Ye Xinglan's lips curled up slightly.
She recalled his appearance in battle. With his Martial Soul Possession, dragon scales covering his body, and dragon horns like a crown, he transformed into a humanoid dragon. That kind of pressure, that kind of aura, she had never seen before, even among the top geniuses of the Shrek Academy.
And the words he said when he left.
"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.
Ye Xinglan's lips curled up even more.
She suddenly longed to see him.
I long to see those pale gold vertical pupils again, to hear his calm, almost incoherent voice again, and to see him in battle once more.
A wish came to Ye Xinglan's mind.
Zhong Shenxiu, you absolutely must participate in the Skysea Alliance Grand Competition!
She tapped her fingers lightly on her knee twice, a small gesture she made when nervous.
She didn't know which academy Zhong Shenxiu belonged to, but she remembered him saying that he was from the Eastsea Academy. Eastsea Academy was located in Eastsea City, and Eastsea City was a member city of the Skysea Alliance, so it would definitely send a representative team to participate in the Skysea Alliance Grand Competition.
Zhong Shenxiu is so strong, Eastsea Academy has no reason not to let him participate.
Therefore, he will definitely come.
Thinking of this, Ye Xinglan felt a little more at ease.
She turned her head and glanced at the other people in the carriage.
Teacher Shen Yi was resting with her eyes closed, while several team members from the Outer Court were chatting quietly. Xu Lizhi sat next to her, head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Ye Xinglan glanced at Xu Lizhi, a complex look flashing in her eyes.
She knew that Xu Lizhi had always been good to her, from childhood to adulthood. Xu Lizhi always tagged around her, buying her food, helping her carry things, and cheering her on when she was fighting.
But Ye Xinglan never regarded Xu Lizhi as that kind of object.
In her eyes, Xu Lizhi was just a younger brother next door who needed to be taken care of, a childhood friend, nothing more.
Ye Xinglan could tell to some extent that Xu Lizhi's parents and her own parents were intentionally or unintentionally trying to bring the two together.
Whether she spoke openly to her parents or expressed her dissatisfaction, her opinions were not taken seriously by her elders because she was still young. Xu Lizhi was also impossible to get rid of at the time, so Ye Xinglan could only let this little tagalong play with her until now.
All she could think about was that she would explain things clearly when Xu Lizhi grew up and when she herself grew up.
But now, things are different.
Zhong Shenxiu's face reappeared in Ye Xinglan's mind.
Those pale gold vertical pupils, that sharply defined face, that aloof aura that belies his age.
She suddenly realized that it wouldn't be fair to Xu Lizhi Xu Lizhi he continued to stay by her side and treat her well.
Because she could never reciprocate his feelings.
Her heart has already flown to another person.
Ye Xinglan took a deep breath, turned her head, and continued looking out the window.
Xu Lizhi raised his head, glanced at Ye Xinglan's profile, and then lowered his head again.
His fingers gripped his pants so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force.
He didn't know what Ye Xinglan was thinking, but he knew that Ye Xinglan had changed. She had changed after coming out of the Spirit Ascension Platform.
There was something in her eyes that he had never seen before. It wasn't the joy of breaking through in cultivation, nor the excitement of winning a battle, but a softer, more delicate emotion.
Xu Lizhi didn't understand what that emotion was, but he instinctively felt uneasy.
He felt something slipping through his fingers, and he didn't even have the right to reach out and grab it.
Inside the carriage, a team member from Outer Court suddenly spoke up.
"Do you think there might be some powerful figures in the Skysea Alliance?"
Another team member scoffed, "Impressive? How impressive can they be? The strongest academy on the East Sea is Skysea Academy. It's said that their genius students reach the fourth ring at fifteen. A fourth ring at fifteen is indeed impressive among ordinary people, but at Shrek Academy, there are plenty of people who reach the fourth ring at fourteen."
"Too."
"However, I heard that Eastsea Academy has produced a genius this time. His Martial Soul is Radiant Dragon type, and he's already at the third ring at only ten years old."
"A ten-year-old with three rings? That's interesting, but not that special. There are plenty of ten-year-olds with three rings at Shrek."
"That's true."
The group continued chatting, their tone full of disdain for the Skysea Alliance Grand Competition.
When Ye Xinglan heard the words " Eastsea Academy," her ears twitched slightly.
She didn't turn around, but her attention was already focused on the conversation of those people.
"What's the name of that genius from the Eastsea Academy again?"
"I don't know. I heard it from someone else. It's information from the Spirit Pagoda. Apparently, it's a man with the Martial Soul of the Radiant King Dragon, but I don't know his exact cultivation level."
Radiant King Dragon.
Ye Xinglan's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't know if that person was Zhong Shenxiu, but the word "Guangming" immediately brought to mind those light golden vertical pupils.
Ye Xinglan bit her lip, trying to remain calm.
She couldn't be too obvious, and she couldn't let others know what she was thinking.
Zhong Shenxiu, you absolutely must come.
The train continued its journey.
The scenery outside the window changed from plains to hills, from hills to mountains, and then from mountains to coastal plains.
Skysea City is getting closer and closer.
Ye Xinglan leaned back in her chair, her azure eyes gazing out the window, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She was imagining what she would say to Zhong Shenxiu if she saw him again.
Like Skysea City, Eastsea City is adjacent to the sea, but in a better location, boasting the largest port and docks on the entire continent. The Federation Navy is stationed Skysea City, and in the distance, one can vaguely see huge warships anchored in the sea.
It is precisely because of its strong military power that Skysea City has become the largest city on the East Sea and holds a pivotal position on the mainland, not inferior to some large inland cities.
Unlike Eastsea City, Skysea City is mountainous, so many buildings are constructed on the mountains, creating a more layered and undulating appearance. Some high-rise buildings, built on the mountains, truly give the feeling of reaching into the clouds.
The delegation from Eastsea City was led by officials from the administrative residence, who had already made contact with Skysea City.
The five members of Class Zero were the youngest among the East Sea people who came to participate in the competition. Naturally, they didn't pay much attention to outside affairs and just followed the group.
They were taken to a luxurious hotel, which was quite unique, with half of the building situated in the sea, and every room offering ocean views, giving the feeling of being able to embrace the ocean.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie one room, while Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan were in another.
And Zhong Shenxiu, the ace player from the Eastsea Academy who was almost destined to win the championship, was all alone in a room.