Setting Off for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

"Surrender... those words, I return them to you now."

Tang Ya repeated Beibei's words from earlier with calm mockery.

On the arena stage, Beibei's complexion shifted uncertainly amidst the flickering lightning and shadows. He looked at Tang Ya, whose aura had already surpassed his own, then glanced at her two teammates behind her.

His clenched fists trembled slightly, lightning sparking and fading between his fingertips.

It was a disgrace; he was only one point away from advancing to the fifth grade, and now he would have to wait another semester...

In the end, all his unwillingness, anger, and a deeper, more complex emotion condensed into three words squeezed through his teeth:

"...I surrender."

"Whoa--!"

The crowd below exploded instantly, waves of questioning, disappointment, and anger threatening to blow the roof off the arena.

"Senior Brother Beibei! Don't! Referee! That doesn't count!"

"Trash! I bet all my Gold Soul Coins on you!!"

"Rigged! This is absolutely rigged! What kind of evil power did that woman use?!"

The referee on stage was clearly stunned as well, evidently not expecting Beibei, one of the Outer Court Twin Stars, to surrender so readily.

Ultimately, he did not challenge the surrender. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and raised Tang Ya's arm high, his booming voice drowning out the chaos of the scene:

"I announce, the final winners of this year's fourth-grade final examination are—" He paused slightly, lifting Tang Ya's arm higher, and declared loudly, "The team of Tang Ya, Li Ru, and Luo Yunyun!"

As his words fell, the audience erupted into sparse, scattered applause after a brief moment of silence.

The moment the referee let go, Tang Ya turned around immediately, not sparing Beibei another glance, and walked quickly toward Li Ru and Luo Yunsong, who were struggling to stand at the edge of the stage, reaching out to support them.

"Let's go, we need treatment." Her voice was low and hoarse, yet exceptionally firm.

"Xiao Ya!" Lin Feng's figure had already cut through the crowd, reaching the edge of the arena in a few strides to firmly support Tang Ya's other arm.

His gaze swept quickly over Tang Ya's pale face and the lingering black mist around her, his tone urgent, "How are you? Is anything hurting?"

"I'm fine," Tang Ya leaned into the weight of his arm and shook her head gently. Fine beads of cold sweat seeped from her forehead, revealing deep exhaustion, "Just a little tired. Take me away from here, quickly."

"Alright, let's leave."

Lin Feng knew Tang Ya was teetering on the edge of losing control and said no more.

He slipped one arm under the back of her knees and the other around her shoulders, lifting her steadily into his arms with a slight exertion of strength.

Tang Ya naturally wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his shoulder and closing her eyes, as if all the clamor of the outside world no longer concerned her.

Ignoring the various gazes and whispers cast their way, the two walked straight through the crowd toward the arena exit.

On the stage, Beibei stood alone amidst the wreckage, watching helplessly as the two left, intimately embraced and ignoring everything else, watching the way Tang Ya relied on Lin Feng without any defenses in his arms.

His face flushed red again, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white...

Lin Feng carried Tang Ya steadily in his arms the entire way. As he traveled, he quietly released a trace of Blue Silver Nether Fire, slowly channeling it into her body.

Using it to carefully guide, absorb, and suppress the dark power still faintly surging within Tang Ya's meridians.

By the time they returned to the Tang Sect shop, Huo Yuhao had already left, and the dark power around Tang Ya had been completely suppressed.

"Xiao Ya, get some rest." Lin Feng placed Tang Ya gently on the bed, his voice softening, "I'll go prepare the luggage for our trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. If all goes well, we can..."

Before he could finish his sentence or rise to leave, a cool hand gently tugged at his sleeve.

Lin Feng looked down to meet Tang Ya's eyes, which had opened at some point.

Those eyes were no longer chaotic; they were clear as before, carrying a trace of... almost soft pleading.

"Don't go," she said softly, "Stay with me for a day, okay? Let's... leave tomorrow morning."

This sentence didn't sound like a command, but rather a confession of reliance.

Tang Ya looked at Lin Feng, her gaze devoid of her usual strength, showing only fragility and reluctance to let go.

The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was incredibly dangerous.

What she needed most right now was not the endless opportunities there, but this small bit of comforting companionship and peace.

"Alright."

Lin Feng replied softly.

Following the faint pressure of her hand, he slowly turned and lay down beside her.

Tang Ya seemed to let out a small sigh of relief, her body naturally snuggling toward him as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

Lin Feng let her lean against him, then sent a strand of powerful soul power flying out the door to lock the shop's main entrance before hanging up the "Closed" wooden sign.

Immediately after, a breeze-like strand of soul power brushed over the top of the bed.

The plain bed curtains swayed gently, then fell, separating the small bed from the outer room and carving out a private space that belonged only to the two of them.

The shop returned to silence, with only the sound of their gentle breathing and heartbeats intertwined behind the curtains.

A peaceful night passed, and the next day arrived quickly.

The two rose early, packed their luggage, and requested a month-long leave of absence from the academy.

On the evening of a few days later, they selected a spot on the outskirts of the Sunset Forest and set up a temporary camp.

The nights in the Sunset Forest were significantly colder than those in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin Feng used Golden Crow True Fire to ignite a bonfire, which served both to provide warmth and to disperse the surrounding poisonous miasma, as well as to deter any soul beasts that might approach.

Their greatest concern was not the soul beasts, but the miasma that had accumulated in the forest over the years, along with the water and vegetation tainted by it. This was also why they had brought their own food and water.

"Here, have some hot soup." Lin Feng filled a bowl and handed it to Tang Ya.

"Xiao Feng," Tang Ya took the bowl, her face still showing some worry, "the miasma isn't much of a problem for you, but what if we encounter multiple ten-thousand-year soul beasts... are you really confident?"

"Ten-thousand-year soul beasts? With you by my side, I'm not afraid." Lin Feng smiled. "Besides, I heard Dean Yan say that there haven't been any ten-thousand-year soul beasts sighted in the Sunset Forest for decades, so there's no need to worry too much."

Over the past ten thousand years, the overall strength of human soul masters had grown increasingly powerful, especially with the rise of soul tool technology, which had caused the living space of soul beasts to be constantly encroached upon, leading to a sharp decline in their population.

The Sunset Forest had inevitably been affected in many ways, to the point where even ten-thousand-year soul beasts were no longer to be seen.

If soul beasts were to eventually go extinct, then the profession of soul master might follow suit... Of course, this was not a problem for Lin Feng, who was currently at the Soul King cultivation level, to worry about, so he ceased his aimless thoughts.

"Mm," Tang Ya nodded, looking toward the dim depths of the forest. "The miasma is generally thickest in the early morning and thinnest at noon. Let's wait until tomorrow at noon to set off."

"Alright, I'll listen to you," Lin Feng said.

Another night passed, and by noon the next day, the two did not delay further. Following the map provided by Mu En, they headed toward the depths of the forest.

The further they went, the thicker the surrounding miasma became, and the light grew dim.

Lin Feng unleashed his Golden Crow True Fire, condensing it into a scorching, spherical protective barrier that enveloped him and Tang Ya like a small sun, directly blocking out the heavy miasma outside.

At the same time, he released his spiritual detection, vigilantly sensing his surroundings to guard against any powerful soul beasts that might approach.

"We are about to reach the terrifying miasma zone formed by the Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers..." Lin Feng said in a deep voice.