The white-haired school beauty sighs every day, yet he keeps getting stronger.

After leaving the classroom, Zhang Ziyang went down the teaching building and headed towards the playground.

About five or six minutes later, a building came into view.

The school's training room has a blue roof and white walls.

It occupies an area roughly the size of three indoor basketball courts and has three floors.

The first floor is the main place for drill classes.

To train students' combat skills and improve their physical fitness.

The second floor is a competition arena where students can practice and exchange skills.

Sometimes it is also used as a venue for internal school competitions.

The third floor is a special training ground for students who have awakened their Soul Cards.

It is equipped with several pre-set mechanical puppets as simulated opponents for students.

The goal is to help students quickly understand their own Soul Card abilities.

This third layer is precisely Zhang Ziyang's target for this trip.

Ever since awakening his Soul Card, he had wanted to try shouting "Armor Combination!" and transforming into an Armor Warrior.

That was one of his childhood wishes.

Another wish is to become Ultraman.

“Meow~!”

Suddenly, a shrill meow came from the road ahead.

"Ok?"

Zhang Ziyang looked over in confusion, then his eyes widened immediately.

Ten meters ahead, on the open ground to the side of the training room entrance.

A beautiful girl with white hair and silver eyes squatted down expressionlessly, reaching out her hand to a white calico cat.

The cat's fur stood on end, its back arched high, and its long tail stood up like an antenna, as if it had been severely frightened.

Zhang Ziyang raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Huangfu Yue.

Why is she here?

Could it be that, like myself, the aura emanating from absorbing the crystal core was too terrifying?

So you came to the training room to relax and familiarize yourself with the abilities of your Soul Cards?

However, it seems she's run into trouble now.

"Mimi, come here, don't be afraid."

The porcelain doll girl parted her cherry lips slightly and let out a soft call.

It seems like they're trying to soothe the cat's emotions.

"Meow!!"

The calico cat's meows grew increasingly shrill, and it raised its paw as if to scratch.

But when faced with those ethereal silver eyes devoid of any emotion, its front paws immediately froze in mid-air.

It called out again, then turned and ran away.

The cat moved nimbly, leaping up behind Zhang Ziyang in a few bounds.

The fluffy head pressed against the boy's trouser leg, as if seeking shelter.

"Huh? They got away!"

The porcelain doll girl sighed and stood up.

After a Soul Card is awakened, one's temperament will also be affected.

The soul card she awakened, Frost Moon Nether Dragon, is a top-tier demonic beast that controls extreme cold and the netherworld.

It is equivalent to the ultimate opposite of life.

She had expected that this would displease the small animals.

only……

Huangfu Yue was somewhat surprised to see who had arrived:

"Zhang Ziyang?"

"Ah."

Zhang Ziyang raised his hand in greeting, then reached out and scooped up the calico cat at his feet, gently patting its head.

“(>^w^<) Meow~~”

The cat squinted its eyes and let out a soft, comforting purr.

Her tense body immediately relaxed, and she collapsed into Zhang Ziyang's arms like a liquid.

It was as if they had found a golden nest.

Zhang Ziyang was somewhat surprised.

Do I really have such a high affinity for animals? How come I never noticed it before?

The porcelain doll girl stood still, looking at the cat lying comfortably in Zhang Ziyang's arms, her indifferent eyes suddenly turning sharp.

Zhang Ziyang felt uneasy under her gaze, so he asked:

"Do you...like cats?"

Huangfu Yue vehemently denied it:

"No."

Perhaps Zhang Ziyang's suspicious gaze was too obvious.

The porcelain doll girl turned her face away without saying a word:

"Studies have shown that petting furry animals can help relieve psychological stress and is also helpful for meditation."

I did this only for spiritual practice, not because I like cats or want to pinch their paws or anything.

So please don't misunderstand.

Zhang Ziyang: ...

This was the first time he had ever heard her say such a long string of words.

He had always thought that Huangfu Yue was the kind of person who was obsessed with cultivation and had no interest in anything else.

Unexpectedly, she's just like any other girl, liking cats and dogs.

This was quite unexpected for him.

However, she didn't seem to be liked by these small animals.

Thinking of this, Zhang Ziyang couldn't help but smile:

"It's not difficult to pet a strange cat."

You did a good job. Approach slowly, speak softly, and extend your hand first.

But there was one place where a mistake was made.

Huangfu Yue became interested:

"where?"

Zhang Ziyang raised his hand and stroked the cat's head:

"You were staring at it without blinking, weren't you?"

That won't work. The cat will think it's being watched and will feel insecure.

Huangfu Yue nodded gently:

"so what should I do?"

Zhang Ziyang provided the answer:

"It's very simple, just give them food. Using food as bait is the safest method."

After saying that, he reached into his pocket, took out a cod sausage that he had prepared for lunch, and handed it to Huangfu Yue.

"Try?"

"it is good."

Huangfu Yue did not refuse.

While observing the cat's movements, I slowly approached.

Halfway there, the calico cat raised its head alertly.

With its little mouth open, it emitted a gurgling sound, sternly breathing a warning at Huangfu Yue.

Huangfu Yue immediately stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Zhang Ziyang rubbed the cat's head:

"Honey, she means no harm."

As if understanding, the kitten stopped sulking and just snuggled even tighter into Zhang Ziyang's arms.

Huangfu Yue's eyebrows relaxed as she unwrapped the package and gently handed over the fragrant cod sausage.

Tempted by the delicious food, the aloof kitten quickly gave in, stretching its neck and taking small bites.

Zhang Ziyang prompted, "Now you can touch it."

"it is good."

The porcelain doll girl stretched out her delicate hand and gently placed it on the cat's head.

The movements were extremely gentle, like caressing a snowflake that was about to melt.

The comfortable touch from her palm made the girl's lips curl into a slight smile.

But the good times didn't last long; the greedy kitten suddenly let out a loud cry.

He opened his mouth, snatched the cod sausage, and then leaped away from Zhang Ziyang's arms.

With a few leaps, it darted into the nearby bushes and quickly disappeared from sight.

"Hey?"

The porcelain doll girl's hand froze in mid-air, her expression frozen.

But soon, she regained her usual indifference and glanced at Zhang Ziyang, who was standing nearby.

"Thank you for earlier. I'll head to the training room now."

"Ah."

Zhang Ziyang nodded and followed Huangfu Yue after she had taken a few steps.

The little incident just now allowed Zhang Ziyang to see another side of Huangfuyue.

……

The training room is on the third floor.

A spacious area with dozens of practice rooms.

Zhang Ziyang picked the nearest room and swiped his card to enter.

"Beep, student card!"

The interior area is nearly 100 square meters.

Apart from a few futons and a system panel for setting the parameters of the training puppets, there were no other furnishings.

Zhang Ziyang didn't rush to summon the mechanical puppets for practice. Instead, he sat down cross-legged, reached around his waist, and took out a briefcase, which he then opened.

Subtract the one you absorbed and the six you compensated.

He still has thirteen first-order attribute-less crystal cores and one second-order crystal core remaining.

This amount of reserves is only enough for me to use for a few days.

We'll have to find another way after that.

"My body can still hold up, so I'll continue absorbing crystal cores to improve my strength."

Zhang Ziyang made up his mind, took out a crystal core, closed his eyes and entered a meditative state to absorb it again.

Half an hour later, when he felt a slight, tingling pain in his body, he stopped absorbing the nutrients.

This is a feedback signal that the body cannot withstand absorbing a large number of crystal nuclei at once.

Similar to "safe words".

Once this occurs, absorption must be stopped immediately.

The reason for this phenomenon is quite simple.

Absorbing crystal cores can improve cultivation level and, to some extent, also enhance physical fitness.

But just like taking supplements, it has to be taken in moderation.

Eating too much at once is not only not good for your health, but it is actually harmful.

Zhang Ziyang opened his eyes, a glint of golden light flashing in them.

In his mind, six golden soul cards shimmered with starlight.

Look at the stars, one, two, three, four...

There are a full seven!

Seven stars of the preparatory stage, done!!