After Wang Feng said that, he immediately opened his system and looked at the list of available rewards.
[Ding! Congratulations! For successfully completing the task of entering Shrek Academy, the check-in reward has been granted!]
[Reward: Evolution of one of the host's Martial Souls.]
[Since the host possesses a ten-thousand-year spirit ring, an additional reward is granted!]
[Reward: Increase the age of one spirit ring by 2,000 years. Please select: First spirit ring – Golden Lightning Leopard, or Second spirit ring – Obsidian Turtle Yin-Yang...]
Upon seeing the rewards, Wang Feng couldn't hide the surprise on his face.
No wonder the check-in tasks had specific conditions. Every time he completed one, the rewards were incredible—whether it was Martial Soul evolution or even obtaining twin Martial Souls.
This made Wang Feng even more excited to see what the next check-in task would bring. The rewards were bound to be just as amazing.
Returning to the current reward, Wang Feng decided to use the additional reward first. Without hesitation, he made his choice.
"I choose to increase the age of my first spirit ring, the Golden Lightning Leopard!"
[Ding! Choice confirmed. First spirit ring has been increased by 2,000 years!]
Wang Feng felt a surge of energy flowing through his body, first gathering around his heart where the Meteor Tear resided. The energy was then compressed and refined into pure spiritual power. Since Wang Feng had already reached level 30 in spirit power, he needed a third spirit ring to further increase his power.
"My first spirit ring is now 8,000 years old!" Wang Feng exclaimed excitedly. Since the system could increase spirit ring ages, could that mean one day all his spirit rings would be red?
He couldn't wait for the day when all nine of his spirit rings turned red.
"Now… let's look at the Martial Soul evolution."
[Ding! Please select a Martial Soul to evolve:
1. Lotus of Harmony
2. Shenlong Emperor
3. Blood Devil Emperor]
"Hmm, which one should I choose?" Wang Feng touched his chin, deep in thought about which Martial Soul to evolve.
If I choose the Shenlong Emperor, there's a chance it might break free from the suppression of the Lotus of Harmony, just like the Blood Devil Emperor. Even though the Blood Devil Emperor isn't as powerful as the Shenlong Emperor, as seen during their battle in the temple...
The Shenlong Emperor still managed to fight it evenly, even while the Blood Devil Emperor was powered by that strange energy inside the temple. That makes it dangerous.
However... the Lotus of Harmony itself already has incredibly diverse abilities. So far, I've only unlocked three of them, and each one has been powerful. If I choose to evolve it, perhaps it will awaken even more extraordinary powers.
After thinking hard for a while, Wang Feng made up his mind and pressed the selection in front of him.
He chose the Lotus of Harmony.
Suddenly, Wang Feng felt a tremendous stream of energy flow through his body. A soft but sacred light emerged from the palm of his hand, and the familiar lotus petals began to transform.
The petals, which used to emit a gentle glow, now shone brighter, with deeper golden hues and intricate patterns like ancient carvings. The once faint lotus roots were now clearly visible, connecting Wang Feng to a stronger natural energy source.
It wasn't just a visual change—he could feel a profound shift in the aura and essence of the Lotus of Harmony.
The system then gave a new notification:
[Ding! Congratulations! Lotus of Harmony has evolved into Ethereal Lotus!]
"System, give me a detailed description of the changes from Lotus of Harmony to Ethereal Lotus!" he requested excitedly.
[Ding! The Ethereal Lotus has improved in all aspects compared to its previous form. Here are the changes:
1. The Lotus can now synchronize with all surrounding energies, greatly increasing the host's Martial Soul fusion rate with others.
2. The Lotus automatically absorbs energy from the world, gradually enhancing the host's strength over time.
3. From now on, the host can use two Martial Souls at the same time. ]
Wang Feng read the description with a look of amazement. This evolution was truly incredible!
"Seems like my luck is insanely good this time," Wang Feng said with a satisfied smile.
[Ding! The next check-in location is the Star Dou Forest. The host must have at least level 40 spirit power to complete the check-in. If you possess a spirit ring older than 30,000 years, you will receive a special bonus reward.]
Wang Feng looked at the next task given by the system. He furrowed his brow. For someone like him, obtaining a 30,000-year spirit ring would be difficult, but not impossible.
The real challenge was increasing his spirit power level. Wang Feng let out a bitter smile. Looks like I'll need to push past my limits to stimulate the Meteor Tear's energy even further. That was the only solution he could think of to boost his spirit power quickly.
Wang Feng stepped out of the bathroom, this time fully dressed—so Wang Dong didn't complain. However, since Wang Feng had defeated him so easily, the usually prideful Wang Dong refused to speak to him.
As night fell, Wang Feng, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong gathered in their room. Wang Dong's occasional shouting made it clear that they were arguing about something.
The problem was simple but annoying—there were only two beds in their room. Initially, when the room was just for Huo Yuhao and Wang Feng, the beds were enough. But now, with Wang Dong's arrival, two beds weren't enough for the three of them.
"Wang Feng, why don't you sleep outside? Yuhao and I will sleep inside," Wang Dong said in a demanding tone.
Wang Feng frowned, not pleased with the suggestion. "Are you serious? Why me? Even if it's better than asking Yuhao to do it, why shouldn't you be the one to sleep outside?"
Wang Dong huffed, crossing his arms. "Because I don't want to! I can't sleep without a comfortable bed."
Huo Yuhao, stuck in the middle, could only smile awkwardly. "How about we find another solution? Maybe we can ask for an extra mattress?"
Wang Feng sighed. "It's already late. The academy office is probably closed now." He glanced at the beds. "How about we push the beds together and the three of us sleep on them?"
Wang Dong immediately protested. "What?! The three of us? No way, no way! I'm not sleeping squished between you two!"
Wang Feng raised an eyebrow. "Then, where do you plan to sleep?"
Wang Dong gritted his teeth. "I'll sleep on the floor if I have to!"
Wang Feng shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm not giving in."
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, feeling a bit guilty. "How about we play rock-paper-scissors? Whoever loses sleeps on the floor?"
Wang Dong looked hesitant but eventually nodded. "Alright, that's fair."
And so, the three of them sat on the floor and started playing rock-paper-scissors to determine who would sleep on the floor that night.
As the game progressed, tension filled the air between them. Eventually, the result was clear—Wang Feng lost.
Wang Dong immediately grinned in satisfaction. "Great! Now you're the one sleeping on the floor."
Wang Feng sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine. I'll sleep on the floor." With a look of protest, he grabbed a pillow and blanket and lay down on the cold wooden floor.
As time passed and night deepened, Huo Yuhao accidentally woke up and glanced down, noticing Wang Feng sleeping on the floor. The moonlight shining through the window lit up his sleeping face. But Huo Yuhao knew very well how uncomfortable it must be to sleep without a proper bed.
He felt bad. He knew how awful it was to sleep on the hard floor—he'd experienced it himself many times in the past. Slowly, he sat on the edge of his bed and whispered, "Wang Feng, are you still awake?"
Wang Feng didn't respond immediately. At first, Huo Yuhao thought he was already asleep, but a few seconds later, Wang Feng murmured sleepily, his voice drowsy. "...Hm? What is it?"
Huo Yuhao bit his lip hesitantly before finally saying, "If you want, I can sleep on the floor, and you can take my bed."
Wang Feng opened his eyes slightly and looked at Yuhao with a sleepy expression, then frowned. "Why are you suddenly saying that?"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head a little awkwardly. "It's just... sleeping on the floor must be really uncomfortable, right? You can take my bed instead."
Wang Feng stared at him for a few seconds before chuckling softly. "Yuhao, I'm not a child who needs pity. I can sleep on the floor just fine."
"But—"
"If you really want to help, how about we just share the bed?" Wang Feng said with a small grin, his tone casual.
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion. His pale cheeks slowly turned red, and he fell silent, looking uncertain. "W-What?"
Wang Feng shrugged. "The bed's wide enough. If you feel bad letting me sleep on the floor, sharing is the more reasonable choice, right?"
Huo Yuhao looked at him hesitantly. "But... isn't that kind of weird?"
Wang Feng gave a small smile. "Yuhao, we're both guys. Why make a big deal out of it? Or... are you afraid I'll try something on you?" he said teasingly.
Huo Yuhao turned even redder. "T-That's not it! It's just..." He bit his lip, still unsure.
Wang Feng figured Huo Yuhao might be misunderstanding him because of what happened that morning. He explained, "About what happened earlier this morning, I didn't do that on purpose."
"It's not because of that, it's just..." Huo Yuhao responded.
After a brief silence, Huo Yuhao finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "...Alright. But don't sleep too close to me."
Wang Feng chuckled and got up from the floor. "Alright, alright. I promise."
And so, Wang Feng climbed into bed and lay on the other side, keeping a good distance between them. At first, it still felt a little awkward, but the warmth of the mattress was much more comfortable than the cold floor.
Before long, both of them had fallen asleep, while Wang Dong, still fast asleep, didn't notice the change.
That morning, soft sunlight slipped through the window, lighting up their dorm room. Huo Yuhao was the first to wake up, as usual. He needed to practice the Purple Demon Eye technique, which had been passed down to him when he joined the Tang Sect. The technique suited him well, especially since his Martial Soul was closely tied to his eyes.
However, as Huo Yuhao tried to get up, he noticed something strange. His body felt heavy, as if something was holding him tightly.
He frowned. He tried moving his hands, but his movement was restricted. That's when he realized something that made his entire body freeze.
There was something—no, someone—hugging him from behind!
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. Wang Feng's warm chest was pressed firmly against his back, and the boy's arm was wrapped tightly around his waist.
"W-What's going on?!" Huo Yuhao held his breath, his head spinning in confusion. He tried to recall what happened the night before. They did sleep together on the bed—but how did they end up like this?!
His face flushed a deep red. He tried to move, but instead, the grip around him tightened. As if that wasn't bad enough, Wang Feng suddenly mumbled in his sleep, "Don't move… it's rare to find a bolster this comfy…"
Huo Yuhao froze.
"B-Bolster?!"
His face turned even redder. Wang Feng thought he was a bolster?!
Before Huo Yuhao could react further, Wang Feng suddenly lifted one of his legs and placed it over his, as if truly using him like a full-body pillow.
"W-What?!" Huo Yuhao nearly screamed but quickly covered his mouth, afraid of waking up Wang Dong.
He tried everything to wake Wang Feng—shaking him, patting his face, even pinching his arm. But Wang Feng remained fast asleep, only murmuring incoherently like, "Mm… quiet…"
Growing desperate, Huo Yuhao's voice grew slightly louder. "Wang Feng! Wake up or I'll—"
Suddenly, a sleepy voice came from the other bed. "Mmm… why so noisy…?"
Huo Yuhao froze.
With a sense of dread and awkwardness, he turned his head toward Wang Dong, who had just opened his eyes.
Wang Dong's eyes were still half-closed, looking groggy. He rubbed his eyes slowly, then turned to look toward the source of the noise.
As his eyes fully opened and he saw the position of the two boys, he froze.
Several seconds passed in silence.
Then—
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" Wang Dong shouted, his face full of shock and rage.
Huo Yuhao, still trapped in Wang Feng's embrace, panicked. "W-Wait! It's not what you think!"
But Wang Dong had already stood up, face full of fury and disgust. "Huo Yuhao! I didn't think you… you…" He pointed at the two of them with a trembling hand. "Y-You guys…"
Huo Yuhao looked like he was about to cry. "IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING!!"