Chapter 131: Going Home to Collect the Laundry

"That's right, spirit beasts have the trait of evolving alongside their masters. It must be because I just leveled up six times, advancing from a first-level Grandmaster to a seventh-level Grandmaster, that Rou-Rou evolved along with me, changing from a first-level spirit beast to a seventh-level one. These seven tails are the proof of its evolution."

"Already a seventh-level spirit beast... I wonder what it will look like once I advance to a higher level as a Grandmaster?" Xin Lang couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

When Xin Lang exited the Leveling System, he noticed his experience points had increased by another 500. After subtracting the 6,000 points spent on his recent six-level jump, the system still held 1,000 experience points. These points were gained from defeating Huangfu Huijing. Although the system hadn't popped up a task notification, an opponent as formidable as her was a rare encounter, so 500 points was not an insignificant reward. With 1,000 points in reserve, Xin Lang decided not to upgrade himself further, choosing to keep them for any emergencies.

Xin Lang withdrew his consciousness from the system and looked at the little kitten, Rou-Rou, cradled in his arms. "When I reach the ninth-level Grandmaster, will you grow nine tails too? A nine-tailed cat—haha, I've never heard of such a thing!"

His plans for romance having failed for the day, Xin Lang returned to his dormitory, intending to continue his pursuit tomorrow. Upon arriving, he found the door slightly ajar. "Could that alluring little fox, Hu Qingqing, be here to warm my bed again?" he muttered to himself.

He pushed the door open, checked the empty main hall, and walked into the inner chamber. There, he found Hu Qingqing fiddling with something on his bed.

"Classmate Qingqing, here to warm my bed again?" Xin Lang suddenly spoke from behind her.

"Ah!" The sudden voice gave her a fright.

Having heard that Xin Lang had defeated Long Zhanyi today, Hu Qingqing had been burning with curiosity, desperate to know how he cultivated the "Art of Qi Transformation" to become so monstrously strong. She had waited in his room for a long time, and when he didn't return, her mind began to wander; she started rummaging through his bedding to see if he had hidden any secrets. She hadn't expected to be caught red-handed.

"Ah... I was just..." After a momentary panic, Hu Qingqing regained her composure, her usual cunning returning. She batted her seductive, large eyes at him and said, "Yes, I am here to warm your bed! How about it? Am I doing a good job?"

In the past, Xin Lang would have kept his distance from her, but he was different now. His mentality had shifted; since he was already chasing women, he didn't mind engaging in a little flirtation with her.

Xin Lang smiled and stepped in front of her. *Little brat, always teasing me,* he thought. *If I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know just how dangerous I can be.*

He cornered her against the bed, blocking her exit, and looked at her with a lecherous grin. "Is it warm enough yet? If not, we can warm it together!"

"Ah..." Caught off guard by his counter-offensive, Hu Qingqing lost her composure. "You... you... move aside! I just remembered, I haven't collected the laundry I washed today!"

Blushing, she shoved past him and scrambled out of the room in a disheveled panic.

The usually bold and uninhibited Hu Qingqing was truly rattled. She had always felt she could handle Xin Lang, but today, he seemed like a completely different person. Once outside, she patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. "That was too dangerous! That damn Xin Lang, when did he become so wicked? Once I find the chance, I’ll have to teach him a lesson and show him how tough this girl really is!" Having escaped his grasp, she reverted to her mischievous persona, quickly forgetting her earlier embarrassment.

Having scared her off, Xin Lang sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing the "Art of Qi Transformation." His battle with Huangfu Huijing had exhausted a great deal of his vital energy; had he not leveled up to a seventh-level Grandmaster at the very end, he surely would have lost.

Seeing him enter a meditative state, the kitten Rou-Rou did not disturb him, instead curling up between his knees and drifting off to sleep.

As soon as Xin Lang began his cultivation, he noticed a difference. After advancing to a seventh-level Grandmaster, he could refine a wider variety of vital essences. Water, wood, fire, and earth essences all surged toward him, and his refining speed was astonishing—faster, perhaps, than even a peak-level Grandmaster. The torrent of energy flowed through his extraordinary meridians and gathered in his vast dantian.

As he cultivated, a small portion of the essences he absorbed—water, wood, earth, and fire—was quietly drawn into the body of the kitten sleeping between his knees.

Although Xin Lang was not yet a ranked student on the Gold List after defeating Long Zhanyi, he had become the uncrowned king of the Martial Arts Academy. Over half the students believed that since he could defeat the top-ranked Huangfu Huijing, he was the true number one.

The students eagerly anticipated a duel between the two, but despite the long wait, no news of such a match had emerged.

"What's going on? Xin Lang already defeated Long Zhanyi; why hasn't he challenged Huangfu Huijing for the top spot?" Student A asked Students B and C.

"Pfft! Xin Lang is the uncrowned king of the academy right now, his momentum is unstoppable. Why would he lower himself to challenge Huangfu Huijing? It would make more sense for her to challenge him!" Student B replied.

"Not necessarily!" Student C remarked calmly after listening to the others. "I don't think a fight between them will ever happen."

"Why not?" Students A and B asked, confused.

Student C assumed a profound expression. "Have you forgotten what Xin Lang said back then?"

"What did he say?" Student A asked.

Student B suddenly realized, exclaiming, "You mean that remark about the four campus beauties all being his personal property?"