While Xu Xiaoyu in the backseat was busy "brainstorming," Nan Fusheng was already feeling drowsy, his eyelids growing heavier as they fluttered shut.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaoyan wisely stopped trying to chat with him and closed her eyes to rest as well. On the bus, even those who spoke did so in hushed voices.
In this somewhat tense atmosphere, the soul-guided bus slowly pulled away from the plaza, locked onto its route, and gradually picked up speed as it carried them out of Eastsea City.
Though the atmosphere wasn't optimistic, the Eastsea City delegation's bus soon merged onto the soul-guided highway and accelerated.
The soul-guided highway, powered by maglev and soul-guidance technology, drastically improved the speed of such buses. Their top speed could reach half that of a soul-guided train, and for shorter distances, they were even more convenient.
The trip from Eastsea City to Skysea City would take about four hours by bus.
Nan Fusheng slept through most of it.
When they were nearing their destination, he opened his eyes. Ever since the previous soul-train ambush, he had trained himself to remain in a light, shallow sleep whenever traveling this way—alert enough to respond quickly to emergencies.
At that moment, he felt a weight pressing against his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Xu Xiaoyan leaning against him, fast asleep.
In slumber, her beauty appeared even purer and more innocent. Her face, bathed in the occasional light filtering through the curtains, looked ethereal and serene—so different from her usual lively self. She seemed peaceful, her smile faint, with dimples flickering at her rosy cheeks. Sometimes her lips pouted, sometimes she mumbled indistinct words, lost in dreams.
Soon, the bus arrived at its destination. As the driver called for passengers to disembark, Nan Fusheng gently woke Xu Xiaoyan. Her sky-blue eyelashes fluttered as she rubbed her eyes, looking adorably sleepy.
Turning to wake Xie Xie, Nan Fusheng froze for a moment—Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyu were dozing with their heads leaning together.
He roused them both, and while he was at it, woke Gu Yue and Tang Wulin in the row ahead. One after another, the group exited the bus.
Skysea City, like Eastsea City, bordered the ocean, but its location was even better—it boasted the continent's largest harbor and docks.
The Federation's navy was stationed just outside Skysea City, and from afar, massive warships could be glimpsed anchored across the waters.
It was thanks to this formidable military presence that Skysea had risen to become the number one city along the eastern coast, holding weight on par with some of the great inland metropolises.
All ordinary citizens were required to serve in the military at age eighteen. Within the Skysea Alliance, those chosen for service usually preferred to join the navy stationed here.
Nan Fusheng was still far from eighteen, and as a soul master, he had the right to choose his path. If he ever did join the Navy, his talent alone would guarantee him a high position.
Unlike Eastsea, Skysea was mountainous, with buildings built directly into the slopes. The skyline rose and fell with the terrain, and some towers built on the peaks seemed to pierce the clouds.
The Eastsea delegation was led by government officials, who had already arranged everything with Skysea's administration.
Among the Eastsea representatives, Nan Fusheng and the Zero Class members were the youngest, barely ten years old, and naturally had little concern for such matters—they simply followed the group.
They were taken to a luxurious hotel for lodging. Half the structure extended over the sea, and from every room, the vast ocean stretched into view, as though one could embrace it directly.
Nan Fusheng roomed with Tang Wulin. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan shared another.
As for Xie Xie, he was stuck with Wu Zhangkong! Upon learning this, he nearly burst into tears.
Tomorrow would be the opening ceremony of the Skysea Alliance Tournament, along with the lot-drawing. The matches would begin right after. Wu Zhangkong said nothing more than that, leaving no extra instructions.
"Ding-dong." The doorbell rang.
Tang Wulin rushed over to open the door. Standing outside was a familiar, graceful figure—Mu Xi.
"Come with me!" Mu Xi grabbed Tang Wulin's arm and pulled him away.
Helplessly, Tang Wulin turned back and called into the room, "Fusheng, I'll go with Senior Sister first. I'll be back soon."
"Go on." Sitting cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed, Nan Fusheng replied calmly. When Tang Wulin and Mu Xi were gone, he finally opened his eyes.
"It's time to test my hypothesis."
"Whether I can advance to Sequence Four will be decided tonight."
Even with his composure, a trace of nervousness flickered in his chest. He forced it down, left the room, and stepped into the corridor.
The hotel was buzzing with the atmosphere of the tournament. Almost every guest was tied to the event in some way—delegates, competitors, or officials. They moved quickly, deep in thought.
Following the room numbers, Nan Fusheng stopped at a door and knocked.
It was opened by a handsome youth with sea-blue hair. "May I help you?" he asked.
Nan Fusheng didn't waste words. His martial soul activated—First Soul Skill: Deep Parasitism.
He burned through three Time Worms, seizing control of the boy instantly. Smiling faintly, he said, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Of course. Please, come in." The boy stepped aside, letting him through, and closed the door behind him.
"Captain, who is this?" another boy in the room asked curiously.
Nan Fusheng glanced at him and used Deep Parasitism again, consuming another three Time Worms to seize control.
"Phew… this drains more than I expected. I didn't think the first people I'd parasitize deeply would be the two of you… not Wu Zhangkong, nor Xu Xiaoyan."
He shook his head with a sigh. "As for Xie Xie? Forget it. With his current talent, without Shrek's training or Yuanen Yehui beating him down, he's just too weak in both strength and resolve."