The Eve of Departure

Ever since Xiao Ce and Xun'er confessed their feelings to each other on the back mountain, the way they interacted had become somewhat different from before.

Their relationship had once been more like that of inseparable siblings, but now they looked much more like a young couple.

Unfortunately, Ling Ying kept a strict watch over them, so the furthest Xiao Ce had gotten was still holding hands.

At the slightest suspicious movement, Ling Ying's cough would sound with the punctuality of an alarm clock, infuriating Xiao Ce.

Of course, Ling Ying had his own reasons.

If he allowed Xiao Ce and Xun'er to do anything inappropriate and the old fossils of the Gu Clan found out, ten heads would not be enough for him to lose.

Whenever Xun'er saw her Brother Xiao Ce looking frustrated, she could not help laughing. Sometimes, she would even secretly lean close to his ear and softly comfort him.

"Brother Xiao Ce, once your strength surpasses Elder Ling's, you won't need to fear him anymore. Then you can kiss Xun'er whenever you want, but you can't do any other bad things."

Clearly, Xun'er's personality had changed greatly from the original story.

Especially in front of Xiao Ce, beyond being lively and well-behaved, she was also bold and passionate when it came to love.

When Ling Ying heard those words, his face instantly darkened, and his teeth itched with anger toward Xiao Ce.

Back then, he had seen how well Xiao Ce cared for the young lady and thought the boy was obedient and sensible. Who would have thought that he had secretly stolen her heart?

Damn him!

Ling Ying even suspected that Xiao Ce had approached the young lady with this intention from the very beginning.

But upon further thought, even he found the idea absurd.

Xiao Ce had only been five or six years old then. How could he possibly have had such thoughts?

Xiao Ce set the date for his journey of training a month later, and he cherished this time with Xun'er immensely.

Their daily lives were much like those of an ordinary young couple.

They would stroll through the Xiao Clan Market together and take walks on the back mountain.

On the back mountain, Xiao Ce would weave flower crowns for Xun'er and personally place them on her head. They would sit together, holding hands as they watched the sunset.

When the mood struck, they would also spar with Dou techniques, playfully exchanging blows beneath the moonlight.

Time flowed like water, and half a month quietly passed.

That day was a lively one, as Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team arrived in Wutan City.

As a renowned Dou Qi academy throughout the Douqi Continent, Jia Nan Academy was a sacred training ground that countless young people yearned to enter.

Whenever recruitment season came around, every place the recruitment team visited would be exceptionally bustling, with countless young people practically fighting their way in to join.

Of course, the minimum requirement for becoming a Jia Nan Academy student was reaching the eighth stage of Dou Qi before the age of eighteen.

Though that standard might not seem particularly high, in a city like Wutan City, fewer than ten students joined each year.

Jia Nan Academy's recruitment site was located in the plaza outside Wutan City's Lord's Manor.

The spacious plaza was packed with a surging sea of people. Young people from Wutan City and nearby towns had gathered here, and in order to join Jia Nan Academy, some even concealed their true ages to register for the assessment.

Meanwhile, four young men and women stood outside the crowd.

Among them, a tall woman with a cold, striking appearance stepped forward two paces. Ignoring the youth in black fitted attire on the far left, she looked toward the handsome, upright man in white and the breathtakingly beautiful girl in a long green dress.

"Xun'er, Xiao Ce, are you really not planning to join Jia Nan Academy with me?"

"With your strength, getting into Jia Nan Academy would be effortless. You might even catch the eye of one of the academy's experts and be accepted as a disciple."

Xiao Ce glanced at his cold, beautiful cousin, whose legs seemed longer than life itself, then shook his head with a smile. "Cousin Xiao Yu, I plan to travel and train for a while like Cousins Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, so I don't intend to join Jia Nan Academy for now. As for Xun'er..."

Xun'er smiled brightly. "Xun'er will wait for Brother Xiao Ce at the Xiao Clan. Whenever Brother Xiao Ce wants to go to Jia Nan Academy, Xun'er will go with him."

The two had not intended to join Jia Nan Academy today. They had only come to join in the excitement, yet they unexpectedly ran into Xiao Yan, who had gone out for some fresh air, and Xiao Yu, who had specifically come to register.

"Other people are desperate to get into Jia Nan Academy, yet the two of you can enter but refuse to. You really are more individualistic than the other."

Xiao Yu looked at them irritably.

One of these two was a Three-star Dou Zhe, while the other was a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, yet neither planned to join Jia Nan Academy. As for herself, although she was at the eighth stage of Dou Qi, she was not necessarily guaranteed to pass the assessment.

The dry starved while the flooded drowned.

At the side, Xiao Yan watched the scene before him, a trace of envy flashing through his eyes as he sighed inwardly.

If his talent had remained, perhaps he too would now be considering whether to join Jia Nan Academy or travel and train like his eldest and second brothers.

The current Xiao Yan no longer possessed his former flamboyance and arrogance. In their place were greater composure, determination, and a hint of confusion.

For three years, he had fallen from the clouds into the abyss. His cultivation had plummeted to the third stage of Dou Qi before finally stabilizing.

Back then, he had been so high-spirited. Nearly everyone had shown him their most flattering attitudes and humblest smiles.

But when his cultivation fell, the more flattering and humble those people had once been, the more harsh and snobbish they became afterward. He endured endless ridicule and discrimination, and it made him see reality clearly.

Yet there were exceptions!

When his cultivation had first fallen, he had thought Xiao Ce would mercilessly mock him the next time they met.

But Xiao Ce had never possessed such vile amusement. His attitude toward him had remained unchanged.

Xiao Yan had never imagined that aside from his father and his eldest and second brothers, this "old rival" of his would be the only person in the Xiao Clan—even in all of Wutan City—who firmly believed he was not trash.

It had to be said, being acknowledged by someone felt wonderful!

"Xiao Yan, what's with that look? I'm warning you, I only like women!"

Xiao Ce suddenly caught the strange look Xiao Yan gave him. He shuddered and hastily pulled Xun'er to his side.

Xiao Yan's expression froze as he looked at Xiao Ce's actions. He instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about? I'm a real man, alright?"

"Who told you to look so suggestive just now?" Xiao Ce shrugged.

Xun'er let out a snort of laughter, while Xiao Yu gave Xiao Yan a disgusted, disdainful look. "Alright, I'm going to register first."

With that, she headed straight toward the surging crowd.

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. With a dark expression, he grumbled, "I shouldn't have come out today. Forget it, there was nothing for me here anyway. I'll be leaving first."

After he left, Xiao Ce grinned and winked at Xun'er.

"Now no one can disturb our time alone!"