Following Bai Yushan
Yu Lin walked ahead, a haughty smile playing on his lips.
People from that area have never seen the world.
They've already caused such a stir just by showing up; imagine how astonishing they'll be when they perform in tomorrow's exhibition match!
He subconsciously glanced back at Hu Yuxiu behind him and snorted.
So what if this kid improves very quickly?
Once on the field, the true test will be revealed.
In the face of absolute strength, charisma alone is useless.
I'll unleash my full power and steal the spotlight then, and see how arrogant this kid can be then.
Hu Yuxiu ignored his gaze and continued walking, his eyes sweeping over the bustling crowd and the huge arena, the fire in his heart burning ever brighter.
Skysea City...
Such a large-scale event, with so many Soul Master.
Will that Sea Tiger come too?
Could he also be on some team, wearing that mask, waiting to unleash a storm on the field?
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, his fingers tightening slightly, his knuckles cracking.
It would be best if we could meet.
Even if it's just going up on stage and exchanging a couple of blows with the opponent.
Even if I get punched and sent flying again.
He also wanted to experience firsthand just how heavy that overwhelming force really was!
The group walked to the athletes' rest area and each person was assigned a rest room.
Shen Yi gave a few instructions and went over the opening ceremony schedule for tomorrow before turning to meet with the organizing committee members.
As soon as she left, the lounge became lively again.
Several trainees huddled together, discussing tomorrow's exhibition match, their tone relaxed.
"Let's just play casually tomorrow, the opponents aren't strong anyway."
"Exactly, let's finish this quickly. After we're done, we can go to Skysea City for a stroll. I've heard the Soul Tool Street here is quite famous."
Ye Xinglan leaned against the window, not participating in the discussion, but simply twirling a wisp of starlight between her fingertips, looking out at the venue entrance.
Xu Lizhi sat in the corner, taking out one steamed bun after another from his Storage Soul Tool, arranging them on a table full of food, and tasting them one by one, as if he was building up his strength in advance.
Hu Yuxiu sat alone in a chair in the corner, closing his eyes to rest.
His aura was calm and steady, like a piece of refined iron being polished, waiting for the day it would be sharpened.
As darkness fell outside the window, the lights in the venue came on one by one, like stars fallen to earth.
Like Skysea City, Eastsea City is adjacent to the sea, but its location is much more advantageous.
This place boasts the largest natural deep-water port on the entire east coast of Douluo Continent. Containers are stacked on the docks, and soul-guided cargo ships shuttle back and forth, their horns audible from a great distance.
The main force of the Federation's East Sea Fleet was stationed on the sea outside the city. On the distant horizon, huge steel warships were quietly anchored, their cannons pointing to the sky. The soul-guided array patterns on their hulls gleamed coldly in the setting sun, like a group of lurking steel behemoths. Just looking at them from afar made one's heart sink.
It is precisely because of this formidable military strength that Skysea City has been able to maintain its position as the largest city on the East Sea, ranking among the top in the entire Federation, with a foundation far superior to that of Eastsea City.
Unlike the flat terrain of Eastsea City, Skysea City is mountainous, with the entire city built on the mountains, spreading out in layers.
The tall buildings pierce the clouds, while the streets below border the harbor. The buildings rise and fall with the mountain's contours, and when the lights come on at night, they spread out like a sea of stars along the mountain's shape, giving the city a more three-dimensional and magnificent feel than a city on flat land.
The delegation from Eastsea City was led by officials from the administrative residence. They chatted and laughed with the liaisons from Skysea City along the way, subtly trying to find out about the arrangements for the competition.
Tang Wulin and his three classmates from Class Zero were the youngest among all the contestants. They had no interest in the formalities and simply followed the group with their heads down.
After changing vehicles twice, the train finally stopped in front of a luxury seaside hotel.
The hotel is half built on the shore and half extends into the sea, supported by thick, soul-guided steel pillars. Waves crash against the pillars, splashing up fine white foam.
Every room faces the sea; you can see the vast blue ocean as soon as you open the door, and the sea breeze carries the salty, damp scent of the ocean, even the curtains smell of the sea.
After checking in, the room keys were distributed. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie a room, Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan stayed next door, and Bai Yushan had a sea-view suite all to himself.
Dean Yu Zhen made special arrangements, fearing that this little darling might not be comfortable and cause trouble again.
Before leaving, Wu Changkong only left behind two sentences.
"The opening ceremony is tomorrow; we'll draw lots."
"Have a good rest."
Cold as ice, not a single word more. He turned and left, his white robes fluttering in the wind.
Gu Yue placed her luggage on the bedside table, casually tossing her long, silvery-white hair over her shoulder. She stood by the window and glanced at the sea view; the muffled sound of the waves crashing on the shore made the room seem even quieter.
She frowned, something on her mind.
A seven-person tournament.
Dean Yu said he'd add five senior Soul Elder students to make up the numbers, but right now, they don't even know if those five are even qualified. The draw is tomorrow; they can't just wait until they're on the field to practice together, can they?
After much deliberation, Bai Yushan was the only one in Class Zero who could make the decision.
It wasn't that she thought Bai Yushan was particularly reliable; it was mainly because after a summer of intensive training, she knew all too well his abilities.
The core of the seven-person competition lies with these two; they need to coordinate their strategies first to avoid disrupting the rhythm on the field.
She considered herself quite capable, but she had to admit that in a real fight, she was no match for Bai Yushan.
Teaming up with this guy is much more reliable than playing with those five complete strangers who were just there to make up the numbers.
Thinking of this, Gu Yue turned and walked towards the door.
My hand had just touched the doorknob, and before I could even turn it, I heard a "click" as the door closed in the hallway.
Her steps were slow, yet carried a hint of nonchalance as she headed towards the elevator.
It was Bai Yushan's voice.
Gu Yue was taken aback.
They've only been in the room a few minutes? Their luggage hasn't even been properly put away yet, and they're already going out?
Moreover, judging from the direction of the footsteps, they seemed to know the way well, not like it was their first time in Skysea City.
He's only been in Skysea City for half a day, and he hasn't even gotten to know the way around properly, yet it seems like he already had a destination in mind?
My curiosity was immediately piqued.
Gu Yue hesitated for two seconds, then gently opened the door and peeked half her head out into the corridor.
As Bai Yushan's figure turned into the elevator, the figure in black disappeared in a flash.
The elevator's digital display screen was scrolling downwards.
Gu Yue pursed her lips, and her feet followed involuntarily.
She wanted to see where this guy was rushing off to as soon as he arrived in Skysea City.
The elevator went down to the first floor. Bai Yushan left the hotel and, without calling a taxi, walked along the sidewalk towards the port.
Gu Yue followed at a distance of more than ten meters, using the trees and pedestrians along the street to conceal his figure.
The nights in Skysea City are much more lively than in Eastsea City.
The shops along the street were brightly lit, and the guiding streetlights climbed up the mountain road in layers, like a string of glowing necklaces. Pedestrians thronged the road, including contestants in school uniforms, naval soldiers in uniform, as well as merchants and tourists, making it a lively scene.