"Hey, Sister Shen Yi, what's up?" Lin Chen said softly, holding his phone to his ear.
Shen Yi's voice came through the receiver. "Lin Chen, have you arrived in Skysea City?"
"We got here ages ago. We're at the hotel." Lin Chen stood and walked to the window.
At that, Shen Yi's tone brightened. "We're almost there too. Come find me later."
Lin Chen agreed, then ended the call. He wondered whether to ask Na'er to come along, but made up his mind a moment later.
Lin Chen raised his hand and tapped on Wu Changkong's door. When it opened, Wu Changkong stood there in simple, casual clothes, his cool gaze settling on the young man outside. "What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Lin Chen scratched his head, sounding a little tentative. "Well, Teacher Wu, Sister Shen Yi and the others are almost here. She just called and asked me to come find her."
Wu Changkong gave a slight nod, his eyes flashing with a hint of complexity that was hard to detect. "Go ahead. The competition doesn't start until tomorrow."
Lin Chen then went to the room where Gu Yuena and Xu Xiaoyan were staying. Just then, his phone vibrated: Shen Yi had sent him her location. He glanced at it, then rapped his knuckles against the door.
Xu Xiaoyan's bright voice soon came from inside. "Who is it?"
"It's me. I came to see Na'er," Lin Chen replied.
The door opened. Xu Xiaoyan leaned against the frame, a smile in her eyes. Behind her, a faint blush colored Gu Yuena's ears. Lin Chen noticed Gu Yuena's unusual expression and asked in confusion, "What were you two talking about just now?"
"Nothing much," Xu Xiaoyan said with a smile.
Lin Chen didn't press her. He turned to Gu Yuena. "Na'er, let's go. Sister Shen Yi's already arrived and sent us her location."
Gu Yuena nodded lightly and was about to follow Lin Chen out when Xu Xiaoyan gazed at them longingly and tugged at Gu Yuena's sleeve, pleading, "Sister Gu Yue, I want to come along and join in the fun too. Can I?"
Gu Yuena turned to look at Lin Chen, waiting for him to decide. Lin Chen explained gently, "We're not going out for fun. If we were, of course we'd bring you along. We have something important to take care of."
Xu Xiaoyan's shoulders drooped. She could only let go of Gu Yuena's sleeve, muttering dejectedly, "All right, then. Come back early."
After saying goodbye to Xu Xiaoyan, Lin Chen and Gu Yuena followed the location Shen Yi had sent and soon found the group. There were eight people in all, including Shen Yi, with Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi standing among them.
When Ye Xinglan saw Lin Chen, she walked over to him. During the break, she had sought him out every few days to spar, and she had never won. The two of them had gradually grown familiar with each other.
Apart from Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi, Lin Chen didn't know the other five at all.
Lin Chen walked up to Shen Yi and greeted her with a smile. "Long time no see, Sister Shen Yi." Gu Yuena greeted her too.
Shen Yi smiled. "How long has it even been? And you're already calling it a long time no see?"
The other five students nearby saw this and huddled together, whispering. "Is he the Lin Chen Teacher Shen Yi mentioned? He doesn't look that impressive."
"Yeah. Is he really as strong as the rumors say?" Their scattered murmurs drifted into earshot.
Lin Chen didn't care what they were muttering. He remained composed and chatted idly with Shen Yi.
Afterward, Lin Chen's gaze swept over the youths who had just been whispering about him. He offered no needless rebuttal. After saying goodbye to Shen Yi, he turned and left with Gu Yuena.
Back at their accommodations, Lin Chen had barely opened the door when Xie Xie, who had been lounging on the sofa waiting for news, hurried over, curiosity written all over his face. "Captain, what did you go do with Gu Yuena just now?"
Lin Chen flopped down on the sofa and casually made up an excuse to fob him off. "First we did this, then we did that, then we did this. That's it. Get some rest early."
Xie Xie was speechless. It was like listening to someone talk and hearing nothing at all.
Early the next morning, representative teams from cities all over arrived one after another. The huge stands were already packed.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan were all experiencing a large-scale competition venue like this for the first time. Looking at the expansive fighting arena and the densely packed crowd, they couldn't help feeling awkward and tense. Their bodies stiffened slightly, their gazes darting around as excitement and nerves filled their eyes.
The opening ceremony passed in a blur. After that, the competitors drew lots for the different events. Of course, the students had nothing to do with it; the teachers handled everything.
The group gathered together and quietly chatted about the competition when a voice came from behind them. "I'm so hungry. Does anyone have anything to eat?"
At the sound, Gu Yuena was about to turn around and see who it was, but Lin Chen turned her head back toward the arena. A faint blush quickly colored the girl's ears. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Lin Chen, what are you doing?"
Lin Chen spoke to her telepathically. "Ignore it."
Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Tang Wulin all looked at Xu Lizhi in unison. Xu Xiaoyan blurted out, "Here comes another little foodie."
Tang Wulin took a piece of dried fish from his storage device and handed it to Xu Lizhi. Both of them were foodies, and after Xu Lizhi finished eating, he started chatting with Tang Wulin. They talked about everything from local snacks to seafood, getting along better by the minute.
The blush on Gu Yuena's ears hadn't faded yet. She sat quietly beside Lin Chen.
The two foodies were about to exchange contact numbers when a somewhat cold voice rang out. "Why did you come over here?"
A girl walked toward them. She wore the same tracksuit as Xu Lizhi, and her golden ponytail was tied back behind her head. Her blue eyes were nearly as striking as Tang Wulin's, though still not quite a match for Gu Yuena's and Lin Chen's.
Her eyes landed on Lin Chen and Gu Yuena's backs, which seemed vaguely familiar. She looked at Xu Lizhi and Tang Wulin with some distaste. "Don't just take things from anyone—"
Her words cut off when she noticed Lin Chen and Gu Yuena turning around. She hurried forward, her voice brightening. "You two are here too! The exhibition match is about to start. I came to take him back."
Lin Chen and Gu Yuena smiled and nodded.
After Ye Xinglan left with Xu Lizhi, Xie Xie was the first to hurry over. Xu Xiaoyan and Tang Wulin were just as curious, firing questions at them one after another. "You know each other?"
Lin Chen smiled faintly. "Na'er and I live in Shrek City. We met during the break."
"The exhibition match is about to start. Let's watch."
The arena's broadcast suddenly rang out across the venue, its announcement clear and forceful. "Next is the exhibition match: the Skysea Alliance Youth Division champions challenge Shrek's seven-member team!"
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan quickly turned their eyes toward the platform. When they saw the contestants lined up there, Ye Xinglan holding the Stargod Sword and Xu Lizhi standing behind her, the three exchanged glances, then turned to look at Lin Chen and Gu Yuena beside them with strange expressions.
The match ended in seconds. The leading boy from Shrek received a boost from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, and a flash of blinding light swept across the arena. A minute later, the Skysea Alliance's Youth Division champions were all down and eliminated. They then left the platform.
Because of Lin Chen, the group wasn't all that surprised.
Xie Xie rubbed his chin and muttered casually, "I wonder who's stronger, that guy leading the Shrek team or Lin Chen."
Xu Xiaoyan immediately lifted her chin, speaking with absolute certainty. "Who else? Captain Lin Chen is definitely stronger."
The phone rang. Lin Chen picked it up and answered. Ye Xinglan's voice sounded from the other end. "Lin Chen, are you entering the individual competition? Our captain wants to spar with you."
Before you continue