The next day, Tang Wulin woke just as dawn was breaking. He pushed open the door and ran straight out of the dormitory.
His sudden commotion startled the others, who poked their heads out. Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi still had swelling on their faces that hadn't gone down.
Seeing how happy Wulin looked, Lin Chen didn't need to guess: his Soul Spirit had definitely been purified.
He turned to look at Gu Yuena in the room next door and saw that she was looking at him too. They shared a knowing smile, and Lin Chen greeted her cheerfully. "Morning, Na'er."
After Tang Wulin finished his run, the group headed to the cafeteria together. They wolfed down breakfast, then chatted and laughed all the way to class. As soon as they walked in, they saw that Wu Changkong was already waiting for them.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both felt that Wu Changkong seemed a little different, but neither said anything.
Wu Changkong's gaze slowly swept over everyone. His cool voice was no longer as icy as before, and had softened a little. "Take your seats. After yesterday's battle, every one of you made considerable progress. That deserves recognition."
Wu Changkong paused, letting his gaze linger a little longer on Lin Chen, Gu Yuena, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin.
"Yesterday, in the Spirit Ascension Platform, the four of you stood out in particular." His eyes settled on Lin Chen, and his tone grew more serious. "Lin Chen, you coordinated the whole battle, keeping the attack and defense well organized. You had formidable strength to back you up, yet still managed to look out for your teammates at all times."
After giving his assessment, Wu Changkong looked around at the six students in the classroom and spoke clearly. "Class Zero has six students. From now on, the team will have a captain. Considering temperament, strength, leadership, and ability to make decisions in the heat of the moment, I've decided that Lin Chen will be the captain of Class Zero."
Xie Xie was taken aback at first, but then he grinned and nodded without the slightest objection. Apart from Gu Yuena, he was the one who knew Lin Chen best.
Tang Wulin wholeheartedly agreed too. He recognized Lin Chen from the bottom of his heart. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi exchanged a glance, with not a trace of resentment between them. They naturally followed their teacher's arrangement.
Gu Yuena turned her head toward Lin Chen, her deskmate, and silently showed her support with her eyes.
Lin Chen, however, was a little surprised. To be honest, he hadn't really wanted to be captain. He thought Tang Wulin would be more suitable, but since things had gone this far, he could only accept.
In the blink of an eye, the first semester of first year was coming to an end.
The six students of Class Zero had grown closer, though Xie Xie still bickered with Gu Yuena. He couldn't beat her, and he couldn't win an argument with her either. On the rare occasion he managed to win, she would blast him with a fireball.
Tang Wulin looked curiously at Wu Changkong at the front of the classroom and asked, "Teacher Wu, do we have to take final exams too?"
At that, Xie Xie immediately perked up his ears. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi also looked up at their teacher.
Wu Changkong gave a slight nod. "Of course. The final exam has two parts. The first is the Spirit Ascension Platform."
Xie Xie froze. "The Spirit Ascension Platform?"
Three months had passed since Class Zero was established. Lin Chen's Soul Power had reached level thirty-six, while Gu Yuena had advanced seven levels.
Tang Wulin had also reached the peak of level fifteen. In just half a year, he had made progress he never would have dared dream of before entering Eastsea Academy.
Wu Changkong said solemnly, "This time, you'll need to last one hour inside the Spirit Ascension Platform to pass." He paused before continuing. "But there's something you should know: this time, the Spirit Ascension Platform will be in its riot period."
Xie Xie asked curiously. After all, he was the one among them who knew best how to keep himself safe. "Teacher, what does a riot-period Spirit Ascension Platform mean?"
Wu Changkong remained calm as he explained. "The Spirit Pagoda has two riot periods every year. The Eighteen Heavenly Pillars each have three hundred spots, and getting one is no easy feat. The academy had to pay a considerable price to persuade the Spirit Pagoda in Eastsea City."
"During the riot period, teams can enter together, but each team can have no more than seven members. The six of you can go in together, so this will test how well you work as a group."
The school bell rang, bringing the day's classes to an end. Before leaving, Wu Changkong gave them three days off.
As soon as they stepped out of the Class Zero classroom, Xie Xie grabbed Tang Wulin and hurried over to Lin Chen and Gu Yuena. Rubbing his hands together, he leaned in and asked, "Lin Chen, Gu Yuena, we've got three whole days off. We can't just stay cooped up in the dormitory cultivating, right? Why don't we go explore the city together?"
Tang Wulin looked eager. He hardly ever had time to go out and wander around, and with three whole days of freedom, it would be nice to relax a little.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi also stopped and looked to Lin Chen, who was leading the group, waiting for their captain to decide.
Gu Yuena raised an eyebrow and glanced at the excited Xie Xie with her cool eyes, then looked at Lin Chen. "I'm fine with anything, Captain Lin Chen."
Lin Chen raised his eyebrows, planning to tease them. "There'll be a lot of people outside, and it'll be chaotic. We're entering the riot-period Spirit Ascension Platform in three days. There's no need to go out and have fun."
Xie Xie's face instantly fell, and he looked at Lin Chen with a wounded expression. "Come on, we'd just be taking a casual stroll to relax. It won't interfere with cultivation. Staying cooped up in the academy all the time is so dull."
Listening to him complain, Lin Chen could barely keep a straight face. He coughed twice. "Ahem. But then again, relaxing once in a while is good for your health. If we get ourselves in the right frame of mind, we'll be able to face the upcoming riot-period Spirit Ascension Platform in better shape. Don't you agree?"
The moment he finished speaking, the dispirited Xie Xie seemed to come alive. He clapped his hands and cheered, "That's right! Exactly! I knew you were the most reasonable captain!"
A bright smile instantly blossomed across Tang Wulin's face. He clenched his fist, visibly excited, while Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi also relaxed, joy lighting their faces.
Lin Chen turned to Gu Yuena beside him. "Na'er, let's go out and have some fun."
Gu Yuena's lips curled up slightly with a teasing smile. "Since Captain Lin Chen personally invited me, how could I refuse?"
Lin Chen smiled and played along. "Then let's get going, Miss Na'er."
At that, the four companions immediately turned into a row of gossiping spectators. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi stifled their laughter and coughed a couple of times.
"Ahem." Xie Xie deliberately drew out his words, waggling his eyebrows as he looked between the two standing side by side. "So the captain invited Gu Yuena out alone, and the rest of us are just bodyguards tagging along, huh?"
Tang Wulin scratched the back of his head and gave another light cough. "Yeah, we're just coming along for the walk. We definitely won't get in your way."
Gu Yuena's ears quietly flushed red. She glared at Xie Xie and Tang Wulin but didn't argue; she only lifted her eyes to look at Lin Chen.
Lin Chen gave Xie Xie a not-too-hard kick, just for show. "Xie Xie, you sure know how to run your mouth. Now hurry up and lead the way."
"Today's on me."
A group of boys was simple: one idea man, a few doers, and a few easygoing types were all it took to have a great day. Whether Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi were having fun was anyone's guess, but Lin Chen and Gu Yuena were definitely enjoying themselves.
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