Time slipped by like a swift horse passing through a crack. Lin Chen stood before the Spirit Pagoda, waiting for the girl.
Before long, Leng Yaozhu emerged from the Spirit Pagoda with Na'er, and a Soul Guidance taxi had already been waiting for some time.
Lin Chen stepped forward and looked at Gu Yuena with a smile. "Let's go, Na'er."
Gu Yuena's expression brightened. After saying goodbye to Leng Yaozhu, she walked over to Lin Chen. Leng Yaozhu watched them with a faint smile, offered a few parting reminders, then turned and went back inside the Spirit Pagoda.
The two got into the taxi one after the other, and it smoothly headed for the Soul Guidance Train station in Shrek City.
The atmosphere in the car was relaxed. Gu Yuena turned to the boy beside her and asked softly, "Lin Chen, how was your vacation?"
At that, Lin Chen's face fell. He put on a sorrowful expression and sighed. "Not good. After the last time I took you out, the old man kept me cooped up in the Sea God Pavilion. I had to train with Uncle Zhuo Shi every day."
Gu Yuena chuckled. "What's so bad about training with Uncle Zhuo Shi and the others?"
Lin Chen's face fell even further, and he sighed again and again. "Sparring with him every day is great for honing my Soul Skills, but I'm the one getting beaten up every day." He sighed once more. "I still think life at Eastsea Academy was better."
Gu Yuena's eyes curved into a smile. "School starts tomorrow. I bet Teacher Wu will crank up the training again."
The warm afternoon sun spilled over the entrance to the dormitory. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie sat outside chatting. When they saw Lin Chen and Gu Yuena arrive, Xie Xie hurried over, brimming with excitement.
He fixed his gaze on Lin Chen and asked curiously, "Captain, is that milk tea shop you mentioned before still open?"
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow and teased him. "Why do you ask? Xie Xie, did you fall for that weirdo uncle in a maid outfit?"
Xie Xie instantly bristled. "How could I? I was just curious about how the milk tea tasted!"
Standing beside Lin Chen, Gu Yuena recalled what had happened before and twitched her mouth. It had been downright creepy.
As they chatted and joked, a cool, composed figure approached at an unhurried pace. Wu Changkong wore a plain white robe and stood ramrod straight. Beside him was a girl with blue twin tails and lively eyes, who looked about their age.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie dropped their playful expressions and stood up straight to greet him in unison. "Teacher Wu."
Wu Changkong gave a slight nod and pointed to the girl beside him. "This is Xu Xiaoyan, a new student joining Class Zero."
Her blue twin tails swayed gently as Xu Xiaoyan said, "Hello, I'm Xu Xiaoyan."
Tang Wulin smiled warmly. "Hello. We've met before. I'm Tang Wulin."
Xie Xie chimed in, "I'm Xie Xie. Nice to meet you."
Lin Chen spoke softly. "That guy with the ice staff must be your brother, right?"
Xu Xiaoyan looked at Lin Chen and thought, He's so handsome! Then she asked, puzzled, "Ice staff guy? Is that the nickname you gave my brother?"
Beside her, Xie Xie and Tang Wulin's shoulders shook as they struggled to hold back their laughter.
Wu Changkong stood nearby and said calmly, "All right, get to know each other. Don't be late for the opening ceremony tomorrow."
The next morning, the students from each grade lined up in order. Class Zero naturally stood at the front, with Gu Yuena, Lin Chen, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan standing in a row.
Lin Chen whispered, "Wait, where's Tang Wulin?"
Xie Xie replied, "Do you even have to ask? He's late."
The opening ceremony was about to begin when Tang Wulin finally came running from a distance. His clothes were slightly disheveled as he jogged over to the group and took his place beside Xu Xiaoyan. "Sorry, I got carried away with my cultivation."
Tang Wulin straightened up, and Lin Chen said calmly, "You made it. Now listen to the dean's speech."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chen's thoughts stirred, and he secretly sent a message to Gu Yuena. "They hold this opening ceremony every year. Last time it was painfully dull, and this time's no different."
Gu Yuena kept her gaze forward and moved her lips as she sent back a message. "There's nothing we can do. We can't exactly sneak off halfway through. Just bear with it for now."
Xie Xie, standing beside Lin Chen, noticed something was up. He quietly leaned his head over, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Wu Changkong caught him sneaking around and smacked him on the head.
Xu Xiaoyan covered her mouth and giggled. The blow also made Xie Xie behave himself.
At last, the painfully dull opening ceremony came to an end. The five of them returned to the Class Zero classroom with Wu Changkong, and their seats had been rearranged. Xu Xiaoyan sat to Gu Yuena's right, while Lin Chen, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin sat to her left.
Once everyone was seated, Wu Changkong, dressed in white, stood at the front of the classroom and looked at Xu Xiaoyan. "Go ahead and introduce yourself again."
Xu Xiaoyan hurried to her feet, her twin tails resting on her shoulders. "I'm Xu Xiaoyan. I'm ten years old, with a Soul Power rank of seventeen. My Martial Soul is the Star Wheel Ice Staff."
At the words "Soul Power rank of seventeen," Lin Chen and Xie Xie exchanged a knowing glance, then turned in unison to look at Tang Wulin beside them.
Tang Wulin's mouth twitched. He scratched the back of his head and quietly lowered it, since his Soul Power still wasn't as high as Xu Xiaoyan's.
Wu Changkong nodded. "Over the next month, you'll need to prove your strength and show that you're suited to staying in Class Zero. After a month, we'll decide whether you stay or go."
Xu Xiaoyan answered obediently, "Yes, Teacher."
Wu Changkong gave a small nod. The hem of his white robe stirred as he turned and walked to the classroom door, leaving them with one last instruction. "You have half an hour to get ready. After a month of rest, we'll check your physical condition and combat skills again."
The subsequent checks earned a nod of approval from Wu Changkong.
As for strength, both Tang Wulin and Lin Chen had improved a little. Their test results prompted Xu Xiaoyan to ask Xie Xie, "Are those two transformed Soul Beasts?"
There wasn't much else to say about the others. Tang Wulin's spiritual power had reached 212, while Lin Chen and Gu Yuena had both broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm.
A trace of satisfaction flashed through Wu Changkong's eyes. He firmly announced the combat test teams. "The practical assessment begins now. Lin Chen and Gu Yuena will team up against Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan."
Xie Xie's face instantly fell as he wailed, "Seriously, Teacher? Even with the three of us against just the two of them, we don't stand a chance!"
Lin Chen smiled faintly and drawled reassuringly, "Don't worry. We'll try to go easy on you."
Gu Yuena beside him also spoke up. "Lin Chen can heal, too. If he hits you too hard, he'll patch you up."
Wu Changkong said coldly, "I never said you had to beat them. Do as I say. You have five minutes."
Xie Xie and Tang Wulin asked Xu Xiaoyan if her abilities were exactly the same as her brother's.
Xu Xiaoyan nodded. "They're the same: ranged attacks and control. But I'm better at control. At night, my control is much stronger."
Wu Changkong said sternly, "The match begins. Give it everything you've got."
As soon as he spoke, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie's expressions turned grave. They summoned their Martial Souls as if marching to their deaths. They exchanged a glance, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.
Xie Xie said seriously, "Wulin, Xu Xiaoyan, we need to get ready for a husband-and-wife beatdown from Lin Chen and Gu Yuena."
A trace of confusion flashed through Xu Xiaoyan's eyes. "What husband and wife?" She had already realized that Lin Chen and Gu Yuena were more than just friends, but what was this about a husband-and-wife beatdown?
Xie Xie's voice remained steady as he pressed on. Lin Chen's mouth twitched at his words, and he silently resolved to give Xie Xie a proper talking-to later.
A blush appeared on Gu Yuena's face, and her ears grew warm. "Lin Chen, you take on Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan."
"I'll handle Xie Xie. Let's see if I don't smash that mouth of his for spouting nonsense."
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