The referee immediately reacted and shouted to the people around him, "I declare the new student Wang Feng the winner!!!"
This time, all the students watching the match stood up and started cheering.
This new student was truly unexpected. He had defeated a senior on his first day, and not just any senior—Xu Sanshi, one of the Twin Stars of the outer courtyard.
The new students this year were incredibly strong.
Wang Feng stepped forward toward Xu Sanshi, who was hanging his head low, and said, "Now you're convinced, right? Come on, accept your loss."
As he spoke, Wang Feng extended his hand.
Xu Sanshi let out a heavy sigh and pulled out a small bottle, handing it over to Wang Feng. "Here, take it. Inside are ten Xuan Water Pills. Remember, each use will reduce the effectiveness of the next dose."
Wang Feng checked the contents of the bottle to confirm, then sealed it and placed it into the system's storage space.
At that moment, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, who had been watching from the stands, rushed down into the arena.
They each approached Wang Feng with concern etched on their faces.
"Wang Feng, are you okay?" Wang Dong asked.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Huo Yuhao added.
Seeing the concern from his two friends—the pink-haired youth and the blue-haired boy—Wang Feng felt a warmth bloom in his chest. He smiled and reassured them, "I'm fine, don't worry."
After that, Wang Feng said goodbye to everyone and headed to the Soul Dueling Area to claim the Soul Coins that were rightfully his. Meanwhile, Wang Feng, Wang Dong, and Huo Yuhao walked side by side as they left the arena and returned to their dorm.
Along the way, the three chatted and occasionally joked around.
Suddenly, without warning, Wang Feng grabbed Huo Yuhao from behind and effortlessly lifted him up.
"Ah! Wang Feng, put me down!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, his face immediately turning bright red.
His body felt incredibly light, and his waist was so slim—it was almost like a girl's waist. However, since Wang Feng hadn't interacted much with girls before, he didn't notice the difference.
"Heh, you're way too light, Yuhao. Are you even eating enough?" Wang Feng laughed, spinning Huo Yuhao around like a toy.
With a pleading voice, Huo Yuhao softly said, "Wang Feng, I was just joking… Can you please put me down now?"
Hearing the pleading tone in Huo Yuhao's voice, Wang Feng suddenly felt his heart beat faster. And because he was holding Huo Yuhao, the youth's scent drifted into his nose.
Huo Yuhao's scent was sweet—like fresh milk. As Wang Feng held him, he felt a warmth that was so comforting he didn't want to let go. Without realizing it, his arms tightened around Huo Yuhao.
Realizing this, Huo Yuhao became even more flustered. He could feel Wang Feng's grip getting stronger, pressing his body even closer. His face turned so red it looked like it might start dripping blood. In a low, embarrassed voice, he whispered, "Wang Feng… don't do this here. We're in public."
But in the middle of that strange moment, someone who had been ignored the whole time finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Hey! Why haven't you put him down yet!?" Wang Dong shouted, clearly annoyed.
Wang Feng snapped out of his daze and quickly set Huo Yuhao down. "Haha, sorry, sorry! I was just messing around," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Huo Yuhao took two steps back, still blushing furiously. He bit his lip, not sure what to say.
On the other side, Wang Dong felt a tightness in his chest, as if something heavy was weighing on it. He didn't understand the feeling, but watching Wang Feng and Huo Yuhao being so close made him even more irritated. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists and glared at Wang Feng.
"You're seriously so annoying, you know that?! Huo Yuhao isn't some toy you can just lift and hug whenever you feel like it!" Wang Dong said, his tone sharper than he intended.
Wang Feng raised an eyebrow and gave a casual smile. "What's wrong? Are you jealous, Wang Dong?"
Wang Dong's face immediately changed, eyes widening. "J-jeal—What?! What nonsense are you spouting?! Why would I be jealous?! I just can't stand your childish behavior!"
But the more he talked, the tighter his chest felt. He didn't even understand why he was so angry.
Wang Feng could only surrender with a sigh upon seeing his reaction. "Alright, alright, I get it. I won't lift up little Yuhao again," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Huo Yuhao, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke softly, "Let's just go back to the dorm… before someone sees us and gets the wrong idea."
Wang Dong snorted, then walked ahead, trying to hide his irritation. Wang Feng and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances before following behind him.
Throughout the walk, Wang Dong continued to feel uneasy. He didn't understand why he got annoyed every time he saw Wang Feng laughing with Huo Yuhao. What bothered him even more was the tightness in his chest that wouldn't go away.
'What's happening to me…?' he thought, clenching his teeth.
Meanwhile, Wang Feng simply smiled to himself, enjoying the walk back to the dorm with his two friends.
When they arrived at the room, Wang Feng approached Huo Yuhao and said, "Xiao Yuhao, here—this is the Xuanshui Pill I got from Xu Sanshi. I'm giving it to you. This pill can cleanse impurities from your body and nourish your meridians."
"One Xuanshui Pill can help an ordinary soul master enhance their potential equivalent to one level of innate soul power. In other words, if your innate soul power was level one when your martial soul awakened, after taking the Xuanshui Pill, it would become level two. However, the effects will decrease with each subsequent use."
Wang Feng handed the bottle to Huo Yuhao.
Once Huo Yuhao accepted the bottle, Wang Feng smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. Make sure you use it well, Xiao Yuhao," he said, gently patting his shoulder.
Huo Yuhao stared at the pill bottle in his hands with a complicated expression. He knew how valuable a Xuanshui Pill was. For a soul master with average talent like himself, the chance to enhance his potential was incredibly precious.
At first, he wanted to refuse. He felt he didn't deserve something so valuable from Wang Feng. But Wang Feng kept insisting—going so far as to threaten to throw the pill away if Huo Yuhao didn't take it.
In the end, with a pounding heart, Huo Yuhao accepted the bottle. He gripped it tightly and looked at Wang Feng with eyes full of emotion. Deep down, he resolved: I'll repay this kindness one day!
Wang Feng simply smiled at his expression. "Alright, it's been a long day. We should get some rest," he said, stretching his body.
Wang Dong, who had been quiet the whole time, glanced at their interaction with an unreadable expression. There was something odd stirring in his chest again, but he chose to ignore it. With a soft snort, he climbed up to his bed without saying a word.
Huo Yuhao nodded as well. "I'll start cultivating soon," he said quietly.
Wang Feng pulled out the new mattress he had just bought and began looking for a suitable place to lay it down. After some consideration, he decided to place it in the space between Huo Yuhao's and Wang Dong's beds—spacious enough not to hinder anyone's movement.
Carefully, he unrolled the mattress, smoothed it out, and added a thick blanket on top. He pressed down on it with his hand to make sure it was soft and comfortable enough to sleep on.
Satisfied with his setup, Wang Feng nodded. He then stretched before slowly lying down on the mattress.
"Ahh… finally some rest," he murmured, pulling the blanket up to his chest.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was still holding the pill bottle, staring at it uncertainly. Wang Feng glanced at him and reminded, "Xiao Yuhao, if you're going to take the pill, make sure you do it in the bathroom."
Huo Yuhao frowned. "Why?"
Wang Feng gave a small smile and explained, "After a while, your body will expel all the impurities. And trust me—it smells terrible."
Upon hearing that, Huo Yuhao's expression changed instantly. He could already imagine how unpleasant it would be if that happened in their room. He quickly nodded. "Alright, I'll take it in the bathroom."
Soon after, Wang Feng drifted off to sleep.