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"Xie Xie!"
Just as Yue Zhengyu was sighing at the dormitory entrance, a loud shout rang out from outside. It was a clear, feminine voice.
Xie Xie, the person in question, immediately rushed to the window and looked out, panicking. "Oh no! That transfer student is here to cause trouble for me!"
Downstairs, Ye Xinglan stood at the entrance with Xu Lizhi blocking the way, shouting, "Bai Xu, Xie Xie, come out!"
Xu Lizhi, standing beside her, tried to dissuade her in his honest and simple manner. "Sister Xinglan, it was just a match. Besides, my injuries have already been healed by His Holiness. It's really not a big deal. There's no need for this."
Ye Xinglan snorted coldly. "Avenging you is just a side note. What I really want is to challenge a strong opponent! Bai Xu is the perfect target!"
She was as tsundere as ever.
Despite Xu Lizhi's repeated attempts to persuade her, Ye Xinglan remained stubborn. All they could do now was wait for the work-study students to come out.
Soon, Tang Wulin emerged with Xie Xie and the others. He stepped forward and said, "It was just a sparring match, and Xu Lizhi is fine now. Why are you blocking the entrance like this?"
Ye Xinglan ignored Tang Wulin's words, her icy gaze fixed on Xie Xie—the one who had stabbed Xu Lizhi in the waist during the match.
Even though she knew Xie Xie had been under Bai Xu's control at the time, she couldn't help feeling resentful. Xu Lizhi had been by her side since childhood, and this was the first time he had suffered such a severe injury in a match. She wouldn't be satisfied until she vented her anger.
Xie Xie shivered. His impression of this girl was still vivid—after all, she had been the one to injure Tang Wulin during the Tianhai League tournament. Although she had since joined their team, he still wasn't entirely familiar with her. Only their captain and a couple of others were close to her.
"I apologize. Let's just drop this matter. And don't go looking for Bai Xu—to be honest, I don't think you can beat him," Xie Xie said, stepping forward.
"Oh? Is that so? He's exactly who I'm here for. I want to see just how big the gap between us is!"
Every genius was prideful—until they were humbled. And Ye Xinglan had already defeated Tang Wulin once before. Bai Xu's performance in the matches was exactly the kind of challenge she had been craving!
Tap, tap!
Footsteps echoed from the depths of the hallway, growing closer. Then, a sigh followed.
"Sigh… Was that really necessary?"
Bai Xu appeared, clad in black robes, his hands clasped behind his back. His tone was lofty as he declared, "Let's go to the sparring arena. If I can't defeat you in ten moves, I'll forfeit!"
Internally, Bai Xu was exasperated. It seemed like all the protagonists in Douluo Dalu loved pulling this kind of stunt—getting injured in a match and then seeking revenge outside of it. But the rules of the arena allowed for injuries! It wasn't his fault if someone else wasn't skilled enough to avoid them.
"!!!"
Ye Xinglan was furious at his words. She glared at Bai Xu before turning and striding toward the sparring arena. Bai Xu patted Xie Xie's shoulder reassuringly, then followed behind her.
Tang Wulin and the others exchanged glances before deciding to tag along. He, too, wanted to see just how formidable Bai Xu was in a one-on-one fight.
As noon approached, Gu Yue returned from completing a mecha mission, only to find the dormitory empty. "Huh? Where is everyone?"
---
The Sparring Arena.
This match didn't attract much of an audience. The only spectator was a seventy-ranked healing-type soul master, present to monitor the fight and provide immediate treatment if necessary—doubling as the referee.
"I admit you're strong, but thinking you can defeat me in ten moves? You're being naive."
Ye Xinglan gripped her Stargod Sword, her fighting spirit blazing. Bai Xu didn't respond. Instead, golden light surged around his body, and a radiant golden sword materialized in his right hand. It was clear he intended to end this quickly.
Ye Xinglan snorted. Her soul rings flared to life. She had to admit, Bai Xu's aura at this moment was terrifying—like the pressure of a savage beast, filling the entire arena. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw faint arcs of lightning flickering around him, and his right arm seemed to have swelled slightly.
"Is this his metal-element sword? Such a sharp, dominating presence—it's on par with the Stargod Sword!"
"Begin!" the referee announced.
Ye Xinglan immediately unleashed her most powerful technique: Human and Sword as One.
But—
'Why… is he so fast?'
That was her last conscious thought.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Xu was already in front of her. The golden sword in his hand loomed larger in her vision, its edge piercing her very soul.
She hadn't even had time to swing her Stargod Sword.
BOOM!
The golden blade came down—and stopped just inches from Ye Xinglan's forehead. A ten-meter-long fissure split the ground behind her.
Absolute strength. Absolute speed.
Human and Sword as One seemed like a joke in comparison.
There wasn't even a need for the healing-type soul master to intervene—Bai Xu had perfectly controlled his power.
"Haah… haah…"
For several seconds, Ye Xinglan remained frozen in place. Then, her legs finally gave out, and she collapsed, drenched in sweat.
As she watched Bai Xu's retreating figure, she felt as though she had finally glimpsed the true pinnacle of strength—no longer an abstract ideal, but a tangible reality.
"Sister Xinglan! Are you okay? I told you he was strong!" Xu Lizhi rushed over to help her up, chattering anxiously. Ye Xinglan was used to it by now.
He defeated her in a single move!
The onlookers—Tang Wulin and the others—were stunned. They had expected Bai Xu to win in a one-on-one fight, but not like this. Not so overwhelmingly.
He hadn't given Ye Xinglan even a single chance.
An absolute powerhouse. And with that power came solitude.
Standing at the pinnacle of their generation, looking down upon the rest.
"Oh? It's over already?" Gu Yue arrived late, having rushed over after hearing about the challenge. She hadn't expected it to end so quickly.
"Yeah. No need to miss lunch. Let's go."
Curious, Gu Yue glanced behind Bai Xu and saw Ye Xinglan being helped up by Xu Lizhi. She wasn't injured, but her spirit seemed shaken, still reeling from the sheer force of Bai Xu's presence.
"Holy—! That guy is that strong?!" Yue Zhengyu finally blurted out after Bai Xu had left. "No way—I need to go talk to that her about this!"
That her referred to Yuanen Yehui.
Watching Yue Zhengyu hurry off, Xie Xie could only sigh. Being surrounded by monsters wasn't so bad—as long as he didn't compare himself to them. He'd just focus on cultivating his martial soul.
Let things take their natural course.
---
Academy Cafeteria.
Gu Yue smiled faintly. "I have some good news. Want to hear it?"
"Oh? What is it?" Bai Xu asked.
"Someone's moving into our dorm."
"What?! Who?!" Bai Xu immediately tensed. Who's trying to ruin my peaceful life? But then he reconsidered, connecting the dots with Gu Yue's absence the previous night.
"You already guessed, didn't you?" Gu Yue sighed as she watched his expression shift.
"It's Na'er, isn't it?"
"Honestly, do you have some kind of future-sight ability?" Gu Yue joked.
"Why is she coming? Does she miss her brother?" Bai Xu frowned. "But why would she room with us?"
Gu Yue shook her head. "She won't be moving in until the end of the semester—maybe earlier. But she really doesn't want Tang Wulin to know about her situation."
"Not surprising. She's not shameless enough to force herself into his life."
"So, I was hoping you could help her. Help her understand the difference between romantic love and familial love. Her feelings for Tang Wulin are complicated—part affection, part kinship. It's a tangled mess."
"You're really just using this as an excuse, aren't you?"