Blushing

The two walked out of the Teaching Building, warm sunlight falling over them.

Xue Lingyun suddenly spoke. "You chose the Assault Department, right?"

Wang Dong froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing." Xue Lingyun took a step forward, then suddenly glanced sideways at her. "Good thing you didn't try to be clever and choose another direction. Otherwise, you'd have been called in for a talk today too."

Wang Dong blinked. "What do you mean?"

Xue Lingyun said, "Yuhao chose the Control System because his Martial Soul is special. It makes sense for someone from the Spirit System to take the control route. But if you'd chosen the Control System too, then tried explaining it to Teacher Zhou with that line about 'using attack power to control the whole field'—"

He did not finish, merely giving her a look that said, You know what I mean.

Wang Dong imagined the scene: Zhou Yi staring at her expressionlessly and asking why she had chosen the Control System; her stiffly saying, "I think I can control the field," while Zhou Yi's gaze grew colder and colder...

She shuddered and immediately shook her head. "But I didn't choose it!"

Xue Lingyun smiled and continued walking.

Wang Dong caught up, then suddenly remembered something. A teasing smile appeared on her face. "But you, our selfless Class Monitor, are going to compete in the team matches all by yourself. So, are you ready to head to the Extreme North Land and dig up Snow Silkworms?"

Xue Lingyun did not stop walking, but muttered inwardly, I've actually already gone and dug some up.

Even if he really had to go dig again, it would not be a big deal.

He turned to look at Wang Dong. "Do you know the format of the Round Robin before the Elimination Tournament?"

Wang Dong shook her head.

"The Assessment Area is divided into fifty zones," Xue Lingyun said. "There are over three hundred teams, with roughly six or seven teams assigned to each zone. Only after every pair of teams has faced each other will the groups be reshuffled."

Wang Dong nodded thoughtfully.

Xue Lingyun continued, "The academy hasn't said so outright, but two teams made entirely of Soul Grand Masters or above generally won't be placed in the same zone."

"After all, a team made entirely of Soul Grand Masters counts as a Seed Team. If the strongest teams meet right from the start, and some teams end up lacking enough points to even enter the Elimination Tournament, wouldn't that be awkward?"

He spread his hands. "So most of the time, I'll only be facing three one ring opponents. Tell me, how could I possibly lose?"

Wang Dong thought about it. It did seem to make sense.

But she quickly thought of another question. "You only need to pass the Freshman Assessment, right? What about the Elimination Tournament afterward? The Elimination Tournament won't care whether you're a Seed Team. You might end up facing a whole team of Soul Grand Masters by yourself."

She frowned, analyzing it seriously. "You may be a Soul Elder, but if you face a fully equipped Soul Grandmaster team, you could still lose, couldn't you? And since you're already a Soul Elder, other classes might have Soul Elders too. Can you really handle it alone?"

Over the past three months, Wang Dong's understanding of Xue Lingyun had constantly been revised.

When she had first met him, she only knew that he was an old acquaintance of Huo Yuhao's and that his rank was higher than hers.

As they gradually became more familiar, she learned that his Martial Soul was also a Body Martial Soul, and that, like her, his Second Soul Ring was thousand-year.

She had been stunned for quite a while then. She had not expected to encounter someone at the academy whose Second Soul Ring was thousand-year, just like hers.

What hit her even harder was that he was at most half a year older than her—not even a full year—yet his rank was more than ten levels above hers.

She had been genuinely depressed for several days afterward.

Back when she had shared a dorm with Huo Yuhao, watching him cultivate day and night while still progressing more slowly than she did while slacking off, Wang Dong had thought she was pretty impressive.

Then this freak had turned out to be living in the dorm next door. If she did not cultivate, the gap between them would only grow wider and wider.

Of course, by "cultivating diligently," she meant according to her own previous standards.

She was a little more serious than before, but not that much more serious.

But this was not the time to talk about that. Wang Dong looked seriously at Xue Lingyun, feeling that he really was being a little too overconfident this time.

Even as a Soul Elder, facing an entire team with clear roles, he could not be sure he would not lose.

His Third Soul Ring might have an exceptionally high age, but a higher age brought greater boosts and greater consumption as well.

A Soul Elder absorbing a Soul Ring at the standard of Four Rings—his skill surely could not be used casually.

Not to mention—

The team he would ultimately have to face would be the one led by This Great One!

Wang Dong happily calculated in her heart, Should This Great One go easy on him when the time comes?

After all, he had already boasted to Old Madam Zhou that he would take first place. If he happened to face her team and got eliminated by them, how embarrassing would that be...

"Stop thinking about it."

Xue Lingyun's voice interrupted her wandering thoughts.

Wang Dong looked up to find Xue Lingyun watching her, a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips.

"Don't treat me like an ordinary Soul Elder," Xue Lingyun said. "Right now, aside from knowing one of my Martial Souls and my Soul Ring configuration, you don't even know my Soul Skills. Let alone my other Trump Cards."

Wang Dong froze.

Wait.

He had said, "one of my Martial Souls"?

"You said one Martial Soul?" Wang Dong suddenly realized, her eyes widening. "Could it be that you're..."

Xue Lingyun said nothing. He merely smiled at her and continued walking.

Wang Dong chased after him and grabbed his sleeve. "You really have Twin Martial Souls?"

Xue Lingyun did not stop, only turning his head to look at her.

Wang Dong's eyes sparkled, her entire face practically screaming, "Tell me, tell me already!" "Then what's your second Martial Soul?"

Xue Lingyun said, "Want to know?"

Wang Dong nodded vigorously.

Xue Lingyun looked away and kept walking, lightly uttering three words. "Not telling you."

Wang Dong froze for a moment, then chased after him and began pestering him. "Come on, tell me! Since you voluntarily told me you have Twin Martial Souls, you must be planning to use it eventually, right? Just give me a little hint in advance!"

Xue Lingyun ignored her and kept walking.

Wang Dong followed stubbornly, chattering as she walked. "Just a tiny hint, a tiny one! I only want to know what type it is. I won't tell anyone!"

Xue Lingyun glanced at her and stopped.

Wang Dong's eyes lit up as she looked at him expectantly.

Xue Lingyun crooked a finger at her.

Wang Dong immediately leaned her ear closer, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Xue Lingyun leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Take a guess."

Wang Dong froze.

"If you guess right, I'll tell you." After saying that, Xue Lingyun continued walking.

Wang Dong stood where she was. Her expression shifted from anticipation to confusion, then from confusion to disbelief, until her entire face visibly reddened.

"Xue Lingyun—!"

She shouted and took off after him.

As if he had expected it, Xue Lingyun shifted aside and easily dodged her grabbing hand.

Unwilling to give up, Wang Dong turned and pounced again. Xue Lingyun dodged again.

One chased while the other evaded, the two of them bickering and fooling around as they made their way onward beneath the afternoon sun.