Chu Yue, sitting elegantly on her chair, gave a soft laugh that cut through the murmurs. "So, we know Lin Yuan's story — or at least the exaggerated version of it. But what about his opponent, Jiang Mo?"
Her voice carried a faint mocking tone, and all eyes turned to her before snapping back to Yan, expecting him to continue.
Yan blinked, startled at suddenly being interrogated again. He scratched his head awkwardly before grinning mysteriously. "Ah, Jiang Mo… now that's where things get interesting."
He paused deliberately, enjoying the attention before lowering his tone again. "You see, there isn't much public information about Jiang Mo. In fact, his records are purposely hidden."
That earned puzzled looks from everyone.
"Hidden? Why would the academy do that?""Is he from some noble family?""Yes... Similar," Yan replied, shaking his head. "His case is… special."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice further, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of gossip. "The reason his information is suppressed is because he once defeated a teacher here at the academy — when he was still a Soul Grandmaster."
For a heartbeat, silence. Then—
"Impossible!" someone shoutedHu Liena added "The lowest-ranked teachers here are all Soul Kings!"
The disbelief rippled through the room like thunder.
Even Jun Wuhen's relaxed expression changed slightly, his brows furrowing.'A Soul Grandmaster defeating a Soul King? That shouldn't be possible — not unless his martial soul grants him overwhelming suppression, or he's hiding a deeper power.'
Yan nodded seriously, enjoying every shocked expression. "It's true! My grandfather told me about it. He's a Soul Douluo in the enforcement branch, and even he said the incident was real. The higher-ups just covered it up to avoid tarnishing the academy's reputation."
When the surrounding students were still reeling from disbelief, Xie Yue crossed his arms and said calmly, "Then shouldn't he also be our senior? I've never seen him before. At least we've seen Senior Lin Yuan."
What Xie Yue didn't say aloud was that he had seen Lin Yuan—and even spoken to him once. The memory of that meeting flickered through his mind. Lin Yuan had been confident, refined, and far too self-assured, the kind of genius who seemed to radiate superiority. But beneath that composure, there had been a subtle flicker of interest—interest directed at Hu Liena.
Xie Yue's gaze briefly shifted toward his sister. 'Lin Yuan had tried to approach her... but Liena ignored him. Polite, and dismissive—as if he were just another ordinary admirer.'
He sighed inwardly. 'Now I'm sure she's already forgotten about that meeting. After that day, Lin Yuan never approached us again, maybe he decided she wasn't worth his pride.'
Yan's voice broke his thoughts. "You must have not seen him because he's not a student of the Academy anymore."
That caught everyone's attention. A few students leaned closer, their curiosity piqued.
"Not a student?" one of them echoed in disbelief.
Yan nodded with exaggerated seriousness, enjoying the attention. "Yes. After defeating a teacher in the Academy, he declared that this place had nothing left to teach him."
Gasps spread through the group like ripples on water. Even Jun Wuhen's expression stiffened slightly, while Hu Liena's golden eyes narrowed.
"How ungrateful!" she said sharply. "The Academy nurtured him, gave him resources and prestige, and he abandons it just because he became strong? That's betrayal."
Yan hesitated. He didn't want to contradict Hu Liena, especially when her tone carried that commanding edge. But he also couldn't let her misunderstanding stand. He smiled awkwardly and said, "He cannot betray the Spirit Academy,. You can actually say... he's the most orthodox among all of us."
Hu Liena frowned, puzzled. "Orthodox?"
Yan's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Yes. Because he's from the Elder's Hall."
The air instantly turned heavy.
For a moment, the classroom was utterly silent—an oppressive silence filled with unspoken reverence.
Everyone in the Spirit Hall Academy knew that name. The Elder's Hall.
To outsiders, it was merely an internal division of Spirit Hall. But to those within, it represented the pinnacle of power—the congregation of legends.
When the Soul Beast Tide erupted 2 years ago, it was the Titled Douluos that emerged from the Elder's Hall that turned the tide of destruction, revealing to the continent the terrifying might of Spirit Hall.
Even now, nobles of the two great empires spoke the name Spirit Hall with caution, while commoners whispered it with reverence and awe.
For a long while, no one spoke.
Then Jun Wuhen chuckled softly, breaking the silence. "If such powerful upperclassmen are dueling, then it's our duty as juniors to witness it. Don't you think?"
His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed with a strange sharpness, as if measuring invisible forces at play.
The others immediately agreed. "Let's go!" "We can't miss this!"
Yan clenched his jaw slightly, annoyance flickering through him. He had been the one commanding everyone's attention a moment ago—yet somehow, Jun Wuhen had effortlessly taken the spotlight again.
'This bastard always knows how to make an entrance…' Yan thought bitterly, but he could only nod and follow the group as they exited the classroom.
The hallway buzzed with rumors as more students poured toward the training arena. Excitement and tension mingled in the air—everyone wanted to witness the clash between two legends: Lin Yuan, the rumored relative of the Pope, and Jiang Mo, the mysterious prodigy from the Elder's Hall.
Jun Wuhen walked at the center of the group, eyes half-lidded, his expression unreadable.'Lin Yuan and Jiang Mo… two names that shouldn't exist in this timeline.''If one is truly a reincarnator like me, this duel might reveal more information.'
The group stepped out of the main building, heading toward the arena where destiny—and secrets—waited to be unveiled.