Chapter 200: Pool Race, Rewards and Punishments
Jiang Nannan slowly dipped one foot into the cool pool water. A rush of icy sensation shot straight to her head, making her instinctively pull back.
"Nannan-jie, you're still afraid of the water~" Ye Chen teased.
"I am not…" she muttered under her breath, then gathered her courage and jumped lightly.
With a soft splash, she fell into the pool.
Although the pool wasn't very deep, she still flailed her arms reflexively.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a pair of warm hands slide around her waist, and a firm chest pressed against her cheek.
The familiar sensation made her instinctively reach out—
With a splash, Ye Chen scooped her up easily from the water and wiped the droplets from her face.
"Nannan-jie, don't be scared. I'm here," he said softly.
Meanwhile, the hand supporting her lower back and that round, full curve beneath was…
Through the thin, soaked swimsuit, his palm clearly felt the surprisingly elastic outline of those arcs.
"Huff… I-I wasn't scared…" Nannan's body trembled slightly, but she refused to admit it, not wanting to lose face in front of Tang Ya.
She had learned to swim before, but as a land-based soul master she rarely touched water. Jumping in so suddenly, plus the water being so cold, had taken her off guard.
Still, surrounded by Ye Chen's warmth, her tension slowly eased.
Though his martial soul was Ice, without releasing it his body temperature was only slightly lower than normal—far warmer than the water.
"Alright, I can manage on my own now…"
Feeling his hand getting a bit too bold, Nannan blushed and quickly pulled herself free.
If it were just the two of them, she might have let it slide.
But Tang Ya was right there watching.
And who knew when her mother might walk by?
That would be far too embarrassing…
"Haha, good then~" Ye Chen laughed and let her go.
Nannan paddled a few strokes, soon adjusting to the water's temperature. Then she began to swim more freely.
The cool water wrapped around her body. She let out a long breath, her nervousness easing.
Tang Ya swam over, wet hair clinging to her cheeks, eyes bright. "Feels great, right? On a hot day, soaking in the water is the best!"
"Mhm."
Nannan nodded, absentmindedly flicking at the water's surface. The chill drove away the heavy heat of the afternoon.
Imitating Tang Ya, she tried floating gently, her long legs moving slowly beneath the water.
The light yellow "school swimsuit" clung closer in the pool's shimmering reflections, outlining her developing curves.
Especially her bare back—large sections of smooth skin appeared and disappeared beneath the water's ripples, pure yet shyly enticing.
Ye Chen lingered a short distance away, smiling as he watched them. He didn't swim closer, simply admiring the two beautiful figures gliding through the pool.
Water rolled off his own body, his well-proportioned frame looking especially energetic under the sun.
"How is it, Nannan-jie? Told you it wouldn't be bad. It's pretty relaxing in the water," Ye Chen said.
"It's… okay…" she murmured, still not fully at ease.
She stole a glance at Tang Ya's "world-shaking" blue bikini—those abundant curves pressed together at the chest, revealing a deep valley of snow-white flesh; and the nearly bare, full rear barely covered by a few thin strings.
Then she looked down at herself—wrapped tightly from shoulders to hips, yet with that heart-shaped cutout at her belly exposing a patch of bare skin…
Maybe her suit wasn't that modest after all…
Her face warmed again.
"Just soaking around is boring. Let's play a game!" Tang Ya said, slapping the water with a splash.
"What kind of game?"
Nannan wiped the water from her face, curiosity overcoming her shyness.
"Swimming, obviously! No soul power, just us racing—one thousand laps back and forth. Let's see who finishes first~" Tang Ya grinned. "It's good training too. Better than running at the academy—no sweat, and you stay cool."
"That's not a bad idea, Xiao Ya-jie. I'll be referee. There'll be a reward for the winner… and a punishment for the loser~" Ye Chen swam over and agreed immediately.
Though the pool wasn't huge, it was about twenty meters long. For two Soul Elders, a thousand lengths was tough but doable.
"What kind of reward?"
Both Tang Ya and Nannan turned to look at Ye Chen, eyes bright.
As for punishment—they'd conveniently chosen to ignore it.
Knowing Ye Chen, punishment would just be… something they'd endure and move on from.
But as for rewards—those were never ordinary when it came from him.
"This reward will let you instantly gain five to six levels of soul power, and it will improve your innate aptitude—bringing your talent up to the level of a naturally full-spirit-power soul master," Ye Chen said casually.
Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up at once.
Five to six levels!
No soul master could ignore such temptation.
At the Soul Elder realm, every level was hard-won. Such a reward was terrifyingly generous.
Nannan's desire flashed in her eyes, even pushing aside her embarrassment for the moment.
Tang Ya splashed the water excitedly. "You'd better mean it! I'm so winning this!"
"Of course~" Ye Chen smiled, then added, "But if you lose… there'll be a little punishment."
His meaningful look made Nannan's freshly faded blush return, while Tang Ya lifted her chin boldly. "Tch, I'm not losing. Nannan, you just wait to obediently accept your punishment!"
Nannan's competitive streak flared. She bit her lip lightly and huffed. "I'm not losing to you!"
Tang Ya, having benefited so much from Ye Chen already, had strong cultivation and battle prowess. As a control-type soul master, she naturally countered Nannan.
Nannan couldn't beat her in a fight. But with no martial soul and no soul power allowed, she didn't believe she'd lose in pure physical swimming.
"Alright! Whoever finishes 1,000 lengths first wins," Ye Chen declared, pointing out one side of the pool as the start/finish line. "No soul power—just your bodies. And no going off course."
He channeled a bit of soul power, marking out two equal lanes in the pool so they wouldn't collide.
"Ready? Start whenever you're set."
With a splash, Tang Ya shot forward like a sleek, pale-blue mermaid.
Her arms sliced through the water in powerful strokes, her body forming a clean line in a perfect freestyle technique.
Her legs kicked rapidly beneath the surface, propelling her forward with a rush of water, like an arrow loosed from a bow.
(END CHAPTER)
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