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Xu Xiaoyan had already emerged ahead of them and was standing by the light gate, watching them with a radiant expression.
Leng Yaozhu stood nearby, smiling warmly as she praised sincerely, "I originally thought the ninth level would be your limit, but I never expected you to clear all twelve. Truly worthy of being the prodigies from Shrek Academy. If you're willing, the doors of the Spirit Pagoda will always be open to you. Every one of you is welcome to join. You'll receive the best resources and training the Spirit Pagoda has to offer, and it won't interfere with your studies at Shrek Academy."
Leng Yaozhu was very amiable. Though she intended to recruit the others, her gaze lingered particularly on Bai Xu. This little guy was unbelievably strong, far surpassing his peers.
Fortunately, he had already joined the Spirit Pagoda.
The group exchanged glances, but no one spoke up.
Tang Wulin shook his head gently. "Apologies, senior. I'm already part of an organization." The others also politely declined.
"What a pity. After settling your rewards, you may leave. Yue'er, stay behind for a moment."
Bai Xu didn't linger and left with the others.
Leng Yaozhu looked at Gu Yue and chuckled softly. "The way you look at Bai Xu is different. Do you like him?"
"A… a little." Gu Yue was caught off guard by the question, her face instantly flushing red. Still, she didn't deny it.
"Good, as expected of my disciple. Since both of you will be in the Spirit Pagoda in the future, I fully support this. Besides, that boy is a genius—perhaps even more talented than you. It truly is a match made in heaven…"
Leng Yaozhu stared at Bai Xu's retreating figure, murmuring absently. But then she added earnestly, "Yue'er, if you meet someone you like, don't let them slip away. Don't wait until it's too late to realize… everything was just an illusion."
The more she looked at Bai Xu and Gu Yue, the more they reminded her of herself and Yun Ming back in the day. That man had been just as outstanding.
Gu Yue could see the traces of time in her teacher's eyes. Clearly, Leng Yaozhu had a story of her own.
"Don't… let it slip away?" Gu Yue repeated the words thoughtfully.
After her moment of reflection, Leng Yaozhu refocused. "By the way, Gu Yue, your cultivation is nearly there, and your design skills are flawless. Would you like me to help you begin forging your one-word battle armor? It'll take less than half a year to complete the full set. Given your design abilities, a three-metal soul alloy fusion would be an excellent choice—it'll make future upgrades much easier."
"Thank you, teacher. I'll leave it to you, then. I'll take my leave now!"
With light steps, Gu Yue hurried after Bai Xu, leaving Leng Yaozhu standing alone, lost in memories of her past.
---
Nightfall.
Bai Xu awoke from meditation—someone had reached their limit.
In the same pavilion amidst the trees, Na'er waited. The past two months had been unbearable for her.
It wasn't that everyone was openly criticizing her. In fact, Yun Ming had shielded her well. Ever since he personally intervened that day, no one dared to mock her to her face.
But their eyes hadn't changed.
Na'er knew Bai Xu had been right, but… she truly couldn't endure it any longer. Yet, if she called off the bet now, she would lose, and Tang Wulin would be in danger.
So… she was trapped in a dilemma.
"I thought you'd last until the end of the semester. I didn't expect you to break in less than two months." Bai Xu's voice suddenly rang out, making Na'er tremble.
She no longer even had the spiritual power to sense his approach.
"I… I…" Na'er's body shook, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to say the words to end the bet.
Bai Xu remained silent, watching as Na'er succumbed to her emotions. She hugged herself tightly, as if reliving the past month's suffering. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed quietly.
The girl looked utterly helpless, like a small boat adrift in endless darkness. One moment, she had been the radiant sun, illuminating everything—the next, her light had been extinguished.
Na'er clutched Bai Xu's sleeve and cried, "I can't stand their eyes anymore—the disdain, the scorn, the mockery! I don't… I don't want to go through this again!"
Truthfully, if those looks had only come from the inner courtyard disciples, she might have endured.
But just yesterday, Yun Ming and Yali had spoken to Na'er about her current situation. The inner courtyard was no longer suitable for her—staying would only hinder her growth.
Thus, Yun Ming decided to transfer Na'er to the outer courtyard's first grade, where she would have to prove herself through exams like any other Shrek Academy student, rather than relying solely on her status as the Sea God's Pavilion Master's personal disciple.
But to Na'er, those words carried a different meaning. She thought she saw profound disappointment and regret in her master and mistress's eyes.
How could she describe this feeling?
It was like a punch straight to the heart. A sour, bitter pain engulfed her completely. The second-to-last straw had been placed on the camel's back.
Bai Xu helped Na'er up and guided her to sit on the pavilion bench. With a sigh, he said, "A month has passed, and you still haven't grown, Na'er. You've never truly thought about any of this."
"Huh?"
Na'er's tear-swollen eyes blinked in confusion.
"Have you never realized what those looks truly mean? Right now, most of them are looking at you the same way you once looked at them!"
"?"
It was true. Back then, Na'er had stood so high above everyone else, gazing down upon the inner courtyard with the arrogance of a supreme genius and privileged status. Except for the few she held dear, her demeanor had been icy, her eyes veiled with contempt.
Just like Gu Yue in the past.
But this attitude had been excused as nobility—as though a heaven-sent prodigy was entitled to such behavior.
Gu Yue had been able to pull herself out of it before sinking too deep. But Na'er had drowned in it, deriving joy and satisfaction from her superiority.
"Let me guess—the reason you sought me out in the middle of the night must be because your bottom line was crossed. Did your teacher and mistress give up on you?" Bai Xu continued.
Na'er nodded, her eyes reddening further. "Next semester… I'll be sent to the outer courtyard."
"Sigh—you really haven't thought this through, have you?" Bai Xu's tone carried a hint of exasperation, like a patient father guiding his child. "Put yourself in their shoes, Na'er. Your teacher made the best decision possible. Without your talent, you can no longer rightfully hold the title of the Sea God Pavilion Master's personal disciple. If the Pavilion Master's disciple is merely an average genius, then anyone in the inner courtyard could qualify. Sending you to the outer courtyard is their way of giving you a chance to prove yourself—to show the inner courtyard your worth. Yet you took it as abandonment…
Na'er, it's time to wake up from your own world.
The planet will keep turning without you. It won't stop just because you're hurt. I've said all I can. If you still can't understand, then this is as far as you'll go."
Bai Xu stood, preparing to leave. But then he turned back and added, "Oh, and if you truly can't make it back to the inner courtyard on your own, Yun Ming might still ensure you live comfortably for the rest of your life—as a minor soul artisan in Shrek City."
And then return in that great explosion. Bai Xu left the last part unspoken.
As he turned to go, Na'er grabbed his sleeve again. Tears still clung to her lashes as she struggled to steady her breathing. "Why… are you telling me all this? If I break down completely… wouldn't it be better for you and Gu Yue?"
Bai Xu fell silent for a long moment before answering. "…This bet was always about your growth. Tang Wulin's safety was never the main point. I'm leaving now. Take care."
Na'er froze. She had resisted Gu Yue's assimilation so fiercely, yet Gu Yue had staked the Golden Dragon Core just to help her grow?
If Na'er won, wouldn't that mean Gu Yue could never become the Dragon God in this lifetime?
Watching Bai Xu's white robes disappear into the night, Na'er finally began to reflect.
---
Over a Month into the Semester.
The atmosphere in the first-grade class had grown increasingly tense. Wu Siduo, Luo Guixing, and others refused to accept Tang Wulin as class monitor, while Bai Xu remained aloof and uninvolved, leaving Tang Wulin to face obstacles at every turn. Fortunately, Gu Yue, as vice-monitor, was still willing to assist him—otherwise, he'd have been a leader without followers.
Bai Xu's refusal to contribute despite holding the vice-monitor position (and reaping the benefits) had drawn much dissatisfaction, but few dared to confront him directly—the memory of Wu Siduo's crushing defeat at the start of the semester was still fresh in their minds.
"It's been a month since the semester began. I trust you've all gained something. Our first-grade class will now participate in an exchange event with the second grade. The theme is a comprehensive competition—covering forging, mecha design, manufacturing, maintenance, and combat." Shen Yi stood at the podium, addressing the students.
"To encourage participation, this tournament will allow free team formation. Register your teams with me. Each team must have between three to seven members. The class committee will represent our class in the forging, design, manufacturing, and maintenance competitions against Class 2-1. Prepare yourselves. For fairness, Class 2-1's teams must field one fewer member than ours in all matches. For example, if we send a three-person team, they can only send two. Our class will hold internal selections first, with the winning team advancing to face the second grade.
Tang Wulin."
"Here." Tang Wulin stood.
Shen Yi continued, "After class, compile the team registrations and report them to me."
"Understood."
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