Group Stage

The air in the training grounds seemed to have frozen. Only faint glowing particles left behind by the surging Soul Power slowly drifted down. Yun Ying stood to one side, her large eyes unblinking as she stared at Tang Wulin, filled with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny.

"Tang Wulin, how did you throw down someone heavier than you just now? And your Bloodline Power feels completely different from that of ordinary Soul Masters. Can you explain it to me in detail?" Yun Ying stepped closer, completely ignoring Xie Xie standing on Tang Wulin's other side, his face already as dark as the bottom of a pot. Her questions came firing out like a barrage.

Tang Wulin smiled helplessly and was just about to offer an explanation when a cold snort abruptly cut him off.

"Hey! Yun Ying, right? That's enough already!" Xie Xie crossed his arms and tipped up his chin, trying to reclaim his presence with his carefully styled hair and what he believed to be unrivaled good looks. "Is the boss someone you can just pester with endless questions? If there's something you don't understand, why not ask Lord Xie Xie? I know the boss's fighting style inside and out!"

Yun Ying glanced at him, her gaze as indifferent as if she were looking at an ordinary tree by the roadside. Then she quickly turned back to Tang Wulin and continued staring at him, her tone carrying a trace of disdain. "You? Go stand somewhere else. What do you know? We're discussing profound combat techniques here. You'll only get in the way." She paused, as though recalling something, then added, "Besides, you're blocking my light."

Xie Xie: "..." He felt as though an invisible arrow had pierced straight through his chest. Why? Why was it always like this? Other than having a passable face, Tang Wulin was as dull as a stone. In what way could he compare to the dashing, elegant Lord Xie Xie? Yet it was always this unfair! Yun Ying, who had only just arrived, seemed to have been put under Tang Wulin's spell. She revolved around him while treating Xie Xie like transparent air!

A nameless rage mixed with sour bitterness shot straight to his head. Xie Xie took a deep breath and decided he would no longer sit around and wait for death. He took a swift step between them, forcibly blocking their line of sight, and said to Yun Ying with a fake smile, "Ahem, miss, shouldn't there be an order to asking questions? The boss and I have important matters to discuss. As for those techniques, once we're free, I'll teach you slowly. I guarantee I'll explain them more clearly than he can."

Yun Ying frowned as she looked at Xie Xie, who had suddenly wedged himself in, then at Tang Wulin, now blocked from view. Her face clearly showed impatience. She pursed her lips, seemingly feeling that saying another word to Xie Xie was a waste of time. She simply turned around and walked away, leaving behind one sentence: "Boring."

After reaching the edge of the grounds, Yun Ying did not leave. She squatted there, picked up a dry twig, and listlessly scratched at the ground with it. One circle, two circles, three circles... The circles she drew were crooked and uneven. Clearly, her mind was not on drawing at all, but on the figure in the distance. Only because Tang Wulin had tactfully reminded her earlier to "mind the occasion" did she temporarily suppress the urge to go over again.

Watching Yun Ying's back as she squatted on the ground, the gloom in Xie Xie's heart not only failed to fade but became even more turbulent because of her complete disregard for him. He shot Tang Wulin a vicious glare, his gaze incredibly complicated, mixed with jealousy, resentment, and an accusation of, "Why are you attracting attention again?"

Tang Wulin was baffled by the look. He rubbed his nose and looked back innocently. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

Xie Xie was so angry that he laughed instead. Rolling his eyes dramatically, he squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth. "Boss, you really are... far too innocent!" With that, he awkwardly turned his head away as well, deciding not to speak to this "romance-proof yet endlessly attention-attracting maniac" for the time being.

Just then, the enormous electronic screen in the center of the training grounds suddenly lit up. A piercing system notification shattered the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"Attention, students. The group-stage draw is about to begin. All participating students, please gather in the central area."

The list on the screen began scrolling rapidly before finally stopping.

"Group One versus... Group Seven."

"Group Fifteen versus... Group Two."

"Group Thirty-Two versus..."

When this group was announced, Xie Xie instinctively perked up his ears. He belonged to Group Three.

"...Group Three!"

"Pfft—!"

The mouthful of water Xie Xie had just taken sprayed straight out, splashing Tang Wulin beside him and Yun Ying, who had happened to be walking over. He jerked his head up toward the big screen, his face full of disbelief.

"No way! This accurate?! Group Three?!" Xie Xie's voice cracked, filled with despair and the grief-stricken indignation of the heavens are unfair.

Tang Wulin beside him was also slightly stunned, then shook his head helplessly. The team formed by Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Yun Ying was precisely—Group Three.

In other words, in the very first round, Xie Xie would have to cooperate with Yun Ying, the girl who had left him restless with jealousy, and do so under everyone's watchful eyes.

"Get ready. We're going up." Tang Wulin patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. His tone was calm, but a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. He had long since seen through Xie Xie's little thoughts, and now he found this matchup especially entertaining.

Xie Xie stiffly turned to look at Yun Ying, then at the composed Tang Wulin. Yun Ying's face was glowing with eagerness, and her eyes were fixed directly on Tang Wulin.

"Female demon..." Xie Xie muttered through gritted teeth, remembering the bet he had made with Yun Ying earlier. "Remember what you said!"

Yun Ying heard him and immediately replied, "Don't worry! I have an excellent memory! Just wait and see!"

Hearing that, Xie Xie only felt a tightness in his chest. The sourness nearly overflowed from his heart. He stomped his foot hard and said to Tang Wulin, "Let's go! We're heading up! Today, I'm going to make certain people understand why flowers are so red!" With that, he took the lead toward the competition platform, his back carrying the tragic resolve of one marching to death and the determination to prove that he was the most handsome.

Tang Wulin and Yun Ying exchanged glances, both seeing the amusement in the other's eyes. Tang Wulin shrugged and followed after him.