Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

"Teacher Zhou Yi."

"Teacher Fan Yu."

Qian Ran walked right up to stand between Zhou Yi and Fan Yu, lightly tracing his fingertip across Zhou Yi's palm. Zhou Yi shivered, her face flushing with a mix of shame and annoyance.

With Fan Yu right beside her, she was certain Qian Ran was up to no good. Sure enough, she was right.

Mu Jin's attention stayed fixed on Qian Ran, and upon seeing this, she felt a thrill run through her. It wasn't that the gesture itself was shocking—it was the audacity of Qian Ran to flirt with Zhou Yi with Fan Yu standing right there. Even as an onlooker, it felt scandalous.

Were Qian Ran and Zhou Yi not worried about being found out?

Or rather, it was Qian Ran's daring that was astonishing.

Fan Yu might be oblivious, but did Qian Ran really assume he was entirely clueless? What if he figured it out?

"Hm. Aren't you supposed to be taking the exam?" Fan Yu asked, surprised to see Qian Ran.

"He's already been selected as one of the main contestants," Zhou Yi replied, cheeks still tinted pink despite her best efforts to stay composed, exuding a mature allure.

Of course, Fan Yu never entertained any suspicions.

"Oh, right! I nearly forgot. Although you're an outer courtyard student, you're just as capable as the talents in the inner courtyard," Fan Yu said with a sudden realization. Normally, participants in the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament were selected from the inner courtyard, while the outer courtyard provided talented reserves.

Each generation had its main lineup and a batch of future talents in reserve.

Qian Ran was an exception this time, as was Tang Ya.

Since gaining powers of an evil soul master, Tang Ya's strength had skyrocketed. Although she hadn't broken through to Soul King, her combat power rivaled that of a Soul King. She wasn't quite strong enough to be a core team member, but as a substitute, she was more than qualified.

"Teacher Fan Yu flatters me; I'm really not that impressive." Qian Ran turned, his hand subtly reaching out to caress Zhou Yi's backside.

"You're not exaggerating at all, Qian Ran. I'd wager that even some inner courtyard students wouldn't be a match for you," Fan Yu replied with a smile.

"Don't be modest, kid. Your near-Soul Engineer rank alone is enough to give you an edge over many in the inner courtyard," Qian Duoduo added with admiration. Thanks to Qian Ran, the Soul Engineering Department was starting to gain a bit more respect within the academy.

"That's right. With your current abilities, entering the inner courtyard is a given. I think after the tournament wraps up, it'll be time for you to join us," Yan Shaozhe remarked, clearly impressed with Qian Ran. His goodwill wasn't solely because of Qian Ran's connection to Xian Lin'er; his own two disciples had also grown immensely with Qian Ran's help.

Tang Ya was one thing, but Ma Xiaotao's cultivation had surged, and she was on track to break through to Soul Sage within a year. Thanks to Qian Ran's Phoenix Divine Fire, her malevolent flames had been fully suppressed, allowing her to train at double the speed.

In short, both of Yan Shaozhe's disciples had greatly benefited from Qian Ran. Now, hoping to rekindle his relationship with Xian Lin'er, Yan Shaozhe found himself looking at Qian Ran with more favor.

"Uhh!"

Qian Ran was speechless.

He almost wished these three "aggrieved ones" would curse him instead.

They kept lavishing him with praise, practically treating him as if he were a saint. The pressure was mounting!

Alright, he resolved to treat their wives a bit more gently next time. Otherwise, he'd actually start to feel guilty.

Even with this in mind, Qian Ran couldn't help but let his hand sneak across Zhou Yi's luscious curves, drawing a flustered look from her.

"Qian Ran, if you ever have any issues with your cultivation, don't hesitate to come find me. Cultivation is your top priority; there's no need to go to the Soul Engineering Department so frequently," Yan Shaozhe said with concern. Recently, Qian Ran had been visiting Xian Lin'er regularly, while he'd had little interaction with the Martial Soul Department, and Yan Shaozhe worried Qian Ran might be lured away.

After all, Qian Ran's cultivation speed had proven astonishing, and even without a teacher, his growth in strength was jaw-dropping.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean, Yan?" Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu shot Yan Shaozhe a look of displeasure. If a talent like Qian Ran continued to rise in the Soul Engineering Department, it would greatly improve their standing within Shrek Academy.

"Alright, alright. Is this really the time to be bickering?"

Just then, an unsteady figure appeared in the distance, swaying as if he might fall over at any moment.

The elderly man was none other than Elder Xuan. Though most of his face was hidden behind a mess of hair, the wine gourd in his left hand and chicken leg in his right hand instantly gave away his identity.

Seeing the esteemed faculty members squabbling over Qian Ran, Elder Xuan's expression darkened.

Casting a look of approval at Qian Ran, Elder Xuan nodded slightly. Even he admired Qian Ran's talent, and at one point, he'd considered taking him as a disciple. But since Xian Lin'er had already claimed him, he'd abandoned the idea.

"Qian Ran is really strong."

Seeing Qian Ran up there, conversing casually with the academy's senior figures without a hint of fear, and even appearing to thrive in their company, the others in the outer courtyard felt the chasm between them.

Though they were all outer courtyard core disciples, the gap was staggering.

"Listen up, everyone!" Elder Xuan's booming voice commanded everyone's attention. "Your core disciple assessment is simple. I call it 'Battle Royale.' Here in the Combat Arena, you may attack however you please; there are no rules. Surrendering or being rescued will mean elimination. The last seven standing will be declared the winners. Now, begin!"

With a shout, Elder Xuan vanished.

A free-for-all. Fortunately, Qian Ran had anticipated this and had crafted some soul tools for the girls to enhance their combat abilities.

"Elder Xuan is as unconventional as ever," Yan Shaozhe remarked, the corners of his mouth twitching as he watched Elder Xuan's casual approach to the test.

Everyone focused on the core disciple assessment.

The battle erupted immediately, with Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Zhu Lu, and Jiang Nannan quickly forming an alliance. They were all close with Qian Ran, and their ties with him outweighed any other alliances.

Those who had feelings for Qian Ran also prioritized attacking others, and some participants were eliminated before they could even react.

Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao, Qian Ran's rivals, became immediate targets, facing a coordinated attack from the others.

With all eyes on the chaos below, Qian Ran grew bolder. His hand wandered across Zhou Yi's figure, and Fan Yu beside him remained blissfully unaware.

Qian Ran smirked, taking out a remote control and giving it a slight wave, causing Zhou Yi to nearly jump out of her skin in fright.

If he pressed that button, she might just go mad.

(End of chapter)

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