Tang San's brutal defeat at Xiao Wu's hands had been witnessed by a woman.
A kilometer from the sports field, in the dean's suite at the highest point of the academy, Bibi Dong leaned against the window frame, a cup of cold tea in one hand, her gaze fixed on the field. Her awareness covered the entire academy. At this distance, it was no different from watching from right in front of her.
The dusk streamed through the window and fell over her, gilding her in honey-colored light.
Thirty was the age when a woman was at her most alluring.
And yet, the heavens had been especially generous to her—a cascade of dark purple hair fell to her waist, with a few stray locks beside her ears, framing a face that was both seductive and dignified.
Her eyes and brows were born with three parts languor, three parts sharpness, and the remaining four parts were an overwhelming presence that made people afraid to meet her gaze.
She wore only a dark purple silk robe, its sash loosely tied, revealing broad stretches of pale, smooth skin and a cleavage that seemed to plunge into unfathomable depths. The robe's hem was slit high. With the slightest movement, her long, straight legs shimmered in and out of view beneath the silk, brimming with deadly allure.
Dean of Spirit Academy. A level-98 Super Douluo. Twin Martial Souls.
Across the entire Douluo Continent, that title placed her among the very best.
But at that moment, this top figure of the continent was frowning as she recalled what she had just seen on the distant sports field, her expression a little strange.
"How peculiar."
She set down her teacup and lightly tapped the window ledge twice with a fingertip.
Xiao Wu had beaten Tang San. That in itself was nothing unusual. In her years as dean, she had seen hundreds of students spar and fight. What was strange was when Xiao Wu had reached the Soul Saint level.
She clearly remembered Xiao Wu being level 62 on the roster. How had she kicked level-69 Tang San flying?
Bibi Dong thought for two seconds, then decided she must have remembered wrong.
Such a trivial matter wasn't worth her attention. As long as no one had been killed, it was fine.
She picked up her teacup again and took a sip. It was cold. She frowned and put it back.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Four knocks sounded, evenly paced, with neither too much nor too little force.
Bibi Dong didn't turn around. She knew who it was just from the way they knocked.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a woman around Bibi Dong's age stepped inside. She was also thirty, but her temperament was entirely different.
Bo Saixi.
If Bibi Dong was a glass of strong liquor in the dusk, Bo Saixi was the sea breeze at noon: bright, sharp, and carrying the tang of salt.
Her silver-white hair fell to her shoulders, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes.
Her brow bones were soft, her nose straight, her jawline clean and sharp. Her angular features were striking and heroic. She was about as tall as Bibi Dong, but a little broader in the frame, with square, level shoulders.
She wore a fitted dark blue combat uniform, cinched tight at the waist with a silver belt.
Standing there, she radiated an aura entirely different from Bibi Dong's.
Bibi Dong exerted a quiet pressure; before you realized what was happening, she had already swallowed you whole. Bo Saixi was a gleaming blade, and one glance was enough to tell you she wasn't someone to trifle with.
Vice Dean of Spirit Academy. A level-98 Super Douluo. Her Martial Soul was the Sea God, and in the sea, there wasn't a single person on the entire continent who could beat her.
Unfortunately, the academy was on land.
"Dean Bibi Dong, I came to discuss something with you."
Bibi Dong finally turned around, leaned against the window frame, folded her arms over her chest, and lifted her chin. "Go ahead."
"About the next dean election..."
"Wasn't that already decided by vote?" Bibi Dong cut her off, her tone flat. "You lost our last match, so I'll remain dean for the next term. What's there to discuss?"
Bo Saixi's temple twitched. "We fought on land last time. You said it was just a friendly spar, and I didn't use my full strength."
"So?"
"Let's fight again somewhere else."
Bibi Dong gave her a complicated look. There was a little helplessness in it, a little amusement, and even a hint of admiration.
"Bo Saixi, the sea is eight hundred li from the academy. You expect me to go all that way to spar with you? And the judges, too?" She paused and shifted into a more comfortable position against the frame. "Whatever the contest, if you don't take it seriously, that's your problem. You can't blame anyone else."
Bo Saixi clenched her hand inside her sleeve, then let it go.
She knew Bibi Dong was right. That was what made it so infuriating.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Bibi Dong broke the silence first, softening her tone a little. "All right, don't sulk. Being dean isn't all that great. There are endless documents to approve and a pile of student nonsense to deal with. Last month, some guy used a Soul Skill to roast chicken wings in the cafeteria and burned a hole in the roof. They even took the repair costs out of my stipend."
Bo Saixi didn't respond to that.
"Then there's the next Student Council president." She changed the subject. "I'm recommending Hu Liena."
Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.
"Hu Liena? Qian Renxue's stepping down?"
"Qian Renxue has served three consecutive terms. It's time for a change."
"You know Qian Renxue's abilities. She served three terms because no one else could do the job better." Bibi Dong looked at Bo Saixi, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. "You're paving the way for your own student, aren't you?"
Bo Saixi's expression didn't change, but the tips of her ears flushed a little. She'd been seen through.
"Hu Liena is capable."
"I didn't say she wasn't." Bibi Dong pushed her teacup to the corner of the table. "We'll follow the proper process. The senior staff will decide by vote. Neither of us should interfere, or people will start gossiping."
"Fine." Bo Saixi turned to leave, then paused at the door without looking back.
"Before the next election, I'll fight you again."
"Anytime."
The door closed.
Bibi Dong stood by the window and watched Bo Saixi's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then shook her head.
Meanwhile, on the tree-lined path along the western side of campus, the evening breeze passed through two rows of trees, rustling the fallen leaves.
Two figures walked side by side along the path. Whenever passing students spotted them, they instinctively moved aside, then watched them for a long time.
Qian Renxue walked on the left.
Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders and down her back, gleaming dazzlingly in the sunset. She wore a white uniform jacket over a pale blue shirt, a gray plaid pleated skirt, white knee-high socks, and brown Oxford shoes. Her stride was steady, her steps neither too big nor too small, her pace unchanging.
Her emerald eyes looked down the path ahead. Her expression was calm—not cold enough to keep everyone at a distance, but not inviting anyone to draw near, either. Student Council president for three consecutive terms, a level-79 Soul Saint, and Bibi Dong's personal disciple.
Hu Liena walked on the right, half a step faster than Qian Renxue. Every now and then, she had to deliberately slow down to wait for her.
Her short rose-gold hair curled in waves at the ends, resting over her shoulders and chest. She had a delicate, oval face and a pair of naturally smiling, peach-blossom eyes. Even when she wasn't smiling, the corners of her mouth turned upward, giving her an indefinable allure. She wore the same uniform jacket as Qian Renxue, but had undone one more button at the collar and rolled up her shirt cuffs. Her skirt was a little shorter than Qian Renxue's.
The academy's vice president, a level-79 Soul Saint, and Bo Saixi's personal disciple.
At Spirit Academy, every mentor had to train at least one disciple to the Douluo level each year. It was a hard requirement for anyone seeking to run for vice dean or dean.
Qian Renxue and Hu Liena were the trump cards Bibi Dong and Bo Saixi had each placed their bets on.
The two seemed to get along well, but they were quietly competing with each other. Everyone at the academy knew it.
"Qian Renxue." Hu Liena spoke first, turning her head to glance at her.
"Hmm?"
"Who do you think will become dean in the end?"
Qian Renxue's stride didn't change, nor did she look away from the path. "Hard to say."
"Don't you have a preference? Dean Bibi Dong is your mentor, after all."
"A mentor is a mentor. The dean election is the dean election."
Hu Liena pouted and kicked a small stone at the roadside. "You always know how to keep your words watertight. Talking to you is no fun."
Qian Renxue finally turned to look at her, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"And yet you come talk to me every day."
"..."
Hu Liena was stumped. She puffed out her cheeks, trying to think of a retort, but couldn't find one.
They walked on for a while longer.
Near the fork in the path, Hu Liena suddenly stopped. "By the way, something seems to have happened over at the sports field today. Have you heard?"
Qian Renxue stopped. "I have. Xiao Wu beat Tang San."
"Xiao Wu? That level-62 girl with the Scorpion Braid? She beat Tang San? Do you believe it?"
"The facts are right there. It doesn't matter whether you believe them or not." Qian Renxue paused, turning her gaze toward the sports field. "What's interesting is that Xiao Wu's Soul Power doesn't seem like that of a level-62 cultivator."
Hu Liena narrowed her eyes. "You noticed, too?"
"Mm."
"What do you make of it?"
Qian Renxue looked away and didn't answer directly. "I don't make much of it. They're lower-year students; there's no need to dwell on it. I'm leaving."
With that, Qian Renxue turned onto the path to the left. Her back remained straight, and her pace was as unhurried as ever.
Hu Liena stood where she was, hands in her jacket pockets, watching Qian Renxue's back for three seconds.
"Boring."
She muttered the word, then turned onto the path to the right.
The two figures receded in opposite directions through the dusk.
The night breeze swept past the plane trees, stirring a few fallen leaves.
The entire Spirit Academy still had no idea that the dilapidated little Claw Machine shop outside the gates had already begun to rewrite some people's fates.