Olba’s remark nearly brought Li Yundong, Feng Na, and Cheng Cheng to tears of laughter; Su Chan was shaking with mirth, and even Chris’s face flushed crimson, caught between wanting to laugh and suppressing it.
Olba stared at them, utterly bewildered, and muttered helplessly in English, “What? Did I say something wrong?”
Chris’s face burned red, and she whispered to Olba, “You said something wrong. In Chinese, the character ‘rì’ has a meaning equivalent to f.u…”
Olba instantly turned beet red, muttering in embarrassment, “****, damn Chinese! Didn’t that man just tell me it meant the sun?”
Chris struggled to keep a straight face and replied, “One Chinese character often has many different meanings, especially depending on the context…”
Olba couldn’t help but cover her face and sigh, “I think I’ll just give up on ever learning Chinese properly…”
Li Yundong stifled a laugh and said, “Olba, your destiny profile is truly peculiar. I’ve never heard of someone who lacks nothing in the Five Elements except for a deficiency in Yang…”
Feng Na, who had also managed to control her laughter, translated this for Olba. Olba asked curiously, “Is that good or bad?”
Li Yundong smiled faintly, “It has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that your destiny profile is quite good, making you very suited for cultivation. You could be described as a natural vessel for practice because your Five Elements talent is distributed very evenly. But evenness also implies mediocrity; nothing stands out, so you also have the potential to become an unremarkable cultivator.”
After hearing Feng Na’s translation, Olba looked lost and asked, “So?”
Su Chan couldn't help but jump in to explain, “So, you will either become an incredibly powerful cultivator proficient in all Five Element spells, or you will become an insignificant one who achieves nothing!”
Olba burst into loud laughter, looking immensely pleased with herself.
Su Chan froze, curiosity overriding her amusement. “Is she alright? What’s so funny about that?”
Olba slapped John heartily on the shoulder and declared triumphantly, “John, did you hear that? She said I might become an amazing person! My talent is even better than yours!”
John’s heart filled with envy and resentment, and he spitefully retorted, “Don’t just cherry-pick the nice parts! She also said you might end up a mediocre cultivator, achieving nothing!”
Olba waved her hand dismissively, unconcerned, “A genius like me will definitely be the former, never the latter!”
John snorted twice, about to speak, when he noticed Li Yundong smiling and saying, “Regardless, if you want to choose a Chinese name, I suggest you pick a surname first.”
Olba thought for a moment and asked, “Which Chinese surname ranks first?”
Feng Na smiled and replied, “Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li—the surname Zhao ranks first.”
Olba immediately declared, “Then I shall be named Zhao!”
Cheng Cheng couldn't help but laugh again, whispering to Feng Na, “Hey, she lacks Rì (sun/day) in her fortune, and her surname is Zhao. Naming her Zhao Rì? It sounds like Zhǎo Rì (looking for the sun)? It fits her destiny perfectly!!”
Feng Na let out a suppressed giggle, quickly composing herself and shooting Cheng Cheng a glare: “Stop talking nonsense! Be friendly to our foreign friends!”
Li Yundong also heard Cheng Cheng’s comment. He fought back a smile and said, “Then let’s call you Zhao Jing.”
“Zhao Jing? Zhao Jing!” Olba repeated the name a couple of times, her expression slightly strange. “It feels a bit awkward to pronounce. But…” Soon, the exotic beauty with her strong South American charm broke into a bright smile, “But, I like it very much!”
Saying this, she moved forward enthusiastically to hug Li Yundong, intending to give him a passionate kiss.
Li Yundong, with quick eyes and nimble hands, subtly stepped back a pace. Meanwhile, Su Chan stepped forward to block her, watching her with an unfriendly gaze.
Olba chuckled sheepishly. “I was just showing my thanks, nothing else… But, okay, I understand that Chinese people are conservative, let’s forget it!”
Li Yundong turned to Feng Na and asked, “Did you trick me into coming here just so I could name them?”
Feng Na gave an awkward laugh, about to speak, when a male voice drifted in from outside: “Feng Na, there you are! I’ve been looking for you for so…”
The moment the young man entered the classroom, he spotted Li Yundong and froze, his brow immediately furrowing.
Li Yundong took one look and saw the young man carrying a schoolbag and a book, his expression radiating pride and arrogance—it was none other than Yan Hua.
Yan Hua immediately felt uncomfortable upon seeing Li Yundong. He pretended not to notice Li Yundong, not stepping fully into the classroom, and said to Feng Na, “Feng Na, what did you need me for this afternoon? I couldn’t find out when I looked for you at the student union. Someone said they saw you here, so I came looking.”
Feng Na knew about the existing grievances and friction between Yan Hua and Li Yundong, and she didn't want to put Li Yundong in a difficult position. She quickly stepped out of the classroom and said, “A few new incoming students want to join the association, and there are three foreign friends who want to transfer to our school and also join.”
Yan Hua, always driven by utilitarian goals, became instantly excited upon hearing that three foreigners wished to join the student union as Vice Chairman. “Really? That’s wonderful news! We can use this for major publicity! Then both of us will look good! It shows that our student union has achieved something; I—ahem, our recent promotional efforts weren't in vain! Of course, this also means Tiannan University’s status and image have improved—even foreigners want to enroll here, and they are actively seeking to join the student union!”
Feng Na coughed dryly and said, “They didn’t come specifically for Tiannan University. They were exchange students who participated in the foreign university exchange program last session.”
Yan Hua was even more delighted. “Are they from the University of Pennsylvania?”
Feng Na nodded. She glanced back at Li Yundong, pointed at him, and said, “Yes, the three of them are back to seek tutelage from Li Yundong, so they decided to settle down and enroll in China. Since the three of them were key members of their respective student unions, they want to follow local customs and approached me about joining the student union here as well.”
Yan Hua felt a pang of bitterness. He looked at Li Yundong and saw that no matter where this young man went, he seemed to radiate an irresistible brilliance like a sun, obscuring anyone standing near him. What fueled his jealousy most was that these foreigners were transferring to Tiannan University and demanding to join the student union specifically because of Li Yundong!
He had thought he contributed significantly to the union’s reputation, but in the end, it was all thanks to Li Yundong’s influence!
This was simply intolerable!
Yan Hua felt as if countless ants were gnawing at his insides, but he managed to suppress any outward display, though his enthusiasm had significantly waned. He forced a smile: “I see… I will handle the paperwork when I return on Monday. If you don't need anything else, I’ll head home.”
Feng Na, unaware of Yan Hua’s turmoil, smiled and replied, “Alright then, see you Monday.”
Yan Hua snorted inwardly and finally shot a resentful glance at Li Yundong, grinding his teeth in silent fury: If it weren’t for this guy, he would be the most prominent figure on this campus!
Yan Hua seethed with indignation all the way home. Only after locking himself in his room did he punch the wall with a heavy thud. He couldn't help but roar under his breath, “Why won’t this guy just die! Why can’t I become stronger, stronger than him!”
“You want to become stronger?” A woman’s voice suddenly echoed in Yan Hua’s room.
Yan Hua jumped in fright and immediately turned around.
It was already around 9 p.m.; Yan Hua hadn't turned on the light after entering his room. By his bedroom window stood a figure, silhouetted against the moonlight, slender and exquisitely curved. Her features were indistinct, but one could tell she was a woman of immense allure.
Yan Hua asked cautiously, “Who are you?”
Saying this, he quickly switched on the bedroom light.
But upon seeing who it was, he froze: “Auntie?”
The person was none other than Yan Fang. After escaping from Li Yundong’s clutches, her Yang Spirit power had suffered a severe blow, causing her cultivation level to drop from the Yang Spirit Realm down to the Yin Spirit Realm.
Yan Fang desperately sought a host with exceptional talent to begin cultivating anew and stage a comeback. Yet, after searching everywhere, she couldn't find a suitable host who met her standards. Consequently, her magical power continued to diminish daily, and her true essence seeped away hour by hour.
As time passed day by day, in her agony, Yan Fang felt as if the vast world offered her no place to rest. Overwhelmed by sorrow and pain, she found herself, almost by divine intervention, returning to her own home.
But not long after she arrived, she heard Yan Hua’s anguished roar of frustration in his room. Yan Fang’s heart stirred, and she couldn't resist manifesting and asking, “You want to become stronger?”
Yan Hua couldn’t comprehend why his elusive aunt would suddenly appear in his room. Even more bizarrely, as Yan Hua looked at Yan Fang’s body, he felt as if he could see the wall behind her figure, as if her form was transparent!
Hearing Yan Fang’s second question, Yan Hua snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream. “Auntie, what happened to you? You… you look like…”
Yan Fang glanced at herself and gave a desolate laugh. “Like something neither human nor ghost, is that it?”
Yan Hua instinctively wanted to nod, but he quickly regained his composure and asked awkwardly, “Auntie, what happened?”
Yan Fang recalled how her nine years of infiltration within the Fox Zen Sect ended in utter failure. Grief and indignation welled up inside her, and she sneered, “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. I only ask you: Do you want to become stronger?”
Yan Hua remembered the few displays of power he had witnessed from Yan Fang before. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, “Auntie, are you—are you willing to teach me martial arts?”
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