Chapter 89: Zhou Yi's Beautiful True Appearance

"Hehe, Qian Ran-brother, you're so kind."

Xiao Xiao smiled sweetly, a mixture of happiness and shyness.

She gently kissed Qian Ran on the cheek, then leaned into his arms, too embarrassed to say anything more. The students in Class One couldn't help but feel a pang of envy watching the display.

"Hmph." Dai Huabin frowned, annoyed at Qian Ran and Xiao Xiao's affection. He glanced over at Zhu Lu, feeling quite satisfied. His fiancée was beautiful and well-endowed!

He hadn't paid much attention to Zhu Lu before, as he had been focused on his training. But now, inspired by Qian Ran, he suddenly realized how stunning Zhu Lu was—especially her figure, which was remarkable among the freshmen and even more impressive than many senior students.

In class, the male students' attention wasn't focused on Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, or Wu Feng, but rather on Zhu Lu.

While Xiao Xiao and the others might surpass Zhu Lu in certain aspects, Zhu Lu's curvaceous figure appealed more to these teenage boys.

A pretty face, shapely figure, toned legs—that was how boys this age viewed girls.

And Zhu Lu excelled in every category. Her legs were attractively shaped, not too slim but with just the right amount of softness, making them quite enticing.

"Lulu," Dai Huabin swallowed, eager to show off his affection with her. He couldn't beat Qian Ran in strength, but he wouldn't lose to him in romance. Zhu Lu was his prize.

Zhu Lu, however, avoided his gaze. When she looked at his handsome face, she felt a sense of resistance.

After what happened yesterday…

Remembering Dai Huabin's reaction, wetting himself in fear from a mere illusion, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Before, she'd been proud of having a fiancée who reached three rings at such a young age. But now…

When she looked at Dai Huabin, another figure kept popping into her mind.

That guy had taken quite a few liberties with her… her thoughts trailed off.

Dai Huabin didn't notice Zhu Lu's change in demeanor, assuming her shyness was endearing. With such a beautiful fiancée, he wouldn't lose to Qian Ran in this area. If Qian Ran flaunted his relationships in the classroom, he could do the same with Zhu Lu, he thought proudly.

"Qian Ran, my fiancée and I have been betrothed since we were children, far better than what you've got," he mused smugly.

After class, Zhou Yi called Qian Ran to her.

Zhou Yi handed him his prize for ranking first among the freshmen.

It was a small bone, about palm-sized, radiating a faint yellow glow.

"A soul bone?"

Qian Ran raised an eyebrow.

Soul rings appear after a soul beast dies, but soul bones are rare, with odds of occurrence one in ten thousand. The stronger the beast, the higher the chance of a soul bone appearing, but only a hundred-thousand-year soul beast is guaranteed to produce one.

Any soul master who acquires a soul bone gains an immediate advantage, as it greatly enhances their power relative to their peers. A soul master can possess up to six soul bones, corresponding to the head, torso, and four limbs. Among these, torso bones are the rarest and most valuable, followed by head bones. Limb bones are slightly less valuable but still highly prized.

Even so, soul bones are precious in any nation's auction houses, always in high demand and rarely for sale. The base price for any soul bone is at least a hundred thousand gold soul coins, and often, they are only available through bartering.

Though soul bones were more common in the Douluo Dalu II era compared to ten thousand years ago, they were still exceedingly rare, as the number of soul masters had also increased. Shrek Academy, no matter how wealthy, likely has a limited supply of soul bones, reserved for the most talented students or those who have made significant contributions to the academy. Such a reward implies that the academy believes the student's future contributions will exceed the value of the soul bone.

"This soul bone was specifically chosen by the outer court for you. It's a left leg bone from the Ethereal Demon Leopard. When fused, it will increase your speed and grant an attack skill through your left leg. One of the unique benefits of a soul bone is that the skill it grants will adapt to your martial soul, making it perfectly suited for you," Zhou Yi explained with a smile.

"So, this soul bone is mine now, and I can do whatever I want with it?" Qian Ran asked. Though valuable, it didn't fully impress him.

"In theory, yes. You're not planning to sell it, are you?" Zhou Yi's mouth twitched. Soul bones are incredibly rare; shouldn't anyone be ecstatic to receive one? Why did Qian Ran seem so indifferent?

It was a soul bone!

"That's acceptable. I'll think about how I want to configure my soul bones as I grow stronger." Qian Ran placed the soul bone into his storage soul tool.

"Alright. Since the academy awarded it to you, it's yours to do with as you please. We won't interfere." Zhou Yi was momentarily surprised but then remembered Qian Ran's unusual talent, and her surprise faded.

To Qian Ran, perhaps a soul bone wasn't such a big deal.

Only the highest-quality soul bones were likely to suit someone of Qian Ran's potential.

With Xian Liner, the dean of the Soul Tool Department, supporting him, Qian Ran wouldn't lack resources.

In truth, Qian Ran wasn't particularly interested in Shrek Academy's resources.

He planned to ally with Gu Yue Na in the future and use her resources to strengthen himself. With her help, he could eventually be equipped with a full set of hundred-thousand-year soul bones, maybe even external soul bones.

"Teacher Zhou Yi, how much longer do you plan to keep up this appearance? You can fool others, but you can't fool me." Qian Ran smiled, looking at Zhou Yi's deliberately aged face. He was curious about her true appearance. Was she beautiful enough to hide her looks on purpose, possibly a former campus beauty?

"Oh? You noticed?"

"Well, given your spiritual power, that's not surprising."

Zhou Yi seemed startled but quickly regained her composure.

Raising her right hand, she gently peeled off a thin disguise from her left cheek, revealing an exquisite face. She looked around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with eyebrows like spring hills and a face as soft and beautiful as a blossoming flower.

"Well? Am I pretty?" Zhou Yi asked with a dazzling smile.

(End of Chapter)