Semester End

Wang Dongqi looked at him and fell silent for a moment.

"You... are pretty good with words."

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Her smile was still a little forced, but it was much better than before.

Seeing this, Zhou Tian'er hurried over to smooth things over.

"Exactly!"

"Sister Dongqi, you're one of the aces of our academy!"

"We'll be counting on you for next year's Tianhai Competition!"

As she spoke, she looped an arm around Wang Dongqi's and reached out with her other hand to pull Wang Zhi over.

"We're all on the same team from now on, so we should help each other!"

"Right, Xiao Zhi?"

Wang Zhi stumbled as she tugged him along, then nodded helplessly.

"Mm."

Zhou Tian'er smiled with satisfaction and looked back at Wang Dongqi.

Wang Dongqi looked at the energetic girl in front of her, then at Wang Zhi's serious face. In the end, she let out a soft sigh.

"Fine, I get it."

She reached over and ruffled Zhou Tian'er's hair, then turned to Wang Zhi.

"You're Wang Zhi, right?"

"I'll remember you."

"When we get the chance, let's have another match."

A spark of fighting spirit flared in her eyes.

Wang Zhi smiled faintly.

"Anytime."

Zhang Zhenpeng watched them and nodded in satisfaction.

"All right. Now that we've settled this, we'll need to adjust the training plan."

He looked at the four of them.

"The team competition lineup will be Hanyou, Tian'er, and Wang Zhi."

"Dongqi will be the substitute, ready to step in at any time."

He paused, then continued.

"From now on, the four of you will train together and build your teamwork."

"There are only eleven months left until the Tianhai Competition. Time is tight."

"Yes, Dean!"

The four answered in unison.

After leaving the training ground, Zhou Tian'er chattered nonstop the whole way.

"Xiao Zhi, that summon of yours was so cool! Can you summon it again so I can see?"

"Xiao Zhi, what exactly is your Mask Martial Soul? How can it summon humanoid creatures?"

"Xiao Zhi, can your summon talk? Does it have a name?"

Her questions gave Wang Zhi a headache, and he could only brush them off one by one.

Walking behind them, Zhou Hanyou watched the scene with a slight smile.

Wang Dongqi brought up the rear. She looked at the lively Zhou Tian'er up ahead, then at Wang Zhi, who seemed calm but answered every question. Her thoughts churned.

She was fourteen this year, with a Flash Thunder Sword Martial Soul and the cultivation of a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster.

Ever since the day she awakened her Martial Soul, she had been one of the best among her peers.

After entering Sea and Land Academy, she had been groomed as a top prospect.

She had thought she would shine at next year's Tianhai Competition.

Until today.

A ten-year-old One-Ring Soul Master had beaten her with ease.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed.

But...

She watched Wang Zhi's back, a complicated look flashing in her eyes.

That boy really was strong.

And after winning, he hadn't let it go to his head. Instead, he'd taken the initiative to give her a way to save face.

That composure was even more frightening than his strength.

"Sister Dongqi, why are you walking so slowly?"

"Hurry up!"

Zhou Tian'er turned around and waved to her.

Wang Dongqi came back to herself and quickened her pace.

Oh well. She'd be the substitute.

At least she could still train and improve alongside them.

Besides...

She looked at Wang Zhi, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

Maybe she could learn a thing or two from him.

In the days that followed, the four of them began training together.

Zhang Zhenpeng personally drew up their training plan: physical conditioning and Basic Soul Power Training in the morning, practical combat in the afternoon, and tactical discussions and meditation for recovery in the evening.

Wang Zhi's performance repeatedly reshaped the three girls' understanding of him.

His summons.

Those humanoid creatures known as Ghost Shadow Ninjas could not only fight, but also wield all kinds of Hidden Weapon techniques.

Even more frightening was Wang Zhi himself.

He was only ten, yet possessed a composure and calm far beyond his years.

No matter what happened, he could quickly analyze the situation and make the most reasonable decision.

Zhou Hanyou once told Zhou Tian'er in private,

"This Wang Zhi is no ordinary boy."

Zhou Tian'er looked pleased with herself.

"Of course. He's my little brother!"

Zhou Hanyou gave her a helpless look.

"He only calls you 'Sis,' and you've already started acting like his real sister?"

"So what?"

"He called me that, so I'm his sister!"

"For life!"

Zhou Hanyou was speechless.

As for Wang Dongqi, after facing off against Wang Zhi time and again, she gradually let go of her resentment.

And so, through day after day of training, the four of them gradually grew closer.

In the blink of an eye, the semester came to an end.

Quite a few things had happened over the semester.

First, Wang Dongqi and Zhou Hanyou had both reached level thirty.

Reaching level thirty meant they could obtain a third Soul Ring and become Three Rings Soul Elders.

However, although they had both broken through, their circumstances were worlds apart.

Wang Dongqi came from an average family. Her parents were ordinary Soul Masters, and it had already been a struggle for them to send her to an Intermediate Academy.

A Thousand Year Spirit could easily cost tens of millions, far beyond what her family could afford.

In the end, she had no choice but to select a Hundred Year Spirit of decent quality.

When a Yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet, Wang Dongqi's expression grew complicated.

A hundred years was still just a hundred years.

Whether the third Soul Ring was a hundred or a thousand years old was, in a sense, the dividing line between ordinary people and geniuses.

Things were entirely different for Zhou Hanyou.

She spent lavishly, shelling out fifteen million Federal Currency to buy a Purple Soul Ring's Thousand Year Spirit.

During training...

When the Purple Soul Ring rose around Zhou Hanyou, its powerful aura enveloped the entire Training Ground.

Wang Dongqi stood nearby, staring at that purple ring in silence for a long time.

From that day onward, she officially became the substitute for the trio.

No one said it outright, but everyone knew.

As for Zhou Tian'er...

Her Soul Power had reached level twenty-five.

Mm, she'd only gained one level.

Zhou Hanyou had long since given up commenting. She would only occasionally glance at her, the meaning in her eyes clear...

You can figure it out yourself.

Zhou Tian'er would lower her head guiltily each time, but the next day, she'd go right back to having fun.

As for Wang Zhi, he continued cultivating quietly as usual.

After a semester of study, along with the academy's support, his Soul Power reached level fifteen.

Only two levels higher. Not much.

But his Spiritual Power had made a qualitative leap.

It had risen from a hundred points at the initial stage of the Spirit Connection Realm to two hundred, reaching the intermediate stage of the Spirit Connection Realm.

This improvement increased the number of Ghost Shadow Ninjas he could summon from ten to fifteen.

He had also put them to the test.

With Zhang Zhenpeng arranging a match against a student who was a Three Rings Soul Elder, a single Ghost Shadow Ninja could win.

That was a genuine Three Rings Soul Elder.

But against a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, a Ghost Shadow Ninja could only fight for a few rounds before losing.

And that was just one of them.