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Night fell.
Bai Xu was still immersed in his cultivation, while Na'er watched him intently, mesmerized. It turned out that Bai Xu looked so sacred every night—his internal organs emitted a crystalline glow, visible through his skin as if illuminated by a five-colored radiance, channeling vital energy throughout his body.
Upon closer inspection, the light was gradually spreading from his five organs to the surrounding areas—his six hollow organs.
"His stomach is glowing too?" Na'er wondered aloud.
Gu Yue chuckled softly. "It means he's made further progress. His path is something we can't comprehend."
"Can't comprehend..."
"Have you heard about his exploits in the outer academy?" Gu Yue asked.
Na'er nodded. "It's all over the inner academy. Rumors say that this year's freshman class has a guy who calls himself an 'Immortal Lord,' acting like a celestial being. Supposedly, he defeated a six-person team alone. That incident overshadowed the news of my lost talent, and it gradually faded from the inner academy's discussions."
As she spoke, Na'er couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. In the end, it was Bai Xu who had inadvertently eased her situation.
But now that she was in the outer academy, few would recognize her.
"It seems you still don't fully understand human emotions. Otherwise, you wouldn't have failed to anticipate your current predicament," Gu Yue remarked with a smile.
Na'er frowned but couldn't refute her. After her separation, she had been adopted by Tang Wulin's family. Later, when her memories awakened, she returned to the beast spirits and was directly taken under Yun Ming's wing into the inner academy. She had never truly experienced scorn or hardship.
She had only felt the kindness of a few, and to protect her brother's life, she had made a bet with Gu Yue.
Gu Yue continued, "After that year with him, I realized something about our wager—the probability of me falling for Tang Wulin was extremely high. So high that if Bai Xu hadn't appeared, I would have been completely consumed by it."
Na'er was taken aback. "Why?"
Gu Yue was equally surprised. "You don't know?"
Na'er shook her head.
Gu Yue sighed and explained, "Bai Xu once made me stop on the street to observe the emotions of ordinary people—love, affection, friendship, and so on. A few incidents left a deep impression on me. Once, I observed a couple deeply in love. They embraced every day, whispering sweet nothings to each other. But eventually, they broke up."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because their backgrounds and innate talents didn't match. The man had an innate soul power of level 7—with diligent cultivation, he could potentially reach the Soul Douluo realm. The woman, however, had only level 1 innate soul power and might never even break through level 10 in her lifetime. Despite their profound love, they couldn't stay together. Later, the man married a woman from a prominent family who also had level 7 innate soul power. Her beauty and grace far surpassed his first love's. In the end, he compromised, abandoning his initial lover because he, too, felt that only this new woman was worthy of him. As for the first woman, after some time wallowing in sorrow, she moved on to another relationship."
Gu Yue sighed. "Cases like these are countless. Even ordinary people emphasize matching social status and equal strength between partners. Though we, as the Silver Dragon King, may not consciously understand it, it's ingrained deep within us. In this world, apart from Tang Wulin, who possesses the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, no one else could ever catch our eye. Even Yun Ming, the current strongest on the continent, is nothing more than an ant in our eyes. Subconsciously, only Tang Wulin is worthy of us. Everyone else is insignificant. So, your plan had a high chance of success. But in this lifetime, with Bai Xu's appearance, everything has changed."
Na'er glanced curiously at Bai Xu, who was still deep in cultivation. "That day, you said… you felt unworthy of him?"
Gu Yue nodded. "He's so outstanding that he makes you feel a hint of inferiority. The abilities he displayed on the arena were only a fifth of his true strength. His physical body rivals that of the Golden Dragon, and his elemental control surpasses even mine. The way he manipulates metal—transforming it into sharp golden swords or radiant shields, switching between offense and defense—is something I doubt I could replicate. And that's not all. He can guide you, offering insights far beyond our own in vision, strength, and foresight. The more you understand human emotions, the more you're drawn to him. The key is, even when you realize you've fallen for him, you don't lose yourself. Life with him remains rational yet beautifully fulfilling."
In Na'er's eyes, Bai Xu's figure grew even more towering. After everything she'd been through, she had grown somewhat indifferent to others. But when it came to her brother, she still couldn't remain detached.
Then, she asked curiously, "You keep saying you like him, but I've never heard him say he likes you?"
Gu Yue coughed lightly and whispered into Na'er's ear, "If he had no interest in me, he wouldn't have spoken to me so much. Sometimes, he just doesn't say things outright. By the way, do you want to know how he described you?"
"Oh? What did he say?" Na'er's curiosity had been piqued nonstop since her arrival.
"Let me tell you..."
Thus, when Bai Xu awoke from his cultivation in the latter half of the night, he was met with Na'er's resentful and questioning gaze.
Bai Xu blinked. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I disturb your sleep?"
"No. Gu Yue told me what you said about me."
!!!
Something was off about Gu Yue.
He turned to her, but she simply rolled over, pretending to be asleep.
"Some of it… might be accurate, but some is completely unfounded. I refuse to acknowledge it!" Na'er fumed, though she couldn't outright deny it. With a huff, she turned over and buried herself under the covers.
Bai Xu: "..."
---
The Next Morning.
"What will you do? You can't attend classes yet, right?" Bai Xu asked.
Na'er nodded. "I'll cultivate in the dorm. You two go ahead—just make sure no one notices me."
"Fair enough. But sooner or later, you'll have to face them. Consider this time as mental preparation. Let's go!"
Days passed like this. Three days later, the first semester of their time at Shrek Academy neared its end.
"The first half of the academic year is about to conclude. The final exam you've all been waiting for is here." Shen Yi's smiling words made the entire class straighten their postures subconsciously.
"For the final exam, you'll have fifteen days. Within that time, you must reach Sun Moon City. Along the way, you must pass through at least ten cities, including Sun Moon City itself. In each city, you must defeat an opponent at least five levels above you—without any external assistance. Finding opponents, defeating them, and reaching Sun Moon City are all your own responsibilities. Additionally, before departure, all your storage soul tools, communication devices, personal resources, and money will be confiscated. You'll leave with nothing but yourselves. Remember, you only have fifteen days. Completing the tasks and returning on time means passing. Your scores will be determined by the strength of your opponents. If you fail to return within fifteen days, regardless of who you are, you'll fail. Half of your accumulated points will be deducted. Don't worry about how your performance is graded—teachers from the academy will be following you in secret. However, they will never intervene, even if your life is in danger. So, during the entire exam, act prudently. Don't pick fights you can't win."
Gu Yue nudged Bai Xu's sleeve and gave him a meaningful look.