Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

He finished his meal at lightning speed, and after parting ways with Cain, he saw his dormitory building just a few steps away.

His dormitory was not much different from that of other first-year students. It was located on the top floor of a small building on one side of the first-year dormitory area, which was a fairly quiet place.

Compared to Shrek Academy's multi-person dormitories, each student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy can basically have a single room. Kong Tianxu was given a 30-square-meter dormitory room, which also included a bathroom with a shower and toilet facilities.

It wasn't luxurious, but it was quite clean and tidy.

The dormitory area is not just a place to rest. Among the various facilities, the one that interests Kong Tianxu the most is a room called the auxiliary cultivation room.

According to the annotations on the map, there is a fee to use this auxiliary training room, and the price is quite high.

However, Kong Tianxu had no time to care about these things at the moment. After arriving at the room, he immediately locked the door, walked to the center of the room, and a hint of jade flashed in his eyes. The entire framework and structure of the room were now fully revealed to him.

As the X-ray vision takes effect, the elemental vision is also activated.

With the support of his dual talents, all anomalies within a certain range will be exposed to Kong Tianxu, and even objects the size of dust will find it difficult to escape his detection.

Before today, even a genius like Kong Tianxu could not consistently use both martial souls at the same time.

It wasn't because he lacked control over his martial soul, but because both of his martial souls were possession-type, and their soul power was extremely domineering. His previous mental power was insufficient to maintain the balance of power between the two.

Chapter 37 Deep Meditation, Another Breakthrough

Like Xiao Xiao in the original work, her twin martial souls, the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron and the Nine Phoenixes Arriving Flute, are both weapon martial souls, and their grades are far inferior to Kong Tianxu's Silver Dragon and his original body. Therefore, she was able to successfully use the technique of using twin martial souls at the same time when she only had the cultivation of a Great Soul Master.

However, once her cultivation level increased, she was no longer able to do it.

After carefully scanning the area, Kong Tianxu couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly when his eyes regained their clear purple hue.

It seems I was being too suspicious; the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy didn't install any surveillance equipment here.

That's true. These people were so careless as to not take any protective measures in Huo Yuhao's dormitory when he came to be a spy, so they would be even less likely to take such precautions for themselves.

Sitting down on the already made bed, Kong Tianxu began to relive the changes that had occurred in his spiritual sea. The instantaneous surge and surging sensation reappeared in his mind time and time again. He seemed to have vaguely grasped something, but he couldn't quite feel it.

In this repeated exploration, he once again entered a state of deep meditation.

Two deep meditations in a row—that's quite astonishing.

It's important to understand that Soul Masters typically cultivate in two ways: ordinary meditation and deep meditation. During ordinary meditation, if disturbed by external stimuli or sensing changes in the environment, one will automatically awaken without being significantly affected; hence, this type of meditation is also known as shallow cultivation. Deep meditation, on the other hand, is a rare and precious state. It occurs when one gains insights during ordinary meditation, causing the mind to naturally sink into a state of deep concentration, completely oblivious to external changes, and usually only waking up on its own.

During deep meditation, a Soul Master's Soul Power circulates automatically, at a faster speed than during ordinary meditation. Simultaneously, comprehension is greatly enhanced during deep meditation; things difficult to understand in normal times become much clearer. The effect of one deep meditation session can even surpass the improvement gained from ten ordinary meditation sessions. Every Soul Master hopes to enter deep meditation during cultivation, especially when about to break through a bottleneck. If they are fortunate enough to encounter deep meditation, the chance of successfully breaking through is almost 80% or more.

Distinguishing between ordinary meditation and deep meditation is quite simple. In ordinary meditation, there are no changes on the body's surface; the soul power simply circulates within the body. Only during special techniques or breakthroughs will it be slightly released outwards, such as when Kong Tianxu was cultivating the Myriad Beginnings Returning to Origin Domain, which emitted golden light. In deep meditation, for self-protection, a portion of the soul power will spontaneously overflow from the soul master's body to protect themselves, while also concealing all of the soul master's aura.

Because deep meditation involves profound understanding and practice, it is most vulnerable to disturbance. Once disturbed, it can easily lead to mental instability and serious harm to the body.

However, Kong Tianxu was not like that at this moment. As soon as a faint silver light appeared on his body, the luxurious luster that seemed like a treasure was completely absorbed into his body. From the surface, it was no different from ordinary meditation.

Unlike conventional Soul Masters, even when Kong Tianxu is in a deep meditative state, he still retains a portion of his conscious awareness through his physical spirit. He can observe and influence his own state changes from a third-person perspective without affecting the effects of deep meditation.

This is why he dared to let his body enter a deep meditative state in the classroom before; he could exit this state at any time if he wanted to.

Kong Tianxu has developed his martial spirit to the extreme. No matter what environment he is in, he will do his best to eliminate any potential dangers.

When he awoke from his deep meditation, he felt a warmth throughout his body, an indescribable comfort. His sea of ​​consciousness hadn't expanded significantly, but it had become more solid, and his soul power had made considerable progress.

Not long ago, he was at the peak of level 45, but now he has broken through to level 46 and has at least a quarter of the way to level 47.

The immense benefits of this deep meditation are evident.

If only I could stay in a state of deep meditation forever, but unfortunately, this is something that can only be encountered by chance.

Jumping out of bed, Kong Tianxu looked at the sky outside, which was gradually darkening, and immediately felt hungry.

As if remembering something, he quickly changed into his school uniform and hurried downstairs.

The weather today is really not good. Fine drizzle falls in a dense, persistent patter, bringing a chill to this late summer season.

Kong Tianxu didn't pay attention. Just as he was about to use his soul power barrier to step into the rain, his eyes flickered slightly, and he turned his head to look to the left.

An umbrella was already held up, and under it stood a person wearing a moon-white school uniform, with long, golden hair simply tied back. In the rainy night, the person possessed an elfin beauty, and their large, sapphire-blue eyes were full of spirit and a hint of expectation.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Kong Tianxu asked her with a slight smile.

"It's been almost an hour."

Cain brushed aside a few rain-soaked strands of hair, a strange look in his eyes. He handed over one of the lunchboxes, his voice soft with expectation:

“Master was originally waiting for you, but I knew you might have been delayed by your cultivation, so I let him go back first. Let’s go to Crescent Lake to eat together? I heard the scenery there is very beautiful.”

Kong Tianxu knew she would never lie to him, so he gently agreed. The girl turned and led the way with a little bit of excitement.

The two walked slowly toward their destination, their feet sinking into the damp ground. Normally, Kong Tianxu would complete these daily chores as quickly as possible.

Today, I finally slowed down, listened to the patter of rain, and felt the soft breathing around me, and I found a tranquility unlike anything I'd experienced before.

Arriving excitedly at Crescent Lake, I found that a layer of metal mesh had already surrounded the entire lake area, indicating that some facilities were about to be renovated.

"Sorry, Tianxu, I only heard about it from someone else... You made a wasted trip and are now hungry. Shall we go find a pavilion?"

Cain was visibly downcast, forcing a smile of apology as he pointed to a building not far away.

Before she could finish speaking, a hand gently grasped her wrist.

“We’re right here.” Kong Tianxu gently stroked her jade-like nose, his powerful soul energy rising to block out the rain. With his five fingers forming claws, he effortlessly tore open the rare metal barrier and brought her inside.

Cain pursed her lips and tightened her grip on that hand. It was as if she had returned to that rainy night in the Jingyang Mountains many years ago, when she was surrounded by soul beasts and filled with despair, and it was this same hand that pulled her out of the mud and fear.

The rain wasn't too heavy, and the umbrellas were enough to cover them. The two left some gold soul coins as compensation by the fence, then found a chair to dry off and sat down.

The food in the evening was relatively light, with the sweet aroma of porridge rising slowly, lingering in the rain rather than dissipating.

Chapter 38 A Misty Rain Reveals the Asura

On Crescent Lake, a misty rain began to rise, enveloping the distant teaching buildings like a light veil. On this cool, damp lakeside, a bowl of hot porridge warmed them, spreading warmth from their stomachs and even warming their fingertips. They looked up almost simultaneously, their eyes meeting, and smiled slightly in unison. That warmth, mingled with the subtle sweetness of the porridge, silently seeped into their hearts.

The meal was eaten quickly. After cleaning up, they walked along the path by Crescent Lake. They strolled slowly without speaking.

The rain gradually stopped, but the mist still lingered. A gentle breeze blew, carrying the damp air, lightly pattering against their school uniforms, leaving them slightly damp.

"Is that Xu Tianzhen the only princess of the royal family? Will Brother Tianxu be with her in the future...?" Cain finally couldn't help but turn his head to look at Kong Tianxu.

Kong Tianxu didn't answer immediately, his gaze fixed on her. Having shed her usual loose robes, the girl's figure appeared even more exquisite and shapely in her moon-white school uniform. She lightly touched the ground with her toes, her skirt fluttering slightly, revealing a slender calf; white stockings outlined its graceful curves, exuding the unique beauty of youth.

Kong Tianxu chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself, "It seems the little maid is starting to feel threatened."

“Yin’er,” he finally spoke, his voice gentle, “you look beautiful today.”

Just as Cain's ears turned red from his gaze and he was about to lower his head, he flicked his wrist, and two identical rings appeared in his palm. The silver-white rings were wrapped with fine and ancient blood-red patterns, exuding an eerie and mysterious aura.

Cain was slightly taken aback, then realized: "Tianxu, is this the level seven storage soul tool you made yesterday?"

Kong Tianxu nodded, solemnly placed one of the coins into her hand, and said softly, "I call it 'Blood Moon Circle.' We'll each have one."

A sudden surge of joy overwhelmed Cain, and she felt a wave of dizziness. All her previous unease, hesitation, and fear of abandonment were completely filled in this moment. In the hazy mist, she couldn't help but hug the boy in front of her tightly, as if she wanted to melt into his body.

Without hesitation, Kong Tianxu wrapped his arms around her back. He knew her too well—to make the usually calm Cain lose his composure like this, these emotions must have been suppressed in his heart for too long.

With her warm, soft body in his arms, feeling her unreserved affection and her long, slender legs wrapped around his waist, Kong Tianxu was momentarily intoxicated. The two embraced for a long time, without parting.

“Hmm—” Cain suddenly raised his head, as if he had noticed something.

"What's wrong, Yin'er?" Kong Tianxu reluctantly let go of her hand and asked in a low voice.

"It looks like someone's watching." Realizing how embarrassing his posture had been, Cain patted his flushed cheeks.

"Really?" Kong Tianxu looked around but didn't notice anything unusual. Seeing that it was getting late, he said gently, "Then let's go back."

Cain nodded obediently, moved closer to him and was about to leave, but then looked back at the opposite shore of the lake, only to find nothing in the end.

It must be said that a woman's sixth sense may actually exist. In the direction Cain's gaze last fell, in a corner of the lakeside that even Kong Tianxu's perception failed to detect, a figure also dressed in moon white stood quietly, the fingertips of her right hand, which had been holding a level-six farsighted soul tool, turned slightly white from gripping it too tightly.

Xu Tianzhen shook her hair, which was wet from the rain and mist, and a sense of irritation welled up in her heart for no reason.

Although she had long known that Kong Tianxu had a close childhood friend, she hadn't paid any attention to it, even when she finally met Cain today. But for some reason, seeing the two of them so intimate still made her feel uncomfortable, very uncomfortable.

A cool evening breeze rose again, and Xu Tianzhen, who had been searching for Kong Tianxu for most of the day, suddenly felt cold and hungry. She put away her soul tool, squatted down, and a small, orange-yellow sun leaped from her palm.

The warm light shone on her face, and she suddenly felt a little wronged, deciding to break her own rules a little this time.

She told herself that she would talk to him later.

Kong Tianxu was unaware that in this misty rain, he was both welcoming and missing the first battleground of his life.

......

"How is the situation?" Jing Hongchen asked Lin Jiayi, who was standing in front of her.

Lin Jiayi said, "The most outstanding performer is undoubtedly Kong Tianxu, the only grandson of Master Kong. He completed the carving of all six special techniques on the six sides of a piece of metal in just one minute. To be honest, Master, when I heard this news, I wondered if there was something wrong with my ears."

"Where was Princess Tianzhen? And that little girl who came with Confucius's family, what was her name again?"

Jing Hongchen clearly already knew about this news, and adjusted his posture somewhat uncomfortably before asking.

Lin Jiayi said, "His name is Cain, and he's quite extraordinary. Although his soul guidance talent is mediocre, his soul power level is very high, at least level thirty-five or higher. His martial soul is also very powerful. He basically doesn't understand soul guidance device making, but he still managed to complete one of them with his powerful soul power and martial soul ability."

"Princess Tianzhen's performance was also surprising. During the physical test, she demonstrated excellent resilience and physical strength, and she successfully completed five carvings in the entrance examination."

Jing Hongchen smiled slightly and said, "That's normal. Princess Tianzhen already knew about the assessment content. The teaching staff of the Offering Hall is no worse than that of the Mingde Hall. They prepared for a long time in advance, so this result is not particularly surprising. As for Cain, he sounds very suitable for the actual control of the Soul Guidance Department. Since he is also from Master Kong's side, let's pay more attention to him."

Lin Jiayi said, "Master, are Kong Tianxu and Cain really not required to undergo physical testing? Perhaps I should find an opportunity..."

Jing Hongchen shook his head and said, "There's no need. Although we obey His Majesty, we shouldn't disobey Master Kong's orders in these areas. If everything goes smoothly, with these three geniuses, especially Kong Tianxu, I'm even more looking forward to the results of next year's Continental Advanced Academy Soul Battle Tournament and the great future of the Empire."

As he spoke the last sentence, his eyes flashed with intense excitement.

Lin Jiayi glanced at Jing Hongchen's face, and after confirming that the other's joy was genuine, he said, "Hall Master is wise, but I have failed in my duties, and some trouble has recently arisen in the academy. Hall Master..." He hesitated for a moment, then stopped speaking.

"Hmm," Jing Hongchen narrowed his eyes slightly, "Say what you want to say. Do you think I would blame you?"

Lin Jiayi said nervously, "Master, it's a fifth-year student named Nana. She seems to be reporting those people's affairs to the academy recently."

Chapter 39 Shadows, Aftermath

Jing Hongchen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Don't mention this matter again. Send someone to warn her that if a similar situation occurs again, notify me immediately."

"Yes, Hall Master."

Lin Jiayi bowed respectfully and took his leave.

Just before he stepped out the threshold, he heard Jing Hongchen let out a heavy, cold snort, and those three words that chilled him to the bone—