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Douluo Dalu_ Legend of the Ancestral Dragon_chapter_0027
Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Xiao Wu's Choice
"How could a million-year soul beast possibly exist? It's already incredibly difficult to reach one hundred thousand years." Xiao Wu shook her head, finding it hard to believe.
Xiao Wu knew from deep experience just how difficult it was for a soul beast to grow.
Although one hundred thousand years referred to cultivation level, not age, it still took at least tens of thousands of years of practice to possess a one-hundred-thousand-year cultivation.
A soul beast's existence was fraught with danger. Every day, they faced the possibility of being eaten by a stronger soul beast. To successfully cultivate to one hundred thousand years was a one-in-ten-thousand chance.
And to persist until a million-year cultivation... the difficulty was even more terrifying.
Aotian smiled. "If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see one when we get the chance."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at Aotian. "If there really is a million-year soul beast, who would dare go look? You'd just end up as a meal."
"Then someday when you go back to the Star Dou Great Forest, I'll go with you. I'll let you see the true secret of the Star Dou Great Forest," Aotian said.
"Okay," Xiao Wu answered instinctively, but she immediately realized what she'd said and corrected herself, "No way!"
Her family and friends were in there. How could she bring a human inside? Besides, Aotian had such a powerful older brother. What if he killed her family?
Then, she added, "What kind of secret could the Star Dou Great Forest possibly have? You think you know it better than I do?"
Xiao Wu's face was filled with disbelief.
An outsider telling her that her home had secrets... if this was a joke, it wasn't funny at all.
The two returned to the dormitory entrance, and Xiao Wu quickly struggled out of Aotian's embrace.
She was still conflicted. Should she leave this place? Could Aotian's words be trusted?
Wang Sheng, Tang San, and the others were still in the middle of their cultivation. Hearing Aotian and Xiao Wu return, they opened their eyes for a glance before continuing to cultivate.
Nighttime cultivation was a tradition for Soul Masters. However, meditation consumed spiritual power. Once their spiritual power was depleted, they needed to replenish it through sleep.
Therefore, Wang Sheng and the others would only cultivate for a few hours at most before going to sleep.
Aotian returned to his bed and lay down directly.
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment, then sat on the edge of the bed.
She was silent, her heart tangled with the question of whether to leave, and she glanced at Aotian from time to time.
After sitting for a few minutes, she suddenly picked up her bundle and stood up.
Aotian opened his eyes and asked, "You don't trust me? You're leaving?"
"I'm going to the bathhouse to take a bath," Xiao Wu said irritably, then strode out with her bundle in hand.
Aotian's gaze followed Xiao Wu until he saw her actually heading in the direction of the bathhouse, only then did he look away.
A hint of a smile appeared on his lips, and he closed his eyes.
If Xiao Wu really were to leave, he wouldn't force her to stay. At most, he would just find it a bit of a pity.
After all, having such a cute little girl around, someone he could order about, made for some pleasant days.
In a daze, Aotian fell asleep. He only woke up about an hour later when Xiao Wu returned.
Wang Sheng and the others also awoke from their cultivation, grabbing their washbasins to go and bathe.
Xiao Wu flopped onto the bed, pulled the soft and comfortable silk quilt over herself, and looked at Aotian on the other side. "Aren't you going to bathe?" she asked.
"No, my body isn't dirty," Aotian replied.
His body had long since reached the Immaculate State. It no longer expelled any impurities, and even dust couldn't cling to his skin.
Xiao Wu gave him a disgusted look and scooted a little farther away.
Seeing her expression, Aotian chuckled. "Don't you think I smell quite nice?"
Xiao Wu nodded. "You do have a very unique fragrance."
"Actually, I haven't bathed in many years..."
Xiao Wu froze. Recalling how she had secretly taken deep breaths of Aotian's scent before, her stomach suddenly churned.
"I'm ignoring you! I'm going to cultivate." Xiao Wu sat cross-legged and began her daily cultivation.
However, after sitting quietly for a few minutes, she found it impossible to calm her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened tonight.
Having her identity discovered was an extremely dangerous matter for her.
She hadn't sensed any danger or malice from Aotian or his older brother, which was the reason she had ultimately decided to stay.
But she was still worried. Had she made the wrong choice?
She tried to cultivate for half an hour but still couldn't enter a state of meditation.
Helpless, she had no choice but to give up on cultivation and lie down.
Lying on the bed, she quietly moved the bundle she had placed in the middle of the bed a little, secretly gazing at Aotian's sleeping profile.
As she watched, she groggily drifted off to sleep as well.
After an unknown amount of time, Aotian suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed something rolling toward him.
He turned his head and saw that the sleeping Xiao Wu had somehow rolled over to his side.
Xiao Wu's sleeping posture was extremely ungraceful. Aotian didn't have a bundle, and her small one was clearly not enough to stop her rolling body.
Aotian used a bit of force to push her back.
But before long, the little girl rolled over again, trying to snuggle up against him.
Aotian was helpless. After pushing her back a few times, he gave up.
Fortunately, everyone else was asleep, otherwise, it would have probably caused another commotion.
...
The next morning, Xiao Wu awoke to the sound of hushed whispers.
She rubbed her drowsy eyes, wondering why Wang Sheng and the others were looking at her with such strange expressions, even letting out a few odd snickers from time to time.
Where was Aotian? Xiao Wu turned her head to look.
Her small mouth slowly fell open, and her pretty face went blank. She realized she was sleeping on Aotian's side of the bed.
She whipped her head back around and saw that the bundle with her clothes had been kicked to the corner of the bed.
Her face flushed crimson in an instant. Mortified, she immediately pulled the quilt over her head and hid.
Wang Sheng chuckled. "Sister Xiao Wu, it's time to get up and eat breakfast. The opening ceremony is about to start."
Xiao Wu remained huddled under the quilt, not daring to come out.
"If you're too shy, we'll head out first. You can come by yourself later, hehe..." By the end, Wang Sheng and the other students couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Only after Wang Sheng and the others had left did Xiao Wu finally emerge, grinding her teeth. "Ao—tian!"
She was completely unaware of her own restless sleeping habits, so she blamed everything on Aotian.
...
Aotian had been the first to wake up. Not long after he got up, Tang San did as well.
Then, Aotian saw Tang San and Grandmaster leave Nuoding Academy and buy a large quantity of white radishes and some wilderness supplies in Nuoding City.
He knew Tang San and Grandmaster were heading to the Spirit Hunting Forest.
If nothing unexpected happened, in a few days, Tang San would obtain a nearly four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake soul ring.
The spacious sports ground was teeming with people, who were gradually separating into several areas according to their classes.
Just before the opening ceremony began, Xiao Wu finally rushed over.
The principal was an old man who gave a slow, rambling speech for half an hour, followed by the dean of students...
Nearly an hour later, the beautiful emcee teacher announced loudly, "Next, let's welcome last semester's outstanding student from our Nuoding Academy, classmate Xiao Chenyu, to the platform to give a speech!"
Amid a wave of roaring laughter, Nuoding Academy's infamous Boss Xiao, with a bruised and swollen face and several horn-like bumps on his forehead, walked onto the podium, his face beet red.
Wang Sheng and the others laughed so hard their stomachs were about to cramp. It felt so incredibly satisfying.
...
Three days later, at noon, after class, the mostly recovered Boss Xiao once again led a group of people to challenge the Work-Study Students.
On the Small Hillside behind the Academy, Xiao Wu led Wang Sheng and eight others, facing off against Boss Xiao's group of more than twenty people.
Aotian, meanwhile, stood lazily at the very back, watching with great interest as this group of elementary schoolers had their showdown.
(end of chapter)
"How could a million-year soul beast possibly exist? It's already incredibly difficult to reach one hundred thousand years." Xiao Wu shook her head, finding it hard to believe.
Xiao Wu knew from deep experience just how difficult it was for a soul beast to grow.
Although one hundred thousand years referred to cultivation level, not age, it still took at least tens of thousands of years of practice to possess a one-hundred-thousand-year cultivation.
A soul beast's existence was fraught with danger. Every day, they faced the possibility of being eaten by a stronger soul beast. To successfully cultivate to one hundred thousand years was a one-in-ten-thousand chance.
And to persist until a million-year cultivation... the difficulty was even more terrifying.
Aotian smiled. "If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see one when we get the chance."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at Aotian. "If there really is a million-year soul beast, who would dare go look? You'd just end up as a meal."
"Then someday when you go back to the Star Dou Great Forest, I'll go with you. I'll let you see the true secret of the Star Dou Great Forest," Aotian said.
"Okay," Xiao Wu answered instinctively, but she immediately realized what she'd said and corrected herself, "No way!"
Her family and friends were in there. How could she bring a human inside? Besides, Aotian had such a powerful older brother. What if he killed her family?
Then, she added, "What kind of secret could the Star Dou Great Forest possibly have? You think you know it better than I do?"
Xiao Wu's face was filled with disbelief.
An outsider telling her that her home had secrets... if this was a joke, it wasn't funny at all.
The two returned to the dormitory entrance, and Xiao Wu quickly struggled out of Aotian's embrace.
She was still conflicted. Should she leave this place? Could Aotian's words be trusted?
Wang Sheng, Tang San, and the others were still in the middle of their cultivation. Hearing Aotian and Xiao Wu return, they opened their eyes for a glance before continuing to cultivate.
Nighttime cultivation was a tradition for Soul Masters. However, meditation consumed spiritual power. Once their spiritual power was depleted, they needed to replenish it through sleep.
Therefore, Wang Sheng and the others would only cultivate for a few hours at most before going to sleep.
Aotian returned to his bed and lay down directly.
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment, then sat on the edge of the bed.
She was silent, her heart tangled with the question of whether to leave, and she glanced at Aotian from time to time.
After sitting for a few minutes, she suddenly picked up her bundle and stood up.
Aotian opened his eyes and asked, "You don't trust me? You're leaving?"
"I'm going to the bathhouse to take a bath," Xiao Wu said irritably, then strode out with her bundle in hand.
Aotian's gaze followed Xiao Wu until he saw her actually heading in the direction of the bathhouse, only then did he look away.
A hint of a smile appeared on his lips, and he closed his eyes.
If Xiao Wu really were to leave, he wouldn't force her to stay. At most, he would just find it a bit of a pity.
After all, having such a cute little girl around, someone he could order about, made for some pleasant days.
In a daze, Aotian fell asleep. He only woke up about an hour later when Xiao Wu returned.
Wang Sheng and the others also awoke from their cultivation, grabbing their washbasins to go and bathe.
Xiao Wu flopped onto the bed, pulled the soft and comfortable silk quilt over herself, and looked at Aotian on the other side. "Aren't you going to bathe?" she asked.
"No, my body isn't dirty," Aotian replied.
His body had long since reached the Immaculate State. It no longer expelled any impurities, and even dust couldn't cling to his skin.
Xiao Wu gave him a disgusted look and scooted a little farther away.
Seeing her expression, Aotian chuckled. "Don't you think I smell quite nice?"
Xiao Wu nodded. "You do have a very unique fragrance."
"Actually, I haven't bathed in many years..."
Xiao Wu froze. Recalling how she had secretly taken deep breaths of Aotian's scent before, her stomach suddenly churned.
"I'm ignoring you! I'm going to cultivate." Xiao Wu sat cross-legged and began her daily cultivation.
However, after sitting quietly for a few minutes, she found it impossible to calm her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened tonight.
Having her identity discovered was an extremely dangerous matter for her.
She hadn't sensed any danger or malice from Aotian or his older brother, which was the reason she had ultimately decided to stay.
But she was still worried. Had she made the wrong choice?
She tried to cultivate for half an hour but still couldn't enter a state of meditation.
Helpless, she had no choice but to give up on cultivation and lie down.
Lying on the bed, she quietly moved the bundle she had placed in the middle of the bed a little, secretly gazing at Aotian's sleeping profile.
As she watched, she groggily drifted off to sleep as well.
After an unknown amount of time, Aotian suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed something rolling toward him.
He turned his head and saw that the sleeping Xiao Wu had somehow rolled over to his side.
Xiao Wu's sleeping posture was extremely ungraceful. Aotian didn't have a bundle, and her small one was clearly not enough to stop her rolling body.
Aotian used a bit of force to push her back.
But before long, the little girl rolled over again, trying to snuggle up against him.
Aotian was helpless. After pushing her back a few times, he gave up.
Fortunately, everyone else was asleep, otherwise, it would have probably caused another commotion.
...
The next morning, Xiao Wu awoke to the sound of hushed whispers.
She rubbed her drowsy eyes, wondering why Wang Sheng and the others were looking at her with such strange expressions, even letting out a few odd snickers from time to time.
Where was Aotian? Xiao Wu turned her head to look.
Her small mouth slowly fell open, and her pretty face went blank. She realized she was sleeping on Aotian's side of the bed.
She whipped her head back around and saw that the bundle with her clothes had been kicked to the corner of the bed.
Her face flushed crimson in an instant. Mortified, she immediately pulled the quilt over her head and hid.
Wang Sheng chuckled. "Sister Xiao Wu, it's time to get up and eat breakfast. The opening ceremony is about to start."
Xiao Wu remained huddled under the quilt, not daring to come out.
"If you're too shy, we'll head out first. You can come by yourself later, hehe..." By the end, Wang Sheng and the other students couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Only after Wang Sheng and the others had left did Xiao Wu finally emerge, grinding her teeth. "Ao—tian!"
She was completely unaware of her own restless sleeping habits, so she blamed everything on Aotian.
...
Aotian had been the first to wake up. Not long after he got up, Tang San did as well.
Then, Aotian saw Tang San and Grandmaster leave Nuoding Academy and buy a large quantity of white radishes and some wilderness supplies in Nuoding City.
He knew Tang San and Grandmaster were heading to the Spirit Hunting Forest.
If nothing unexpected happened, in a few days, Tang San would obtain a nearly four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake soul ring.
The spacious sports ground was teeming with people, who were gradually separating into several areas according to their classes.
Just before the opening ceremony began, Xiao Wu finally rushed over.
The principal was an old man who gave a slow, rambling speech for half an hour, followed by the dean of students...
Nearly an hour later, the beautiful emcee teacher announced loudly, "Next, let's welcome last semester's outstanding student from our Nuoding Academy, classmate Xiao Chenyu, to the platform to give a speech!"
Amid a wave of roaring laughter, Nuoding Academy's infamous Boss Xiao, with a bruised and swollen face and several horn-like bumps on his forehead, walked onto the podium, his face beet red.
Wang Sheng and the others laughed so hard their stomachs were about to cramp. It felt so incredibly satisfying.
...
Three days later, at noon, after class, the mostly recovered Boss Xiao once again led a group of people to challenge the Work-Study Students.
On the Small Hillside behind the Academy, Xiao Wu led Wang Sheng and eight others, facing off against Boss Xiao's group of more than twenty people.
Aotian, meanwhile, stood lazily at the very back, watching with great interest as this group of elementary schoolers had their showdown.
(end of chapter)
