The night gradually closed in, the evening breeze carrying a chilling hum. A cold moon, as thin as a blade, hung in the night sky, like a crescent blade as thin as cicada wings, slitting open the firmament, revealing a faint, eerie blue light.
Tang Sui, who was sitting cross-legged on a higher tiled roof, basking in the moonlight, suddenly opened his eyes. His clear blue pupils flickered with faint, unrevealed luminescence.
Below, Tang San and the others, having completed their day's matches at the Great Douluo Arena, walked leisurely towards their dormitory under the cover of night.
"Xiao San, your last match today was too close. If you had gotten injured, it would have been much more dangerous going to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow," Dai Mubai recalled the battle at the Great Douluo Arena that evening, the memory still vivid, especially Tang San's final bout.
Thinking of that fight, Tang San also smiled. "Yes, thankfully it was a doubles match. Even though I made a mistake, I still had Xiao Wu. Otherwise, my arm might have taken a heavy hit."
"Hey! That wasn't just a hit, if that strike had landed on you, your bone would probably have been fractured!" Ma Hongjun rubbed his arms with lingering fear, as if he were the one who had almost broken a bone in that battle.
Tang San chuckled at Ma Hongjun's exaggerated reaction. Just as he was about to say something else, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a figure reflected in the moonlight.
"Xiao San, what's wrong?" Dai Mubai asked curiously, watching Tang San stop abruptly. However, the cunning Ma Hongjun followed Tang San's gaze and also saw Tang Sui sitting cross-legged on the eaves, tilting her chin slightly as she looked towards them.
"Oh! It's Sui Sui!"
Ma Hongjun spoke familiarly. Dai Mubai's eyelids twitched. Seeing Tang San's expression unchanged, the corners of his lips also curved slightly. "It looks like Sui Sui is cultivating. You siblings are truly diligent. One goes out to cultivate at the crack of dawn, and the other always cultivates when night falls. It's the perfect complement, just like siblings. I don't feel wronged losing to her in cultivation."
Ma Hongjun exclaimed, "Huh?" and spotted the key point. "Brother Dai, how did you know Xiao San cultivates early in the morning and Sui Sui late at night?"
Dai Mubai glanced at Ma Hongjun, thinking to himself, of course he knew. After the emergence of a young Soul Grandmaster in the new cohort, his competitive spirit was ignited, and he planned to cultivate in secret to surprise everyone.
Then, today, or rather, early yesterday morning, before dawn, as soon as he stepped out of the dormitory, he saw Tang San sitting cross-legged on the eaves, facing the sky and cultivating. His expression immediately became complex.
Then, just returning today, he saw Tang Sui, who had apparently been sitting on the roof for quite some time.
These siblings, one more diligent than the other, both pushing themselves harder than he did.
Dai Mubai inwardly admitted defeat, but his desire to become stronger remained undiminished.
Dai Mubai strove, but Dai Mubai remained silent.
Without getting an answer, Ma Hongjun sheepishly touched his nose, patted Tang San's shoulder, and offered, "Alright, Xiao San, you go find your sister. Brother Dai and I are heading back to the dormitory."
Dai Mubai had no objections. Before leaving, he turned his head and cautioned, "You two can cultivate, but don't stay up too late. We're heading to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow, so make sure you get enough rest. The Star Dou Great Forest is full of powerful soul beasts and dangers; it's no child's play like the Great Douluo Arena."
Tang San nodded in understanding of Dai Mubai's good intentions. "I understand, Brother Dai."
"Let's go, let's go, back to take a shower and sleep!" Ma Hongjun stretched, his slightly stout shadow elongated in the moonlight.
Tang San watched their retreating figures, his eyes bright, clearly in a good mood.
However...
Tang San withdrew his gaze, his body flashed, and he leaped up lightly. In the blink of an eye, he had ascended to the eaves and landed beside Tang Sui.
"Brother," Tang Sui called out obediently to Tang San.
The smile on Tang San's lips remained unchanged. He replied with a "hm," then sat down cross-legged beside Tang Sui, his gaze calm yet deep, fixed on her.
Tang Sui looked at Tang San's posture, her eyes shifting slightly. She thought to herself, *here it comes*. She proactively asked, "Does Brother have something to tell me?"
Tang San looked at his sister's well-behaved appearance, sighed inwardly, restrained his aura slightly, and softened his tone. "Sui Sui, your martial soul... what exactly is going on?"
Although Tang Sui's expression during the day didn't seem fake, it was his martial soul, after all. Tang San didn't believe Tang Sui knew nothing about it.
Either it was because there were too many people around during the day, and she didn't want to say it in front of so many people.
Just like... the first time she met their teacher, Sui Sui had silently asked him not to tell the teacher about the abnormality of her martial soul.