Ning Rongrong's POV
Morning training at Shrek had always been brutal, but lately it felt… different.
Ning Rongrong stood in the familiar dirt field, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovering above her palm, its four treasures gleaming in the dawn light. Flender's voice barked orders—laps around the academy, strength drills, spirit power circulation exercises—but her focus kept drifting.
To the far side of the field, where Luo Feng was guiding Zhao Wuji through what looked like a casual spar.
Casual for Luo Feng, anyway.
Zhao Wuji, fully possessed by his Vigorous Vajra Bear, swung massive fists that could shatter boulders. Each strike met only air—Luo Feng sidestepping with minimal movement, spatial ripples deflecting force without visible effort. Occasionally he'd tap a pressure point or redirect momentum, sending the burly teacher stumbling with a surprised grunt.
The rest of the team watched in open awe between their own drills.
"He's not even sweating," Ma Hongjun muttered, wiping his brow after another set of push-ups.
Oscar grinned, tossing a recovery sausage to Ning Rongrong. "Your boyfriend's showing off again."
She caught the sausage automatically, cheeks flaming. "He's not— We're not—" She huffed, unable to finish the denial convincingly.
Xiao Wu laughed, linking arms with her. "It's okay, Rongrong. We're all happy for you. He makes you smile more."
Ning Rongrong glanced at Luo Feng again. As if sensing her gaze, he looked over mid-dodge, dark eyes meeting hers across the field. The corner of his mouth lifted—just for her—before he returned his attention to Zhao Wuji.
Her heart did that ridiculous flip it had started doing lately.
Yes. She was smiling more.
Luo Feng's POV
Teaching at Shrek was unlike any mentorship he'd undertaken.
These students weren't cosmic geniuses with infinite potential from birth. They were human—flawed, limited by their world's laws, yet burning with determination that rivaled any universe lord he'd known.
He enjoyed it immensely.
After disarming Zhao Wuji for the tenth time (gently, always gently), he called a pause.
"Teacher Zhao, your defense is excellent, but rigid. Try flowing with the force instead of meeting it head-on."
Zhao Wuji scratched his head, chuckling. "Easy for you to say, kid. You bend space like it's clay."
Luo Feng smiled. "Practice. And understanding intent behind the strike."
As the students gathered for Grandmaster's theory lesson, Luo Feng found himself beside Ning Rongrong again—natural now, like gravity pulling them into the same orbit.
She nudged his arm lightly. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Guilty," he admitted. "Your teachers are strong for this world. It's refreshing to train without holding back ninety-nine percent."
Her eyes widened. "You were holding back more than that with the Titan Giant Ape."
He shrugged, unrepentant.
Grandmaster began the lesson: team formations, exploiting terrain, countering common martial soul combinations. Luo Feng listened intently, occasionally adding quiet insights that made Grandmaster's eyes gleam with academic fascination.
When the session broke for lunch, Ning Rongrong lingered.
"Walk with me?" she asked softly.
They slipped away from the group, wandering toward the small grove behind the academy where students sometimes practiced in private.
In the Grove
Sunlight filtered through leaves, dappling the ground in shifting patterns. Birds sang overhead. For a moment it felt like their own world.
Ning Rongrong stopped beneath a large oak, turning to face him.
"I've been thinking," she began, fingers twisting together—a rare nervous gesture. "About us."
Luo Feng waited, expression gentle.
"We're… together now, right?" she asked, voice smaller than usual. "I mean, after the roof, and the kiss, and everything. But we haven't really said it. And I don't want to assume—"
He stepped closer, cupping her cheek with one large hand. "Rongrong."
She stilled at the touch.
"I am yours," he said simply, voice low and certain. "As much as you'll have me. For as long as you want me."
Her eyes shimmered. "Really?"
"Really."
Relief and joy broke across her face. She rose on tiptoes, arms winding around his neck, and kissed him—less tentative than the first time, deeper, full of the certainty they'd just named.
He wrapped arms around her waist, lifting her slightly so she didn't have to strain. The kiss lengthened, sweet and unhurried, until distant shouts from the dining hall reminded them of reality.
When they parted, foreheads still touching, she laughed breathlessly.
"Boyfriend," she tested the word. "I like it."
He smiled against her lips. "Girlfriend. I like it more."
Dai Mubai's POV – Dining Hall
The group was already seated when Ning Rongrong and Luo Feng returned—separately, but close enough that it was obvious they'd been together.
Dai Mubai smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Took you two long enough."
Zhu Zhuqing elbowed him, but her eyes held quiet approval.
Oscar waggled his eyebrows. "Details, princess. Spare none."
Ning Rongrong flipped her hair imperiously, sliding into her seat. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell."
Xiao Wu squealed. "So there was kissing!"
Luo Feng sat beside her, expression calm, but the way his hand found hers under the table betrayed him.
Tang San watched the exchange with quiet satisfaction. The team felt stronger—more unified—with this new happiness woven into it.
Even Flender, counting potential sponsorship coins in his head, couldn't deny the improved morale.
Afternoon Training
Grandmaster introduced paired sparring: testing new spirit abilities in controlled combat.
When pairings were announced, Ning Rongrong found herself opposite Luo Feng.
Grandmaster's eyes twinkled. "A good opportunity to test auxiliary against… unconventional power."
The field cleared a space.
Ning Rongrong summoned her pagoda, Dream Veil shimmering into existence. "I won't go easy," she warned, chin lifted proudly.
Luo Feng's eyes warmed. "I'd be disappointed if you did."
The match began.
She boosted herself first—speed, strength, defense, spirit power recovery—all surging. Then she layered illusions from her Dreamweaver ring: phantom copies of herself circling, disorienting patterns swirling.
To anyone else, it would have been overwhelming.
Luo Feng moved through it like a breeze through mist—never striking hard, always redirecting, appearing behind illusions, gently tapping pressure points that would have ended a real fight.
But he let her land hits too—light spatial barriers giving way under her boosted strikes, allowing her to feel the progress she'd made.
When Grandmaster called time, she was breathing hard, glowing with exertion and triumph.
"You're incredible," Luo Feng said quietly as they stepped back.
"So are you," she returned, eyes shining. "But I'll catch up. Just wait."
He believed her completely.
Evening – Rooftop Again
They returned to their spot that night, closer now—no careful distance. She sat between his legs, back against his chest, his arms around her waist, chin resting atop her head.
Talk drifted from training to dreams.
"I want to evolve my pagoda to Nine Treasures," she said softly. "Become the strongest auxiliary master on the continent. Make my clan proud—but on my terms."
"You will," he murmured. "And I'll be there to see it."
She twisted to look up at him. "What about you? What do you want now?"
He considered the stars above—familiar yet new through her eyes.
"To walk beside you," he said finally. "Through tournaments, battles, whatever comes. To watch you shine. And maybe… build something here. A life that isn't just survival."
Her smile was radiant. "We can do that. Together."
Another kiss—this one slower, deeper, hands wandering innocently over clothes, learning curves and warmth.
When they pulled apart, breathless, she nestled back against him.
The future stretched ahead: the Continental Tournament looming, Spirit Hall's shadows gathering, secrets of gods and inheritances waiting to unfold.
But in this moment, under Shrek's stars, a cosmic wanderer and a fierce clan daughter held each other close—and the world felt perfectly, beautifully small.