Ye Xinglan's mind was filled with images of Zhong Shenxiu in his complete form as Dragon Fighting Warrior. The image of that upright, dragon-like figure, those scarlet vertical pupils, and the Dragon Spear that drew golden circles in the air—those images were deeply etched into her mind, and she could never forget them.
She wanted to know more about him.
She wanted to know where he came from, which college he was in, why he was so strong, what he liked to do in his spare time, what he liked to eat, what his favorite color was, and everything about him.
But she didn't dare ask.
It wasn't because she was timid, but because she didn't know what right she had to ask. They were complete strangers; she was just someone he had casually rescued. What right did she have to inquire about him?
So Ye Xinglan simply followed, without speaking or asking any questions, just watching.
Time passed in silence.
They walked through forests, through meadows, across streams, and over hills. Zhong Shenxiu walked in front, and Ye Xinglan followed behind, as if they were connected by an invisible thread, one in front and one behind, one near and one far.
Before I knew it, ten hours had passed.
Zhong Shenxiu slowed his pace.
It wasn't because he encountered Soul Beast, but because his mental exhaustion had reached its limit. The mental strain brought on by the complete form of the Dragon Fighting Warrior couldn't be recovered in a short time. Even with the nourishment of Spirit Power Halo and the self-healing of the Indestructible Dragon Body, the mental depletion still required a long recovery process.
He stopped, stood on an open grassy field, and looked up at the sky.
There were no stars in the sky above the Spirit Ascension Platform, only a faint curtain of light, which was the boundary barrier of the Spirit Ascension Platform. The color of the light curtain changed from bright white during the day to pale blue at night, like a huge gemstone dome covering the sky.
Zhong Shenxiu withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Ye Xinglan behind him.
Ye Xinglan also stopped and stood three steps behind him, looking at him with her azure eyes.
The two stared at each other for a second.
Zhong Shenxiu looked away first. He raised his left hand and looked at the Signal Device on his wrist. It was a device issued when entering the Spirit Ascension Platform; pressing a button would allow him to leave the Spirit Ascension Platform and return to the corresponding room in the Spirit Pagoda.
His finger hovered over the Signal Device for a second, then he lowered his hand.
He didn't press it; instead, he waited.
Ye Xinglan saw his movement and the hand he lowered. A strange emotion welled up inside her, like something stuck in her chest, a sour and astringent feeling.
She knew it was time to part ways.
The silent boy was leaving, returning to where he came from, to the world without her. And she too was returning to the Shrek Academy, to that place full of competition and pressure.
The two went their separate ways from then on, and may never meet again.
Ye Xinglan bit her lip, took a deep breath, as if she had made a major decision.
" Zhong Shenxiu."
She called his name. It was the first time she had ever called his name, and the three words came out of her mouth with a gentleness she herself was unaware of.
Zhong Shenxiu turned his head, his light golden vertical pupils looking at her.
Which college are you from?
Ye Xinglan finally asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for ten hours. Her voice was calm, but her fingers were trembling slightly, and her tightly clenched fingers betrayed her inner tension.
Zhong Shenxiu looked at her and answered without hesitation.
" Eastsea Academy "
Four words, spoken softly and in a flat tone.
But when Ye Xinglan heard those four words, her eyes lit up. Eastsea Academy, she knew this academy. Not because it was famous, but because it was located in Eastsea City, which wasn't too far from Shrek City Eastsea City.
A smile played at the corners of her lips, and a glint of light flashed in her azure eyes.
"I will come to find you, Zhong Shenxiu."
When Ye Xinglan said this, her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was firm. Her eyes were fixed on Zhong Shenxiu, without shyness or evasion, only a pure and undisguised determination.
Zhong Shenxiu looked at her, his light golden vertical pupils slightly contracting.
He misunderstood.
In his understanding, if a Soul Master says they're coming to find another Soul Master, there's only one possibility: it's to challenge them.
Therefore, he believed that Ye Xinglan's statement about coming to find him meant she wanted to fight him.
Zhong Shenxiu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile. The smile was very faint, so faint that it was almost invisible, but Ye Xinglan saw it.
"I'm waiting for you."
The four words, spoken softly, carried an undeniable confidence. That confidence wasn't feigned, nor was it shouted out; it emanated from the very core of his being, like a drawn sword, its sharpness fully revealed.
In Zhong Shenxiu's view, this is his response to accepting the challenge.
But Ye Xinglan interpreted it differently.
She saw him smile. A hint of warmth appeared in his usually cold and aloof Light Gold Vertical Pupils. Although the smile was faint, on his angular face, it was like a flower blooming on an iceberg, both cold and stunning.
He said, "I'm waiting for you."
Ye Xinglan's heart skipped a beat.
Her face flushed again, but this time she didn't turn her head. She just looked at Zhong Shenxiu, his image reflected in her azure eyes, and the smile on her lips deepened.
Zhong Shenxiu didn't say anything more. He glanced down at the Signal Device on his wrist, and this time without hesitation, pressed it directly.
The Signal Device emitted a soft beep, and a white light rose from his body, enveloping him entirely.
Ye Xinglan looked at the light, at Zhong Shenxiu within it, and watched his figure become blurred in the light.
She also pressed the Signal Device.
A white light rose from her body, overlapping with Zhong Shenxiu's light and engulfing both of their figures simultaneously.
After the light faded, the meadow was empty, with only blades of grass swaying gently in the moonlight.
Shrek City.
This city, one of only two super-cities on the entire Douluo Continent, displays its unique prosperity as night falls. Towering buildings outline an uneven skyline against the night sky, and the Soul Guidance Lamp on the streets illuminate the entire city as bright as day. Flying Soul Beast occasionally sweep across the sky, and the Soul Master on their backs draw graceful arcs above the city.
The Spirit Pagoda Headquarters is located in the heart of Shrek City, and is one of the tallest buildings in the entire city. The tower is entirely made of white stone, which gleams with a faint silver light under the night lights. The Spirit Pagoda logo on the top of the tower is particularly eye-catching in the night sky, like a giant eye overlooking the entire city.
The Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform area of Spirit Pagoda Headquarters is located on the tower body, with dozens of rooms distributed on both sides of a long corridor, each room serving as an entrance/exit to an independent Spirit Ascension Platform.
A light came on in one of the rooms.
White light shone through the crack in the door, then the door was pushed open, and Ye Xinglan walked out.
Her blonde hair was a little messy, and her clothes were torn and stained, but she was in good spirits, her azure eyes were bright, and there was a faint smile on her lips.
Outside the room was a small waiting area with a few chairs against the wall. The wall was decorated with the Spirit Pagoda logo and several posters promoting the Spirit Ascension Platform. There were two people in the waiting area: a middle-aged man and a teenager.