The morning sun slid softly across the paved paths of the Academy. Fan Yue walked toward the teaching building at a leisurely pace. His steps were light, and his eyes admired the beauty of the surrounding nature.
After awakening my bloodlines, my connection with life force—and nature as a whole—has grown stronger.
He could clearly feel the breath of life emanating from the plants and living creatures around him. Contemplating nature seemed to clear his mind and strengthen his Mental Strength.
Upon reaching the designated classroom, Fan Yue pushed the door open and entered. As always, Xiao Qi was already there. Fan Yue greeted him and took his seat. Closing his eyes, he focused on the bloodline vortex in his chest.
It seems the awakening has profoundly affected my bloodline vortex.
The vortex was no longer a single blood-red stream. It had split into two parts: an orange-red section embodying the Phoenix bloodline and a dark gold section embodying the Dragon bloodline. He had noticed this earlier that morning and wasn't yet sure if it was a good or bad development.
About 20 minutes later, Lan Xuanyu's group entered the room in a crowd. Among them was a new face—a chubby youth with chestnut hair and green eyes. When he saw Fan Yue, he poked Liu Feng in the side.
"Hey, Madman, is that the guy you told me about?" "Yes."
Qian Lei nodded. "So he's the one who lost the soul coins. If that had been me, I would have won easily!"
At his words, the faces of the entire group twisted.
"Ha-ha-ha! Don't make me laugh, Fatty. Without Brother Xuanyu, you're like a fish on dry land," Yuanen Huihui teased.
"Shut up..." Qian Lei growled.
Fan Yue said hello to Lan Mengqin, who had settled in right behind him.
"Hi. Where is Sister Dong Qianqiu?"
Lan Mengqin leaned forward slightly so he could hear her better. "She entered a state of deep meditation. It looks like she's breaking through to a new level."
"I see..." Fan Yue nodded.
But as he moved to turn away, he noticed Lan Mengqin suddenly holding his gaze. It wasn't a casual look; it was intense, as if she were searching for something.
"Hmm..." she squinted. "Yue, is it just me, or have you changed a bit?"
Fan Yue flinched inwardly. Did she notice the bloodline awakening? I thought I hid it well.
"Um... what kind of change?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Lan Mengqin didn't rush to answer. She reached out her hand as if checking something... and unexpectedly pinched his cheek. Fan Yue blinked questioningly, rubbing his cheek.
"I don't know," Lan Mengqin smiled. "It's just a feeling, like you've become different. Cleaner? Brighter? I can't even explain it."
She looked at him again, trying to figure out exactly what was different. Fan Yue felt embarrassed and decided to change the subject.
"Why do you like pinching me anyway?"
Lan Mengqin playfully stuck out her tongue. "He-he. Because you're too cute."
Fan Yue sighed and turned back around. But as he did, his gaze crossed with Qian Lei's for a split second.
And that look... it was painfully familiar.
Qian Lei sat a row away, gripping the tabletop tightly as if holding himself back. His eyes were narrowed, his lips trembled slightly, and deep in his gaze flashed a spark of extreme dissatisfaction.
While Xiao Qi lectured, Qian Lei didn't take his eyes off him. His gaze was so sharp it practically burned Fan Yue's back. He would huff or exhale deeply as if something displeased him, occasionally whispering to himself too quietly to be heard.
Jealousy... that's definitely it. It seems this fatty likes Big Sister Lan Mengqin, Fan Yue thought to himself.
The thought flashed like a puzzle piece falling into place. It was followed by another memory: the look Dong Qianqiu gave Lan Xuanyu—full of warmth, softness, and admiration.
He lowered his eyes. Haaa... Fatty, it looks like we're in almost the same boat.
A bitter smile slipped across his lips. But there's a big difference. If Sister Dong Qianqiu is interested in Lan Xuanyu, then to Big Sister Lan Mengqin, I'm just like a younger brother. So you still have a chance... but I...
He couldn't even finish the thought. Something stung unpleasantly inside. He could endure the pain of training or the awakening of his bloodlines, but this feeling was unbearable, corroding him from within.
He knew he wasn't capable of just backing down. But he also couldn't force himself to take a step forward. Ask her out? Have a serious talk? Reveal his intentions and refuse to give up? Even imagining it was difficult. Too many doubts. Too much fear of losing the little he had.
Xiao Qi conducted two lectures, and soon classes came to an end. Since there were no array engraving lessons today, Fan Yue headed straight home. First, he entered the training hall.
"Time to check my new capabilities... and deal with this bloodline vortex."
He stood in the center of the room, leveled his breathing, and activated the Blood Breath technique. The two-colored vortex in his chest shuddered and spun violently in the opposite direction. The blood in his veins began to flow against its natural course.
In the next moment, two completely different energies filled his body: the Power of the Phoenix and the Power of the Dragon.
His pupils flared and elongated into vertical slits. His eyes glowed with a fiery brilliance, a mixture of gold and scarlet. In the center of his chest, a single dark-gold scale slowly emerged—heavy and dense, as if forged from divine metal. On his forehead, a thin Phoenix pattern appeared, shimmering with soft orange-red light.
At that moment, two rings rose from beneath his feet.
These were not ordinary Soul Rings. They were entirely different. One was a deep dark-gold, granted by the Dragon bloodline. The second was orange-vermilion, obtained from the Phoenix bloodline.
Fan Yue froze. In the next second, he understood instinctively.
"These are... Bloodline Rings..."
He had read about them in a book. In the world of Douluo, besides Soul Rings, there existed so-called Bloodline Rings. The exact reason for their appearance remains a mystery; the only known factor is that the Spirit Master must possess an incredibly powerful and ancient bloodline.
The only confirmed example was the Titled Douluo Golden Dragon King, Tang Wulin. His golden rings became a legend, a consequence of the strength of the Golden Dragon King's bloodline.
Fan Yue clenched his fist. "Each of them has given me one skill. Incredible."
He took a deep breath and leveled his pulse. "Alright. Let's see what I'm truly capable of now."
The orange-vermilion ring flashed.
"First Phoenix Bloodline Skill: Phoenix Eyes."
In that same second, he felt a quarter of his bloodline power consumed. His eyes flared brightly, and the world around him changed completely.
Before his eyes, he saw countless points of light: red, dark blue, light blue, green, and many other colors. Beyond that, he saw the Qi of Heaven and Earth more clearly.
"What are these points of light?" Fan Yue reached out to a light blue spark. He touched it lightly and felt his finger become slightly damp. The light blue spark seemed displeased by his touch and flew away from him.
"Water?"
Fan Yue scanned the space more closely. He realized two sparks were closest to him: a rich green one and a red one. They circled him joyfully. He touched them in turn and felt a pulsating heat in the red one and the soft breath of life in the green one.
"I see! These points of light are the elements in the space around me. Red is Fire, and green is Life. Given that they circle me so joyfully, it means I have an affinity for Fire and Life. The fire affinity must be because of the Phoenix bloodline."
"But how do I control the Fire?" Fan Yue extended his hand and simply imagined a fireball in front of him. The fire element around him instantly stirred and gathered into a compressed ball of flame in his hand.
"Wow... so this is what Spirit Masters with natural elemental control feel. I can clearly sense that forming the fire consumed my Mental and Soul Power."
Fan Yue moved the fireball from one hand to the other. The fire did not burn him or cause pain—only a soft and pleasant warmth.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just like in fencing, the basics are important here."
He didn't know how to practice, but he decided to experiment. He let go of the fireball, but it fell to the ground and instantly went out.
"Hmm... so I must maintain its direction."
He gathered the fire again, this time deciding to give it speed. The ball shot from his palm and flew forward, but after only five meters, it dissipated in the air.
"I need to control the shape of the flame itself as well." He looked thoughtfully at his palm, where scraps of scattered fire still flickered. "I should probably ask the teacher for advice."
Then, his dark-gold ring flashed.
"First Dragon Bloodline Skill: Dragon Body!"
In the next second, the blood in his veins literally boiled. His arms began to be covered in thick, dark-gold scales that tore his academy uniform up to the elbows; his nails elongated and turned into sturdy dragon claws.
Power flooded his body so rapidly that he lost his breath. Strength, defense, speed, and endurance all doubled. Fan Yue clenched his fist and struck out at the air. The air before him trembled as if it had cracked, exploding with a dull roar.
Fan Yue's eyes widened. "What power! I didn't expect this."
He took a step forward, and his body shot off faster than he expected. Before he could realize it, he had slammed face-first into the wall.
Thud! The sound echoed through the training hall. But Fan Yue didn't even wince; he was completely unharmed, and there was no pain at all.
"I wonder how strong I am now? Though, I'm likely still far behind the Shrek geniuses." He took a deep breath, the scales on his arms shimmering softly. "Time to train!"
His training only ended five hours later when his bloodline power was completely depleted. But in that time, his control had grown immensely. His control over speed had increased noticeably—he could move in bursts without losing his balance. His control over strength was still crude, though compared to when he started, it was a major leap.
Exhausted but satisfied, Fan Yue showered and changed into a clean spare uniform. His body ached from the exertion, but a sense of quiet, calm satisfaction surged in his chest.
"I should clear my head a bit."
He left the dormitory grounds and decided to wander around the academy campus. Shrek resembled a city intertwined with a forest. It was currently blooming season; the tree canopies stood in vivid colors, and petals twirled slowly in the air, settling underfoot like a soft carpet. The evening wind brought a light fragrance.
Fan Yue couldn't help but feel peace and admiration while observing this. I didn't think I would enjoy looking at flowers so much.
He smiled slightly, walking unhurriedly. But in the next second, he froze as if rooted to the spot, the smile instantly vanishing from his face. Not far away, right before his eyes, a sweet and romantic scene was unfolding.
Dong Qianqiu was standing next to Lan Xuanyu. She was gently holding his hand, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze darting about as if she were simultaneously embarrassed and happy. Lan Xuanyu scratched the back of his head and muttered something awkwardly.
Dong Qianqiu laughed brightly—a light, clear laugh like the ringing of small bells. A playful smile lit up her face. She suddenly pulled her hand away and ran further down the path. Lan Xuanyu, surprised and confused, immediately dashed after her.
Fan Yue stood motionless. Everything happening felt like a blow straight to the chest. He mechanically clutched his heart. The pain came suddenly—sharp, as if someone had squeezed his heart in a fist.
But this time, there was no jealousy, no anger. Only a heavy, powerless understanding. His hopes and dreams of winning over Dong Qianqiu had finally shattered into many small, insignificant shards.
Tears filled his eyes. A single tear broke free and fell onto the flower petals.
"It hurts," he whispered.
He lowered his head. The footsteps of Dong Qianqiu and Lan Xuanyu had already faded in the distance, but his heart was still tight, making it hard to breathe. Fan Yue stood alone among the falling petals and felt that his strength had left him far more than after training. It became empty and cold inside.
He slowly wiped the tears with the back of his hand and turned around, heading toward the dormitory. Each step was a struggle. Thoughts vanished, leaving only a weight in his chest and a desire to go somewhere where no one could see him.
On the way, the broad figure of Qian Lei suddenly appeared, completely blocking the path.
"Hey! What's-your-name!" He waved a hand. "Whatever, never mind. Just tell me, what's your relationship with Lan Mengqin!?"
Fan Yue didn't even raise his head. He just walked past, as if not noticing him at all. The fatty, offended by being ignored, grabbed him sharply by the shoulder. Fan Yue stopped, took a slow breath, and looked up.
For a fraction of a second, Qian Lei froze. Fan Yue's face was empty—without anger, without irritation, without strength.
"Um... are you okay?" Qian Lei's voice unexpectedly softened.
He had intended to find out what this guy was to Lan Mengqin, but now, looking at Fan Yue's expression, Qian Lei felt only a vague pity.
Fan Yue gave a barely perceptible nod and continued walking. Qian Lei, looking at his retreating back, scratched his head and shouted:
"Hey, wait up!"
But Fan Yue, of course, did not stop. The fatty caught up and walked alongside him, talking non-stop. He spoke of anything and everything, complaining about training, reminiscing about food, grumbling about academy rules. Endless chatter accompanied Fan Yue all the way to the dormitory.
And only when they stopped at the entrance did Qian Lei suddenly become more serious.
"Listen, man, I don't know what happened to you. But since we're classmates and we study at Shrek Academy, I'll support you. So come on, pull yourself together."
Fan Yue exhaled slowly. He had barely been listening, but all this haphazard chatter and the fatty's strange sincerity had actually lightened the weight in his chest slightly. He raised his head and extended his hand.
"I am Fan Yue."
Qian Lei was stunned for a moment, then smiled broadly. "And I'm Qian Lei!" He shook the extended hand firmly.
Fan Yue, without realizing it, had made a friend. He nodded to Qian Lei and entered his courtyard.
Stopping before the tree, he raised his hand, and in the next second, a wooden sword appeared in his palm. Without hesitation, he began to train.
At first, the movements were uncertain, his hands trembled, and the strikes were weak. But with each new swing, the strength in his body returned and the trembling vanished. Gradually, his movements shifted from basic to complex.
Sweat poured down his face, soaking his clothes, but along with the fatigue, a bright, living light appeared in Fan Yue's eyes. He focused entirely on the sword and his breathing, and suddenly, without noticing it, he smiled. The smile spread softly across his face like a flower at dawn.
With every swing, shards of pain left his heart. The sadness vanished. The emptiness dissolved.
He trained until dawn, until the first golden rays fell on his shoulders. Only then did he stop.
The aura around him had changed. It was as if the painfully lovestruck youth had disappeared without a trace, and another Fan Yue had taken his place. His gaze was calm, his eyes full of determination to move forward. And his heart felt as if it had hardened. It was as if the last knot of love in his soul had been untied and vanished, granting him freedom.
"Huuu..." he exhaled.
The wooden sword moved quietly into his storage ring. A familiar expression appeared on his face, but his gaze was older and deeper, as if he had truly grown up in a single night.
"I need a shower."