"Women's ring?" Fatty Wang looked surprised. "That can't be right. I made a point of specifying it. Did they give me the wrong one?"
"Brother Xiao, let me see the Spirit Ring."
Fatty Wang took the Spirit Ring from Ye Xiao. With his chubby fingers, he really couldn't wear it.
"Uh, Brother Xiao, this Spirit Ring seems a little small."
"How about this? I'll get you a new Spirit Ring."
Ye Xiao took the Spirit Ring back.
He shook his head. "I'll make do with it."
It was a little tight, but he could wear it on his pinky.
It just looked a little strange.
"Fatty, I'm planning to go to the library this afternoon. What about you?"
"Brother Xiao, I'm going to my vocational class."
Hearing Fatty Wang say that, Ye Xiao realized that he'd only gone to class on the second day.
He hadn't gone to class at all since then.
But his status was special. He was a specially admitted student, and since he didn't receive any resource benefits, he naturally wasn't included in the class assessment list either.
So he could go to class or not; no one would mind.
And so,
the two went their separate ways.
Ye Xiao headed to the library, while Fatty Wang went to class.
Jiang University's library was located at the very center of the campus.
Opposite it stood the Martial Bell Tower. The two buildings stood side by side, one on each side, like a pair of guardian deities.
Some people said, "The bell tower represents strength, while the library represents wisdom."
"Without strength, wisdom is useless; without wisdom, strength is no better than a beast."
The library was a six-story building with dark gray stone walls covered in ivy.
Its windows were tall and narrow, like the stained-glass windows of a church, but they were fitted with transparent bulletproof glass.
The main entrance consisted of two heavy oak doors. A bronze relief on them depicted a book, a sword, and a fist.
Below the doors were rows of stone steps, worn smooth and hollowed out in the middle—the marks left by countless feet since Jiang University was founded.
An inscription was carved into the lintel:
"Knowledge is another kind of power."
Ye Xiao was standing outside the library.
Students streamed past in both directions. Some were about to enter the library to study, while others had just finished studying and were coming out.
Jiang University was different from other martial arts schools.
Here, academics and cultivation held equal status. Both were equally important.
Just as Ye Xiao was about to enter the library,
he saw a beautiful young woman coming out, carrying several books as she descended the steps ahead of him.
As soon as she emerged, every student around her, male and female alike, was drawn to her.
No one came within three meters of her.
She had always been a loner, with no companions by her side.
Whispers rose from the crowd.
"She's so beautiful. Is she the newly crowned campus beauty from the rumors, Su Muyun?"
"That's right, it's her! I heard she's the youngest person to reach the Fourth Realm since our school was founded!"
"Not only that, she's also the youngest person in the world ever to reach the Fourth Realm!"
"She's only eighteen—she just came of age a few days ago—and she's already reached the Fourth Realm. That cultivation speed is ridiculous!"
"She's sure to become a Transcendentalist someday!"
"Which of you dares go up and strike up a conversation with Su Muyun?"
"Su Muyun is single, you know! If anyone could win her over, they'd have a future Transcendentalist at their side!"
"You've got some nerve, thinking you can pursue Su Muyun. Unless you have an SSS-Grade profession, you don't even deserve to speak in front of her!"
"..."
Su Muyun seemed accustomed to being the center of attention.
Hearing the crowd's guesses and gossip about her,
she remained calm and continued down the steps, her heart unmoved.
Just then,
Su Muyun saw a familiar face below the steps, watching her.
"Ye Xiao?"
When Su Muyun saw him, her usually steady composure wavered.
"He's changed a lot since before."
"I can feel that his strength has improved."
"But his realm is still the First Realm."
"The First Realm..."
"He's too weak... He can't face those things..."
"Maybe... I should just let it go."
Su Muyun sighed inwardly.
She thought about many things, and in the end decided to keep her relationship with Ye Xiao as distant as that of strangers.
Only by remaining strangers could she keep Ye Xiao from being drawn into the matters involving her.
Just as Su Muyun and Ye Xiao passed each other,
Ye Xiao suddenly spoke.
"Classmate Su, what a coincidence, seeing you here."
Su Muyun paused.
She hadn't expected Ye Xiao to greet her first.
Out of politeness,
she nodded and replied, "What a coincidence. I have something to do, so I'll be going."
Her tone was as cool as ever, devoid of emotion.
The people around them watched Ye Xiao and Su Muyun.
They began whispering again.
"That guy's got guts, striking up a conversation with Su Muyun like that!"
"He's Ye Xiao, the E-Grade Martialist among the new first-years!"
"So it's him, that famous special admit! Is he really dreaming of a toad eating swan's flesh?"
"What a thick-skinned guy. Can't he see Su Muyun doesn't want to talk to him? Why won't he leave her alone?"
"..."
As the people around him criticized and mocked him,
Ye Xiao ignored the noise.
Instead, he opened his palm toward Su Muyun.
A black Spirit Ring lay in his palm.
Su Muyun stared at the black Spirit Ring in Ye Xiao's palm, momentarily taken aback.
She recognized it at once.
It was the Black Spirit Ring she had lent Ye Xiao.
"What does this mean?"
Su Muyun stopped and turned to look at Ye Xiao.
Ye Xiao smiled as he explained, "Thank you for lending me this Spirit Ring."
"I've gotten a new Spirit Ring now, so, as we agreed, I'm returning this one to you."
At that,
the people around them all looked shocked and bewildered.
"What happened?"
"Is there some juicy gossip here?!"
"The newly crowned campus beauty and that useless E-Grade Martialist have some kind of entanglement?"
The crowd, which had been walking by, deliberately slowed down to see what the two of them were doing.
"So soon? You got a new Spirit Ring?"
"Yeah."
Ye Xiao showed her the White Spirit Ring Fatty Wang had given him.
By comparison,
the White Spirit Ring was a size smaller than the Black Spirit Ring.
It was obvious at a glance.
The Black Spirit Ring was a men's ring, while the White Spirit Ring was a women's ring.
"Thank you."
Ye Xiao expressed his gratitude again. "Classmate Su, I have a new Spirit Ring now, so I'm returning the one you lent me."
Just then,
Ye Xiao noticed a hint of displeasure on Su Muyun's face, and a flash of anger in her eyes.
It was faint and hard to notice, but he still caught it.
"Su Muyun, why is she angry?"
Ye Xiao wondered silently. "I'm just returning something to her. I didn't do anything to upset her, did I?"
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