Chapter 19: Divine Talent — "Resonance"
"Hey, classmate—want to race?"
Wang Dong jogged up beside Ye Chen, giving him a competitive grin.
"Sure."
Ye Chen nodded slightly in agreement.
It seemed his charm and luck were once again at work—he hadn't even approached Wang Dong, yet Wang Dong had come over on his own.
"Ah…"
The pink-blue-haired boy froze for a moment when Ye Chen smiled back at him. His heart skipped a beat.
It was the first time he'd seen anyone whose looks could rival his own. Since when had the academy gained someone this handsome?
He'd missed Ye Chen's big battle the day before; he'd finished Zhou Yi's training early and gone off to rest. So this was his first time seeing the infamous transfer student in person.
And wow—Ye Chen was practically glowing.
He was elegant, spirited, radiating confidence… everything Wang Dong could not ignore. Compared to Huo Yuhao, who was all grit and no charm, Ye Chen practically crushed him in every category.
"What's wrong?" Ye Chen asked with feigned concern.
"N-nothing. Let's start!" Wang Dong hastily regained composure, eyes flashing with fiery determination.
Despite having just gone through combat training, he still noticed Ye Chen's steady breathing—like he'd already been running a while.
Both were somewhat tired, but Wang Dong didn't believe he'd lose.
"Alright, let's go," Ye Chen said, then suddenly accelerated.
Wang Dong immediately shot after him.
He was naturally competitive; although his spirit power level lagged due to his laziness, his physical condition was superb—tempered by countless nourishing treasures since childhood. He didn't think Ye Chen could surpass him physically.
Their pace quickly became five or six times faster than the average student's.
Within minutes, they'd finished forty laps.
Ye Chen still looked calm and unchanged. Wang Dong, however, was already beginning to fade—his breathing shallower, his steps less steady.
The faster one ran, the greater the toll on endurance—soul power or not. Even Wang Dong struggled to keep up.
"How are you still so strong?" Wang Dong gasped, shooting Ye Chen a frustrated glare.
Even if Ye Chen had the advantage at first, by now fatigue should've caught up. Yet he was still running effortlessly, as though strolling through the park.
This wasn't normal. It was downright monstrous.
"I'm stronger than you—so naturally, my stamina's better," Ye Chen said mildly as he slowed down a little.
"Hmph. I'm not so sure about that." Wang Dong snorted, pride flickering in his tone.
He hated losing. He could accept getting outmatched once, but not like this. Not by another student his age.
"Oh? Didn't you see my fight yesterday?" Ye Chen asked curiously, raising a brow.
"Yesterday? What fight?"
Wang Dong blinked, completely clueless. Then a sudden thought struck him, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Wait—you mean you're that Soul Sect?!"
He remembered the rumors. After resting yesterday, he heard that Class Nine's new transfer student—barely twelve—had taken on nearly the entire class and won single-handedly.
At the time, he'd dismissed it as exaggerated gossip. No way could someone their age already be a Soul Sect.
Yet here he was, in the flesh.
And he—Wang Dong—had just challenged him to a race.
"Yeah." Ye Chen nodded casually, not bothering to hide anything.
At this point, nearly every freshman had heard of him anyway.
"You—you—how?! We're the same age! How could you cultivate so fast?!"
Wang Dong was completely thrown off. No matter how he analyzed it, it didn't make sense.
Even if he'd trained hard every day, with all his inherited advantages, he should've only been a high-ranked Soul Grandmaster at best—not a full-fledged Soul Sect!
Ye Chen looked at him calmly, almost amused. He wanted to say, "Actually, I'm older than you," but restrained himself.
"Nothing special," he said instead. "Just better talent, I guess."
"Hmph, don't get cocky. My innate soul power is rank ten—what about yours?" Wang Dong shot back proudly.
"Rank twenty," Ye Chen said lightly, making it up on the spot.
He just wanted to see Wang Dong's reaction.
"Wh—what?! Rank twenty! That's impossible!" Wang Dong's face flushed red. "That's not even a thing!"
"Well, now you've heard of it," Ye Chen smirked. "Otherwise, how else could I be twenty levels ahead of you?"
"I—I…" Wang Dong stammered, unable to reply.
For someone as prideful as him, it was agony. He prided himself on his bloodline talent—he was the heir to both his parents' powerful legacies! Yet here he was, outclassed by a so-called "ordinary" Soul Sect.
Ye Chen glanced at him with amusement, then quietly triggered his system.
His daily "sign-in" rewards often depended on his location and nearby individuals, and each one was valuable in its own way.
The last time he'd signed in near Huo Yuhao, he'd gained an extraordinary boost to his mental power.
Now, standing beside Wang Dong, he wondered what kind of bonus this one would bring.
[Sign-in successful. Reward: Divine Talent "Resonance."]
[Resonance: When activated, allows you to bind with a target. While both parties cultivate within a 1-meter range, training efficiency increases by at least 10x. The closer the bond (emotional or spiritual), the higher the gain—up to 1000x. Long-term resonance may even trigger Martial Soul Fusion.]
"Ha… as expected of the God King's daughter. Now that's a reward," Ye Chen mused, glancing thoughtfully at Wang Dong.
Suddenly, that soft pink-blue hair seemed far more appealing.
If she reverted to her true form, maybe slipped into a skirt and some white stockings… perfect.
"Um… why are you looking at me like that?"
Wang Dong felt an inexplicable chill crawl up his spine under Ye Chen's gaze, a strange ticklish sensation trailing down his neck.
Ye Chen decided to press the advantage, chuckling softly.
"Alright, I lied earlier. I wasn't born with rank-twenty soul power."
"What?! Then what was it?" Wang Dong demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"Rank two," Ye Chen said nonchalantly.
"Rank two? That's—no, that's impossible!"
Wang Dong froze again. Rank-two innate power ascending to Soul Sect by this age? That wasn't just rare; it was unheard of.
Rank twenty made sense—it screamed "genius." But rank two? That defied logic.
If that were true, what did it make him, born with full innate power yet stuck at level 24?
A… failure?
Seeing that Wang Dong had taken the bait, Ye Chen kept his expression calm.
"I only advanced this quickly because I have a special method. Want to know what it is?"
Wang Dong swallowed. Curiosity gleamed in his wide eyes.
"Really?" he asked, heart pounding.
Ye Chen smiled slyly.
He had a divine talent now—and a brand new target for it.
(END CHAPTER)
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