Dining Hall 2

"Bang" The doors of the dining hall opened, Haotian entering from them. His face was a little red and it could be seen traces of rush in his unkempt hair and not perfectly wore uniform, giving him a disheveled vibe.

After his unplanned meeting with Dugu Yan, Haotian's lust had almost exploded, forcing him to visit Meijing as she woke up. After a quickie, Haotian found himself much better but he could feel that it was only a temporal solution, delaying the unavoidable.

After his time with Meijing, Haotian hurriedly returned to his room, quickly preparing for the morning.

Entering the dining hall, Haotian searched around the hall full of life and chatter while the students were having their breakfast.

"Tian! Here! Here!" Haotian turned to the voice, finding Biyun waving her hand at him at a table with two other people.

Haotian approached the table and sat down.

"Pack!" From his side, someone punched at Haotian's shoulder, it was Yu Feng "Good morning, Haotian" She greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Feng" Haotian yawned.

"It seems that someone didn't have a good night's rest," Feng said looking at Haotian's condition.

"It was a good night, but without much rest, I may say" Haotian said smirking a little, causing Biyun to blush a little.

Finally, Haotian turned to the last person who sat over the table, a beautiful blue-haired girl "Good morning, Lingling."

"Good morning" Lingling answered with her usual cold voice devoid of any emotion.

"Hah" Haotian sighed shooking lightly his head. It might seem that Lingling was very cold towards Haotian, but the truth was that it was her usual self and a big change when they first meet as, at least, Lingling talked with him now. The people that she talked with could be counted with both hands so even if it was only a morning greeting it showed a greater intimacy between them, at least comparing it with others.

"Lili, you're always so cold" Biyun puffed her cheeks, she hugged tightly Lingling rubbing their cheeks. Lingling turned her gaze away and for a mere instant, her mouth curved a little in what it could be intuited to be a smile.

"Good to see you girls are doing fine" Haotian smiled having detected that minuscule change in Lingling.

Over these 5 months at Heaven Dou Academy, it had become usual for Yu Feng and Lingling to join With all the training and sparring with Yu Feng, plus her bright personality, she had quickly become friend with the group, especially with Haotian who she spends most of the time, both of them focusing on actual combat. Their time together quickly formed a friendship and with it, Yu Feng started having breakfast with them while she usually had lunch with the Emperor Team.

Lingling's case was a little different. She always seemed like a block of ice impossible to break, keeping impassible under any kind of approach. Haotian truly had some thoughts of she being truly a person and not an ice doll. Haotian was about to start ignoring her, but somehow Biyun became friends with her.

Lingling started passing more time with their group, spending time with Biyun. Haotian could only think that somehow their cold side helped to make a friendship.

Biyun was bright and warm near him, but her character made a turn of 180º when Haotian wasn't there, becoming cold, introverted and unapproachable, showing her sequels from the Tè clan, only opening herself to Haotian. This caused most people to avoid her, the only ones approaching her being trash chasing for her power or beauty. Haotian was glad that Biyun at least had made a good friend with Lingling.

Thanks to that friendship, Lingling seemed to recognize Haotian as Biyun's friend and started greeting him.

"Bang" The hall's doors opened again, this time a group of over 10 girls entered the hall while talking and giggling between them. In the center of the group, stood a beautiful white-haired girl captivating and attracting the gazes of everyone with her perfect body and refined etiquette, resembling a queen.

The white-haired girl looked towards Haotian's table and smiled at him, her red eyes shining brighter. She turned to the other girls in her and apologized to the group before leaving them, going towards Haotian's table.

"Good morning, Tian" She greeted as she sat on the chair next to Haotian. "Good morning, everyone" She greeted the others, with a clear lower tone respect Haotian.

""Good morning, Mei"" Everyone greeted.

While Biyun closed herself from others, Meijing was the exact opposite. During these months, she showed her bright personality, strength and talent, quickly learning everything and adapting to the new academy. Even when she was the one that had learned less of etiquette over her life, she quickly learned it, her image becoming that of a perfect noble and gaining the nickname of White Goddess.

She had made an uncountable number of friends and become one of the most popular of the academy, a symbol of what aim.

"Tch!" Someone clicked his tongue "Look at him, tainting the image of our goddess" "Who does he think he is?!" "He needs a beating!" Whispers could be heard around the hall, as gazes fell over Haotian's table.

On the other hand, Haotian had not been so popular and Meijing's popularity worked against him, becoming somehow the number one enemy. Haotian could hear the whispers and gazes, especially of the group of girls that surrounded Meijing previously who were glaring at him, trying to kill with their eyes.

Sensing them, Haotian decided to ignore it. He was already used to them after some months and while it had caused some attacks and intents of bullying to him, they didn't last long after Haotian beat a group of 10 boys by himself, now only daring to talk at his back.

After some minutes, everything returned to normal, Haotian's group started having their breakfast while chatting.

"I have great news!" Meijing said enthusiastically, gaining the attention of the group "I have finally broken through!" She said proudly while looking directly at Haotian's eyes, her eyes seemingly saying to praise her.

"Congratulations, Mei" Haotian said patting Meijing's head. Even when Meijing was slower at cultivating than Biyun who was at rank 24, a rank 30 with 13, almost 14 years old, it was considered a genius, especially in Meijing's case who didn't start cultivating until she was 11, having awakened her spirit without spirit power.

It was thanks to Haotian's spirit that she was able to cultivate, but reaching this level was only possible thanks to her hard work and diligence. Now that she had broken through spirit elder, she gained the standing of the genius, being able to become part of the upper class and joining the Prince Team.

"Have you told it to the teachers?" Haotian asked.

Meijing nodded "It's already all prepared, I will leave shortly with some teachers towards Star Duo Forest, searching for my spirit ring."

"Have you decided what are you searching for as your next spirit ring?" Biyun asked excitedly.

"I would like something to improve my mobility, being able to have more range of action" Meijing answered. "I'm always left out of your training because I am unable to attack both of you at the air. I would like to be more useful" She said.

"Don't try to chase others, Mei" Haotian said seriously. Meijing always loses against Yu Feng and Biyun due to their flying, but it was a bad move focusing on them. While flying is a powerful weapon against lower rank spirit masters, it becomes normal later on, every spirit douluo being able to fly without the need of any spirit skill "Follow your instinct and your spirit, creating your best path."

Meijing nodded at him "I will do it." She closes her eyes "Even if I want that, I can feel attack power is what my sword is searching for."

"Go for it" Haotian recommended. In Haotian's opinion, the best way was to follow your instinct, following your guts for what spirit beast to kill for the ring. This was what he had learned after spending 5 years of his life unable to absorb one, every spirit guides you to the apex, especially one of the strongest like Meijing's Seven Kill Sword.

Thanks to her stronger body, spirit and mind, she would be able to absorb any spirit ring lower than 4.000 years old easily, being able to even absorb a 5.000 years old one, gaining a bast range of action.

After some more discussion, the group of 5 calmy finished their breakfast, walking away from the dining hall, reaching the gates of the academy. There, there was prepared a carriage surrounded by different spirit masters already waiting for Meijing's trip to Star Duo Forest.

"It seems that they are ready" Meijing said with a little sad tone. She turned towards the others "Next time we see, be prepared for me beating you" Meijing said smiling.

"Try it if you can!" Yu Feng said excitedly at the future fight against Meijing.

"Look forward to it" Meijing beamed. She turned towards the group and started hugging each of them "Bye-bye!"

"Until next time, Mei" Everyone said, except Lingling who only stood motionless gaining a smile from Meijing.

"Be safe, Mei. Take care" Haotian said when it was his time for the hug. Meijing leaned over Haotian and whispered in his ear "I look forward to my prize" she said quickly breaking the hug and smirking as she entered the carriage.

The carriage started moving "Good bye!" Meijing shouted to Haotian's group, waving her hand as she took out her head from the carriage's window. ""Bye!""

After walking away from the academy, Meijing sat over the empty carriage. A beautiful and lethal sword appeared over her hands and at the same time, the smile on her face disappeared, being replaced by coldness and ruthless on her eyes as she looked the sword.

"Let's become strong." She lifted her sword "So that we can put some annoying birds in their place."

...

After Meijing's departure, the group separated, each other with their own matters.

Haotian was walking alone around the academy, his mind in other things "It's clear that the time for my third ring had arrived. Even if I'm able to contain my lust while Mei is away, I won't be able once I actualize my first ring with her."

He was running out of time and while he had some girls that he would like for his third ring, he was unable to force the link in them as they had higher cultivation. One was near, but more time was needed "I'll need to force a little my way, acting quicker than I thought. If it doesn't work, I'll need to force a weaker one."

"Sniff!" A smell came over him, cleaning his thoughts and cooling his mind, his expression turning serious. It was blood. It was normal to smell blood in a fighting academy, even when the nobles fought rarely, there were always some injured, however, this blood's smell was special, it was spirit blood. Spirit blood was incredibly important for everyone, any injured causing it to leave, being an incredibly dangerous one that could even cripple oneself.

Haotian ran towards the smell, curious about it. The smell finally guided him towards a training ground near the academy's border, far enough to not have anyone near it.

Over the ground, sat in a lotus position, a person with closed eyes and with short blond hair was cultivating or at least trying while she clenched tightly her teeth.

"Cough!" The person coughed, vomiting blood, breaking her posture and falling to the ground.

Haotian opened his eyes wide with shock and worry as he recognized who the person was "Feng!"

Yu Feng opened her eyes and turned towards Haotian "T-tian" She said weakly before fainting.