Valentina flipped through the photo, revealing an entirely white-haired old man before everyone.
The elder's skin was slack, his eyes and cheeks covered in age spots, his teeth were missing, showing bare gums. He looked at least 80 years old.
But if she remembered correctly, the photo of Li Mo on the report's first page was clearly of a vigorous, sharp-eyed middle-aged man with a smile on his lips.
In a mere ten days, a strong middle-aged man had aged as if he were a completely different person.
The rules of this Island of Longevity clearly accelerated the life span of beings on the island, besides altering cognition and memory.
Could such an uncharted Fallen Zone truly be used for the training of the Starry Sky Ladder students?
Perhaps sensing the confusion in Valentina's heart, Enite put down his celadon teacup and smiled: "Don't worry, little Tina. Don't you trust me to handle things? Nothing will go wrong."
If Enite hadn't said that, Valentina might have been fine, but as soon as he did, she grew even more uneasy.
Because every time Enite said that, things tended to develop in the most troublesome direction.
The last time he said, "Don't worry, I'm just going to the Fallen Zone to collect some samples," he ended up bringing back an out-of-control juvenile Star Beast that tore the Association warehouse upside down.
The time before that, he said, "It's just sparring with an old friend," and ended up smashing half the training ground into ruins, costing the Association tens of millions and more in losses.
While Enite always accomplished what he set out to do.
The trouble he caused... was equally significant!
But due to Enite's strength and status, Valentina ultimately obeyed his command.
"Understood, if that is your will."
Looking at the expressionless Valentina, who had her dissatisfaction written all over her face, Enite couldn't help but say: "Don't be like that, little Tina. That expression makes me look like someone who only dictates and won't listen to any suggestions."
In response, Valentina calmly countered: "Aren't you?"
Enite was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"It seems... that is indeed the case."
After his laughter, Enite immediately waved his hand, his tone relaxed yet filled with an undeniable dominance.
"Alright, little Tina, go arrange it. This time, the students' trial ground... will be the Island of Longevity."
"Yes."
After Valentina left, Enite looked down at Li Mo's aged face on the report before him.
At the same time, the anime's camera briefly focused on the teacup in Enite's hand.
The tea in the cup was a light golden color, and the tea aroma carried fragmented Star Energy particles.
The source of all this was clearly a blooming golden chrysanthemum floating on the surface of the tea.
The golden chrysanthemum petals were fresh and tender, emitting a faint glow, looking exactly like the 'Island of Longevity Golden Chrysanthemum' mentioned repeatedly in the report!
Enite took a sip of the flower tea, his gaze drifting to the Star-Rail Corridor outside the window.
"A Fallen Zone centered on 'Time'... a place like this, 'old men' like me can actually find more fun in it."
Saying this, Enite set down the teacup and put away the investigation report on the table.
And after doing all this, Enite said meaningfully: "Young man, although you managed to win once, a mere simulation doesn't count."
"If you can win this time too, only then will you truly have won. But can you do it?"
Not long after Enite finished these words, the scene shifted to the Heavenly Martial Arts Kirin Pagoda in Heavenly Martial Capital.
Click!
Caroline pushed open Tendo's door, only to find Tendo squatting by the window, holding a pair of silver scissors, carefully trimming the golden chrysanthemum in a flowerpot.
His movements were extremely deliberate, and he even kept his breathing shallow, as if treating a precious work of art.
One should know that this guy previously couldn't be bothered to deal with the wilted green plants in his room, let alone actively fuss with flowers and plants.
Even stranger was that his trimming method seemed obsessive-compulsive.
Not only did every petal have to be cut into a perfectly symmetrical shape, but even the patterns on the petals had to be aligned.
If a petal was cut even slightly crookedly, Tendo would frown, readjust it, and continue until he was satisfied.
"Tendo, what are you doing?"
Caroline walked over to him, her gaze falling on the golden chrysanthemum pot.
The previously blooming golden chrysanthemum had now been trimmed into a tidy 'golden hydrangea,' with the height of the stems precise down to the millimeter.
Hearing Caroline's question, Tendo put down the scissors, straightened up, and dusted the flower fragments off his hands. His tone was seemingly flat, but held a strange underlying meaning.
"Nothing. I just felt this golden chrysanthemum was too 'old' and didn't look good, so it needed some trimming."
"Too old?"
Caroline was stunned.
This pot of golden chrysanthemum had just been delivered yesterday. The petals were fresh, showing no sign of wilting, so how could it be 'old'?
However, Caroline quickly sensed acutely that the 'old' Tendo mentioned probably didn't refer to the flower itself, but had another meaning.
But limited by the current scarce information and her lack of Tendo's exaggerated ability to foresee the future.
She failed to grasp the true meaning of the words.
But unlike her, many of the Dimensional Audience on Site 13, who had been in the God's Perspective, instantly realized the implications.
'Holy crap! Tendo is hinting at Enite! The 'Old Golden Chrysanthemum' refers to Enite! By the same logic, the fresh chrysanthemum in Enite's teacup should be Tendo.'
'One is drinking it, the other is constantly trimming it. Is this the tacit understanding between big shots? Only playing with the obscure references.'
'I feel like the trial Enite arranged is purely out of selfish reasons. He clearly wants to use this trial to teach Tendo a lesson.'
'The Strongest of Today versus the Strongest of the Future, a rematch? Interesting.'
As the bullet comments scrolled, Caroline stated the reason she came to see Tendo.
"Tendo, the first trial ground after the acclimatization period has been decided. It's a newly discovered Fallen Zone—the Island of Longevity."
Hearing this, Tendo responded calmly, as if he had known all along: "Is that so?"
Seeing Tendo's reaction, Caroline once again sensed something unusual.
So, with a hint of uncertainty, she asked: "Tendo, you... you don't plan on doing anything out of the ordinary during this trial, do you?"
Hearing this, Tendo looked at Caroline in surprise.
"Caroline, what do you mean by that? Am I the type of person who likes to stir up trouble?"
"..."
There were some things Caroline wanted to say but couldn't.
Because Tendo truly never sabotaged things, but he always managed to stir up trouble.
It seems this trial won't be easy for me...
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