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Under Dan Chen's eager anticipation, time quickly passed, and the class came to an end.
The moment Elder Zhong announced the dismissal, Dan Chen impatiently grabbed Lin Feng's arm and practically dragged him toward her residence.
As for the other students, they stood there, utterly dumbfounded by the sight. They just couldn't figure it out—what kind of charm or magic potion had this Lin Feng used on Dan Chen?
How could that quiet, aloof goddess suddenly turn into this?
"Damn it, this Dan Chen usually looks gentle and demure, but she's got more tricks up her sleeve than anyone! The class just ended, and she's already snatched Lin Feng away."
Watching her old rival pull Lin Feng along, Cao Ying's usually calm and cool expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
She had originally planned to use this chance to borrow Lin Feng's Green Lotus Core Flame for a few days of study and fun. But she hadn't expected that Dan Chen—the little girl who always acted so shy and quiet—would actually beat her to it.
"Ying'er, recently I've gained some new insights on refining high-grade seventh-tier pills. Why don't we discuss it somewhere quiet? I'd like to know if my method is feasible. After all, even the most talented alchemist can make mistakes, and group discussions often lead to new inspiration."
The man in black, who had been fawning over Cao Ying for over a decade without success, couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy as he saw her gaze lingering on another man's back. Trying to get her attention, he quickly stepped forward and spoke in a flattering tone.
"That's right, Miss Cao Ying, Brother Song Qing makes a good point. Studying alchemy behind closed doors isn't ideal. Why don't we all exchange some insights here? Maybe we can all improve together."
As soon as the black-robed man spoke, a few other male students immediately rushed over, chiming in to support the idea.
Hearing their voices, Cao Ying's long, beautiful eyes swept lazily toward them. Although she secretly found these men rather annoying, she also knew they had decent talent—and she might need their help someday.
So instead of showing her irritation, she smiled sweetly behind her hand and said, "That does make sense. Then let's discuss our understanding of alchemy here. But I must warn you, my talent is poor and I don't speak much, so please forgive me if I'm quiet."
Even though Cao Ying's movements were subtle, every glance and smile carried an effortless allure. Her natural grace once again made the male students' eyes burn with a barely concealed heat.
As for Song Qing, seeing Cao Ying agree—even though it was just to discuss alchemy in the plaza—still made his heart race with excitement. His goddess was actually giving up her rest time just to talk alchemy with them!
Surely that meant she had a deep affection for him. Otherwise, why would she agree so readily?
With that thought, he secretly made up his mind—he would tell Cao Ying all of his new insights later. He wanted her to understand that he was the only true match for her!
But when he thought about how Cao Ying treated Lin Feng differently from everyone else, a flicker of coldness flashed in Song Qing's eyes. From the first moment he saw Cao Ying, he had already considered her his forbidden treasure—something no other man would ever be allowed to touch.
In his eyes, even if Lin Feng was talented, so what?
He hadn't known Cao Ying even one-tenth as long as Song Qing had. Besides him, who else could possibly be worthy of her?
"Lin Feng, you'd better know your place. Don't become an obstacle in my path… or else, hmph."
Song Qing's gaze turned toward the direction where Lin Feng had disappeared, a faint trace of killing intent flickering in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng, completely unaware that someone had already taken a grudge against him, was being pulled all the way from the classroom to Dan Chen's room.
Standing before the beautiful young woman whose eyes shone with anticipation, Lin Feng smiled and summoned the Green Lotus Core Flame origin from within his body. He then handed the origin flame to her and said, "Here, take it."
Although this Heavenly Flame was incredibly precious, the Dan Clan wasn't stupid enough to try and seize it by force—at least, not if they still had their sanity.
After all, if they really tried something like that, with how serious the consequences would be, the Dan Clan would definitely lose their qualification among the five great families.
A Heavenly Flame was indeed precious, but for a large clan, it was still far less valuable than the protection and support of the Pill Tower. At the same time, this also served as Lin Feng's way of testing Dan Chen's character.
If she really tried to pull a wolf in sheep's clothing move, then no matter how beautiful she was or how much the Dan Clan could help him, he would never consider forming an alliance with them again.
"Thank you, Brother Lin Feng."
Looking at the green flame he handed over, Dan Chen excitedly reached out to take it.
Since the flame was being lent by its true owner, Lin Feng, the temperature of the Green Lotus Core Flame didn't harm her in the slightest. She carefully cupped the flame in her palms, joyfully admiring the strange, elegant glow of the emerald flame.
A Heavenly Flame was one of the rarest treasures between heaven and earth, a priceless item due to the immense aid it provided in alchemy. To most alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent, such a thing was simply irresistible.
For someone like Dan Chen, who was deeply passionate about alchemy, that temptation was even stronger. Now that she could actually touch this Heavenly Flame with her own hands, her excitement was beyond words.
At that moment, Lin Feng looked at the excited girl, pointed toward a nearby table, and said again, "Dan Chen, since this is your first time coming into contact with the Green Lotus Core Flame, you won't be familiar with many of its traits yet. I'll first explain some of its characteristics to you, so that when you use it later, you can handle it more smoothly."
Though his reason for staying and teaching her carried a hint of personal intention—to deepen their connection—it was still the truth.
After all, she wasn't the true owner of the Green Lotus Core Flame and had not left her soul imprint within the flame. There were many things she couldn't sense. Without guidance from the flame's owner, it would indeed take her a great deal of time and effort to figure it all out on her own.
"Mm."
Hearing his words, Dan Chen nodded earnestly. Then, full of joy, she quickly ran to the chair by the table and sat down, her bright, clear eyes shining with expectation as she looked up at him.
Seeing this, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile, then moved to sit beside her. As the faint fragrance from the young woman drifted into his senses, he began explaining the traits and usage techniques of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
As for Dan Chen, her mind was now completely filled with thoughts about how to use and understand the Green Lotus Core Flame. She didn't even realize how close the two of them were sitting.
At the same time, the way she practically had "I'm easy to fool" written all over her face only made Lin Feng even more determined to win her over completely.
Their conversation continued for nearly an hour before it finally came to an end. By then, the bond between the two had grown noticeably closer. After all, Lin Feng had not only lent her such a priceless treasure, but had also patiently explained to her how to use it.
In the eyes of this pure-hearted girl, Lin Feng couldn't possibly have been more perfect.
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