The next day, Su Cheng left the Elder's Hall early in the morning to look for Qian Renxue.
Upon learning that she had gone to the back mountain academy, he changed course to head in that direction.
After a night of attempts, he resumed practicing his Innate Qi technique.
With the foundation of the Nirvana Sutra technique, he quickly entered the cultivation of the second volume.
However, he didn't spend too much time on this. Adjusting the second volume to perfectly fit his current state wasn't something he could accomplish quickly. Using the current version of the Innate Qi technique was sufficient for the initial stages. When he reached close to the limit, further adjustments could be made.
Last night, he spent most of his time comprehending the power of the soul.
Today, he went to find Qian Renxue to help her start her soul cultivation as soon as possible.
There weren't many students at the Martial Soul Academy.
Although it was called an academy, most of the young soul masters here were descendants or relatives of core members of the Martial Soul Hall. They utilized the resources and teaching staff of the Martial Soul Hall to fully realize their potential, which was considered a hidden benefit for the strong joining the Martial Soul Hall.
For example, Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan, was now in this academy.
As the figure of Qian Renxue, dressed in black, entered, many students who knew her immediately became serious.
She hadn't been here for several days, which had made them slack off quite a bit.
Especially Xie Yue and others, upon seeing her, their faces turned pale and sweat dripped from their foreheads.
Although the Soul Master Tournament had ended, and they had won the championship, their studies were not yet complete.
The graduation standards here were different from ordinary soul master schools and varied from person to person.
Compared to others, these future stars of the Martial Soul Hall would undergo longer periods of study and training.
With exceptional talents and still some distance from reaching their limits, they were not in a hurry to graduate.
Qian Renxue could see the situation of these few people at a glance, and her expression couldn't help but darken slightly.
Originally, after the Soul Master Tournament, she was not keen on overseeing the lives and training of these people anymore.
But after her conversation with Su Cheng the previous day, while temporarily letting go of her worries, she also remembered what Su Cheng had mentioned.
If they needed more help in the future, they would have to demand more from these people.
"Xie Yue, Nana, and the rest, come with me."
"Xiao Xue."
At this moment, a voice suddenly came from nearby, causing Qian Renxue, who was speaking, to pause for a moment.
Then her gloomy expression quickly softened, and a hint of joy appeared on her face.
...
The others were initially startled when they heard this name.
Noticing Qian Renxue's expression, they were surprised again.
Then, after silently exchanging glances with each other, they pretended not to have heard anything.
Some even resumed practicing as usual.
Qian Renxue didn't pay attention to the strange behavior of these people, just casually said, "Nana, go find the Pope for training. The rest of you continue. If you slack off like before, you know the consequences."
With that, she turned and left, walking towards the direction where Su Cheng was standing.
As the two walked side by side, the others couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Is that Su Cheng they're talking about?"
"Yes, it is."
"What's his relationship with the captain?"
"I dare not say..."
"I think it must be—"
Xie Yue, who was standing aside, couldn't bear to listen any longer and furrowed his brows. "If you want to gossip about your own lives, go do it outside the academy. Don't drag me down with you."
The few who had spoken earlier immediately fell silent at his words, not daring to say anything more.
"You don't need to attend the meeting with the elders today?" Qian Renxue asked, her hands behind her back, slightly tilting her head to look at Su Cheng.
Her steps were light yet firm, not as delicate as an ordinary woman's.
The mountain breeze blew, causing her waist-length hair to gently sway, shimmering with specks of golden light under the sunlight.
Su Cheng walked beside her and casually replied, "Maybe later, but I need to take care of my own matters first."
At this moment, the two were walking side by side on the back mountain of the Martial Soul City.
Su Cheng was tall, and Qian Renxue was equally tall, not much shorter than him.
Standing together, the two looked exceptionally harmonious.
Su Cheng took out the two volumes of the Innate Qi technique he had transcribed the previous night and handed them over.
"This is a technique I developed called the Innate Qi technique, consisting of three volumes. You should start by practicing the content of the first two volumes. It will greatly benefit the stability of your soul. And as you cultivate it over time, you'll gradually overcome the dilemma of the mutual consumption of your twin souls."
Qian Renxue's face was full of surprise as she eagerly reached out to take the technique. "Are you saying that after cultivating this, even without using the Martial Soul True Body or relying on domains and soul skills, I can exist independently?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no."
"Oh."
Seeing her somewhat disappointed expression, Su Cheng chuckled, "But rest assured, this is just a generic version to help you consolidate your foundation as soon as possible. In the future, I will cultivate with you to better understand the essence of your soul. By then, we can tailor the solution accordingly. Regardless, I won't let you down."
Qian Renxue raised her head in astonishment and looked at him.
Su Cheng met her gaze, "Since it's your wish, I will do my best to try. Resolving the hidden dangers was my promise to you before, but I'm equally willing to do things that make you happy."
Qian Renxue's heart began to beat a little faster as she fidgeted with the booklet in her hand.
Su Cheng rubbed his chin, pondering, "If everything goes as planned, I should be able to tailor a set of training methods for both of you. That way, it will be more convenient for you."
"Do I have one too?" There was a slight pause in the motion of flipping through the booklet.
Hearing this, Su Cheng was initially surprised, then chuckled helplessly, "Of course you do, what are you thinking?"
"I thought..." Qian Renxue opened her mouth as if to explain.
But then she shook her head and said, "No, it's nothing."
As the second personality born from the dark side of Qian Renxue's heart, she didn't care about many things.
Under the stimulation of the deep-seated memories of the simulated world, she had just fully awakened and split into a real second soul.
Because of this, Su Cheng was the only person she cared about.
However, she didn't expect to receive the same level of respect.
"...Comrade, you have some serious issues with your thinking." Su Cheng looked at her thoughtfully, then stopped walking.
He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling lightly, "No wonder you always seem so fierce, turns out you're just overthinking. Don't worry, I understand. She is she, and you are you."
"...," Qian Renxue didn't speak, but she didn't avoid his gaze either. She turned slightly and looked up at him.
After a moment, she suddenly took a step forward, pushing his chest against the tree behind him.
In a low voice, she said, "You owe me one."
"What do you mean, owe you one." Su Cheng didn't resist, just looked puzzled.
"Haha," Qian Renxue leaned forward, her face showing a familiar mischievous smile, "You just said that she is she, and I am me."
She could ignore anyone's gaze and didn't care if Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong saw her as Qian Renxue's demon.
She wasn't naive; on the contrary, her thinking was incredibly sharp.
Because of her special background, this second personality had a stronger perception of human emotions than the primary personality.
Only Su Cheng was different from everyone else, different from all the others.
Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong, and even those students from the Martial Soul Academy all thought her existence was abnormal, unreasonable, and should not continue.
Originally, she didn't care what those people thought.
She was worried that Su Cheng would be influenced by these factors.
But Su Cheng was indeed different from everyone else.
He had always said so and acted accordingly...
In Su Cheng's surprised gaze, Qian Renxue suddenly raised her hands, hooked them around the back of his neck.
The black sleeves with golden patterns slipped down slightly, revealing delicate and fair arms.
The impulse and tenderness in her heart were hard to suppress. She gently closed her eyes, tiptoed, and actively pressed her lips against Su Cheng's.
Then, somewhat clumsily, she probed her tongue, with a strong aggressiveness, into his teeth.
Su Cheng was momentarily stunned. Although he didn't know why she suddenly became so impulsive, he didn't push her away either. Instead, he reached around and embraced her slender and flexible waist.
The next moment, their bodies pressed tightly together.
As their lips and tongues intertwined, the sweet saliva flowed along with the tongue, and the hot breath became even more urgent.
Under the influence of the tense and suppressed emotions in the simulated world, they gradually calmed down and were covered by another rapidly rising desire...
"Mmm..."
At this moment, Qian Renxue couldn't help but let out a soft moan from her nose.
Her eyes opened slightly, revealing a bewildered look in the misty eyes.
The burning hand behind her waist slid downward, igniting flames in her heart.
Her breathing became even more rapid, her mind seemed to be numb, feeling as if she were floating in the clouds, yet also immersed in the depths of the sea, surrounded by layers of mist...
Soon, her eyes closed again, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
The arm around Su Cheng's neck tightened further, and her body leaned forward, as if trying to squeeze her entire body into his chest...
Su Cheng's right hand slid upward from between the golden hair, feeling a slight heat on the fair neck.
Then, silently, it circled around to the front, and the soft touch entered his mind.
The delicate body in his arms trembled gently...
At this moment, Su Cheng's inner desire had risen higher and higher, quickly becoming uncontrollable.
As a physically strong person, his inner desires were no weaker.
However, he had cultivated his mind for a long time, his will was firm, and he could always restrain his wandering thoughts and lock away his desires.
But for Qian Renxue in his arms, he clearly didn't have such strong resistance.
Under the mutual affection, there was no need to constrain their thoughts too much.
"You two—"
Suddenly, a startled cry rang out.
The two bewildered individuals snapped out of their daze and turned around simultaneously.
With their strength and perception, they should have sensed anyone approaching.
However, they were too engrossed in each other, and being in the Martial Soul City, where sudden dangers were rare, they had not paid much attention to their surroundings, focusing solely on each other's presence.
"...," Qian Renxue let go of her arm, her black dress slightly disheveled, her face still flushed.
She glanced at the stunned Hu Liena, then glanced at Su Cheng by her side.
A trace of embarrassment flickered in her eyes.
But it quickly returned to normal.
Apart from the slightly wrinkled shirt and the spring-like expression between her eyebrows and eyes, she looked no different from usual.
Whether Hu Liena saw the scene just now or not, she didn't care.
In fact, she wouldn't care if anyone saw her.
The gaze of unrelated people wouldn't stir any waves in her heart.
Even if there was some admiration for Hu Liena, it was just that—admiration.
The awkwardness just now was mainly because she had appeared too emotionally unrestrained in front of Su Cheng, which made her feel a bit subtle.
"What's wrong?"
"T-Teacher asked Su Cheng to go to the Pope's Hall." Hu Liena said in a low voice, her face flushed.
Su Cheng was somewhat surprised at the news.
He thought the person had come to find Qian Renxue.
He nodded and said, "I see."
Then he looked at Qian Renxue again, "I'll come find you when you have time."
Then he turned and left, heading towards the Pope's Hall at the foot of the mountain.
Watching Su Cheng's retreating figure and then looking at Qian Renxue not far away, Hu Liena's shock and shyness had not completely faded.
Stammering, she asked, "Sister, what about you two just now..."
"What about us?" Qian Renxue said casually.
Her voice still carried a hint of hoarseness, and the inadvertent seductive charm emitted from her, even made Hu Liena's heart beat faster at this moment.
Especially the sharp contrast with her usual demeanor made it even more intriguing.
"N-nothing."
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, saying nothing more.
She lightly touched her lips with her fingers, glanced at the booklet still in her hand, a soft light shimmering in her eyes, and then left the place with a light and cheerful mood.
Her steps were brisk, showing that she was in a very good mood.
Staring blankly at Qian Renxue's gradually disappearing figure, Hu Liena's heart remained restless for a long time.
The scene that she had never imagined had suddenly appeared before her today, without any preparation.
She didn't think that one person wasn't worthy of the other, or that the two shouldn't be together.
But the atmosphere between these two people when they were together was completely different from what she had imagined.
Hu Liena had speculated more than once about the relationship between Su Cheng and Qian Renxue.
In her opinion, both of them were proud and rarely worked with others. They should be the kind of existence that were both friends and foes, both confidants and opponents.
However, her idol-like sister had actually leaned in the arms of a man in such an intoxicated manner.
"Su Cheng..."
Hu Liena whispered this name softly.
Then she remembered the warning from her teacher just now, asking her to stay away from him, and quickly shook her head to dispel various thoughts.
Then, with a look of confusion, she headed towards the direction of the Martial Soul Academy.