A Wave of the Hand

2 PM, aft deck.

The sun was shining brightly, and the sea breeze was gentle—a perfect day for getting things done.

This area, originally intended for passengers to stroll and enjoy the scenery, is now completely filled with crowds.

The Shrek Academy students stood on one side, and the Star Luo Royal Academy students stood on the other side, leaving a circular open space in the middle with a diameter of about twenty meters, like a natural arena.

The other passengers included people from the Federation, members of the Tang Sect, members of the Spirit Pagoda delegation, and even a few crew members.

They all consciously stood to one side, crowding in twos and threes along the ship's side, on the stairs, and under the sunshade, their eyes all fixed on that open space.

When Yun Jingheng arrived, the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons undone at the collar. He didn't look like he was there to fight; he looked like he was there on vacation.

Tang Wulin followed half a step behind him, his brows furrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping across the arena as he quickly assessed the opponent's lineup.

Gu Yue leaned against the ship's side, arms crossed, expressionless, like a statue.

But her gaze never left Yun Jingheng's back.

Xu Xiaoyan stood next to Gu Yue, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement after being coaxed by Yun Jingheng with just a few words.

She suddenly had a small notebook and a pen in her hand, seemingly planning to become a war correspondent.

Ye Xinglan arrived earliest and secured a spot with the best view.

With her arms crossed, she stood next to Zhuo Shi, who had arrived early to bask in the sun, in the same pose as Yuanen Yehui.

Xie Xie and Wu Zhangkong also arrived, standing at the front of the Shrek Academy camp with the same expression on their faces: curious, but not too worried.

"Sure enough people are all here."

At the Star Luo Royal Academy, there were significantly more people than at Shrek. A dozen or so people stood in a loose row, their uniforms standing out prominently in the sunlight.

Shen Mu stood at the front, having changed into a light training uniform with a black belt around his waist, looking even more capable than in the morning.

There were three people standing next to him, two men and one woman, each with their own aura.

The girl was slender with skin so white it was almost translucent, but her lips were an unnatural red, as if she had just drunk blood.

Meng Honglian.

A level 58 agility-based Soul King, with the Martial Soul Red-Bellied Snake.

The boy standing to her left was burly, with shoulders as broad as a door, and skin that was an unhealthy grayish-brown, looking as rough as a tortoise shell.

His breathing was slow and deep, each breath seeming as if he was forcing air deep into his body.

Zhou Yuanshan, a level 56 defensive Soul King, Martial Soul Iron-Armored Turtle.

The boy on the right looks the most ordinary. He's neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, and his features are unremarkable. He's the kind of person you'd easily lose in a crowd.

However, he stood half a step closer to Shen Mu Shen Mu Meng Honglian and Zhou Yuanshan, which reflected their different statuses.

Furthermore, Yun Jingheng noticed that Shen Mu and that person had a very brief exchange of glances.

It took less than half a second, but it was enough to illustrate the point.

That person was not an ordinary student.

Yun Jingheng withdrew his gaze and slowly walked into the open space in the center.

Shen Mu stepped forward with a smile, extended his hand and shook hands with Yun Jingheng. The handshake was neither too firm nor too weak, and the duration was neither too long nor too short—all within the bounds of propriety.

"Yun Jingheng is very punctual."

Shen Mu released his grip and took a step back. "Let's confirm the rules again: one-on-one, falling to the ground, going out of bounds, or surrendering all count as a loss. No injuries or damage to the ship. How does that sound?"

"Can."

"So who will perform in the first round?"

Shen Mu turned to look at the crowd behind him, his gaze sweeping over several people. "Who among you wants to spar with Shrek's genius first?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone from the Star Luo Empire camp stepped forward.

It wasn't Meng Honglian, it wasn't Zhou Yuanshan, it wasn't that ordinary person beside Shen Mu.

Instead, he was a tall, thin young man with prominent cheekbones, narrow eyes, and a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

His steps were very light, as if he were walking on cotton, and he made no sound.

He looks like a "fake person".

"I'll do it."

He said the voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Shen Mu glanced at him, nodded, and then turned to Yun Jingheng: "This is Han Qi, a level 54 agility-attack type Soul King, his Martial Soul is..."

No introduction needed.

Yun Jingheng interrupted him, his gaze falling on Han Qi, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, the curve calm and restrained.

"You'll know once you try."

The air on the deck seemed to freeze for a moment.

The sea breeze passed between the two, ruffling the hem of Yun Jingheng's shirt.

A seagull cried out in the distance, but was quickly drowned out by the sound of the waves.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

Cai Yue'er strolled over leisurely, raised an eyebrow. This kid certainly inherited Yun Ming's talent for verbal provocation. Does he even know how to raise a child?!

Xu Xiaoyan uncapped her pen and wrote the first line in her notebook:

At 2:03 PM, Han Qi entered the game. Yun Jingheng said, "We'll see once we fight."

Ye Xinglan picked up the thermos, took a sip, and then looked past the rim of the cup to fix her gaze on Yun Jingheng's back.

Yun Jingheng stood at the edge, meeting the curious gazes of the guests, and slowly began, "Let me confirm one more time: whoever loses treats the entire ship to dinner, right?"

These words caused a subtle... restless atmosphere on the deck.

The onlookers exchanged glances; some laughed, some shook their heads, and some whispered among themselves, "Is this Shrek kid really that confident, or is he just arrogant and ignorant?"

Yun Jingheng didn't care about those gazes.

He stood at the edge of the circle, his white shirt fluttering in the wind, sunlight falling on him.

Shen Mu looked at him, his smile remaining unchanged, but a slight glint appeared in his eyes.

"That's right."

Shen Mu said calmly, "The loser treats the whole ship to dinner."

"That's good."

Yun Jingheng nodded, his tone as if confirming a menu, "I'm afraid someone might try to renege on their payment."

He then looked at Pan Wen, who was watching the commotion from the side, and said, "Secretary Pan, would you mind being a witness?"

Pan Wen stood at the front of the crowd, dressed in a dark suit, his hair neatly combed... if the word "Mediterranean" could be used to describe him.

Hearing Yun Jingheng call his name, he paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Young people have courage."

He nodded, his voice not loud, but everyone on the ship could hear him clearly, "I have given this testimony."

The atmosphere warmed up even more after those words from the Federation leadership.

Some people began to openly pull out their Soul Tool, preparing to record this sparring match.

Some people were whispering about dinner, saying that no matter who was paying, at least they had dinner tonight.

Yun Jingheng returned to the industry and faced Han Qi.

Han Qi had already stood opposite him, ten steps away, his body slightly leaning forward, like a taut string.

"Junior Brother Yun," Han Qi's voice became softer and more ethereal again, spreading like mist, "Are you ready?"

Yun Jingheng did not answer.

He didn't even adopt any defensive stance.

His hands were still in his pockets, and the collar of his white shirt was blown open by the wind, revealing a small patch of sun-kissed skin below his collarbone.

He didn't look like he was preparing for a fight.

It's more like they're waiting for someone.

A flash of annoyance crossed Han Qi's eyes.

He didn't wait any longer.

With a swift movement, the silver-gray shadow slid off the deck, moving even faster than before, so fast that it was almost impossible for the naked eye to see it.

He brought his five fingers together like a knife, and a sharp blade of energy condensed at his fingertips, aiming straight for Yun Jingheng's chest.

He used all his strength in that attack.

A level 54 agility-based Soul King's full power is enough to make a hole in a steel plate.

The sound of the air blades tearing through the air was sharp and piercing, and some of the onlookers instinctively stared intently at the scene.

And Yun Jingheng--

Yun Jingheng extended his right hand.

The movement of pulling it out of his pocket was neither fast nor slow, as casual as stretching after getting up in the morning.

He opened his palm, his five fingers slightly bent, facing Han Qi was rushing towards him.

Then, gently flick it to the side.

The movement was very light, like shooing away a fly that had just landed near your face.

But in that seemingly casual wave of the hand, a terrifying power suddenly erupted.

Han Qi felt as if he had bumped into an invisible wall.

No, it's not a wall.

It's a hand.

An invisible, enormous hand, reaching out from the void, grasped his entire body.

A force that pulled him in a certain direction was so strong that he couldn't resist it at all.

His body was gripped as if by an invisible giant hand, drawing an arc in the air and deviating from its original trajectory toward Yun Jingheng, flying toward the side of the deck.

That's too fast.

It was so fast that he didn't even have time to react.

Han Qi's vision spun violently in an instant.

He saw the sky, the sea, the surprised expressions on the faces of the Shrek students, and the suddenly constricted pupils of the teacher leading the group—

Then he saw the gunwale.

The wooden, waist-high railing was hurtling toward him at an incredible speed.

He instinctively tried to grab something, waving his hands wildly in the air, but the gravity was too strong, so strong that he couldn't lift his arms at all.

"Bang--"

The railing broke beneath him, sending splinters flying.

His body did not slow down at all, and he continued to fly outwards.

Then came the sunlight.

Then comes the wind.

Then came the boundless, deep blue sea.

The moment Han Qi flew off the ship's side, only one thought remained in his mind—

I was thrown overboard?

"Thump--"

The water splashed, blooming into a white flower on the calm sea.

There was a full two seconds of silence on the ship.

Then--

"Han Qi has fallen into the water!"

"Someone has fallen into the sea!"

The deck erupted in chaos.

Several students from the Star Luo Royal Academy rushed to the ship's side, clinging to the broken railing as they looked down, their faces filled with terror and disbelief.

I don't know why, but they were just shouting and yelling there, but they didn't go to save anyone.

Meng Honglian stood at the back of the crowd, her vertical pupils suddenly dilated, her lips opened and closed, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Am I supposed to fight this kind of person later?

The ordinary-looking boy next to Shen Mu showed an expression for the first time; he frowned slightly.

What about Shen Mu himself?

Shen Mu stood there, motionless.

His gaze shifted from the broken railing back to Yun Jingheng inside the circle, and the smile on his face finally vanished completely, replaced by an indescribable expression.

Yun Jingheng also looked at his right hand, his expression somewhat subtle.

He slowly turned his hand over, looked at his palm, then at the rippling sea outside the ship's side, and remained silent for a moment.

Then he turned to look at Pan Wen, his tone sincere and without any pretense of apology.

"Secretary Pan... I think I didn't control my strength well."

Pan Wen: "..."

The entire audience. "..."

Tang Wulin covered his face.