The breeze in the woods abruptly stopped, and the entire woodland instantly fell deathly silent.
The terrifying sight of Xu Xiaoyu's sudden elimination moments earlier was seared deep into everyone's minds, shrouding the hearts of every Class Zero student present in uncertainty and vigilance.
Every gaze focused on the two figures slowly emerging from the shade of the trees.
The boy stood tall and straight, his bearing cool and otherworldly. His black eyes were calm and unruffled, as though nothing in the world could stir his mind, with a depth beyond that of his peers.
The girl beside him had hair as silver as snow and clear eyes. Her exquisite, beautiful little face wore an aloof, haughty expression, and her entire being radiated spirited confidence.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi looked utterly taken aback. They instinctively reined in their Soul Power and studied the boy and girl who had suddenly appeared before them, their hearts filled with confusion.
But the instant Gu Yue, who stood at the very front, saw Na'er's face clearly, her pupils contracted sharply. Towering waves surged through her heart, and countless complicated emotions churned in her seemingly calm eyes.
The others did not know Na'er's identity, but she could not have known it more clearly.
As the Silver Dragon King's primary personality, she had recuperated for ten thousand years in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. Since awakening, she had been laying plans in secret, gathering information about the world, controlling the situation on the continent, and plotting a counterattack against humanity.
She had previously learned from intelligence relayed by the Ferocious Beasts that her other personality, Na'er, had already joined the Spirit Transferring Pagoda and become a disciple of Heavenly Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaoyu. The Spirit Transferring Pagoda was focusing its resources on nurturing her, and her outstanding talent allowed her to grow extremely quickly.
Moreover, not long ago, she had specifically ordered Zi JI to assume the identity of Purple Dragon Douluo and personally visit the Spirit Transferring Pagoda to discuss cooperation under the guise of representing a secluded family.
Using this as an opening, she had Zi JI recommend her to Leng Yaoyu as a disciple so she could join the Spirit Transferring Pagoda, use its influence to develop in hiding, gradually plant the Ferocious Beasts within its core ranks, and finally take over the Spirit Transferring Pagoda, steadily laying the groundwork for her grand plan of revenge.
According to Zi JI's report, Leng Yaoyu's response at the time had been that she would arrange for someone to visit Eastsea City, verify her talent and aptitude in person, and determine whether she qualified to join the Spirit Transferring Pagoda.
After a whirlwind of thought, Gu Yue had already guessed the pair's purpose based on Na'er's status as Leng Yaoyu's disciple.
So they were the people the Spirit Transferring Pagoda had sent to verify her aptitude, but she had never expected Leng Yaoyu to send Na'er to check whether her talent was genuine!
A sense of absurdity instantly engulfed Gu Yue's mind.
She had directed everything from behind the scenes, secured her footing at every step, and exhausted her ingenuity laying plans to infiltrate them. In the end, her own split-off self would actually be the one deciding whether she qualified!
And even if she joined and took Leng Yaoyu as her teacher, would she have to call Na'er her senior sister? What a joke. Who was the elder here?
For the first time, this absurdity stirred a subtle measure of irritation and speechlessness in the normally calm, rational, and meticulous Gu Yue.
Just as Gu Yue's thoughts were unsettled, a clear voice, carrying a hint of haughtiness and brimming with confidence, suddenly rang out, breaking the woodland's silence.
Na'er lifted her exquisite little face slightly, her silver eyes appraising Gu Yue's delicate features and understated elegance with a somewhat condescending gaze. Looking as though her arrogance could pierce the heavens, she spoke with a faint sense of superiority. "You're Gu Yue?"
With that simple question, Na'er struck exactly the right pose, looking every bit like a senior interrogating a junior.
To Gu Yue's ears, it successfully left a knot in her chest and secretly infuriated her half to death.
She was the Silver Dragon King's main self, possessing seventy percent of their origin power. She was the rightful one; Na'er was merely a personality that had split away.
A mere Na'er actually wanted to turn root and branch upside down, even subtly assuming the air of an elder sister. She had lost all sense of who was the elder.
Had it been anyone else, Gu Yue would not have taken it to heart. But this was her own split-off self, and that attitude left an inexplicable pent-up anger in her chest.
Still, she betrayed nothing. She raised her eyes lightly, her voice calm and unruffled, without the slightest audible emotion. "That's right. I'm Gu Yue."
Seeing her admit it so readily, fighting spirit instantly ignited in Na'er's eyes. The haughtiness on her little face deepened, and she eagerly spoke up, setting the rules outright.
"Hmph, hmph. I'm the person the Spirit Transferring Pagoda put in charge of assessing you this time."
"If you want to join the Spirit Transferring Pagoda, it's simple. Beat me—no, beat us—and you pass!"
She had waited a long time for this day. She had long wanted to teach Gu Yue a lesson, settle who was superior, and gain the upper hand.
Looking at the childlike yet utterly arrogant Na'er before her, a trace of disdain flashed through Gu Yue's eyes. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she calmly agreed. "Fine."
In her eyes, however strong Na'er was now, could she possibly be stronger than her? There was nothing to fear.
It was not just Na'er. She also categorized Xiao Chen, who stood silently beside her, as an ordinary human.
In her eyes, no matter how powerful human Soul Masters became, they were ultimately insignificant before her, the Silver Dragon King, and could pose no threat to her whatsoever. Thus, she paid Xiao Chen no heed at all.
But in the eyes of Class Zero, Gu Yue's composure and disdain took on an entirely different appearance.
To Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi, Gu Yue was a classmate they spent every day with. She was cool by nature, usually kept a low profile, and never took the initiative to fight anyone.
She barely even exchanged two sentences with them in a day.
Yet now, a strange boy and girl had suddenly appeared and inexplicably demanded a match with Gu Yue-and Gu Yue had agreed.
The boys instinctively took half a step forward, their Soul Power quietly circulating, looking ready to step in and help protect Gu Yue at any moment.
Xie Xie immediately frowned and spoke. "Who are you? What gives you the right to suddenly pick a fight with Gu Yue?"
Tang Wulin's gaze was grave as well. Staring fixedly at the pair ahead, he said in a low voice, "Whatever this is about, we can talk it through. There's no need to fight."
With perfect unspoken coordination, they were already prepared to join forces to protect Gu Yue.
As far as they were concerned, these two strangers of unknown origins had suddenly provoked her and harbored unfathomable intentions. They absolutely could not let Gu Yue face them alone.
Seeing that they intended to intervene, Xiao Chen, who had stood silently all this time, finally spoke.
He lifted his foot lightly and took a small step forward. An invisible aura quietly spread around him, and his intensely oppressive voice rang through the woods:
"Leave this woodland yourselves and voluntarily exit the Spirit Ascension Platform. This has nothing to do with you."
His tone was level, without a trace of ferocity, yet it carried unquestionable certainty and authority, instinctively inspiring awe and leaving others afraid to disobey.
Hesitation appeared on Tang Wulin's and the others' faces. They watched Wither slowly descend from high above to a position over Xiao Chen, then looked at the resolute Na'er, brimming with fighting spirit. For a moment, they could neither advance nor retreat.
The scene of Xu Xiaoyu being instantly defeated in a single move was still vivid in their minds.
Meanwhile, in the center of the woodland, Gu Yue had already slowly raised her hand. Faint Soul Power fluctuations quietly flowed around her as she prepared to duel Na'er and make her understand who was the elder.
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