After discussing it, the four of them headed to the academy cafeteria together for a simple lunch, then made their way to the Soul Fighting Area.
Once they had paid the fee to rent the arena, Yue began helping the three of them train as a team.
Time slipped by amid repeated clashes of Soul Skills, and before long, it was nearly time for classes to end.
"Want to go to the east gate together? I know a place with amazing grilled fish. It's run by Huo Yuhao from Class One." After leaving the Soul Fighting Area, Yue invited Ning Tian and Wu Feng to come along.
They both knew Huo Yuhao. He trained especially hard under Zhou Yi every day, and they hadn't expected him to sell grilled fish after school as well. His circumstances were probably difficult.
After thinking it over, Ning Tian nodded gently. "If even Yue thinks the grilled fish is good, I'd like to try it."
"Then let's go."
The two figures heading toward the east gate became four. Just before they reached it, Xiao Ka emerged from the Sea of Consciousness right on time, slipped her arm through Yue's, and leaned against his shoulder.
"Yiren, did you miss me?" Xiao Ka grinned and leaned her face close to Yue's.
Yue poked her forehead helplessly. "I miss you every moment."
Hearing the answer she wanted, Xiao Ka smiled with satisfaction.
Turning to Ning Tian and Wu Feng, who had been startled by her sudden appearance, she said, "Ning Tian, Wu Feng, nice to meet you. I'm Katyusha!"
Katyusha cheerfully greeted the two of them.
They soon recovered and greeted Xiao Ka in return. They didn't understand what was going on with her, but Yue didn't seem inclined to explain, so they didn't ask.
Still, girls did seem to get along easily. Before long, Xiao Ka was chatting comfortably with the two of them.
Meng hadn't gone anywhere. Since Xiao Ka hadn't clung to her brother today for once, she hugged Yue's arm tightly and refused to let go.
There was nothing to be done, so Yue let her have her way.
The group soon passed through the east gate. Yue spotted a fiery-red figure leaving Huo Yuhao's stall with Xu Sanshi.
Yue paid them no mind and led the four girls over to Huo Yuhao's stall. Beibei and Tang Ya happened to arrive just then, too.
"Xiao Yue, it's only been a few days, and you've got two more girls around you?" Tang Ya looked at Yue and the two girls behind him, Ning Tian and Wu Feng, with a gossipy grin.
Yue cleared his throat and hurriedly explained, "It's because the freshman assessment is coming up. I'm in a group by myself, and these two are Ning Tian and Wu Feng from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. They're in a group with Meng. I was helping them practice their teamwork, and afterward we decided to come try Yuhao's grilled fish."
As he spoke, he looked at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, have you sold all the grilled fish for today? If not, I'll take two more."
"Senior Ma Xiaotao and Senior Xu Sanshi just bought four. Besides your three, Teacher Xiao Ya's two, and Wang Dong's two, there are nine left."
Yue nodded and handed Huo Yuhao a Gold Soul Coin. "In that case, I'll buy all nine. Senior Beibei, would you like some, too?"
Beibei gave him his trademark brilliant smile. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Yue smiled. "Of course. It's only a few grilled fish."
And just like that, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish were all spoken for. The students who arrived later could only leave with disappointed expressions.
The group settled down by Huo Yuhao's stall to eat. Ning Tian and Wu Feng were trying his grilled fish for the first time, and their eyes lit up as they praised every bite.
"Little Yuhao, I can't just eat so much of your grilled fish for free. Your freshman assessment is coming up, and this will help you." As Tang Ya ate, she placed a Storage Soul Tool in Huo Yuhao's hand. "Take a look when you get back."
Huo Yuhao nodded and stored it in his Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.
Tang Ya then turned her gaze to Yue Hongchen. "Xiao Yue, with your strength, passing the freshman assessment shouldn't be difficult. There's nothing I can really do to help you, so I can only cheer you on."
"Of course, if you're willing to join the Tang Sect, we can teach you our secret techniques."
Yue hurriedly waved his hands. This wasn't the first time Tang Ya had invited him to join the Tang Sect, but he truly didn't have a good impression of it.
"Senior Xiao Ya, it's not that I don't want to join. You know I'm from the Hongchen Family, and I'm already set to enter Mingde Hall and take over my grandfather's position, so..." To put an end to Tang Ya's hopes, Yue brought up Mingde Hall and even borrowed Xiao's identity as its heir.
At that, Tang Ya's expression immediately fell. She knew full well what Mingde Hall was—it was a force that could rival the academy's Sea God's Pavilion.
"Ah, all right. If that's the case, I won't insist." Tang Ya took a big bite of grilled fish, looking a little dejected. She'd finally met such a talented young man, only to learn that he was already Mingde Hall's heir. She couldn't poach him no matter what. At present, the Tang Sect had little to offer beyond its secret techniques and a few basic Hidden Weapons.
"Senior Xiao Ya, does the Tang Sect really still have any hope of being revived?" Ning Tian asked, having listened to their conversation. "The appearance of Soul Tools has left no place for Hidden Weapons. The only things the Tang Sect can still offer are its secret techniques, aren't they?"
Though Tang Ya didn't want to admit it, she nodded. She didn't feel an especially strong sense of belonging to the Tang Sect, but she had been born and raised there. Her parents had been the previous generation's sect masters, and yet the Tang Sect had lost even its foundation under her watch. The thought had become an obsession.
Seeing her like that, Yue and Beibei both shook their heads gently. If not for Tang Ya, Beibei wouldn't have joined the declining Tang Sect. In other words, the Tang Sect had only Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao.
Wang Dong, standing nearby, heard this and instinctively wanted to argue, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with what Ning Tian had said.
At the same time, she belatedly realized: Why was she so attached to the Tang Sect? She sank into an inner struggle, as though a voice in her mind were tempting her to join.
The conversation had grown heavy in an instant. Yue took in everyone's expressions, and the beginnings of a plan took shape in his mind.
"Senior Xiao Ya, I can't help you revive the Tang Sect. But once I'm strong enough, I can help you reclaim the Tang Sect's old grounds. If you still want to revive it then, you can rebuild the Tang Sect there."
Ning Tian made up her mind and chimed in. "Senior Xiao Ya, if you still want to revive the Tang Sect by then, I can provide the funds to rebuild it."
Hearing their words, the light returned to Tang Ya's dim eyes. To be honest, she didn't know what to do after reclaiming the Tang Sect's old grounds. Reviving the Tang Sect sounded good when said aloud, but taking that first step would be difficult. If they relied only on Hidden Weapons, then even if they rebuilt the sect, it would only be destroyed again in the future.
"Thank you. I'll think it over. Once the Tang Sect's old grounds have been reclaimed, I'll give you a definite answer." Tang Ya stood and thanked them both. At last, their unpleasant conversation came to an end.
After that, Tang Ya and Beibei talked about what would happen after the freshman assessment. When it grew late, everyone said their goodbyes and returned to their lodgings.
What no one knew was that after they had finished discussing the Tang Sect, a strand of blue divine power quietly flew toward Tang Ya's Sea of Consciousness. But just as it was about to succeed, a divine power brimming with an aura of destruction struck it down.
Before you continue