Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone Wager! Reaching the Top of the Genius Ranking!
"Oh, kid."
"You actually knew me!"
"It seems your observation has exceeded my expectations!"
"It has reached a level of consummate skill!"
Bai Yuan looked into his eyes and thought for a moment.
"Oh, there's a picture of you hanging outside."
The smile that had just formed at the corner of Yun Ming's mouth froze slightly.
He thought he had misheard, but Bai Yuan's expressionless face told him he hadn't.
Yun Ming fell silent.
Bai Yuan looked at Yun Ming's expressionless face.
"Speak, you've come here so late, there must be something else on your mind."
"I don't like beating around the bush, you can just say it directly."
Yun Ming leaned over and looked at Bai Yuan, his eyes filled with a mixture of scrutiny, surprise, and an indescribable admiration.
This boy is different from the other Shrek students.
When people saw him, they were either trembling with fear, fawning over him, or so excited that they couldn't even speak properly.
But Bai Yuan looked at him as if he were an ordinary person.
"What a strange boy."
Yun Ming's voice carried a hint of emotion.
"Everyone is trying to curry favor with me and wants to talk to me as much as possible."
You're something else.
It's like they're urging me to leave!
Interesting, interesting.
Bai Yuan didn't speak, but stood quietly at the door, waiting for him to finish speaking.
Looking at his calm and unhurried demeanor, Yun Ming's eyes shone even brighter.
He wasn't in a hurry, and neither was Bai Yuan.
This conversation was destined from the start not to follow the script he had envisioned.
Then I waited for a while.
Bai Yuan looked at him, Yun Ming also looked at him.
The child really stopped talking.
He had expected Bai Yuan to press him for answers, to become nervous, and to show some kind of expression that he hoped to see.
But Bai Yuan just leaned against the door frame.
Without uttering a word!
Fine, fine, I'm scared of you.
Yun Ming's voice carried a hint of helplessness.
There was even a hint of a smile that he himself didn't realize.
"Four days later, you will face off against the number one and number two on the Youth Genius Ranking."
Bai Yuan's brow twitched slightly:
"This."
"We partnered with the Spirit Pagoda to organize a tournament."
"You'll be competing with both of them for first place."
The reward is Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
"Of course, this is a bet between me and the Spirit Pagoda; whoever loses has to pay for it."
Bai Yuan fell silent.
The Spirit Pagoda wants to make a name for itself, Shrek wants Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Why not take it if it's free? After all, not many people believe he can win.
According to outside information, both of them are level 50 Soul King, and it is said that two of them also possess Battle Armor.
This disparity, in any match, would be enough to make the vast majority of people bet on Shrek's side.
Why did Ke Yun Ming come to tell him in person?
The current Sea God Pavilion of the Shrek Academy personally went to an exchange student's dormitory just to inform him about a match?
That doesn't make sense.
Bai Yuan looked directly into Yun Ming's dark, inky eyes, without beating around the bush.
"Your Majesty, why did you come to tell me this in person?"
Why not just call someone over?
Is there something else?
Yun Ming was taken aback.
He looked at Bai Yuan's expressionless face, and a slow smile spread across his lips.
"Hahaha, interesting kid, you really know how to guess what I'm thinking."
Bai Yuan remained silent.
Yun Ming's laughter echoed in the room for a while before gradually fading away.
He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Bai Yuan.
His gaze fell upon the night outside the window, and his voice carried a hint of melancholy.
"What a pity, what a pity, you didn't cultivate the Gun Dao."
Otherwise, you're quite a promising talent to have grasped Sword Intent at such a young age."
He turned to look at Bai Yuan, the light from the Soul Guidance Desk Lamp reflected in his dark eyes.
"The Spirit Pagoda values you highly, but it cannot find you a teacher to instruct you in Spirit Pagoda art of becoming Sword God."
Bai Yuan leaned against the door frame, looking at Yun Ming's face, which flickered in and out of focus under the lamplight.
The Sword God doesn't exist in the Spirit Pagoda, but he can find it.
He's trying to win me over.
It wasn't power or resources that tempted him; it was the "path to becoming stronger."
Bai Yuan remained silent for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Your Majesty, you are the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek, and I am an exchange student of the Spirit Pagoda."
"Aren't you afraid the Spirit Pagoda will have something to say about this?"
Yun Ming smiled, a very calm and composed smile.
"So what if I have ideas? I Yun Ming, don't need to explain my actions to anyone."
Bai Yuan looked at his "I am who I am" attitude, and the corners of his mouth curved into a deeper smile.
He turned and opened the door, stepping aside to let him pass.
"Your Majesty, it is late. You should return. I will be there on time for the arena match in four days."
As for the Sword God, I'll worry about that after I take the top spot on the Genius Ranking first.
Looking at his composed and unyielding demeanor, Yun Ming's admiration deepened.
He walked to the door, stopped beside Bai Yuan, and turned his head to look at him.
"I'm waiting for you."
Bai Yuan looked at him without saying a word.
Yun Ming withdrew his gaze, stepped out of the room, and his footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor.
Bai Yuan stood at the door, watching the figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then closed the door and leaned against it.
He came to him not only to inform him of the competition, but also to test him.
To test his character, to test his attitude, to test whether he was worth Shrek's investment.
As for the Sword God, we'll think about it later.
What he needs to do now is to take the top two spots on the Youth Genius Ranking.
He was determined to have the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Bai Yuan walked to the bedside and sat down. Core Flame appeared in his palm, its golden light shining faintly in the darkness.
No matter what Shrek Academy's plans are, becoming stronger is always the right thing to do.
The night was deep outside the window. He closed his eyes, suppressing his chaotic thoughts.
Not far away, Ya Li stood in the shadow of a tree.
She watched Yun Ming walk out of the dormitory building, a slight smile curving her lips as she went to greet him.
"Brother Ming, how did it go? Did you agree?"
Yun Ming shook his head and walked at a pace a few seconds faster than usual.
"This kid's shrewd. He won't say anything no matter what we say, he's just stalling for time."
Ya Li followed beside him, turning her head to look at his rarely seen embarrassed expression, and her smile deepened.
"Hahaha, so you ever get the short end of the stick?"
"Being ignored by others, this is our Sky Pillar Douluo!"
Yun Ming stopped and turned to look at her.
Ya Li still had that gloating smile on her face, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
He raised his hand and gently pinched her cheek, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and indulgence:
"You little rascal."
Ya Li laughed and slapped his hand away, her long hair swaying gently in the night breeze.
Yun Ming withdrew his hand and continued walking forward.
The two walked side by side on Shrek's tree-lined path, moonlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on them.
"Geniuses have their own ideas, and we can't avoid that."
Let's make a good connection.
Ya Li turned her head to look at him, her brows furrowing slightly.
"To forge a good connection?"
Yun Ming nodded, his gaze falling on the direction of the ancient Golden Ancient Tree in the distance.
"After all, what if something happens to Shrek later, right?"
Ya Li paused slightly in her steps.
She looked at Yun Ming's profile; his expression was calm, revealing nothing.
"With you here, what could possibly happen?"
Ya Li followed, her tone somewhat dismissive.
Yun Ming remained silent.
His gaze pierced through the night, looking towards a more distant place.
He didn't know what was going to happen, but the feeling was getting stronger and stronger.
That child might be his last chance at survival in this world.
Yun Ming withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Ya Li.
She remained as beautiful as ever under the moonlight.
His face was reflected in my pupils.
Hopefully.
He took her hand, his voice very soft.
"Hope what?"
Ya Li was led by him, turning her head to look at him.
Yun Ming smiled.
"I hope it's just an illusion."