Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

Ke Ke stormed back into the lab, still seething with anger.

The loud slam of the door startled Ju Zi, who had been absorbed in her experiments.

"What's with you? Who ticked you off this time?" Ju Zi asked, puzzled. As one of Ke Ke's closest friends, she rarely saw her this agitated.

"Who else could it be? That insufferable guy!" Ke Ke huffed, her bright, watery eyes darting briefly toward Ju Zi. Standing at nearly 170 cm, Ju Zi's figure was graceful and elegant, her long legs particularly eye-catching.

Ke Ke's expression instantly fell.

She hadn't exactly set her hopes on ending up with Qian Ran, but she couldn't stand his dismissive attitude. Wasn't she also pursued by plenty of admirers at the academy?

"Qian Ran? What did he do to you this time? Weren't you the one who signed up to be his study partner?" Ju Zi asked, raising an eyebrow. Despite her confusion, she still felt a twinge of irritation remembering how Qian Ran had effortlessly defeated all four of them in a sparring match.

Their teacher, Xuan Ziwen, was the strongest eighth-level soul engineer in the academy, often called a "ninth-level among eighths." As his disciples, they were no pushovers. Yet, the four of them working together had been so easily dispatched by Qian Ran. It was downright embarrassing, even if Qian Ran was the most powerful prodigy of Shrek Academy's younger generation.

"Hmph. If we fought him outdoors, we'd definitely beat him," Ju Zi said, still indignant.

"Probably not," Ke Ke muttered, her earlier confidence completely deflated by the events of the day.

"Hey, why are you suddenly siding with him?" Ju Zi exclaimed, shocked. Wasn't Ke Ke the one who had been the most vocal about taking Qian Ran down? What had happened to her bravado?

Left with no choice, Ke Ke explained what had transpired earlier.

By the time she finished, Ju Zi was utterly stunned.

Ju Zi, unlike Ke Ke, had a deeper understanding of Qian Ran's background.

She had always wondered why Shrek Academy would risk sending a twin martial soul genius to the Sun and Moon Empire. Were they not afraid of potential danger? If Qian Ran truly possessed such godlike comprehension and memory, then Shrek Academy's gamble made perfect sense.

"You're not joking, are you?" Ju Zi asked, still finding it hard to believe.

"Why would I lie to you? Ugh, I don't want to talk about him anymore," Ke Ke pouted, her frustration compounded by the thought of Qian Ran and Nana's relationship.

"Oh? Ke Ke, are you sure you're not falling for him?" Ju Zi teased, her smile playful. Ke Ke's expression was just like that of a love-struck teenager.

"Of course not! Besides, he already has Nana," Ke Ke said, sticking out her tongue with a mix of annoyance and disappointment. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if Nana had spent the night with Qian Ran and if the two were already inseparable.

Qian Ran really was a playboy.

"Didn't I already tell you what kind of person Qian Ran is? But honestly, if you could accept that about him, he wouldn't be a bad choice," Ju Zi murmured.

To put it bluntly, men could be divided into two types: those capable of being playboys and those who only dreamed of it.

And let's face it, a capable flirt was better than someone who was inept in other ways.

Ju Zi's thoughts wandered to Xu Tianran, her expression darkening slightly. Though no one dared speak openly about the Crown Prince's condition, she had a clear idea of the truth. If she wanted revenge for her parents, she had no choice but to rely on him.

Xu Tianran was ambitious, and his years of cultivating her were undoubtedly aimed at making her his military commander.

To secure his trust, she would likely have to marry him someday.

When that time came...

Ju Zi's thoughts drifted far into the future.

If Xu Tianran truly couldn't meet certain expectations, what would her life be like?

"Ju Zi, what are you mumbling about? What's so great about that playboy Qian Ran anyway?" Ke Ke grumbled, snapping Ju Zi out of her reverie. Yet, despite her protests, Ke Ke found herself agreeing with Ju Zi's assessment.

These past few days, through Ju Zi's hints and her own observations, Ke Ke had come to realize just how exceptional Qian Ran truly was.

Twin martial souls. Ultimate martial souls. These were terms she had only learned after meeting Qian Ran because such prodigies had never existed in the Sun and Moon Empire. Their education system naturally didn't cover them.

Add to that Qian Ran's astounding talent for soul engineering, as demonstrated earlier, and he seemed almost too perfect.

How could someone excel in every possible area?

With that in mind, his flirtatious nature almost felt… reasonable.

"Hmph. Ju Zi, why are you defending him?" Ke Ke stomped her foot in embarrassment and frustration.

Ju Zi merely shook her head. Her time at the academy was limited, and she wanted to enjoy what remained without worrying about future burdens. Even though she was the Crown Prince's trusted confidant, she maintained a low profile at the academy.

"What's that amazing smell?"

A rich, tantalizing aroma wafted into the lab, immediately capturing their attention.

The door swung open, and Qian Ran walked in, carrying buckets of fried chicken and barbecue.

Ke Ke dashed over to him in a few quick steps, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her expression, radiant and full of youthful charm, was irresistibly cute.

"Qian Ran, did you make this? It smells incredible!" Ke Ke's nose nearly brushed against Qian Ran as she leaned in to take a whiff.

"Of course not. I almost never cook. I bought it," Qian Ran replied with a shrug. Though his culinary skills were decent, thanks to his precise control of heat, he rarely cooked for himself. Most of the time, his "sisters" took care of the cooking, or he used the system to conjure nostalgic snacks from his past life—things like barbecue, fried chicken, or cola.

While these junk foods weren't necessary, he occasionally craved them for sentimental reasons.

That said, the spices used in Earth's cuisine were far richer than anything found on the Douluo Continent. Although Douluo's ingredients were superior in freshness, its lack of seasoning variety was glaring.

Ju Zi sniffed the air and was astonished to detect at least seven or eight unfamiliar spices on the grilled food Qian Ran carried. Even when she recognized certain spices, the flavor profile they created was unlike anything she'd experienced.

The technological paths of Earth and the Douluo Continent were vastly different. On Earth, techniques like hybridization had led to hundreds of chili varieties, while Douluo's culinary advancements lagged behind.

Seeing Ju Zi, Qian Ran suddenly had an idea. He should cultivate a spice garden for his personal use. Earth vegetables grown in Douluo's rich environment would undoubtedly taste even better.

"Mm! This is delicious!"

While Qian Ran was lost in thought, Ke Ke had already snatched a skewer and started eating.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, don't be so stingy, Qian Ran! As long as you feed me, you can do whatever you want with me," Ke Ke teased, savoring the food and licking the flavorful sauce off the skewer.

The spices had instantly won her over. Though she wasn't starving, the unique flavors had utterly conquered her taste buds.

Unable to resist any longer, Ju Zi joined the fray, scrambling to grab her share from Ke Ke.

(End of Chapter)