In just a few minutes, Zhou Yi expelled three Core Disciples and one student who enjoyed the treatment of a Core Disciple. No other teacher in the academy would ever have done such a thing. Even Wang Yan thought she seemed crazy at that moment. Yet Zhou Yi's actions had undoubtedly shocked everyone in Class One, Grade One. Every student felt a powerful sense of crisis.
Core Disciples could not be directly expelled by their homeroom teacher, but other students could. If even Core Disciples had been made an example of, who would still dare violate the rules? From then on, whether they were in the class or outside it, all the students behaved themselves.
Still full of frustration, Wang Yan began teaching. Even if he intended to report Zhou Yi to the higher-ups, it would have to wait until after school. Yet he soon discovered that the atmosphere in the classroom had changed. Compared to yesterday's laxness, the thirty-odd remaining students listened with exceptional focus. Their eagerness for knowledge was practically palpable, and their classroom discipline was beyond reproach. This gradually changed his mind: perhaps being stricter was not such a bad thing.
After school, Wang Yan ultimately did not report Zhou Yi. Instead, he took her side. Over the entire day, Class One's remaining students had behaved better than ever, and their learning efficiency was higher than that of any class he had taught before. He had no choice but to be impressed, and to admit that although Zhou Yi's teaching methods were simple and rough, their results were astonishingly good. With a partner like her, they would surely be able to cultivate a group of outstanding students.
Therefore, before explaining the situation to the academy, Wang Yan deliberately had a long talk with Zhou Yi. He made only one request: that he and Zhou Yi teach Class One together until the students graduated from the Outer Court. Zhou Yi agreed.
The next day, the Martial Soul Department's Academic Affairs Office issued a notice transferring Dai Hua Bin, Zhu Lu, Huang Chu Tian, and Wu Feng of Class One, Grade One to Class Two to continue their studies.
However, all of them filed appeals. But Shrek Academy was Shrek Academy. No matter a student's status, as long as they studied here, everyone was treated equally. The academy would prioritize respecting its teachers' decisions. Moreover, as Wang Yan had said, these students had only been expelled from Class One; they had not been dismissed from the academy. Besides, for these gifted yet arrogant Core Disciples, this blow might not be a bad thing.
After this incident, the atmosphere in Class One, Grade One changed completely. The students would not tremble at the sight of Zhou Yi, but at the very least, no one dared disobey her orders again. Wang Yan was sincerely impressed as well. With just one upheaval, Class One's learning atmosphere had immediately become the best among all the classes he had taught.
Life at school returned to peace, though that was only true for the vast majority of students. Lin Yuan was troubled. The bottleneck between rank thirty-nine and rank forty was blocking his path completely. It was not that he could not break through; rather, his accumulated foundation was insufficient to raise his Soul Rings in tandem to ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine years. According to his calculations, he needed the energy of a Heavenly Tribulation to complete the breakthrough.
"Sister Nana, that's the situation." Late at night, in the woods beside Sea God Lake, Lin Yuan looked at Gu Yue Na beside him, his tone helpless.
Gu Yue Na gently drew Lin Yuan into her arms. Her soft hair fell over his cheek, carrying a familiar, crisp fragrance. She lowered her head and rubbed against the boy's silver hair, then said softly, "The energy of one Heavenly Tribulation? That's simple. I heard from Di Tian and the others that the Ice Empress of the Far North will soon undergo her four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation. A tribulation like that should satisfy your needs."
"Ice Empress? That works too. After the energy of a four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation is absorbed and converted by the Dragon God's Heart, it will be more than enough to support all four of my Soul Rings reaching their limits. There may even be some left over. Sister Nana, when you return, tell Uncle Di Tian and the others to invite the Ice Empress to the Star Dou Great Forest. Once this school year ends, I'll return to the Star Dou Great Forest." Lin Yuan spoke after thinking for a moment.
"Alright, I'll speak to Di Tian as soon as I return." Gu Yue Na lightly ran her hand over Lin Yuan's silver-white hair ribbon. Her tone was gentle but carried unquestionable certainty. "But behave yourself at the academy. Don't use your full strength again, or you might draw too much attention. Your identity cannot be exposed, especially the secret of your Dragon God Bloodline."
Lin Yuan buried himself in Gu Yue Na's arms, his nose filled with her familiar scent as his taut nerves gradually relaxed. "Sister Nana, I know where to draw the line. Once the school year ends, I'll return to the Star Dou Great Forest." He paused, then raised a hand and grasped Gu Yue Na's wrist. A hint of mischief flashed through his purple eyes. "Oh, Sister Nana, could you bring some Golden Jade Fruit next time? And some desserts Sister Bi Ji made herself. I've been craving them."
Gu Yue Na laughed at his words and gently pinched Lin Yuan's cheek. "Such a glutton. I can bring Golden Jade Fruit, but whether there are desserts depends on whether Biji is willing to make them. Besides, Sister Bi Ji, Sister Zi Ji, and the others all miss you."
"Are you sure they miss me? Not that they want to 'bully' me?" Lin Yuan asked.
Gu Yue Na helplessly tapped his forehead, her eyes rippling with indulgent amusement. "And you have the nerve to say that? Who exactly bullied whom? It would have been one thing if you only bullied the auspicious beast, but you wouldn't even leave Sister Bi Ji and Sister Zi Ji alone. Well, now they're all waiting for you when you go back this time. Alright, I should be leaving too."
Lin Yuan tilted his head slightly upward, looking at Gu Yue Na's face so close to his own. Her crisp fragrance lingered around his nose, warming his heart. He raised his hand and gently wrapped an arm around her waist, stood on tiptoe, and pressed a soft kiss to her tender lips.
The kiss was light, but it made Gu Yue Na's body stiffen slightly. She lowered her head and met Lin Yuan's purple eyes, which were brimming with laughter. Her own reflection lay within them, along with the boy's unique clarity and burning warmth.
"That way, Sister Nana won't forget to miss me." Lin Yuan released her, a mischievous curve rising at the corner of his lips as his silver hair gleamed with scattered light beneath the moon.
Gu Yue Na touched her kissed lips with her fingertips, the tenderness in her eyes nearly overflowing. She rubbed Lin Yuan's hair, her voice softening. "You never behave properly." Though she said so, there was not the slightest hint of blame in her tone, only unconcealed indulgence. "Remember what you said. Stay out of trouble at the academy. I'll have Di Tian arrange the matter with the Ice Empress."
As she spoke, a pale purple glow spread around her, and her figure gradually turned transparent.
"Good night, Xiao Yuan." With that final gentle reminder, Gu Yue Na's figure completely vanished into the night, leaving behind only a lingering trace of her crisp fragrance to prove that she had been there.
Lin Yuan stood where he was, as if the touch of Gu Yue Na's hair still remained at his fingertips while the scent around his nose slowly faded. He sighed softly, turned, and headed toward the dormitory building. His silver-white hair ribbon swayed gently in the night.
When he pushed open the door to Dormitory 107, the room was silent. Wang Dong was already deeply asleep, her pink-blue short hair scattered over her pillow and her breathing even and long. Lin Yuan lightened his steps, afraid of disturbing her, and walked straight to sit beside his own bed.
He did not lie down immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. The Dragon God's Heart slowly circulated, calming his slightly unsettled mind after their parting. Gu Yue Na's gentle features, the lush scenery of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the soft, glutinous texture of Biji's desserts flashed through his mind. The corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yuan opened his eyes. His purple eyes glimmered faintly in the darkness. With a wave of his hand, the spiritual herb transplanted from the Lake of Life beside the window gently swayed, releasing a stronger fragrance that dispelled the stuffiness in the dormitory. He lay down softly, and the fur bedding brought a familiar comfort. Whenever Gu Yue Na was beside him, he could always fall asleep quickly. But tonight, even knowing that their reunion was not far off, he still felt a hollow emptiness in his heart. He turned onto his side and looked at the sleeping Wang Dong beside him. Her pink-blue eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyelids, making her look rather well-behaved.
This girl argues with me all day, yet her sleeping posture is pretty proper. Lin Yuan muttered to himself, his tense nerves gradually relaxing. Perhaps he had been too tired from training during the day, or perhaps the spiritual herb's fragrance had worked its magic. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he finally sank into deep sleep wrapped in that familiar scent.
In the middle of the night, Lin Yuan vaguely sensed movement beside him. He assumed Wang Dong had woken up and did not pay much attention. He turned over and instinctively edged closer toward the warmth. Only when he touched something soft and smelled that faint, crisp fragrance did he abruptly wake.
"Sister Nana?" he called out in surprise, his voice hoarse with sleep.
In the darkness, Gu Yue Na's figure appeared. She pressed a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence, then motioned for him to look outside. Following her gaze, Lin Yuan could vaguely hear the footsteps of a patrolling teacher beyond the dormitory door.
Only after the footsteps faded away did Gu Yue Na lie down beside him. She gently drew him into her arms, her voice so tender it seemed to drip with sweetness. "I was afraid you couldn't sleep, so I came back."
Familiar warmth enveloped him, and Lin Yuan's heart settled instantly. He buried himself in Gu Yue Na's embrace, greedily breathing in her scent, and said in a muffled voice, "I knew Sister Nana cared for me the most."
Gu Yue Na chuckled and rubbed his hair, her fingertips brushing over his silver-white hair ribbon. "Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep. You still have class tomorrow."
Lin Yuan answered with a hum, and his tense body relaxed completely. With Gu Yue Na beside him, drowsiness surged over him like a tide. He quickly fell asleep again, a contented smile still lingering on his lips.
Gu Yue Na lowered her head and looked at the sleeping boy in her arms, her eyes full of affection. She gently patted his back as though soothing a child, pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, then closed her eyes as well and peacefully drifted into sleep in his embrace.
At dawn, the first ray of sunlight streamed through the window into the dormitory. Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, only to find his arms empty again. He froze for a moment, then smiled helplessly. Sister Nana was always like this, quietly leaving before dawn. He stretched and got out of bed.
Wang Dong had also awakened. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and yawned when she saw Lin Yuan. "Morning. You're up pretty early today."
"Couldn't sleep anymore," Lin Yuan replied casually as he walked to the window and pushed it open.
Fresh morning air rushed in, carrying the damp scent of Sea God Lake and leaving him refreshed.
"Come on, let's go to class..."
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