A Different Kind of Fire
'As expected of the Silver Dragon King's main personality. That regal, uncompromising air is intrinsic to her.'
Yao Xuan observed the exchange with inward appreciation, his expression carefully neutral. Following arbitrary human conventions was beneath the dignity of the sovereign of soul beasts; her actions, while blunt, carried a certain undeniable logic.
"Much better," Gu Yue said with a slight, satisfied nod. The ice spike vanished as if it had never been.
She then settled gracefully into the seat beside Yao Xuan, arranging her meal with deliberate care. Xie Xie, muttering under his breath, relocated to sit beside Tang Wulin, shooting a mock-wounded look across the table that Yao Xuan answered with a slight, apologetic shrug.
"Gu Yue, you're eating so little?" Yao Xuan noted, glancing at her modest portion of B-grade food—a sensible meal of vegetables, protein, and three steamed buns. "There's more training this afternoon. You should eat more to keep your strength up." The comment was made with genuine concern, and for a fleeting moment, the image of Na'er devouring bowl after bowl of noodles superimposed itself over the poised girl beside him.
"Thank you for your concern, Yao Xuan," Gu Yue replied, her tone softening a fraction. "But my appetite has always been small. It's sufficient." Her amethyst eyes then drifted to the towering stack of meat buns on his tray—no fewer than twenty. A flicker of something warm and familiar crossed her features. "Your appetite, however, remains… impressive."
Though their personalities had diverged, both Gu Yue and Na'er shared the memories of those two lost years. Gu Yue carried the recollection of that time with the clinical distance of an archived record, yet the sensory impressions remained: the warmth of a small room, the taste of simple food, and the steadfast presence of the boy who had offered shelter. That, combined with the deeply unsettling yet compelling aura of primordial dragon that emanated from him, created a complex pull she was still analyzing.
"Being able to eat well is a fortune," Yao Xuan said with a warm smile, deliberately echoing words he'd often said to Na'er. "Alright, let's eat. The food's best while it's hot. And judging by Teacher Wu's demeanor, this afternoon won't be easy."
He then devoted himself to his meal with a focused efficiency, not gluttony, but the methodical intake of fuel.
Back in Dormitory 205, the midday break was in full effect.
"Yao Xuan," Xie Xie whispered, sidling up to him with a conspiratorial grin. "That Gu Yue… she must like you, right? Making such a scene just to sit next to you. What do you think?"
Yao Xuan leaned back against his bedframe, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Perhaps. And if she does? The feeling is… not unreciprocated." His words were measured, but a firm resolve lay beneath them. Winning Gu Yue's trust and affection was a crucial step, not for conquest, but for healing. He had to reach the proud, wounded Silver Dragon King beneath the icy exterior and help her see a path different from one paved with hatred and vengeance. It would be a long journey, built on countless shared trials and unwavering proof of his character. And standing at the end of that path would be obstacles of divine proportion. Strength was not an option; it was a prerequisite.
"Wow, ditching your friends for a pretty face so fast!" Xie Xie teased, nudging him with an elbow. "If you ask me, that's not 'love at first sight,' that's just being dazzled!"
Yao Xuan chuckled, giving Xie Xie a light shove in return. "What do you know, kid? There are some connections that transcend simple explanations." Internally, he acknowledged a simpler truth: he was drawn to all of her—her strength, her pain, her very essence. But it was a pull rooted in profound recognition, not base impulse.
"Hmph, you're a kid too!" Xie Xie retorted, turning away with exaggerated indignation.
Yao Xuan's expression softened as he moved to sit on the edge of Tang Wulin's bed. The boy was sitting quietly, a faint shadow of disappointment still in his eyes. "Wulin, don't be disheartened. Train hard. The special training from Teacher Wu is a valuable opportunity in itself. Use it. Grow stronger."
Tang Wulin looked up, his gaze firming. "Yes, Brother Xuan. I will. I won't waste this chance."
"I know you won't." Yao Xuan placed a firm, brotherly hand on his shoulder.
"Brother Xuan," Tang Wulin asked after a moment, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What you said about Gu Yue… is it really like that?"
"Like what?"
"That it feels… destined? Like it was meant to happen?"
Yao Xuan met his young friend's earnest gaze. In this boy rested the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King, and though he was unaware of the cosmic scales, his intuition sometimes brushed against them. "Yes. I believe it is."
Tang Wulin nodded slowly, a serious, accepting look on his face. "Then I believe you can do it. I believe you can win her heart."
The simple, unwavering faith in Tang Wulin's voice carried a weight Yao Xuan felt deeply. "Thank you, Wulin. I believe so too."
The notification was a whisper in his soul, a confirmation that his path was altering the tapestry in fundamental ways.
At 2 PM, under the relentless afternoon sun, the students of Class 5 reconvened on the scorching playground.
Wu Zhangkong, true to his word, had revised the schedule. The promised theory lessons would have to wait. "Foundations first," his icy demeanor declared without words.
The training shifted from endurance to explosive strength and muscular resilience. Frog jumps across the field, sets of squats that burned the thighs, push-ups on the hot ground—each exercise was a fresh torment layered upon the morning's fatigue. Within half an hour, groans filled the air, and students lay strewn across the field like fallen leaves.
Wu Zhangkong observed the carnage without a trace of anger. Instead, he calmly called a halt and led them through a series of cooldown stretches and breathing exercises, allowing strained muscles to recover just enough to endure the next round. It was a cycle of breaking down and partial recovery, a ruthless but effective method for forging a harder body from soft clay.
Hours later, as the sun began to dip, casting long shadows, Wu Zhangkong finally called an end.
"Rest thoroughly. Perform the recovery stretches I showed you. Dismissed." His eyes found the four who had remained after the morning session. "Yao Xuan, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin. Report to my office at 7:30 PM tonight, after your evening meal."
"Again tonight?!" Xie Xie moaned, his legs feeling like jelly.
"Teacher is investing his time in us. It's an opportunity." Tang Wulin said, slipping a supportive arm under Xie Xie's shoulder to steady him. "Come on, I'll help you back."
"Thanks, Wulin," Xie Xie said, genuine gratitude in his tired voice. The simple act of solidarity deepened the budding friendship between them.
Yao Xuan watched them go, then his gaze found Gu Yue, who was observing the interaction with her characteristic detached curiosity. Their eyes met for a brief moment—a silent acknowledgment of the shared trial awaiting them that evening. The path was arduous, but he walked it with a clear purpose, and now, unexpectedly, she walked a parallel stretch of the same road.