Splash!
Water splashed up.
Inside the swimming pool.
Xu Lexuan swept her wet, long hair back and lay in the bathtub, stealing a glance at Xu Cheng sunbathing in the distance.
Her beautiful eyes blinked. She picked up the towel beside the pool and tossed it at Xu Cheng.
"Hmm? Can't wait?" Xu Cheng caught the towel effortlessly, a smile appearing on his face.
"Hardly. I'm more curious about how that girl Wang Dong'er rode her master and defied her ancestors last night." Xu Lexuan lay in the pool with her whole body submerged, like a mermaid resting against the shore. She propped her cheek on her delicate hand, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for juicy gossip.
"..." Xu Cheng turned away helplessly and ignored her.
"Hmph. We'll find out tonight whether you're up to it." Xu Lexuan gave a coquettish snort and submerged herself again. Bubbles gurgled through the pool. The beauty seemed to have shed her usual aloof identity as a princess and captain, revealing a girlish side before Xu Cheng.
Xu Cheng slowly stood up and looked down.
They were on the highest floor of the Mingdu Hotel, with an excellent view. They could easily take in the whole of Mingdu Square and clearly see the spectators entering below.
It was early morning. The Royal Soul Engineer Corps, one of the Hands of National Protection, was maintaining order at the arena. Even up here, he could clearly hear the clamor of hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Today was the first day of the second Elimination Round.
Over three days of elimination matches, the Clear Sky Sect, Shrek Academy, and Snow Demon Sect had taken turns stepping onto the stage and thoroughly captured the spectators' attention. Even many academies had abandoned their long-held belief that these factions were