Somewhere in a dense forest outside the academy...
Gu Qingnian had just woken up and was recalling everything that had happened yesterday. His feelings were somewhat muddled, but more than anything, a sense of comfort washed over him.
His gaze shifted downward. Looking at Cui Yajie beneath him, her face filled with both pain and pleasure, he reached out and brushed her hair aside.
He picked her up and flew to a patch of forest near the academy gates.
"Sleep here for a while. You can go back later." Leaving those words, a Soul Power projection, and protection behind, he dressed her, set up a protective barrier with multiple layers of aura safeguards, and rose to leave. Bringing her back like this would draw far too much attention.
But just as he was about to leave, his gaze fell upon a dazzling patch of gold...
Fourteen minutes later...
"There's only a minute left. He isn't really going to skip this, is he?" Wang Dong was no longer in the mood to joke. Her expression had grown anxious.
Huo Yuhao and the other two kept their eyes fixed on their surroundings, as though expecting a figure to appear out of nowhere at any moment.
The spectators outside the arena were growing restless, and voices rose in discussion.
"What's going on? He's not coming to the final?"
"I heard they're friends. Could he be forfeiting on purpose?"
"Surely not. He's crushed everyone all the way here..."
"Apparently..."
The referee, Du Weilun, looked upward. That was where the final decision would be made.
In the stands...
The expressions of Yan Shaozhe and his companion shifted slightly. With their composure and self-possession, they were hardly shaken, but they did glance around a few more times.
Xuan Zi, on the other hand, did not care.