No matter what, Xu Qiu’s awakening of an SSS-Grade Martial Soul was an undeniable fact. No matter how much Xiao Mei regretted it, she could not change reality.
Luo Qingxue walked up to Xu Qiu and looked at him with bright, determined eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t fall like that! Whether in the past or now, you are still my only rival!”
Xu Qiu smiled slightly. “Perhaps that will remain true in the future.”
The crowd looked at the two in amazement.
“The two most outstanding students in Qingyun High School have both awakened SSS-Grade Martial Souls. That’s unbelievable!”
“Yeah, they’ve been competing with each other for years, and now they’ve both awakened SSS-Grade Martial Souls. They actually seem quite well-matched.”
“A powerhouse duo! This is just too exciting!”
“Tsk, what Xiao Mei? How could she compare to Goddess Luo?”
“Goddess Luo and the academic prodigy Xu are the perfect match!”
Some students began enthusiastically pairing the two in their imaginations.
Meanwhile, Xiao Mei looked at Xu Qiu with overwhelming regret.
If only she hadn’t been so heartless…
If only she had remembered how good Xu Qiu had been to her…
Even if she hadn’t broken up so quickly, the one standing beside Xu Qiu now and sharing in his glory would still be her!
After the awakening ceremony, it was time for class assignments.
The third-year students were divided into seven classes based on their Martial Soul grades: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S.
Students without a Martial Soul and those with F-grade Martial Souls were placed in Class F. E-grade Martial Souls went to Class E, and so on. However, Xu Qiu and Luo Qingxue exceeded all existing standards.
They were placed in a special class.
This class had only two students: Xu Qiu and Luo Qingxue.
The school planned to assign instructors to provide them with one-on-two personalized guidance. This level of privilege had never appeared before in Qingyun High School.
…
After school, Xu Qiu slung his backpack over his shoulder and was about to head home when Xiao Mei caught up with him. With tears in her eyes, she looked at him and said, “Ah Qiu, can you forgive me? Let’s start over.”
She actually had the nerve to ask for reconciliation.
Xu Qiu was so irritated that he laughed. It was his first time encountering someone so shameless. He didn’t even bother wasting words and coldly uttered a single word.
“Get lost.”
Xiao Mei’s face turned pale.
The Xu Qiu of the past would never have spoken to her like that. No matter what she did, he would always forgive her.
“Ah Qiu, I know you’re angry, but I was just momentarily confused. Please forgive me. I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
“I said, get lost.”
“Ah Qiu, how can you treat me like this? You were never like this before. Even if I was wrong, don’t you bear any responsibility? If you hadn’t failed to awaken a Martial Soul at first, would I have treated you that way? Stop making a scene. Let’s live well together from now on…”
“I’ll say it one last time. Are you leaving or not?”
“Ah Qiu, no matter what, I won’t leave you again.”
“Then don’t blame me.”
Xu Qiu took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, “Everyone, come take a look! A cheating scumbag is shamelessly begging to get back together! Come and see!”
At his shout, everyone’s attention instantly shifted to them.
They had all witnessed what happened earlier that day.
Seeing Xiao Mei still daring to ask Xu Qiu to reconcile left them stunned at her shamelessness. Some even took out their phones, ready to snap photos and post them online, already thinking up headlines.
“Shocking! Shameless woman does this in public!”
“Unbelievable! Woman dumps boyfriend and gets instantly humiliated!”
“S-Grade Martial Soul Awakener Exposed as Shameless Ex!”
Seeing the surrounding students raising their phones, Xiao Mei’s expression shifted rapidly. She glared at Xu Qiu with resentment, covered her face, and hurried away.
Xu Qiu curled his lips. “Reconcile? I wouldn’t take her even if she were given to me for free.”
Arriving at the bus stop, Xu Qiu took a bus home.
His home was not large. It was located in an old residential community—a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. Though small, it was warm and cozy.
After Xu Qiu returned, a girl in a white dress, seated in a wheelchair, maneuvered herself out from the room.
She had delicate and beautiful features, a refined nose, soft lips, and bright, lively eyes. Compared to school belles like Xiao Mei and Luo Qingxue, she was in no way inferior. Perhaps due to her long absence from sunlight, her complexion was pale, adding a fragile charm that stirred sympathy.
“Xiaoshuang, your brother’s home. What did you do today?” Xu Qiu asked with a smile.
Xu Xiaoshuang yawned. “Slept.”
“Just… slept?”
“What else do you expect me to do? With a crippled leg, you can’t expect me to go hopping around outside, can you? Do you even have a conscience?”
Xu Xiaoshuang pouted. Unlike her delicate appearance, her words were sharp.
“Well, whose fault was it for walking while using your phone and not watching the road? You deserved it,” Xu Qiu shot back without hesitation.
Xu Xiaoshuang was not born disabled. She had been confined to a wheelchair because, three months earlier, she was hit by a car while walking and using her phone. When Xu Qiu first heard the news, he was terrified. Fortunately, she received timely treatment and would recover fully after a few months of rest.
“Besides, even if your legs can’t move, you can still read. You’ve been out of school for months—your studies must not fall behind!” Xu Qiu said seriously.
“Brother, I’m already like this, and you still want me to study?” Xu Xiaoshuang widened her eyes in disbelief.
“Of course. Starting tomorrow, I’ll regularly check your studies. If you don’t pass, you won’t get to eat,” Xu Qiu said as he walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
“Then just starve me to death! When I get to the underworld, I’ll complain to Mom and Dad that you abused me!” Xu Xiaoshuang said pitifully.
“That won’t work on me.”
“Tch…” Xu Xiaoshuang dropped her pitiful act and asked, “By the way, wasn’t today the awakening ceremony? How did it go?”
“Before that, there’s something else I need to tell you. I broke up with Xiao Mei today,” Xu Qiu said calmly.
Xu Xiaoshuang froze for a moment. “Weren’t you deeply in love with her? Why did you suddenly break up? Wait… could it be…”
She was extremely perceptive. Breaking up on the very day of the awakening ceremony could only mean something had gone wrong during it. Her brother had likely awakened a low-grade Martial Soul—or perhaps none at all.
Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshuang fell silent, considering how to comfort him. “Brother, do you know who I admire the most?”
“Who?”
“The Ghost King! One of Great Xia’s Ten Kings and the only one crowned a king with an E-Grade Martial Soul! So even if you awaken a low-grade Martial Soul—or none at all—it’s not something you can’t overcome! As long as you have the heart of a strong person and never give up, we can still live a wonderful life!” Xu Xiaoshuang said encouragingly.
“Xiaoshuang, you’re right! Oh, and there’s something else I need to tell you. I awakened a Martial Soul today—an SSS-Grade Taotie!”
“Brother, don’t be discouraged. Even if it’s—what?!” Xu Xiaoshuang suddenly screamed, “An SSS-Grade Martial Soul?! Brother, y-you’re not lying to me!”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“Brother, give me back the encouragement I just gave you!”