Lily Blossoms ~ [Wu Zhangkong: One Sword Strike]

Xie Xie managed to coax him into a better mood before dragging Tang Wulin to the cafeteria for a meal.

Words alone might not have been enough to comfort Tang Wulin, but food certainly could.

"Wulin, what's wrong?"

Gu Yue had joined the two for dinner and quickly noticed that something was off with Tang Wulin.

Though Tang Wulin possessed a sturdy physique and his tear-reddened eyes had returned to normal, the sorrow in his gaze was far too obvious.

"I'm fine." He shook his head gently. "By the way, have you two looked into Class One?"

At the mention of this, even the usually proud Gu Yue fell silent for a rare moment before speaking with a grave expression: "Yes, it might... be a bit troublesome."

Tang Wulin's spirit stirred slightly; he knew the pride buried deep within Gu Yue all too well.

For Gu Yue to admit something was "a bit troublesome" was proof enough that this Class One was definitely not to be trifled with.

"How should I put it..." Xie Xie rubbed his chin. "Class One's strength is indeed quite formidable. All three participants are two-ring Soul Grand Masters, and that Wei Xiaofeng from this morning was the weakest of the three."

"What?!" Tang Wulin was shocked.

Gu Yue said helplessly, "It's the truth, so this battle really won't be easy for us."

Tang Wulin's gaze gradually hardened.

The gap between one ring and two rings was a difference in quality.

Gu Yue continued, "It's precisely because of their class that the academy just released new regulations for the Class Promotion Tournament. Each grade's tournament will now only be held within its own grade; there will be no more cross-grade challenges."

"Isn't that just because they're afraid they'll challenge higher grades and cause a bad stir?" Xie Xie curled his lip in disdain.

"Furthermore, Class One is currently equipped with the strongest teaching staff. The academy values them highly and is even considering letting them skip grades."

Although Xie Xie wasn't worried at all, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were clearly affected.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy.

Just then, the cafeteria's broadcast system suddenly blared:

"Attention, an emergency announcement!"

"Eastsea City will be hit by a super typhoon tonight, expected to last for a week. All students and faculty, please ensure your safety!"

"During the typhoon, all academy courses and activities are suspended. Please remain in your dormitories and do not go out unnecessarily. The Class Promotion Tournament is suspended and will resume after the typhoon passes!"

"Attention, an emergency announcement..."

The notice was broadcast three times in a row.

The three looked at each other, and Xie Xie could barely suppress a laugh.

Wasn't this just like being handed a pillow the moment you felt sleepy?

Under Xie Xie's gaze, Tang Wulin abruptly stood up and turned to sprint toward the cafeteria entrance.

"Wulin, where are you going?" Gu Yue hurriedly asked.

Tang Wulin shouted without looking back, "Xie Xie, Gu Yue! Please help me tell Teacher Wu that the typhoon is coming and I have something to take care of!"

With that, he had already rushed out of the cafeteria.

Xie Xie watched Tang Wulin's back disappear into the distance, scratching his head with a smirk he couldn't quite hide.

Turning his head, he met Gu Yue's furrowed brows.

Gu Yue said with genuine annoyance, "We're in this situation, and you still have the heart to laugh!"

Xie Xie immediately wiped the smile off his face, put on an aggrieved look, and spread his hands: "I wasn't laughing! I just think this typhoon came at the perfect time—it's just enough to buy us some time to prepare."

"Buy time?" Gu Yue snorted coldly.

"Do you think a two-ring gap can be bridged in just a few days?"

"Sigh, Wulin's state of mind isn't great. He's probably bottling up a lot of drive right now; who knows what he's planning to do by running off like that."

Gu Yue muttered to herself for a long time, but received no response.

Looking back, she found Xie Xie happily burying his face in his food. Seeing her look over, the guy blinked, picked up a piece of fatty meat, dropped it into her tray, and mumbled:

"Mmm... you eat this."

Gu Yue looked at the greasy piece of fat in her tray and was so angry she laughed.

"Eat, eat, eat! Just eat until you drop dead!"

As the words fell, a burst of flames erupted, and Xie Xie, along with his tray, was blasted right out of the cafeteria by Gu Yue's fireball.

After dinner, Gu Yue returned to her dormitory to cultivate.

Xie Xie didn't stay idle either; he found Wu Zhangkong once again for extra training.

The typhoon lasted for a full week, and Xie Xie spent that entire week being hung up and whipped by Wu Zhangkong, but there was no helping it—he had brought it upon himself.

Once the aftermath of the typhoon had completely passed, Eastsea Academy finally resumed its schedule.

The afternoon classes passed quickly.

As soon as school let out, a large number of students and quite a few teachers gathered on the playground, all waiting to watch the final Class Promotion Tournament match for the first grade.

On one side stood Class One, hailed as the strongest in Eastsea Academy's history; on the other, the dark horse Class Five, which had risen suddenly and surged forward with unstoppable momentum.

"The Class Promotion Tournament has finally returned to normal!"

"Indeed, indeed! Today is the final match of the emergency session!"

"Teacher Wu Zhangkong is just too incredible! The Class Five she leads has advanced all the way, winning three consecutive matches. And I heard that only one person has even had to make a move."

Students chattered incessantly, and the teachers gathered around the perimeter of the competition arena were also huddled together.

"They're here! They're here!"

Someone let out a cry of surprise, and the crowd turned to look in the direction of the voice. Wu Zhangkong and Xie Xie walked at the very front, with Tang Wulin and Gu Yue half a step behind them, followed by the main body of Class Five.

Yes, Tang Wulin was there too.

This time, not only was Tang Wulin not late, but he had actually returned a day early.

As Class Five came to a halt at the edge of the arena, a commotion broke out on the other side.

The students instinctively cleared a path.

Walking at the very front was a female teacher who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She bore at least a sixty-percent resemblance to Ye Yingrong, but was even more beautiful, with an arrogance in her brow that Ye Yingrong lacked.

Ye Yingrong couldn't help but snicker on the sidelines.

When they spoke on the phone a week ago, her sister had claimed she didn't care at all, but in reality, she had dressed up even more beautifully than usual today.

The three people following behind her were none other than the representatives of the class hailed as the strongest freshmen in years—

Wei Xiaofeng, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi.

Both sides gathered on opposite ends of the competition platform, waiting for the Class Promotion Tournament to begin.

Ye Yingrong hurried over to Ye Yingluo's side and whispered, "Sister."

Ye Yingluo gave a faint grunt of acknowledgment, though her gaze remained fixed on Wu Zhangkong not far away, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

She still couldn't understand: where exactly was she not good enough for her?

She had already convinced herself to change her orientation, disregarding the judgment of others, and had made up her mind to confess to her—she had even... even prepared herself to be the one on the bottom!

Yet, yet Wu Zhangkong had rejected her right in front of everyone!

At the thought of this, deep resentment welled up in Ye Yingluo's eyes.

Wu Zhangkong, just you wait. I will definitely make you regret this!

Ye Yingrong silently took a step back, putting some distance between herself and her sister, who had already transformed into a bitter woman.

Sigh, love really does make people lose their minds.