"Big sis, I don't want to let go," Liu Dan said with a mischievous grin. I mean, come on—who in their right mind would let go of a gorgeous babe like this?
"Dan, be good, listen to your sister. What if someone sees us?" Fengqin, although slightly breathless herself, still managed to summon some self-control.
Liu Dan, remembering there was still a girl asleep in the apartment, reluctantly buried his face in Fengqin's neck and took a deep breath. "Mmm… You smell so good, sis."
Fengqin gave him a playful smack. "You little perv! Let go already!"
Knowing it couldn't go on, Liu Dan finally released her, though he still insisted cheekily, "This only proves I'm a normal guy, right? I mean, what kind of man wouldn't react to a beauty like you?"
His words made Fengqin giggle despite herself. She reached out and tapped his forehead. "You've got a smooth tongue on you."
"You'd only really know how sweet and smooth it is if you tried it for yourself," Liu Dan quipped shamelessly. He was completely uninhibited in front of her now—nothing like the aloof boy others usually saw.
Blushing, Fengqin barked, "Enough! Get your shirt off already so I can check your injuries. If I'd known you were such a little flirt, I wouldn't have brought you home!"
Startled by her sudden tone, Liu Dan quickly apologized, "Sorry, sis. I went too far."
But Fengqin hadn't actually been angry. Seeing him go back to that awkward, bashful state made her laugh again. "You're such a harmless little wolf," she teased.
Seeing her smile, Liu Dan relaxed and obediently took off his shirt. Just as he'd said, there were no other visible injuries. What he hadn't mentioned, though, was how much more he'd discovered about his mysterious inner energy tonight.
Feng Qin had insisted on checking him out herself—not because she didn't believe him, but because she genuinely cared. She couldn't even explain why she cared so much… Maybe it was the calming energy he gave off, or maybe it was the way he'd leapt in to protect her without hesitation.
Thanks to years of training, Liu Dan's physique was lean and toned—perfectly proportioned for his six-foot frame. Seeing his smooth, pale skin unmarred by injury made Fengqin feel relieved, though she couldn't help blushing again.
"All good. Put your shirt back on before you catch a cold. I'll get the medicine."
Still blushing, she turned away. Liu Dan smirked and teased, "Got a good look, didn't you, sis?"
Fengqin gave him a soft punch. "You're impossible."
She gently wiped the dried blood from the side of his ear with alcohol, then dabbed disinfectant onto the wound. It was small—no need for a bandage in this summer heat.
Afterward, she led him to a study room. "You can sleep here tonight. Head to class by yourself tomorrow," she said, pulling out fresh sheets and making the bed for him before retreating to her own room.
Lying under the covers, Liu Dan inhaled the soft fragrance left behind in the bedding. His mind kept replaying the night's events at the bar. If those guys had really all come at me at once... could I have handled them?
He remembered that feeling of helplessness the day his parents died—how powerless he'd been in the face of death. How much he'd wished to protect them… and how he'd failed. That moment had forged the will that now burned within him. Tonight, when those punks harassed Fengqin, that same helpless rage resurfaced—and without thinking, he'd fought to protect her.
Though he'd kept her safe, he'd been hurt again. That wasn't good enough. I have to get stronger, he vowed. Strong enough to protect the people I care about.
That burning desire triggered yet another change within him. The golden energy he'd cultivated under the sun during training camp, and the silver energy from last night under the moon—both previously dormant—suddenly surged through his meridians.
He had no idea the silver current even existed. After last night's encounter with the black-clad intruder, he'd been too shaken to inspect his inner state. Now, however, his body had become a battlefield.
The golden and silver streams began to clash—each unwilling to yield territory. Like two wild bulls, they collided again and again, sending searing pain through Liu Dan's channels with every impact.
He tried to stop them, but they refused to listen. Every collision felt like a blade slicing through his insides.
Then something strange happened.
Each time they crashed, the two energies briefly merged into a golden mist, which then dissolved into a cloudy, undefined form. Liu Dan realized: If I can make them all fuse into liquid form, maybe they'll stop fighting.
Better short-term agony than long-term torment, he thought. Gritting his teeth, he pushed what little willpower he had left to force the fusion.
His body roared like firecrackers—each clash louder and more painful than the last. And then, finally, with one final deafening explosion inside him, the golden and silver energies merged completely.
Dozens of golden fireballs rushed toward his dantian—the core of his inner power. Though small, his dantian somehow absorbed them all like a bottomless pit.
Unable to endure the pain any longer, Liu Dan passed out.
But his body didn't stop.
The fireballs began to compress, solidify—until they formed a gleaming golden core inside his dantian.
The transformation was complete.
The next morning, sunlight pierced through the windows and woke Liu Dan from his deep slumber. He stretched—and froze. His whole body felt unbelievably light. Testing it, he gave a small hop... and launched into the air like a rocket.
Only quick reflexes saved him from crashing through the ceiling. He caught himself just in time, landing gently back on the bed.
What the hell? He sat down and focused inward.
Sure enough, his inner power responded instantly to his thoughts, and within moments he sensed the golden core in his dantian. As he focused on it, a strange thing occurred—his awareness spread outside his body.
He could see the two other rooms in the apartment.
One was decorated in pink, with a life-sized stuffed bear on the bed. Clearly a girl's room—probably that senior student Fengqin had mentioned.
The other room? FengQin's.
There she was, snuggling a big teddy bear, still sound asleep. Her bare arm peeked out from the covers, pale and smooth in the morning light. Liu Dan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly pulled his awareness back, cheeks flushed.
Then he decided to test something.
He pressed his palm against the wooden bedframe and willed energy from his dantian. The golden stream shot down his arm—and with a sharp thud, he left a palm-shaped dent in the solid wood.
Eyes wide, Liu Dan grinned. My nameless cultivation technique just leveled up again!
Then he looked at the dent and his smile faded. Crap… how do I explain this to Fengqin?
No way she'd believe the truth. She'd think he was a freak. So he did the only thing he could.
He activated his power again and methodically sanded down the bedframe with his palm until the dent disappeared. Then, grabbing a broom, he cleaned up the wood shavings and flushed them down the toilet.
Only after thoroughly "destroying the evidence" did Liu Dan let out a satisfied breath.
Heh. Problem solved.