Chen Yue: "I refuse to believe I can be this unlucky, getting screwed over twice in a row when I go out..."

Of course, Xue Wu would never agree to the latter.

So they had settled for waterfall training instead.

"Instructor Chen, please follow me!"

Chen Yue was not a local of Skywater City, so naturally, he was unfamiliar with the surrounding terrain. Ning Hongye, however, was different. She certainly knew the area.

So.

When Chen Yue heard her question, he directly described the place he was looking for.

Sure enough, Ning Hongye's eyes lit up at his words. She smiled faintly. "Um, please wait a moment, Instructor Chen. I'll speak to the guards first..."

Ning Hongye had come to pick someone up. Her niece, Ning Shuangshuang, still had several classes left, taught by other instructors. The people outside the classrooms were all parents who had come to pick up their children and had been stopped by the guards.

After all, these were children who had only recently undergone their Martial Soul awakening and started school. Many people worried about letting their children go so far on their own, so for the first few days, parents were allowed to enter and observe the classes for these little ones.

It was precisely because of this.

The Primary Academy side of Heavenly Water Academy was divided into sections. Those who had just undergone their Martial Soul awakening had their own teaching building, separate from the other grades.

"Alright!"

Very soon, after Ning Hongye spoke with the guards, she followed Chen Yue into an empty classroom. "Instructor Chen, may I ask about your..."

Her words came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes had widened, and even her breathing stalled as she stared in disbelief at the two purple and two black soul rings Chen Yue had released with a raised hand.

"This..."

Ning Hongye sucked in a sharp breath. Only after a long while did she raise a thumb. "Instructor Chen, your strength commands Hongye's admiration!"

In all her life, she had only seen her mother possess such an extraordinary soul ring configuration. But how could this Martial Soul instructor from Heavenly Water Academy possibly...

Could he be connected to Qinghan?

That thought flashed through Ning Hongye's mind, and a smile appeared on her face. "Instructor Chen, I know the place you mentioned earlier—the scenic place with waterfalls and cliffs."

"Just follow me!"

Chen Yue truly did not sense any danger from this woman. Moreover, he had verified Ning Hongye's identity; she was indeed registered here. Nothing should happen... right?

But even if he did not go with her, he had no idea whether three days would be enough for him to find such a place alone. Besides, going out alone to search... especially in the wilderness beyond the city, seemed rather dangerous too, didn't it?

"I refuse to believe I can be this unlucky, getting screwed over twice in a row when I go out!"

Chen Yue did not believe he had such luck, so he simply answered, "Fine!"

He believed that Ning Hongye, who looked so dignified and refined like a noblewoman, would not do such a thing, right?

"Please follow me, Instructor Chen!"

Ning Hongye truly had no such intentions. She simply wanted to befriend Chen Yue. If possible, she even felt that Ning Shuangshuang could take him as her master... After all, her mother's extraordinary soul ring configuration came with risks, and she did not want anything to happen to her elder brother's only surviving child.

Led by Ning Hongye.

Chen Yue soon left the city. They headed southwest of Skywater City. The farther they went, the less ice and snow there was around them. By the end, only thin layers of frost remained, and some had even melted away.

"Instructor Chen, you're not from around here, are you?"