by Dragon King
“Kiss! Kiss!” The other guys followed their lead.
Zhao Yanzi blushed as she knocked on Hao Ren’s shoulder. “Don’t come to find me at school again.”
“Zhao Yanzi, Kiss! Zhao Yanzi, Kiss!” The yells turned into a chant from the balcony.
“These students are so gossipy.” Hao Ren knew that this would for sure lure the teachers out of their offices, so he got ready to leave.
At this time, Zhao Yanzi suddenly stepped forward and said in the quietest voice possible, “A hug should be fine.”
“Um?” Hao Ren thought he heard her wrong amongst all the yelling from the students.
“Stupid!” she knocked on Hao Ren’s chest and stepped half a step forward into Hao Ren’s arms.
“Oh…Oh…Oh…” all the students kicked up a fuss immediately.
Hao Ren’s face was blushing down to the neck…
This was the first time he hugged a girl in public.
“What are you yelling at?” A skinny teacher dashed out of his office.
Hao Ren suddenly turned and ran away after seeing how the situation had changed. Since he was on Kan-level, he could run as fast as if he was flying. He disappeared into the trees’ shads in no time.
Zhao Yanzi touched her hot cheeks and said to Ling as she lifted her head, “Come on! I’ll buy you bubble tea at the school corner store!”
The two of them walked away under everyone’s stare. The ‘celebrity’ of the school finally stirred up a tornado.
The male students all remembered Hao Ren as the guy who had Zhao Yanzi, who wouldn’t agree to go out with anyone, in his arms.
185 Weakening the Heavenly Tribulation?
Hao Ren had no idea what Zhao Yanzi was planning. However, his heartbeat sped up when she went into his arms. It was not less powerful than that of the ‘Small Lightning Cloud Tribulation.’
Hao Ren rushed out of the Middle School Department and headed toward the Academic Building of the High School Department. Xie Yujia was just walking out.
She saw Hao Ren and immediately waved at him.
“Hey, Hao Ren!”
Hao Ren walked over, and Xie Yujia noticed the blush on his cheek. She blinked curiously and asked “Why is your face so red? Is it too hot outside?”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Hao Ren put his hand on his forehead and replied, “Um… You are done visiting your high school teachers?”
“Yes… Though some of them have been transferred to other schools.” Xie Yujia nodded and looked up at the sun. “It’s still a bit early for dinner. Why don’t we take a walk around the school?”
Hao Ren thought, “There is nothing to do anyway when I get back. Plus, I could kill some time and pick up Zhao Yanzi after school.”
He agreed and said, “Let’s go.”
Xie Yujia smiled pleasantly and walked beside Hao Ren. As another bell rang, the students all went back to their classrooms.
A few high-schooler hastily passed by Hao Ren as they chatted with each other.
“Fatty, remember the mid-schooler, Zi, who you are interested in? Her boyfriend just came here to see her. They hugged on the sports field outside of the building, and they probably kissed too!”
“Damn it! Where did you hear that from?”
“My little sister is in the Middle School Department, and she just texted me! She witnessed the whole thing!”
As they went by, they couldn’t help but peek at Xie Yujia. They were probably wondering why they hadn’t seen this beautiful girl in the school before.
Of course, they didn’t pay attention to Hao Ren. They would never have guessed this was the guy who just hugged Zhao Yanzi in public.
Xie Yujia didn’t pay attention to the discussion because she wasn’t sensitive to the name ‘Zi’ and her hearing wasn’t as acute as Hao Ren. She walked closer to Hao Ren as they moved forward slowly and quietly, checking out the grasses, trees, hills, and small ponds in the school.
The school was quiet. This was the last class of the day, so there were no PE classes. The entire sports field was empty and silent.
The sun in the west was giving out the last warmth of the day and poured a layer of gold on the sports field.
They strolled on the track side by side. Hao Ren looked down at the lines and stepped on the white starting line.
They were both quietly walking in the bright sunset.
The red tracks with white lines reminded Xie Yujia of her middle school and high school years and Hao Ren of the Athletic Games at the university not too long ago.
After taking a walk along the sports field, they went to the library, the music center, the stadium… And everywhere else.
Xie Yujia cherished the memories of her middle school and high school years and having Hao Ren by her side gave her a different feeling.
“I fell here once.” She pointed at the stairs outside of the library as she lifted her right sleeve. “See, the scar is still here.”
Hao Ren looked over and saw a tiny scar on her pale skin. He took another look at the stairs and could imagine what it looked like when she tripped. It made his heart ache a little.
“When I was in middle school and high school, I had always wondered where my Little Older Brother was studying,” Xie Yujia smiled in delight and said, “But I never imagined that you would be just two blocks over at City North First High School.”
Hao Ren could imagine Xie Yujia’s quiet yet persistent lifestyle during her middle school and high school years. She probably read books in the classroom during breaks, took sunbaths on the balcony, kept a friendly distance from the guys and never got too close to them, and daydreamed by the side of the sports field during PE class…
The sunshine slowly faded away, and it was about time for the final dismissal.
“I’ll treat you to dinner,” Xie Yujia said.
“Don’t worry. I still need to take Zi back. Let me drive you back to the school first. Actually, I still owe you a meal for the notes you lent to me last time,” Hao Ren walked to the parking lot and said.
“You don’t have to take me back if you need to wait for her. I’ll just take a bus. It’s pretty convenient anyways,” Xie Yujia walked to the school gate as she said this to him.
Hao Ren called her, but she went through the small door and got out of the school without looking back.
Hao Ren sighed as he watched her leave. He went into the parking lot and started the Ferrari.
The doorman opened the door for him, and he drove the car outside of the school gate and waited on the side of the road.
Ring… The final dismissal bell rang. A few minutes later, all the students walked through the gate.
There were some other cars at the school gate, picking up students. However, none of them were as luxurious as this Ferrari. Zhao Yanzi got out of the school with some of her classmates, and she waved at Hao Ren on purpose when she saw the Ferrari.
Hao Ren was very eye-catching in this flashy car.
Zhao Yanzi ran over cheerfully with her bag on her back and got in the car. Students from both the High School Department and the Middle School Department were gossiping about them when they saw that.
Zhao Yanzi pinched Hao Ren’s cheek as soon as she got into the car, acting like they were very close. Hao Ren immediately started the car and dashed out under everyone’s stare like a rich kid.
As the vehicle moved forward, Zhao Yanzi glimpsed at Hao Ren and asked, “She left?”
Her tone showed her hostility toward Xie Yujia, who was beautiful and well-developed.
“You hate her that much?” Hao Ren turned to her.
“At least there’s nothing that I like about her.” Zhao Yanzi pouted.
“It seems like it is very hard for a good student and a bad student to get along.” Hao Ren rubbed his head and kept driving.
“You should work harder starting today,” Hao Ren said suddenly.
“The reason is?” Zhao Yanzi asked immediately.
“No reason. That’s the responsi
bility your mom gave me,” Hao Ren answered.
Zhao Yanzi twitched her nose and kept quiet. She seemed to have already forgotten about the incident in the office today.
“Do you think your Third Uncle can pass the Heavenly Tribulation this time?” Hao Ren asked.
“50/50,” Zhao Yanzi looked a little gloomy. “My dad said that my Third Uncle’s Heavenly Tribulation would play a big part in East Ocean and West Ocean’s relationship.”
Hao Ren thought so as well. Otherwise, why would Zhao Guang stay at the Dragon Palace to supervise the construction of the altar?
“What… Would be the consequences… If he fails?” Hao Ren asked.
Zhao Yanzi gritted her teeth. “My Third Uncle is very powerful so that he won’t fail!”
However, her facial expression revealed how unconfident she was about it.
“What if…” Hao Ren said, “What if I can weaken the Heavenly Tribulation?”
186 Ninth Heaven
“Weaken the Heavenly Tribulation?” Zhao Yanzi opened her eyes wide.
“The Heavenly Tribulation is a Lightning Tribulation, and my Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll is a Five Elemental Lightning Cultivation Technique. I should be able to weaken some of it if I tried my best.”
Zhao Yanzi thought for a bit and shook her head. “We don’t know what kind of tribulation he is faced with this time. If it is the simplest Five Lightning Tribulation, which is the Wind Cloud Thunder Lightning Fire Tribulation, he should be able to pass with his power. However, if it is the Ninth Heaven Purple Cloud Tribulation or something more powerful, he might be in danger.”
Hao Ren thought that the Heavenly Tribulation was a simple Lightning Tribulation, but it seemed like there was more to it. Perhaps it was the case for human cultivators, but for the Dragon Tribe, the Heavenly Tribulation was more complicated than a Lightning Tribulation since it was also a ‘Transformation Tribulation.”
“Your Class President used to have outstanding grades?” Zhao Yanzi suddenly changed the subject.
“It sounded like she was always at the No.1 in her grade when she studied here,” Hao Ren answered.
Zhao Yanzi looked down quietly and suddenly said, “So, I wouldn’t lose to her if I become the No.1 student in my grade?”
“What do you mean by… Lose to her?” Hao Ren asked.
“Nothing.” Zhao Yanzi looked out of the window.
The Ferrari arrived at Zhao Yanzi’s house. Hao Ren parked the car outside and went in with Zhao Yanzi.
Zhao Hongyu walked down from the attic and called them for dinner. She was just waiting for them to get back to start dinner.
It was a little quiet since Zhao Guang wasn’t there. Zhao Hongyu mentioned that her studio needed some help from Hao Ren again to which Hao Ren agreed.
“Auntie, Third Uncle’s Heavenly Tribulation is really a big deal this time, right?” After some small talk, Hao Ren asked.
“Yes. We have been preparing for Zhao Kuo’s Heavenly Tribulation for over half a year now. He sensed that it was coming a year ago, and East Ocean has been putting in a lot of effort for the preparation,” Zhao Hongyu said.
She thought for a bit and added, “Just the preparation for this Heavenly Tribulation has used up about one-third of East Ocean’s treasures and accumulations.”
One-third of the East Ocean’s treasures and accumulations! Hao Ren was astonished as he knew the East Ocean Dragon Clan had countless treasures. One-third was an enormous amount!
“The Heavenly Dragon Realm is like the Soul Formation Realm for human cultivators; they are all equivalent to the Earthly Immortal Realm. There hasn’t been a Heavenly Dragon among the Water Elemental Dragon Clans for over 1000 years.
“Heavenly Dragon…” Hao Ren frowned.
“The most recent one happened 600 years ago when the Metal Elemental Dragon Clan spent thousands of years of their accumulations on helping an elder to get into the Heavenly Dragon Realm. I heard that golden lights came down as countless treasures poured from the sky. Just because of this elder, the Metal Elemental Dragon Clan is much more powerful than the other clans. Plus, another of their privileges is to be able to reach Eighth Heaven,” Zhao Hongyu explained patiently.
Zhao Yanzi listened very carefully. She wasn’t aware of these things as well.
“The Eighth Heaven?” Hao Ren asked.
“The dragons can fly, but as rules go, we can’t exceed Seventh Heaven, or we will be punished. However, the Metal Elemental Dragon Clan has the privilege of flying to Eighth Heaven. Above that would be the Heavenly Immortals’ turf, and Ninth Heaven is where we could never step in,” Zhao Hongyu said.
“Seventh Heaven, Eighth Heaven… Aren’t they just names? What is the use of going that high anyway?” Zhao Yanzi murmured.
Zhao Hongyu laughed, “You think it’s just a matter of height? There are all kinds of immortal mountains and immortal clouds on Fifth Heaven and beyond. The cultivations sects live there, and the treasures on Eighth Heaven surely would be better than those on Seventh Heaven. Won’t it be a pity if you aren’t unable to get them?”
Zhao Yanzi pouted quietly.
Hao Ren was a bit astonished to hear about the immortal mountains, clouds, and human cultivators on Fifth Heaven.
The Metal Elemental Dragon Clan could get to Eighth Heaven. No wonder Qin Shaoyang, who was a Metal Elemental Dragon, was so arrogant.
East Ocean was spending one-third of their savings to help Zhao Guang with his Heavenly Tribulation in order to get an opportunity like this as well. There weren’t many dragons in the Metal Elemental Dragon Clan, so they could all get to Eighth Heaven since one of the elders had become a Heavenly Dragon. On the other hand, the Water Elemental Dragon Clan had a lot of members, so not everyone could have this privilege if Zhao Kuo got to ascend successfully; only East Ocean would be able to go to Eighth Heaven.
By that time, East Ocean would be able to quickly recover with all the treasures that were hard to find in the mortal world. They might even get their hands on a lot of Mystic Crystals. If that happened, they wouldn’t be afraid of West Ocean at all.
But the reality was that the Heavenly Tribulation was extremely dangerous. Most of the powerful Qian-level Masters couldn’t get through it.
Zhao Kuo was fighting to pursue a higher realm as well as a better future for East Ocean.
“What do you mean by the Immortal Cultivation Sects then? How come you never told me about this before, Mom?” Zhao Yanzi blinked.
“You need to focus on your studies!” Zhao Hongyu reached out to press her finger on the tip of Zhao Yanzi’s nose.
However, she kept on explaining, “The cultivation sects, which are the remaining human cultivator forces after the Great War a few hundred years ago, used immense array formations and transferred their entire sects onto Fifth Heaven and up from the mortal world. Of course, not everyone was aware of this. The information was of high confidentiality in order to avoid conflict with the Dragon Tribe.
“Um,” Hao Ren nodded.
Human cultivators had already handed the land over to the Dragon Tribe. If the Dragon Tribe were to seek more trouble with them, a serious war might break out.
Zhao Hongyu smiled softly at Hao Ren who was frowning. “Don’t overthink this. There isn’t much that you can help with regarding the Heavenly Tribulation. However, I need your help with some company matters. I’ll give you some design and architecture-related books to read over when you have some time.”
“Ok, Auntie.” Hao Ren nodded.
Zhao Hongyu didn’t think that Hao Ren would be helpful with the Heavenly Tribulation, but she still appreciated his attention on East Ocean’s future. She saw him as a family member, and Hao Ren started to see himself as a part of East Ocean as well. This was something that she really liked to see.
Zhao Yanzi was still young, but Zhao Hongyu knew that she would have to hand her daughter over and let Hao Ren take care of Zhao Yanzi eventually.
She hoped that her daughter could ha
ve a peaceful life.
Zhao Hongyu looked at Zhao Yanzi in pity and glimpsed at Hao Ren. Then, she sighed slightly.
This was none of Zhao Yanzi’s concern as the daily homework was already enough for her to deal with. Regarding the fights and wars, she was just curious and wouldn’t even keep it in mind.
But the hug from Hao Ren today would for sure bring down the number of love letters she would be receiving. She smiled cheerfully at the thought of this. Then, she suddenly stared at Hao Ren.
187 Special Group
After dinner, Hao Ren began tutoring Zhao Yanzi. He planned to give her an overview of the courses in the second term.
He began with Math and gave her an outline for each chapter. After all, the Grade Eight Math was a little tricky. In her pajamas, Zhao Yanzi pursed her lips but listened quite attentively.
Hao Ren sat on the wooden chair next to her. Shoulder to shoulder, they presented an intimate picture if anyone looked at them from behind.
Zhao Yanzi’s pink and delicate skin made her face look like a small apple that was just picked from a tree. Hao Ren could even feel the warmth of her shoulder beneath her pajama top.
Now that they were familiar with each other, Zhao Yanzi was no longer alarmed about these small intimacies. When Hao Ren tutored her earlier on, she had always kept a distance of half a meter and was always cautious.
After Math, Hao Ren continued with English. Although languages needed time to comprehend, Hao Ren tried to single out the key points so that she would not be unfamiliar to them on tests. If she mastered the different sentence structures, the English tests in middle school would be a piece of cake.
Zhao Yanzi was quite smart, and her only problem in the past had been her reluctance to study. Since she had listened attentively, when Hao Ren quizzed her at the end of the session, she came up with the right answers promptly.
Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on Zhao Yanzi’s door.
“Mom, come in!” Zhao Yanzi called out.
Zhao Hongyu entered with a smile. “Ren, I chose some beginner’s books for you. You can take them with you and study them when you are free.”
