The next day, early morning.
The rising sun cast golden rays over Star Luo City, and the entire city slowly awakened in the morning light.
Scattered pedestrians began to appear on the streets, and a new day was about to begin.
Fang Yang stood silently at the window of his hotel room, gazing at the gradually bustling city.
"Have you decided?"
Gu Yue appeared beside him at some point, asking softly.
She wore a light white dress, the morning light casting a soft golden edge around her, and the hem of her skirt swayed slightly with her light steps.
"Yes."
Fang Yang nodded slightly, his expression as calm as still water, "It's time to leave."
"Aren't you going to say goodbye in person?" Gu Yue looked at him, her gaze questioning.
Fang Yang looked into the distance and shook his head gently: "Forget it, we'll meet again later."
Gu Yue nodded at his words, saying nothing more. She understood Fang Yang's choice; some partings indeed didn't need many words.
"Everything is packed."
Na'er walked over lightly, her silver hair shimmering with a soft glow in the morning light.
Behind her followed a sleepy Xu Xiaoyan, both ready to depart.
Xu Xiaoyan rubbed her eyes, her light blue long hair a bit messy: "Are we leaving?"
Her voice still carried the soft mumble of just waking up, but her eyes were already bright.
"Yes, let's go."
Fang Yang turned and said softly.
Subsequently, the four quietly left the Star Luo Grand Hotel.
Shortly after, inside the Star Luo Grand Hotel restaurant.
"Eh? How come Fang Yang and Gu Yue aren't here for breakfast today?" Tang Wulin put down his milk cup and suddenly spoke.
He scanned the restaurant, a hint of confusion in his brows.
Xie Xie, who was engrossed in his fried egg, looked up at the sound.
Still chewing his food, he mumbled in agreement: "Yeah, I haven't seen them at all today. Even Gu Yue and Xiao Yan aren't here, it's really strange."
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi exchanged glances, both looking puzzled.
Normally, Fang Yang and the others would have appeared in the restaurant by this time.
The Genius Team was also unaware of the situation; they were the only team from Shrek Academy's second squad participating in the seven-person team competition.
Wu Changkong and Shen Yi sat at the dining table. Although they wouldn't interfere too much with the students' competition, they would secretly observe each student.
Hearing everyone's discussion, both couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Xie Xie, go to the room and look for Fang Yang and the others." Wu Changkong's clear and cold voice rang out.
"Okay, I'll go now."
Xie Xie quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and got up to leave the restaurant in a hurry.
The restaurant fell silent for a moment, everyone looking at each other, the atmosphere becoming subtle.
Not long after, Xie Xie rushed back, a confused look on his face: "Teacher Wu, Fang Yang is gone, and the room is empty."
"What?"
Tang Wulin stood up abruptly, his chair falling to the floor with a heavy thud.
Wu Changkong and Shen Yi exchanged glances, both seeing solemnity in each other's eyes.
Shen Yi immediately stood up: "Senior Brother, I'll go to the front desk to ask about the situation."
Just then, a hotel waiter walked over, holding two pristine white envelopes.
"May I ask who Mr. Wu Changkong is? These are letters Mr. Fang Yang left for you."
"It's me."
Wu Changkong responded with a cold voice, but his fingers, as he took the envelopes, tightened slightly.
A complex emotion surged in his heart, a mix of worry, confusion, and a faint sense of loss.
The waiter bowed respectfully and left, and the restaurant immediately fell silent, as if even the air had solidified.
Wu Changkong opened one of the letters. The moment the letter unfolded, the handwriting came into view.
"Teacher Wu, Teacher Shen, and everyone:
By the time you read this letter, we will have already left Star Luo City. Please forgive our unannounced departure.
Gu Yue, Na'er, Xiao Yan, and I need to go to a special place to Cultivate. This journey will take three years.
That place is completely isolated from the outside world, making communication impossible, but we will definitely return safely.
As for the seven-person team competition, I believe you will definitely win.
Tang Wulin, the position of captain is yours. Xie Xie, Yangzi, Jinxi, and everyone from the Genius Team, I look forward to the day we reunite in three years.
The other letter is from Na'er to the Pavilion Master and His Holiness the Saint Spirit.
Don't worry!
Left by Fang Yang."
Wu Changkong finished reading the letter and remained silent for a long time.
His gaze lingered on the letter for a moment before he handed it to Shen Yi beside him, his voice a bit low: "They've left…"
Shen Yi took the letter and read it carefully, also falling into silence.
"Teacher Shen…"
Tang Wulin's voice trembled slightly.
Shen Yi handed the letter to him and said softly: "You all read it yourselves."
Tang Wulin took the letter, and Xie Xie immediately leaned over.
The two read every word on the letter side by side, their expressions gradually changing from shock to disappointment.
"This guy, he left without even saying a word…"
Xie Xie stared blankly at the letter, muttering after a long while, his voice filled with an undeniable sense of loss.
Tang Wulin gave a bitter smile and handed the letter to his other companions.
He looked at everyone and said softly: "Since this is his choice, we can only believe him. We will definitely meet again in three years."
The restaurant was silent for a moment, with only the faint rustle of the letter being passed among them.
The morning light was still bright, but it felt as if something was missing.
At this moment, everyone silently made a promise in their hearts: "In three years, we will definitely welcome our companions back in our strongest state."
Fang Yang, Gu Yue, Na'er, and Xu Xiaoyan took a soul-powered taxi and drove out of Star Luo City.
Finally, the taxi stopped by a secluded path, surrounded by silence, with only the rustling sound of the wind.
After Fang Yang and the others got out, the taxi quickly departed.
"Where are we going?" Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously, her light blue pigtails gently swaying with her movements.
"Dragon Valley."
Fang Yang answered concisely, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Gu Yue extended her slender jade hand and gently traced patterns in the air.
As she moved, the surrounding space began to distort, and a silver-white spatial gate slowly formed.
"Alright, let's go." Gu Yue was the first to step into the spatial gate.
Fang Yang, holding Na'er and Xu Xiaoyan, followed closely, and with a ripple of spatial fluctuation, the figures of the four disappeared into the silver-white light.
The spatial gate slowly closed, as if it had never appeared… Deep within an unknown mountain range in the Star Luo Empire.
Fang Yang, Gu Yue, Na'er, and Xu Xiaoyan appeared on the summit of a towering mountain.
This was a mountain range that soared into the clouds, with an altitude exceeding four thousand meters. The air was much thinner than at ground level, the ground was covered in snow, and the temperature had dropped to around minus ten degrees Celsius.
In such an environment, apart from a few resilient plants, there was hardly any life.
The biting cold wind howled, swirling tiny snow particles that glittered with crystalline light.
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