The dormitory.
After packing a few things and shouldering the multifunctional storage bag he had bought in Swallowed Star, Xiao Zi used his leave slip to leave the academy without trouble.
He would be away for a long time, so he had requested extended leave. Although his homeroom teacher, Mu Jin, had told him to return early, he planned to meet up with everyone in Star Luo City instead of returning to Shrek.
In truth, Xiao Zi was not certain how things would turn out. If he could participate in the tournament, he would; if not, so be it. He had no intention of supporting Shrek anyway, that backyard of Tang San's on the Douluo Continent.
To keep news of his departure from spreading and causing the "tragedy" of women crowding around him and Qian Renxue getting jealous, he left without a sound. He all but had "sneaking around" written across his face.
Yet the moment he stepped through the main gate, a figure in blue blocked his path.
"Senior Ling." At the sight of her, Xiao Zi's icy expression thawed a little, and he took the initiative to greet her.
Ling Luochеn approached, worry written all over her pretty face. "I heard in Director Du's office that you requested extended leave to leave the academy. Is that true?"
Much like Yan Shaozhe's disciple Ma Xiaotao, she had a part-time job as the director's assistant, usually delivering messages and running errands for Du Weilun. Deeply uneasy about a certain someone traveling alone, she had even abandoned training and hurried over specifically to get a clear answer.
Xiao Zi's gaze grew deep as he looked at the ice goddess before him, with her cool, aloof bearing. He sensed not a trace of pretense, only the purest concern.
Once the results of the Grand Melee selection match spread, almost everyone believed that defeat had left him depressed, knocked down and unable to get back up.
The beautiful senior's concern left Xiao Zi both touched and helpless. In his previous life, he had been a lofty God King, surrounded from birth like the moon amid a host of stars, without the troubles of navigating worldly relationships. Now, cast down into the mortal world to experience the smoke and warmth of ordinary life, perhaps it was rather nice?
The secret of Swallowed Star was too important. Let them misunderstand; that was a form of protection for others, too.
Imitating what he had done when they first met, Xiao Zi patted Ling Luochеn's shoulder. "Too much has happened since I enrolled. I want to go out on my own for a while and clear my head. Thank you for your concern, senior. We'll see each other again soon!"
Concern clouded her judgment, and Ling Luochеn instinctively caught his hand. "The Soul Master Tournament is about to begin. Once it's over, I can go with you. You don't have to shoulder everything alone!"
Xiao Zi followed her lead. "You and Senior Ma are the mainstays of this year's Shrek Seven Devils. Don't let me interfere with your training. I also intend to obtain my third Soul Ring on this trip. Once I'm back in good shape, I'll return to see you all."
His words sounded like reassurance, but their logic was clear and the plan flawless. His unquestionable tone left Ling Luochеn momentarily dazed.
She took another look at the boy before her. His face was like polished jade, his eyes like dots of black lacquer. He hardly looked as though he had suffered a devastating blow. Was she the one who needed comforting?
Ling Luochеn suddenly realized that she had never fully understood him. Whether at their first meeting or when he gave her the Soul Bone, they had always hovered between closeness and distance, never truly opening their hearts to each other.
An emotion she could neither name nor explain welled up within her. She could see no hint of emotion in Xiao Zi's cold eyes, and all her earnest persuasion had been useless.
Ling Luochеn was not someone who liked to pester others. For his sake, she was willing to let go and respect his wishes. "Stay safe on the road. Shrek Academy's students and old associates are spread throughout the world. If you encounter something you can't resolve yourself, you can seek help from a nearby city lord or other officials. Generally, they'll lend a hand..."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xiao Zi turned and left under her gaze. It was dusk, and the setting sun stretched his shadow long. The winding projection of his straight-backed figure seemed about to reach into Ling Luochеn's heart.
Only from this day onward had they truly opened their hearts to each other. The name "Li Lezi" had fully entered Ling Luochеn's heart. With a Soul Bone as a betrothal gift and sincerity as his pledge, their relationship was about to advance by leaps and bounds. That day would not be far away.
The training grounds.
With Zhu Lu, a substitute among substitutes, joining them, the newly formed Shrek Seven Devils continued their intensive training. They did their utmost to build teamwork, striving to help one another and become inseparable during the Soul Master Tournament (which was impossible).
The fact that they had not immediately disbanded was thanks to Supreme Elder Xuan Zi. As the Holy Spirit Cult's strongest undercover agent, he joined forces with the spy Dai Huabin to add bricks and mortar to the collapse of the new Shrek Seven Devils.
During a break, the belated news that Li Lezi had left the academy reached everyone's ears.
Wang Dong was the first to refuse to accept it. "How could he leave? I clearly said I would help him. Does he really distrust me that much?"
Her close friend Xiao Xiao stepped forward to comfort her. "Maybe losing the Grand Melee left him feeling down. I haven't seen Lezi leave his dormitory lately. He must have taken a serious blow."
The reason Xiao Zi had stayed in his dormitory these past few days was to prepare for his journey to Swallowed Star. By making that guess, Xiao Xiao had inadvertently helped him out of a tight spot.
She had made no effort to keep her words private, and everyone heard them. Wang Dong felt even more dejected. For some unknown reason, she felt an urge to follow him. Once I pass this village, will there be no other shop like it?
Although Li Lezi was quite handsome, Wang Dong still thought she was being ridiculous. Was he really so charming that I'm even thinking of eloping with him?
But in all fairness, Xiao Zi was well liked. When news came that he had taken leave and departed the academy, everyone felt a pang and harbored complaints about a certain supreme elder.
Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, He Caitou, and the others all offered their opinions, mostly expressing regret and lamentation. No one gloated over his misfortune.
Jiang Nannan fell into a daze, then walked into a corner and sighed quietly. If that lovesick lapdog Xu Sanshi had not become jealous and relentlessly attacked Li Lezi during the Grand Melee, things might not have come to this.
There had clearly been a way for everyone to win. Even if Xu Sanshi became one of the new Shrek Seven Devils, she might have tolerated him for Li Lezi's sake. Now everything was ruined!
Speaking of that lapdog, a few days after Ma Xiaotao beat him and threw him out, Xu Sanshi returned, his scheming heart still unwilling to give up. He lavished attention on Jiang Nannan at the training grounds, making her increasingly displeased.
As one fell and the other rose, "Li Lezi" climbed ever higher in her heart, with her feelings beginning to approach Ling Luochеn's.
"Isn't this all Dai Huabin's fault? Li Lezi belongs to the Duke's Mansion. Getting selected would have brought honor to the Dai Family, too. But certain people ignored him for their own selfish interests. They should step aside and let someone worthy take their place!"
Huo Yuhao turned his spearhead toward his mortal enemy and biological brother, hoping to use Li Lezi to stir up everyone's anger and drive him out.
Although the others felt little affection for Dai Huabin, they maintained a veneer of courtesy out of regard for Li Lezi and generally would not tear away that facade.
Upon hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Dai Huabin maintained the discipline expected of an undercover agent and fought with him again, adding yet another straw to the growing fracture within the Shrek Seven Devils.
Meanwhile, although Xuan Zi wore a miserable expression, he had no intention of breaking up the fight. He simply drank his wine and ate his meat. Even the sky falling could not interfere with his meal.