and they were all bubbling with excitement.
The breakthrough was also a bit too easy.
"Xun Er, what 'Cultivation Level' are you at now?" Hu Jia looked at Xun Er, who had undergone a complete transformation, and couldn't help but walk over. She used to not feel anything when her "Cultivation Level" was higher than Xun Er's, but now that Xun Er and the others had surpassed her, it made the usually proud and conceited Hu Jia feel somewhat inferior.
In the midst of self-isolation...
The reason why she was so arrogant in Canaan Academy, aside from her own identity, was because her own "Cultivation Level" and talent were also top-notch in the Outer Court, which is why she acted so haughty and willful.
But after a series of blows, Hu Jia's temper had dissipated; she truly felt close to shutting herself away.
Even without Xu Ran, Hu Jia probably couldn't be happy.
She had always been an extremely proud person, and if someone pulled too far ahead, she would become anxious.
"Hu Jia, what brings you here?" Xun Er's eyes took on a somewhat peculiar expression. Ever since she arrived at Canaan Academy, Hu Jia hadn't stopped coming her way.
And she wasn't in a good position to say anything about it.
Hu Jia was, after all, a girl, different from those boys; she couldn't just beat Hu Jia up.
"I should be at 'Eight-star Dou Ling', I guess?" Xun Er felt her own "Cultivation Level" and hesitated for a moment before speaking.
She, too, couldn't believe it. Even without relying on the resources of the Gu Clan, outside, she could still grow so fast.
In fact, Xu Ran could have helped her improve even faster, but she needed time to consolidate her "Cultivation Level". At least for the coming half a year, Xu Ran wouldn't help her forcefully improve her strength again. She needed to rely on her own efforts to strive for a breakthrough to "Douwang".
She set higher standards for herself because she hoped to one day stand alongside Xu Ran at the same height, watching the world's tides rise and fall together.
"Eight-star Dou Ling..."
Hu Jia's face turned bitter.
The gap was too big.
She was still only a "Great Fighter"! An "Eight-star Dou Ling" wasn't far from "Douwang" at all.
"In the Inner Court, your power should be enough to put you within the top thirty."
Hu Jia was also somewhat knowledgeable about the Inner Court, and "Eight-star Dou Ling" was quite a high "Cultivation Level" there.
"Xiao Mei, Xiao Yu, what about you two?" Hu Jia looked towards Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei, feeling both envious and kindling a fighting spirit. She absolutely would not allow herself to fall too far behind others.
Hu Jia would definitely not be inferior to anyone in this world.
"I'm just average, not as impressive as Sister Xun Er, I only have a 'Three Stars Dou Ling'." Xiao Mei said with a smiling face, moving closer to Xu Ran and snuggling into his arms.
She didn't want to compare with Xun Er, knowing that she was far behind her to begin with. Becoming this strong was already satisfying for her.
"I'm also a Three Stars Dou Ling, and it looks like my Inner Court assessment is in the bag," Xiao Yu also exclaimed, her excitement palpable. Back in Canaan Academy, she had some tough times. Her talent was only considered above average at best. In Wu Tan City, that was pretty good, but once she came to Canaan Academy, she became quite ordinary.
"You call this ordinary? Then what chance do the rest of us have to live? I remember you were only at the Dou Shi 'Cultivation Level' before, but now you've skipped right past Great Fighter and become Dou Spirits. Even your tutor, Tutor Ruolin, is only at the Great Fighter 'Cultivation Level'," Hu Jia couldn't help but roll her eyes.
She didn't even know if she should have come here today.
Because she was deeply struck by this.
All the talent she was so proud of amounted to nothing more than being a school beauty.
Others could break through more than a dozen levels in just one day, no, in just a few hours—how could she even compete?
Wuu wuu wuu...
Even if the top of the Inner Court came, they couldn't possibly surpass this.
"Hehe, right, Xun Er, Yu Er, Mei'er. I have a small favor to ask of you, and you couldn't possibly refuse me, right? Wuu wuu... If you refuse, I might not even make it into the top five in the assessments this time, with you three monsters taking up the spots..." Hu Jia whimpered pitifully as she clung to Xun Er and the others' hands, pleading.
When it comes to getting their way, women have their methods.
Don't let Hu Jia's haughtiness fool you; when it's time to act cute, she's like a natural-born actress.
Hu Jia naturally wanted to stay here.
After learning about the dense heavenly energy here that's suitable for cultivation, she was reluctant to leave.
However, Xun Er and the others were always soft-hearted, and realizing they might indeed have taken Hu Jia's spots, they thought that if Hu Jia didn't perform well in the Inner Court assessment, she really might fall out of the top five, so they agreed.
Of course, they were smart. It seemed like Hu Jia had nothing to do with Xu Ran at the moment, but who could say for the future? Given Hu Jia's family background and looks, which were both exceptional, they certainly wouldn't want to disregard Xu Ran's face.
They were also a bit curious.
What would Hu Jia's quirks turn into eventually...
"Wow, I love you guys so much," Hu Jia exclaimed excitedly as she kissed Xun Er and the others on the cheek before happily moving all her belongings over.
...
Hu Jia dragged Xiao Mei away to help her tidy up the room.
"Uh, Mei'er, I have something I'd like to ask you," she said, pulling Xiao Mei aside and whispering furtively.
"What's up? Just tell me what it is, but I'm not going to listen to you, I am loyal to Brother Xu Ran," Xiao Mei said, clearly aware of Hu Jia's infamous reputation, folding her arms over her chest and watching her warily.
"So, what hobbies does Xu Ran have? What can I do to make Xu Ran forgive me?" Hu Jia was now utterly certain. She, of course, planned to work hard on her cultivation, but she also needed to solidify her relationship with Xu Ran.
If she could get one or two elixirs from Xu Ran, wouldn't that be...
Starting now, she decided to become a fawning cat.
As long as it made her stronger, she...
"Sister Hu Jia, are you feverish? You've changed completely; you never used to back down. But you know, Brother Xu Ran is really nice. He won't hold anything against you, so don't worry," Xiao Mei assured her.
"But..." Hu Jia grimaced. What she wanted were the elixirs! She wanted to eat elixirs like candy too!
"However, if you want Brother Xu Ran to give you elixirs, it's actually quite simple. Brother Xu Ran said as long as we make him happy, he could make us happy too," Xiao Mei said, batting her sparkling big eyes and glancing enviously at Hu Jia's enticing figure.