"..."
Ma Xiaotao walked along Sea God Lake, lightly kicking pebbles as she pondered.
She knew only a vague outline of the truth back then. Even when she asked her teacher, he brushed her off with a sentence or two. Today, she had wanted to hear some details from Sister Lexuan, who had experienced it firsthand, but...
"Ugh, what a headache."
Ma Xiaotao pouted. "How did that guy Xu Cheng know about all this? If only I'd asked him in person at the arena..."
"No need, little girl. You can still go to the Sun Moon Empire now... and ask him in person."
A voice rang out abruptly.
Ma Xiaotao's pupils contracted.
She looked up. At some point, several black-robed figures had surrounded her, leaving her nowhere to run...
A gentle breeze blew.
The sleeves of the black-robed figures fluttered. Their leader lifted his hood, revealing a face brimming with smiles.
"Saintess, come back with us..."
Mingde Hall.
Jing Hongchen handed Xu Cheng a list.
"We may have to revise the list for this exchange. Shrek Academy said that apart from a few members of the Reserve Team who competed in the Tournament, all the students they're sending will be elites from the Inner Court. They want us to send not just A Xiao, but other talented students too... people like Ma Rulong."
"Oh? Has the list been finalized?" Xu Cheng took it, looking surprised.
"Not yet. Shrek told me to wait a little longer. They'll give us the final list just before summer vacation, but it'll definitely carry enough weight." Jing Hongchen rubbed his chin.
"Looks like they've really steeled themselves this time." Xu Cheng glanced at the list.
Even Zhang Lexuan, their Grandmaster Senior Sister, was on it. Whatever the final list looked like, it clearly wouldn't