"Last night, I sewed three Snowflake Wolf fur caps for you three."

"You sewed them yourself, Teacher Yang?" Sun Xingyu blinked her big, pretty eyes, finally finding the courage to meet Yang Chunxi’s gaze.

"Yes," Yang Chunxi nodded lightly. "I sewed them, but the gift isn’t from me. It’s from Coach Xia. He just asked me to make them."

’She’s drawing a very clear line, huh?’

Sun Xingyu gave Yang Chunxi a puzzled look. "Oh, okay, I get it. I’ll thank Coach Xia when I see him later. Don’t worry, Coach Yang."

"Coach Xia won’t be escorting you on your trip back," Yang Chunxi said suddenly.

"Huh?" Li Ziyi asked.

Yang Chunxi held up one of the Snowflake Wolf fur caps. "Coach Xia received a mission yesterday at noon. He’s already left Hundred Corps Pass."

Rong Taotao asked urgently, "He went to the front lines?"

"Don’t ask what you’re not supposed to." Yang Chunxi shot Rong Taotao a look and placed the snow-white wolf fur cap on his head.

On the dining table, the Cloud Dog, who had been pawing at a porcelain bowl, curiously turned to look at the top of Rong Taotao’s head.

’So... does this mean I have a new home?’

The Cloud Dog abruptly dissolved into wisps of mist and floated onto Rong Taotao’s head. It landed on all fours on the wolf fur cap, letting out a sound of dissatisfaction.

"Whimper~"

It seemed... compared to the snow-white wolf fur, it much preferred Rong Taotao’s soft, messy curls.

"Alright, alright." Rong Taotao sighed, lifting the little fella off his head and taking off the cap.

’The Cloud Dog doesn’t like it, so what am I supposed to do?’

’When you choose a Lifebound Soul Beast, you’ve got to spoil it, right?’

An idea suddenly struck Rong Taotao. "Coach Yang," he said, "this is a gift from Coach Xia, and it’s very meaningful. It’s from the first Soul Beast I ever hunted. And now, I want to give the hat to you."

Yang Chunxi was clearly taken aback. Just a moment ago, she had specifically emphasized that the gift was from Xia Fangran.

This way, by regifting something so meaningful to her, it wouldn’t be considered simply returning it to the original owner.

’Never in a million years would I have thought,’ Yang Chunxi mused, ’that I was sewing a hat for myself last night.’

Sun Xingyu was admiring herself in her beautiful white wolf-fur cap, but when she saw Yang Chunxi put hers on, Sun Xingyu’s mouth fell slightly agape. She let out a soft sigh, "Wow..."

Well... a lively and cute young girl was inevitably outshone by a woman with Yang Chunxi’s graceful temperament.

It was further proof that this was a cruel world judged by appearances. Whether an outfit or a hat looked good depended entirely on the person wearing it...

With a gentle expression, Yang Chunxi looked at Rong Taotao and said softly, "Thank you. I’ll treasure it."

"Yip! Yip!" The Cloud Dog stood on Rong Taotao’s head, bouncing excitedly on his nest of natural curls. ’Now *this* feels familiar!’

’It’s true! There’s no place like home!’

"Stop fooling around." Rong Taotao reached up and plucked the frolicking Cloud Dog from his head. He lifted it up and placed it back in front of the porcelain bowl of soy milk. "Hurry up and eat... Oh, right, Teacher Yang, why doesn’t my Cloud Dog poop?"

"PFFT... AHEM, AHEM..." Nearby, Stone Tower and Shi Lan reacted in perfect unison. Both sisters, who had been drinking soy milk, whipped their heads toward the floor and burst into coughs.

Sun Xingyu shot Rong Taotao a glare. "We’re eating!"

Rong Taotao muttered, "But it’s not normal... It only takes things in, nothing comes out. What is it, a Pixiu?"

Yang Chunxi explained, "For a White Clouds and Grey Dogs, any form of energy it consumes is converted directly into Soul Power. Now, let’s eat."

"Huh?" Rong Taotao scratched his head. "So if I feed it plastic bags, I could solve the planet’s environmental crisis?"

"Don’t do that to it!" Fan Lihua said, her expression serious. Mustering her courage, she looked at Rong Taotao, her voice surprisingly firm.

Shi Lan gave him a weird look. "Dude, have a heart..."

The Cloud Dog, still held in Rong Taotao’s hand, also turned its head to look at him, its small, glossy black eyes blinking.

However, the Cloud Dog wasn’t blaming Rong Taotao. It was just curious. ’What’s a plastic bag? Is it yummy?’

Seeing everyone ganging up on Rong Taotao, Yang Chunxi stepped in to defuse the situation. "There is, in fact, a Soul Beast in the Snow Realm that can devour anything and turn waste into treasure."

"It’s called the Snow Devourer, a Soul Beast ranging from Elite to Master tier. If its potential is fully realized, it can even reach the King tier."

"In the future, if you’re ever lucky enough to find one of these rare creatures in the Snow Realm, be sure to bring it back. The school will issue a commendation and provide you with extremely generous rewards."

’So there really is a trash-eating Soul Beast? And it can turn waste into treasure?’

’What kind of treasure?’

’Does it poop out snowballs filled with Soul Power?’

"Alright, since everyone has made their decisions, let’s head out." Yang Chunxi stood up as she spoke and turned toward a private room inside the cafeteria. "Are you two finished eating?"

"Coming," Li Lie’s voice echoed from the private room as his tall figure emerged.

Behind Li Lie was Si Huan Nian, still dressed in white and exuding her characteristic Immortal Aura. Her slender fingers held a steamed bun, and with her cheeks puffed out, she looked... surprisingly cute?

Rong Taotao muttered under his breath, "Worthy of the title Pine Soul Forget-me-not, the very picture of a master’s dignity... Mmph—"

With a flick of her wrist, Si Huan Nian sent a small steamed bun flying across the entire dining hall, stuffing it precisely into Rong Taotao’s mouth.

"You may not have learned many skills, but you’ve certainly mastered Coach Xia’s passive-aggressive sarcasm," Si Huan Nian said, wiping her hands with a napkin and tossing it onto the table.

She strode over and looked at Rong Taotao, who was choking and pounding his chest. "Since you’re not going home and have chosen to stay at Pine Soul Soul Martial University, you’ll be with me."

"Haha, you’re wrong there," Li Lie, who hadn’t been drinking today, boomed with a hearty laugh. He was in top form. "In just two days, this kid’s been secretly learning from everyone. He’s picked up quite a few Soul Skills."

As he spoke, Li Lie reached down, wrapped an arm around Rong Taotao’s waist, and lifted him into the air, giving him a hard squeeze.

"COUGH... HACK..." A small steamed bun dropped to the floor. Rong Taotao could finally breathe again. He tilted his head back and looked pleadingly at Yang Chunxi. "On second thought... maybe I should just go home."

"Too late." Si Huan Nian took Rong Taotao from Li Lie, tucked him under her arm like a handbag, and started walking out. "There aren’t many students on campus during the summer break, and I need someone to fetch me sweets and water. You’ll live with me at the Martial Arts Arena. Train by day, and be the night watchman by night."

Rong Taotao was curled up like a shrimp again. Only this time, he wasn’t a scarf, but was being carried at her hip like a purse.

Rong Taotao struggled to twist his head and look up at Si Huan Nian. "Don’t you use a spear and a blade? Our styles are totally different."

Si Huan Nian replied, "Then I’ll teach you the blade. A warrior should be versatile, equipped with both long- and short-range weapons."

"In battles on foot, a long weapon like your Heaven-piercing Halberd is heavily restricted by the terrain."

Rong Taotao blinked. ’Even though Si Huan Nian is terrifying, from the way she’s talking... it sounds like she genuinely wants to train me?’

’Private, one-on-one lessons?’

’Special tutoring from ’Sugar’ of the Pine Soul Four Rites?’

Rong Taotao couldn’t resist turning his head to look back at his classmates.

’You guys might have the Heart of the Ocean, but I have one of the Pine Soul Four Rites training me!’

’I’m so down for this! I’m ecstatic! I’m so happy I could freaking fly!’

At the back of the group, Yang Chunxi watched Si Huan Nian carrying her ’purse’ with a beaming smile, a hint of gratitude in her eyes.

In truth, Yang Chunxi had anticipated Rong Taotao’s decision. Just last night, she had specifically asked Si Huan Nian to help by taking him under her wing.

For Si Huan Nian to be selected as one of the "Pine Soul Four Rites" at only twenty-seven years old, standing on equal footing with a Soul School-level instructor like Li Lie, who was in his early forties, was a testament to her extraordinary power.

However, becoming the head instructor of the Martial Arts Arena at a place like Pine Soul Soul Martial University, which was teeming with experts, required more than just power.

Si Huan Nian was clearly a Soul Martial Artist with a story of her own.

By her side, Rong Taotao stood to gain far more from his training than he would anywhere else!