Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

"Ah…"

Qianran shivered slightly, his body instinctively reacting. Ma Xiaotao, clearly flustered, finally lifted her head after a long moment, her enchanting pink eyes filled with both love and a hint of reproach.

The mixture of emotions in her gaze only encouraged Qianran further.

"You're amazing, Xiaotao," Qianran said sincerely, his hand tenderly caressing her delicate face. His heart swelled with emotion.

"Hmph. You're such a scoundrel, never behaving yourself," Ma Xiaotao muttered, her face flushed with a deep blush as she stood up. Her tone was laced with playful annoyance.

"I really love you," Qianran said, pulling her into his arms again. He leaned in to kiss her lips, but Ma Xiaotao suddenly smirked mischievously, making him pause awkwardly.

"Men are all the same—no good at all!" she teased, her voice light with mock disdain.

"Oh? Then why don't you seem to hate this 'no good' man in particular?" Qianran shot back with a grin, his heart fluttering at the thought of the fiery, formidable Ma Xiaotao showing such a gentle side only to him.

What volcano? He thought to himself. She's just incredibly soft and kindhearted.

"Enough playing around. I need to freshen up. We still have a meeting with Teacher Wang Yan later. The tournament starts tomorrow," Ma Xiaotao said, her tone turning serious. She was already worrying about the smell lingering on her—Ling Luochen and the others would definitely pick up on it.

"And you're not allowed to follow me!" she added, her face flushing as she stomped away, warning him with a pointed glare.

Despite her words, Ma Xiaotao was reluctant to leave Qianran's side. Their feelings were at their peak, and neither of them had had their fill of each other's presence.

But she had responsibilities as the captain of the Shrek team. She needed to draw lots to determine their opponents, participate in strategy meetings, and ensure her team was prepared.

Even though Shrek's strength far surpassed that of most other teams, they couldn't afford to be arrogant or careless. Their reputation as the continent's premier academy depended on their conduct and performance.

For a thousand years, Shrek Academy had used the tournament to showcase its dominance and bolster its fame. Even when facing weaker opponents, they were expected to display their full strength as a statement of their unparalleled legacy.

Teacher Wang Yan had emphasized this, even if it felt unnecessarily showy to some.

"So heartless? Wow, just tossing me aside after you've had your fill?" Qianran called after her, feigning a look of betrayal.

"Don't even try it!" Ma Xiaotao snapped, rolling her eyes at him.

To her, Qianran was shamelessly playing the victim. Of course, he'd been the one to enjoy himself earlier—it wasn't like she had! Besides, she wasn't one to like certain things…

She huffed to herself. If this world had a "sweet vs. savory tofu pudding" debate, she'd definitely be on the sweet side. She hated anything too salty or fishy, and certain things fell firmly into that category. The only reason she'd indulged earlier was because it was Qianran.

Sometimes, when you love someone, you learn to accept certain things about them—even things you don't naturally enjoy.

"Alright, alright. Go be busy. I'll find you tonight," Qianran said with a laugh, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Smooth talker," Ma Xiaotao murmured, her heart melting as his words echoed in her ears. Hearing him call her "baby" sent a wave of warmth through her chest. In Qianran's previous world, terms like "babe" and "darling" might've been overused and hollow, but here, they held a genuine intimacy that wasn't easy to say.

Reluctantly, Ma Xiaotao turned and left, her steps quick but hesitant.

Later that day, in the conference room…

Wang Yan gathered everyone to review the tournament format and their upcoming opponents.

Bored, Qianran fidgeted with his fingers as the details were laid out.

"Teacher, do we really need to be so uptight? Our team doesn't have any real competition. The only ones we should watch out for are the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Who knows what kind of soul tools they've developed over the past five years," Gongyang Mo said, voicing the inner court disciples' collective confidence.

For contests like soccer or basketball, there was room for surprise outcomes. But in a competition based purely on strength, Shrek Academy's loss was almost unthinkable.

"A lion uses its full strength even against a rabbit," Wang Yan replied with a smile. "Even if we're Shrek Academy, we must take every battle seriously to avoid any mishaps."

Though his words carried a note of caution, Wang Yan couldn't help but laugh internally. With Ma Xiaotao no longer needing to worry about her Evil Fire and talents like Qianran and Ling Luochen on the team, Shrek could handle any scenario.

Even if Qianran were to deploy his Perpetual Frozen Domain alone, he could likely overwhelm an entire opposing team single-handedly.

Leading this team was practically stress-free for Wang Yan.

"By the way, Teacher Wang Yan, how's Dai Yaoheng doing?" Gongyang Mo asked suddenly.

The room quieted. Everyone turned to Wang Yan, curious about Dai Yaoheng's condition.

Wang Yan cast a glance at Qianran before answering, "Both his legs were completely blown off, and his internal organs suffered significant damage. Elder Xuan managed to save his life using rare medicines and heavenly treasures, but he probably doesn't have long left."

"The academy is already negotiating with the White Tiger Duke's household over the matter. Qianran, I'd advise you not to draw too much attention to yourself for now," he added with a sigh.

Hearing this, the girls' faces tensed with worry. They were in Star Luo City, the Dai family's territory. Even though they no longer held imperial power, their influence over the city remained significant.

"Don't worry too much," Wang Yan reassured them. "The Sea God Pavilion will send a powerful protector in a couple of days."

"Elder Xuan isn't coming?" someone asked.

"Because of the recent incidents, Elder Xuan was punished. The one coming this time is Vice-Dean Cai Mei'er of the Martial Soul Department. Her strength is exceptional," Wang Yan explained.

"Cai Mei'er?" Ma Xiaotao and Tang Ya exclaimed in unison, delighted. As Yan Shaozhe's students, they were familiar with Cai Mei'er, who often guided them in their training.

"Cai Mei'er…" Qianran murmured, recalling what he knew of her.

Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er were well-known rivals, their enmity far exceeding that of other duos like Zhou Yi and Mu Jin.

Yan Shaozhe, though not a playboy, had attracted many admirers in his youth, including both Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er. Ultimately, however, he had chosen Cai Mei'er over his childhood friend Xian Lin'er.

"Looks like she's quite the character," Qianran thought, a sly smile forming as he contemplated the dynamics ahead.

(End of Chapter)