"By the way, Mu Chen, why did you suddenly come here?" Xiao Yu asked.
"I..." Mu Chen wondered how to respond. Should he say he came specifically for the Strange Fire in the inner academy?
"Let's go, we'll grab something to eat first." Xiao Yu didn't press Mu Chen further and pulled him toward the dormitory exit. Just as they reached the door, she suddenly stopped, her face turning red as she turned to look at Mu Chen.
"What's wrong now?" Mu Chen asked.
"This is the girls' dormitory. Boys are not allowed inside," Xiao Yu reminded him.
"Simple." Mu Chen smiled, and with a thought, he vanished from the dormitory.
Xiao Yu looked around and finally spotted Mu Chen standing at the dormitory entrance, smiling up at her from below.
Xiao Yu smiled back, and as she reunited with Mu Chen, she noticed his cultivation had grown even more profound.
Mu Chen waited downstairs for a while until Xiao Yu arrived, accompanied by a woman in red. The woman was none other than Xiao Yu's close friend, Xue Ni.
Xue Ni stood beside Xiao Yu, her eyes darting nervously, avoiding direct eye contact with Mu Chen.
Mu Chen looked at Xue Ni and teased, "What's the matter? Do you have the desire but not the courage?"
"What are you talking about?" Xue Ni glared at Mu Chen.
"I said, do you have the desire but not the courage?" Mu Chen repeated.
"Stop talking nonsense. I didn't know it wasn't Yu'er back then," Xue Ni hurriedly explained, her eyes instinctively lowering. The thought of what had just happened in the dormitory made her heart race uncontrollably.
"Since it was a misunderstanding, fine, I forgive you," Mu Chen said indifferently.
"Thank you!" Xue Ni responded without hesitation. After a pause, she realized something was off and added, "Wait, how is it that you're the one who took advantage, yet I'm the one feeling guilty?"
"Who took advantage of you?"
A sudden, gentle voice, so soothing it could almost intoxicate the heart, interrupted. Even with Mu Chen's strong willpower, he couldn't help but be momentarily distracted. After a moment, he turned toward the source of the voice.
There, a woman dressed in green was walking toward them with a warm smile. Her beautiful face radiated a gentle charm, and her eyes, soft and flowing, looked at Xiao Yu, Mu Chen, and Xue Ni with a tender gaze. It was like a clear stream of water quietly flowing through the heart, making one unable to resist being captivated by her unique, gentle, and lively aura.
The woman wasn't much older than Xiao Yu and Xue Ni, perhaps just a little. Her full, graceful figure exuded a mature charm honed by time. This natural elegance was far beyond what shy girls like Xiao Yu and Xue Ni could match. In fact, it was comparable to the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Kindness, both of whom Mu Chen had slept with.
"Instructor Ruo Lin."
"Instructor Ruo Lin."
Xiao Yu and Xue Ni greeted the newcomer warmly.
"Ruo Lin?"
Mu Chen's heart skipped a beat. He had been wondering who possessed such a gentle and tender demeanor. It turned out to be Ruo Lin, the renowned beauty of Jia Nan Academy.
Ruo Lin cultivated water-attribute Dou Qi, which gave her an exceptionally soft and pure temperament, free from any impurities.
"Who is this? Could he be your male companion, Xueni?" Ruolin looked Mu Chen up and down. Mu Chen had a clean-cut appearance, the kind of face you'd see in a crowd. However, there was an unusual aura about him, and his demeanor exuded a certain elegance.
"He's not my companion, but Yu'er's," Xueni replied with a hint of jealousy, her eyes glancing at Mu Chen's abdomen, where the eight-pack abs that had captivated her were hidden.
"Yu'er's?" Ruolin looked at Xiao Yu in surprise.
"Teacher Ruolin, let me introduce him. This is Mu Chen. Mu Chen, this is my mentor, Ruolin," Xiao Yu introduced them to each other.
"Pleased to meet you, Teacher Ruolin," Mu Chen said with a gentlemanly bow, extending his hand towards Ruolin.
"I... I'm pleased to meet you too, Mu Chen," Ruolin stammered slightly, also extending her hand.
Without hesitation, Mu Chen took Ruolin's hand in a gentlemanly manner and kissed the back of her hand.
Ruolin: "..."
Xiao Yu: "..."
Xueni: "..."
Ruolin's eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively withdrew her hand. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked at Mu Chen with a hint of disgust. Mu Chen had actually kissed the back of her hand in broad daylight.
Xiao Yu also looked at Ruolin awkwardly, then turned a reproachful gaze towards Mu Chen.
This was the Doupo Dimension, where customs and traditions were akin to the feudal era, similar to that of the Hua Xia Dimension. Women here placed great importance on their conduct. Mu Chen's act of kissing Ruolin's hand was seen as a form of disrespect and impropriety.
Mu Chen had anticipated this reaction and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Ruolin. Returning to this dimension, my habits have retained the traditions of my homeland. In my homeland, kissing a woman's hand is a gesture of admiration, respect, and a necessary courtesy when meeting someone."
"Your homeland?"
Teacher Ruolin looked puzzled, "Where is your homeland? I've never heard of such a custom."
Mu Chen replied, "My homeland is the Douluo Dimension."
"The Douluo Dimension? What kind of place is that?" Teacher Ruolin frowned, her confusion deepening.
"It's a place very, very far from here. It doesn't belong to your world," Mu Chen explained.
"Who are you? You're not from this world?" Teacher Ruolin laughed, her tone laced with disbelief, clearly thinking Mu Chen was just making excuses to justify his actions.
"That's correct. I refer to your world as the Battle Qi Plane, while my homeland, with its two great empires, the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, I call it the Douluo Dimension. Your plane possesses Dou Qi, while my homeland has Soul Power. Soul Power grants me a Spirit and Soul Rings." To make a good impression on Teacher Ruolin and dispel her misunderstanding, Mu Chen willed it, and ten radiant golden Soul Rings appeared at his feet, with the Chaos Sword held firmly in his hand.
The sudden appearance of the Soul Rings and Spirit indeed startled Ruolin.
"This is the Spirit and Soul Rings," Mu Chen explained.
"Spirit? Soul Ring?" Mentor Ruolin murmured, watching as Mu Chen retracted his Spirit and Soul Rings, and asked curiously, "What is a Spirit? And what are Soul Rings? Why do I feel that those beautiful circles contain an extremely terrifying energy?"
"Mentor Ruolin, I'm going to have a meal with Yu'er and Xue Ni. Would you like to go on a date with me—oh no, I mean, would you like to join us?" Mu Chen asked with a smug inner tone.
"Mm," Ruolin nodded.
"In that case, let's talk as we walk," Mu Chen smiled, signaling Xiao Yu and Xue Ni to lead the way, while he and Mentor Ruolin walked at the back of the group. Ruolin might not have realized it, but she was walking so close to Mu Chen that they looked like a couple in love, dealing a devastating blow to the hearts of many students who admired her.
As a mentor at Jia Nan Academy, Ruolin had an insatiable curiosity for new things. As for Mu Chen, he had successfully piqued Ruolin's interest and managed to strike up a conversation with her, laying the groundwork for his pursuit of her.
(End of Chapter)