Chapter 20
On the Dueling Stage.
After a battle that could only be described as a clash of rookies between Li Chang'an and Zhang Tieniu, the result was inevitable.
"Bang!"
Zhang Tieniu, covered in sword marks, finally fell. His body was marred with more than a dozen wounds. His once proud defense, as sturdy as iron, crumbled under the sharpness of Li Chang'an's Jade Phosphor Sword, easily cut through like paper.
If this had been a real life-or-death duel, Zhang Tieniu would likely be dead by now. Li Chang'an's Jade Phosphor Swordcould have easily pierced his chest and stabbed through his heart—or even slit his throat on the spot. Killing him would have been far too easy.
But because it was a Soul Duel spar, Li Chang'an refrained from delivering any fatal blows, which limited his performance. Furthermore, the reason Zhang Tieniu fell wasn't solely due to the depth of the sword wounds. Instead, it was the trace amounts of poison that had seeped into his body through the wounds.
This was just a spar, and Li Chang'an didn't dare to cause a death. Therefore, he carefully controlled the poison in his sword, gradually increasing its toxicity until Zhang Tieniu was poisoned to the point of paralysis and could no longer resist.
To be honest, this was a real test of control. It's easy enough to poison someone to death. But to poison someone just enough to paralyze them temporarily without going too far... that required a great deal of precision.
"The match is over, the winner is Li Chang'an!"
The referee announced the result of the match. Soon, a healing-type Soul Master walked onto the stage and began removing the poison from the paralyzed Zhang Tieniu. Since the poison attached to the sword wasn't much and wasn't very potent, Zhang Tieniu quickly regained his composure.
As for the dozen or so wounds on his body, since they were superficial, they were healed along with the poison.
The battle between the two didn't attract cheers from the audience. With three dueling stages running simultaneously and neither Li Chang'an nor Zhang Tieniu being particularly well-known, not many people paid attention to their victory or defeat. Everything seemed so ordinary.
Li Chang'an silently walked off the stage, returned to the spectator area, and continued to watch the other Soul Dueling matches.
This battle hadn't brought him any meaningful gains. The opponent was too weak. Zhang Tieniu couldn't even withstand his poison. Even without the poison, Li Chang'an could have easily pierced his defense with the sharpness of his sword. That layer of iron skin had been utterly ineffective against it.
The opponent was too weak. Or rather, his sword was too sharp.
If his sword hadn't been so sharp and capable of cutting through his opponent's defense so easily, the battle wouldn't have ended so quickly. He had to be careful not to use too much force and accidentally kill his opponent. It made him feel restricted.
'However, fighting with Soul Masters is not without its merits. At least it helps me realize that I can't freely control my strength, and that I need to focus on control...' Li Chang'an thought. 'This place is really great. I need to come here often to fight and practice my control.'
He could also accumulate some combat experience here. Although it couldn't compare to real life-and-death battles, it was better than nothing. At least when facing real combat, he wouldn't be caught off guard or lost.
Noon.
Li Chang'an decided to go home and rest.
As he walked out of the Soul Arena, on his way back to the dormitory, he suddenly felt something. Sure enough, a familiar female voice rang in his ear:
"Senior Chang'an~ What a coincidence. We meet again."
He stopped. He turned around and saw the girl with purple short hair and emerald green eyes.
Dugu Yan was wearing a school uniform, indicating that she had officially enrolled.
"It's you, Junior Dugu." A smile appeared on Li Chang'an's face at the right time, neither distant nor overly familiar. It was just the attitude of an ordinary senior toward a junior.
However, Dugu Yan couldn't help but puff up her cheeks slightly when she heard his address. She said, teasingly: "Junior Dugu? Senior's address to me is too distant, aren't we friends? People who know me call me Yanzi, you can call me that too."
"Okay, Yanzi." Li Chang'an smiled, looking like he couldn't do anything about it, and naturally changed his address.
"Um."
Hearing him call her by the new name, Dugu Yan's face bloomed with a bright smile, like a flower.
It was time for lunch, so Li Chang'an naturally invited the newly enrolled "Junior Sister" Dugu Yan to have lunch together.
They went to the cafeteria.
Tian Dou Academy was a prestigious institution, and the dining area could be considered a high-end restaurant. There were both group halls and private rooms.
Since he was inviting a girl to lunch, it was naturally out of the question to eat with others in the hall. Li Chang'an chose a double private room instead. The room's decor was reminiscent of a modern high-end western restaurant. The food may not have been the most delicious, but the ambiance would make everything feel high-class. Even eating steamed buns here would give off a sense of luxury.
"Yanzi, is there anything you'd like to eat, or anything you don't like? The chefs here are the best in the empire, and their dishes will certainly not disappoint you." Li Chang'an held the menu and looked at the girl opposite, who was also holding a menu.
"Senior, I don't have any dietary restrictions, and I don't have any preferences. Why don't you order some dishes for me according to your own tastes?" Dugu Yan set the menu down, propped her fragrant cheek on her hand, and looked at him with a playful smile.
"In that case, I'll order some of the signature dishes here for you." Li Chang'an thought for a moment before speaking.
"Waiter!"
A neatly dressed waiter opened the door and entered, respectfully saying, "Is there anything you need?"
"Bring me everything I marked on the menu." Li Chang'an handed the menu to the waiter.
"Okay, please wait a moment."
The waiter took the menu and left the private room, closing the door behind him.
While waiting for the food to arrive, the two naturally couldn't sit in silence, so they began chatting. As a girl, Dugu Yan was unusually proactive, and she seemed to intentionally probe into his emotional state during their conversation. For example, she asked if he had a girlfriend and what kind of girl he liked.
It was almost as if the words "I'm very interested in you" were written on her face.
And in response to her initiative, Li Chang'an naturally pretended to be oblivious, acting like a clueless guy who didn't understand her intentions. He truthfully told her that he didn't have a girlfriend. Moreover, because he had never been moved by any girl, he didn't know what kind of girl he liked.
His answer made Dugu Yan's heart flutter, and her eyes grew even more captivating as she gazed at him. If they had known each other for a longer time, it might not have been strange for her to confess and confirm their relationship right then and there.
'The fairy grass is stable this time!'
Li Chang'an observed Dugu Yan, who was practically enchanted by his handsome appearance, and sighed inwardly. 'This damn world values looks too much!'
He didn't even need to show his favor—she had already taken the initiative. If it weren't for his good looks, he doubted anyone would believe it.
*******
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