Two Meet Again

"Mu Chen, reporting in!"

His clear voice rang through the clouds as a streak of Flowing Light shot out of the Level Six Spirit Gathering Array below.

Bai Ye stood atop the mountain ridge, watching that figure as he spoke. "He found a pretty good path, I'd say."

"Nine Netherbird's Flames will benefit him greatly at his current level. With their bloodline link, the advantages outweigh the drawbacks for him right now."

Bing Yu spoke coldly.

Bai Ye nodded. He could sense the changes in Mu Chen's spiritual energy. Those changes were developing in a positive direction, and as long as that was the case, nothing else mattered.

Meanwhile, Mu Chen, standing in midair, stared at the senior sister before him, who looked rather spoiled and overbearing. His eyes were filled with coldness.

The former top-ranked student of the Divine Soul Rankings, Su Ling'er.

He had heard her introduce herself.

He had not expected the senior brothers and sisters on the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy's Divine Soul Rankings to be so petty. He had merely reclaimed the position that belonged to a Divine Soul Realm freshman, yet they had already come looking for trouble.

Such behavior was far too small-minded.

At that moment, the corner of Mu Chen's eye suddenly caught sight of the mountain ridge below. No, more precisely, the white-clad figure standing upon it.

Amidst heaven and earth, he stood out far too much. One could spot him in a crowd at a single glance.

It was as though he had been born to command everyone's attention.

Bai Ye... why had he come here?

Noticing Mu Chen looking at him, Bai Ye showed no hesitation. He raised a hand and gave him a slight wave.

That gesture seemed to be telling him: I came here for you.

"What a scheming fellow."

Seeing his gesture, Mu Lingling could not help but complain.

After all, this was not the first time she had seen Bai Ye make that gesture. The last time had been when she and Yu Xiaoyin had engaged in a fierce battle over some personal matters.

Back then, she had innocently seen the person she admired standing on a mountain ridge and waving at her. It had sent her into such a frenzy that her battle with Yu Xiaoyin grew increasingly intense.

By the end, the two had nearly fought with real fury, and things had almost spiraled out of control.

Only later, after she gradually came to understand her "idol's" personality, did she realize that he had merely gone there to watch the show that day.

And that wave had only been meant to make their battle even fiercer.

What an awful personality.

Yet it was precisely such an awful person whom everyone at the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy looked up to.

Mu Lingling felt that Bai Ye was simply addictive. The more one got to know him, the more one wanted to follow behind him.

She herself was the best example.

"He isn't like you." Bai Ye smiled faintly at her words. "That person doesn't feel a thing for me."

In midair, Mu Chen's gaze was clear and cold, without the slightest trace of excitement in his eyes.

He merely looked at Bai Ye. After a moment, he shifted his gaze to Su Ling'er without any hesitation.

"So it really is true."

Mu Lingling raised a brow. "Then why did you come here? Since when has a fight at this level been worthy of your attention?"

"Who do you think will win?"

Without answering Mu Lingling's question, Bai Ye spoke softly.

"Su Ling'er."

Mu Lingling answered without hesitation.

"You're that sure?"

"Absolutely." Mu Lingling turned to look at him. "Not every freshman is as monstrous as you. Fighting someone in the Heaven Merging Realm while at the Divine Soul Realm, and crossing two minor stages besides? I don't believe he can do it."

"Is that so?" Bai Ye sat down directly on the ground and looked at Mu Lingling. "Want to make a bet?"

"Name your stake."

A straightforward girl.

"Three Chi Serpent Poison Galls."

Bai Ye named the item he wanted.

Mu Lingling glanced at him and did not bargain. She immediately said, "I want the Superior Spirit Tool in your possession."

She really did not hold back.

Bai Ye knew exactly which Superior Spirit Tool she meant. Over the years, he had fought and killed outside, acquiring quite a few Spirit Tools, whether as rewards from the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy or spoils taken from his enemies.

There were not many Superior Spirit Tools among them, but he did possess a few.

The only one Mu Lingling had seen and set her sights on should be that one.

"Purple Butterfly Jade."

A priceless Superior Spirit Tool from the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy's Spirit Value Hall. It had been awarded to Bai Ye during a previous mission.

However, aside from that mask that held special meaning, Bai Ye generally did not use Spirit Tools.

His Ice Creation Technique was more convenient than any Spirit Tool.

"It's a deal."

The two people in the air had no idea that their battle now concerned the ownership of a Superior Spirit Tool and three Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Moreover, Bai Ye had roughly guessed that this girl probably had not been paying attention to this year's New Student Tournament. Mu Chen's battle against Yang Hong had also crossed realms.

It seemed he really would be accepting those three Chi Serpent Poison Galls with a smile.

The battle in the air erupted at once. From the very beginning, their clash was fiercely intense. Black flames mingled with Mu Chen's spiritual energy, and with every move, those flames eroded Su Ling'er's spiritual energy.

Those black flames were incomparably tyrannical. Su Ling'er could not dispel them with spiritual energy at all.

Because of this, she actually fell into a disadvantage as soon as the battle began.

But the girl was not one to admit defeat. Once she realized that the black flames could not be removed, she abandoned the attempt altogether. Instead, she circulated her spiritual energy at full force and crushed toward Mu Chen's energy with several times the power.

Her reserves of spiritual energy exceeded Mu Chen's, so she was not afraid of exhaustion.

A crimson whip danced through the air, every strike carrying razor-sharp force.

Mu Chen did not panic in the slightest, returning every blow with his fists.

A series of crackling explosions rang out through the air. From the very start, the battle had entered its most intense phase.

Su Ling'er was holding in a nameless fury, while Mu Chen wanted to end the battle quickly. As a result, their attacks became increasingly ruthless, and neither showed any intention of holding back.

"So Su Ling'er was the person you were really provoking?"

Only now did Mu Lingling realize it. Had Bai Ye told her to wait here for Su Ling'er because of this?

"Mm-hm."

Bai Ye shrugged and did not answer.

It made him sound like some kind of villain.

But someone had asked him to do this. He was helpless too.

Still, Su Xuan's request had probably been influenced by what he had said earlier.

Mu Lingling withdrew her gaze and continued watching the battlefield in the air.

From her perspective, Su Ling'er's offensive was growing increasingly fatigued, while Mu Chen remained as steady as a mountain.

This freshman had some skill.

Spirit arts intertwined and collided in the air, while the auras of both fighters changed continuously.

Watching their battle below, Bai Ye shook his head slightly.

"The winner has been decided."

Mu Lingling remained silent. She simply tossed out a Mustard Seed Bracelet, which Bai Ye caught in his hand. Inside were precisely the three Chi Serpent Poison Galls.

"Thanks."

These things would be of great use.

"It's nothing."

Even if there had been no bet, she would have given him the poison galls as long as Bai Ye asked.

After all, she specialized in raising snakes. There were plenty of ripening snake galls in her Small Courtyard.

As their wager was exchanged, the battle in the air came to an end as well. Mu Chen brought two fingers together and thrust them forward, shattering the Spiritual Energy Barrier Su Ling'er had just formed.

The next instant, Mu Chen's attack was before her.

Two seconds later, she had already been defeated.

"Thank you for letting me win."

Mu Chen stood with his fists clasped, his voice clear.

Su Ling'er, meanwhile, stood rooted in place, seemingly lost in thought. It was obvious that the young girl had suffered a setback.

Perhaps she had never imagined before coming here that she would lose to a freshman in the Divine Soul Realm.

However, stirring the pot was Bai Ye's job. Making her suffer a setback was Mu Chen's work. As for comforting and encouraging her, that would have to be left to her gentle Elder Sister.

A senior sister was better at that sort of thing than he was.

Bai Ye did not have many friends at the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy. There were only a handful of people he could truly speak with, and Su Ling'er was one of them. If possible, he did not want to see her go down the wrong path.

That was why he had intervened upon encountering this timely opportunity.

Su Ling'er left dejectedly. Her pride had clearly suffered a small blow, but there was no need to worry about her character. With her personality and Su Xuan's guidance, she should soon become lively again.

After she left, Mu Chen was the only one remaining in midair.

Mu Chen was clearly looking down at him, but for some reason, before this person, he always felt as though they were standing on equal footing.

It even felt as though Bai Ye was looking down on him instead.

Their gazes met. Mu Chen's eyes seemed to be asking, Am I qualified now?

"You're still far from it."

Bai Ye spoke calmly. The Mustard Seed Bracelet that had originally belonged to Mu Lingling flew from his hand and landed in Mu Chen's grasp. "Take this to Luo Li for me."

With that, his body gradually became illusory and vanished bit by bit, turning into ice crystals that filled the sky.

Mu Lingling glanced at the Mustard Seed Bracelet in Mu Chen's hand. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed that another Mustard Seed Bracelet of a different style had appeared beside her at some unknown time. Mu Lingling recognized it. It belonged to Bai Ye.

Seemingly realizing something, Mu Lingling opened the Mustard Seed Bracelet and looked inside.

A piece of purple jade was shining within, radiating the aura of a Superior Spirit Tool.

The moment she picked up the Mustard Seed Bracelet, two words appeared upon it.

"Exchange."

That guy.

Mu Lingling shook her head helplessly.

Perhaps that was why Bai Ye was so captivating. Some people were simply like that: the more one understood them, the more one became obsessed, until one followed them with unwavering devotion.

Picking up the Mustard Seed Bracelet, she flashed with purple light and left the mountain ridge, vanishing from the spot as well.

Meanwhile, in midair, Mu Chen looked at the Mustard Seed Bracelet in his hand. He did not open it, instead placing it into his own Mustard Seed Bracelet.

Since it was something meant for Luo Li, it would not be right for him to inspect it.

After hesitating for a moment, he took a deep breath and continued descending toward the Level Six Spirit Gathering Array.

He had to break through to the Heaven Merging Realm as soon as possible.