After they had returned to the school, Xie Yujia and Hao Ren each left for their classes.
Hao Ren watched as Xie Yujia slowly headed toward Academic Building C on her bike. He felt like her temperament and aura had gotten even better.
Things like temperament were very subjective. Hao Ren was the only one among the guys who felt the change in Xie Yujia.
On the other hand, Xie Yujia was the first one who noticed the slight change in Hao Ren's temperament when he had just broken through the Spirit Concentration Scroll.
It was human nature to notice the slightest change in someone you liked. If it were someone you didn't care about, you wouldn't even notice if they had changed their clothes.
This meant that Xie Yujia had started paying attention to Hao Ren a long time ago.
Hao Ren looked up at Su Han's office window and circulated the Nature Essence in his body according to the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll before he headed toward Academic Building G.
He could cultivate the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll more and more proficiently nowadays.
Little White kept making noises in his arms, so Hao Ren put it into the space in the necklace. Little White was satisfied after getting well fed and having its business taken care of. It decided to take a nap, cuddling with the Water Repellent Bead.
A few guys were playing basketball half-naked on the basketball court.
Hao Ren suddenly saw them and suddenly remembered that East Ocean University's first game of the year was the week after. The entire class would be there to cheer them on.
Zhao Yanzi was still in the Dragon Palace with Zhao Kuo.
Hao Ren didn't know how his recovering was going, but it would be challenging to get back to Qian-level.
The thoughts of School, East Ocean, Cultivation, and Zi all together was giving him a headache.
Hao Ren arrived in his classroom. He listened to class, cultivated, and prepared the material for tutoring Zi. Surprisingly he was comfortably fine with doing all three things at once.
Soon, it was Friday. Hao Ren packed his stuff and took the bus home after half a day of classes.
"Gongzi!" Lu Linlin and Lu Lili suddenly appeared beside the bus stop.
They ran toward Hao Ren happily as many guys looked at him with jealousy. Some students from other schools were also there, waiting for the bus and looking at Hao Ren with a ton of envy.
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili had probably just finished with their club activities. They looked charming and graceful in their taekwondo uniforms.
"You guys don't need to come back with me today. Go and get some rest," Hao Ren said to them. His tone was casual, but he got stared at more for 'showing-off.'
"You are overthinking it, Gongzi. We are here for the bus too!" Lu Lili covered her mouth as she laughed, shaking her pigtails.
Hao Ren remembered that Lu Qing was still helping out in the Dragon Palace and hadn't been back for a few days now. Therefore, there was no one to give them a ride home. They had to take the bus to Lu Qing's apartment instead.
The three of them waited for the bus quietly. Although the twins in their Taekwondo uniforms weren't saying much to Hao Ren, they stood on each side of him. Those guys were jealous to death!
The twins' bus arrived first, and Lu Linlin pulled Lu Lili's hand as they got on the bus. They waved at Hao Ren. "See you later, Gongzi!"
"Haha, bye." Hao Ren smiled; they were as cheerful as two little squirrels.
After they had left, Hao Ren realized that the so-called most popular girl in the school, Lin Li, was among the people who were waiting for the bus!
Lin Li, who used to be arrogant, completely lost her charm in front of Lu Linlin and Lu Lili. If the twins hadn't left, Hao Ren and the other guys wouldn't have even noticed her!
Although she was all dressed up, she was still no match for the twins who were in simple clothes.
Hao Ren remembered how rude she was before and didn't even want to talk to her.
As soon as bus 767 arrived, he took off.
Hao Ren focused on cultivation when he got back home. Also, he took Little White for a walk by the beach. The weekend didn't seem to be as lonely as usual with Little White's company.
Waves lapped on the beach one by one as Hao Ren cultivated with his legs crossed and eyes closed. He circulated the Nature Essence in his body according to the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll as he took in the five elements in nature slowly.
Little White rested on Hao Ren's lap as he cultivated. It buried its head into its fluffy white body, snoring.
Although it had only been a few days, it had already bonded deeply with Hao Ren. At least, it relied on Hao Ren to a large extent. However, it looked more like a puppy than a Snow Lion. It followed Hao Ren wherever he went and even slept beside him when he went to bed.
"Gongzi!"
Hao Ren heard Lu Linlin and Lu Lili's voices as he was trying his best to cultivate.
He opened his eyes and saw them standing in his room already; they barged into his personal space without permission!
"Woo!"
Little White was just sleeping on Hao Ren's lap. It suddenly hopped onto the floor and turned into a one-meter tall Snow Lion!
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili stepped back and looked at Little White in surprise. Then, they turned to Hao Ren, who was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, and asked, "When did you tame a Demon Beast, Gongzi?"
"Come back, Little White." Hao Ren waved at it.
The majestic-looking Little White turned and looked at Hao Ren. It hesitated for a few seconds but went back to Hao Ren's side. However, it was still staring at the twins cautiously without shrinking its size.
Little White wouldn't be alarmed by humans. But as a Spirit Beast, it could sense those who had powers immediately. It would be more cautious if the cultivators are stronger and closer to Hao Ren.
The twins kept looking at Hao Ren in surprise. "It seems like a Bin-level Spirit Beast, Gongzi!"
Little White shook its snow-white mane as its shiny black eyes were still locked on the sisters. They had different auras than what it was familiar with, so it treated them as enemies.
"Don't be so tense, Little White." Hao Ren fondled its neck.
Little White finally lightly roared and shrank back to the size of two palms. It hopped onto the bed and curled up on Hao Ren's lap.
"I took Little White by coincidence. Su Han told me that it is a Bin-level Spirit Beast as well," Hao Ren said.
Hearing this, Lu Linlin and Lu Lili's eyes brightened. "Bin-level Spirit Beasts are great materials for refining elixirs and making Dharma Treasures! When this Snow Lion gets bigger, its fur can be used to make high-level defensive armors and robes while its teeth and claws can be merged into Dharma Treasures. It might even have an Internal Core which can help you accelerate your cultivation speed..."
Little White was just about to doze off when it sensed an ominous feeling from the twins' gestures. It suddenly lifted its head and looked at them nervously.
Hao Ren got nervous as well. "Hey! Don't you try to take advantage of Little White!"
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili walked over with a smile. Little White sensed the danger, so it jumped off Hao Ren's lap and hid behind his back.
"Look at you, Sis. You scared Little White," Lu Lili said with a frown as she was just about to reach out and pick Little White up.
"It's so timid," Lu Linlin teased as she smiled.
"The Snow Lions are indeed the smartest kind of Spirit Beasts. Little White even knows that we were talking about it," she continued as she clapped her hands at Little White.
Little White was so scared of them that it didn't want to be hugged by them at all. Instead, it squeezed under Hao Ren's arm.
Hao Ren knew exactly what it wanted, so he put it back into the space in the necklace to free it from the terror.
"Why are you guys here today?" Hao Ren stood up and asked.
"Humph, Gongzi is giving us the cold shoulder," Lu Linlin pouted. "We just came back from visiting Grandma!"
"How is she doing?" Hao Ren asked immediately.
"Don't worry; she is very well." Lu Linlin walked closer. "The reason we are here today is to ask Gongzi to come shop for cell phones with us."
"Cell phones?" Hao Ren looked at them, confused.
"Yeah. Without a cell phone, Gongzi won't even contact us." Lu Linlin teased again. Lu Lili, on the other hand, flushed a little.
"We can go shop for cell phones, but you need to promise not to scare Little White again," Hao Ren said.
"Alright, we won't!" Lu Linlin laughed.
Hao Ren was just feeling bored at home, so he went cell phone shopping with them downtown. He felt terrible always asking them about cultivation and Dharma Treasures and yet never helped them with anything.
To thank them for their help lately, Hao Ren offered to pay for their cell phones. They got two Nokia Phones, which were Lu Linlin and Lu Lili's first cell phones ever. They meant even more to them since Hao Ren got the phones for them. It cheered them up immediately.
Hao Ren's mood lightened up gradually when he saw them smile.
"Gongzi must have a lot of questions to ask. Shoot away," Lu Linlin saw through Hao Ren's intentions and said to him as she played with her new phone.
Hao Ren smiled in admiration of Lu Linlin's cleverness. "Little White probably is not a very powerful Spirit Beast, right?"
"Usually, Bin-level Spirit Beasts are not extremely powerful. But they don't only depend on themselves. The relationship with their masters is more important. Gongzi's Little White is the kind that is not very powerful in battle but can create a very special bond with its master. It is also the kind of Spirit Beast that is easy to train. If it can often eat and consume treasures of nature, there is a chance for it to get to Xun-level," Lu Linlin said.
"Treasures of nature... Meaning that I will have to keep feeding it snow lotuses and such," Hao Ren thought.
"You can also feed her with your own Nature Essence. If the master can gather the essence in nature and transfer it into the Spirit Beast's body, the Spirit Beast will grow up rapidly as well," Lu Lili added.
"Um... Should I... Let Little White cultivate the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll as well?"
Hao Ren suddenly came up with this idea.
(TL Note: This book was written a while back, so Nokia Phones were still popular then, LOL!)