Firelight on the Cross-Sea Bridge

His voice wasn't loud, but in the unusually quiet playground at that moment, everyone could hear him clearly.

A deathly silence fell over the stands for about three seconds.

Then it exploded with a deafening roar.

"What was that just now?!"

"I didn't see anything at all! How did he fly there? And how did the whole area freeze?!"

"Those five Soul King were all blown away?! Not a single one was left?"

"What level of Soul Skill is this? Is it the sixth ring? Or are those two red Soul Ring? But he doesn't seem to have any rings lit up..."

A chaotic cacophony of voices, screams, and applause surged through every corner of the stands.

Some people stood up, some excitedly grabbed their companions' sleeves, and some held up their communicators with trembling hands. The camera lens showed only the light refracted by the ice crystals and the two figures in the center of the arena.

Xie Xie was doubled over with laughter at the sidelines, one hand on Tang Wulin's shoulder, the other pointing to the center of the arena. "Jing Heng, just how many tricks have you been hiding? When did you come up with this? I've been with you for so long, how come I didn't know you could do this?"

Yun Jingheng walked back from the center of the arena, his steps unhurried, even taking a detour when crossing a patch of low ice crystals.

He took the bottled water Xu Xiaoyan handed him, lowered his head and took a sip. "It was just a matter of deliberately detonating the shield. Besides, I only used the suppressed Crescent Moon."

"You're still suppressing it?" Gu Yue asked with great interest.

Yun Jingheng rolled his eyes at her. "If I don't suppress them, they won't even be able to withstand my first Soul Skill. They might even lose their arms and legs."

Later, Ye Xinglan Yuanen Yehui took to the stage one by one. Although they had just reached level 60, they still managed to overwhelm the challengers.

By the time the sparring matches ended, it was completely dark.

The streetlights along the playground formed a dim yellow strip of light, making the still-unmelted ice crystals in the center of the training field sparkle like stars.

Although the spectators in the stands were still reluctant to leave, they eventually dispersed after Long Hengxu shouted three times through a megaphone, "Today's exchange is over."

Before leaving, Tan Qing led all the members of New Zero Class over and solemnly bowed to Tang Wulin and the others.

Tan Qing hesitated for a moment as she straightened up, but still asked, "Will the seniors come back in the future?"

Tang Wulin looked at his earnest yet slightly awkward face, and patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Eastsea Academy isn't going anywhere. I'll come back to see you guys when I have the chance."

Tan Qing nodded, and finally a slightly relaxed smile appeared on her lips for the first time that night.

Principal Yu Zhen was the last to leave. He paused as he passed the group, his gaze sweeping over their faces. He didn't say much, only leaving behind the words, "Those of you who have left Eastsea Academy, remember to come back and visit, no matter how far you go." Then he walked away slowly with his hands behind his back, his silhouette casting a gentle and contented shadow under the streetlights.

Stepping out of the school gate, the night breeze, carrying the salty smell of the dock, blew in from the east, and it was much cooler than during the day.

Xie Xie stretched lazily by the roadside, took out his communicator and flipped through it, then looked up and waved the screen at the group. "I've booked the hotel, Eastsea Hotel, sea view rooms, five rooms in a row, we can see the sunrise as soon as we open the curtains tomorrow morning."

Yuanen Yehui was surprised. "When did you order it?"

"I ordered it while you were warming up before the competition."

Xie Xie put away the communicator, his tone carrying a hint of smugness, as if to say, "See? I'm reliable, aren't I?" "The Xie Family has a long-term cooperation agreement with the Eastsea Hotel; it's just a matter of one phone call."

Xu Xiaoyan chuckled beside her, "I won't stay with you guys. I'm going home to see my parents, and I'll come back to meet you tomorrow morning."

"OK."

Xie Xie waved his hand, "It's only a fifteen-minute walk from your place, do you want us to give you a ride?"

"I'm not a three-year-old."

Xu Xiaoyan made a face at him, turned and walked in the opposite direction. After a few steps, she turned back and waved to the group, "See you tomorrow! Remember to save me breakfast!"

Her figure quickly disappeared into the shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach.

The remaining six people walked along the main road towards the pier for a while, and the golden sign of the Eastsea Hotel could be seen in the distance, standing at the very front of the seaside avenue. The building was lit up with warm yellow outline lights in the night, clearly indicating a prime location.

After Xie Xie entered the lobby, he only exchanged two sentences with the receptionist before someone respectfully handed him six room keys.

As he distributed the items, he muttered to himself, "This is a high floor, on the east side, so the sunrise angle will be the best tomorrow morning. I specifically chose this spot. You can go up and put your things down first. If you want some late-night snacks, there's a barbecue stall across the street that's open all night—"

Yun Jingheng took the room key and nodded to Xie Xie and Tang Wulin: "Let's explore again tomorrow."

Then he entered the elevator first.

Just as Xie Xie had said, the room faced the sea, with a dark expanse of ocean visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The lights of several cargo ships sailing at night appeared and disappeared amidst the undulating waves, and the sea breeze seeped in through the cracks in the windows, carrying a damp, salty smell.

Yun Jingheng took a shower, changed his clothes, and lay in bed for a while, tossing and turning without falling asleep. He then got up and sat on a chair by the window, staring blankly at the moving lights on the sea for a while before drawing the curtains and lying back down.

I don't know when I finally fell asleep.

At some point in the early morning, Yun Jingheng suddenly opened his eyes.

An extremely subtle tremor, originating from the depths of his Soul Power perception, pulled him from his sleep.

Something exploded suddenly in the distance, the aftershocks traveling through the air and buildings to the edge of his senses, very clearly.

He sat up. The light coming through the curtains seemed to have changed; an unusual orange-red hue had crept into the originally even, dark tones.

He threw back the covers, got up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains.

On the distant sea, the cross-sea bridge connecting Eastsea City and the port area on the opposite shore was ablaze with flames in the night.

Thick smoke billowed from the eastern part of the bridge, and flames shot straight up from the cracks in the broken bridge deck, burning a large patch of crimson light into the dark night sky.

Several vehicle wrecks lay across the bridge; the flickering lights of emergency lights could be seen through the smoke, and the faint, sharp sirens of sirens could be heard in the distance, along with... lighting effects?

Separated by the entire sea and city, the signal became intermittent by the time it reached the hotel.

Yun Jingheng stood by the window, his fingers gripping the edge of the curtains, his gaze sweeping back and forth three times between the light and the thick smoke.

The bridge is broken.

The explosion was massive, and even from this distance, the residual aura of the Soul Power fluctuations still pricked at the edges of his senses like needles.

There was a destructive quality about it that was unfamiliar to him but that he could recognize, a quality that was deliberately emanating.

He drew the curtains wide open, turned around, and picked up the communicator from the bedside table.

The moment the screen lit up, there were already two unread messages on it.

A Xu Xiaoyan: "Jing Heng, are you awake?"

Another message came from Tang Wulin, a minute later than Xu Xiaoyan's. "Jing Heng, I sensed a fluctuation in Soul Power. It doesn't seem like an accident. I'll go out and find out what's going on."