"You've lost."
The crystalline azure-blue sword rested against a girl's snow-white neck. Its razor-sharp aura pressed down on her, making it impossible for the already exhausted girl to resist Chen Junting's overwhelming presence.
Her two teammates had already been thrown out of the arena.
The match hadn't even lasted a minute—victory came effortlessly, despite her team also consisting of three Soul Grandmasters.
"Freshman Class Nine wins," the referee announced.
Chen Junting's trio turned to leave, heading toward the spectator stands to watch Ning Tian's match. But before they could exit the sector—
"Wait, please!"
Chen Junting halted. Turning, he saw the three Class One students calling after him. Puzzled—they'd never interacted before—he asked, "What is it?"
"Senior… you're from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, right?"
The girl's voice trembled as she met his eyes. She instinctively touched her neck, still shaken. But she still asked the question she wanted to ask.
"Are you trying to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School?"
Hearing this, Chen Junting asked in clarification.
"That's not it. We have our own families," the girl hurried to clarify. Her team frantically explained what happened after Xiao Xiao's squad was eliminated in the 64-to-32 round.
Apparently, in a fit of rage, Zhou Yi had threatened to expel Xiao Xiao's team and it didn't seem like an empty threat.
The remaining Class One students were furious but terrified to oppose Zhou Yi, fearing they'd be next. After all, they'd barely scraped through the freshman assessment. Yet Xiao Xiao, as their monitor, had cared for them deeply these past three months. Desperate to help, they'd sought out influential students to plead her case.
After hearing their story, Chen Junting didn't react immediately. Instead, he asked the three a few questions, such as where Xiao Xiao liked to go most, before letting the three leave.
The trio hurried off, paranoid Zhou Yi might spot them.
"This… sounds fabricated," Qin Lan murmured once they were gone, skepticism clear even through his mask. No sane homeroom teacher would expel a student who'd reached the Top 64 and possessed twin top-tier martial souls. Even Shrek Academy wouldn't allow it.
"The truth of the expulsion is secondary," Chen Junting said, gazing toward the highest spectator stand. His eyes narrowed as he processed what he'd learned. "I only know one thing: Zhou Yi never follows the rules."
"Let's find Xiao Tian and discuss this."
---
Outside Ning Tian's Sector
Ning Tian emerged with Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er just as Chen Junting arrived. She showed little surprise at his news. "You think only we'd be approached?"
"Of course not," Chen Junting replied.
Ning Tian twirled a gemstone between her fingers, her eyes sharp with calculation. She pointed toward a distant corner of the arena. "I saw Class One students heading that way earlier. If I'm not mistaken, Dai Huabin of Class Five is over there."
"The White Tiger Duke Manor," Chen Junting noted flatly, drumming his fingers against his arm. "They won't lift a finger."
"I know," Ning Tian smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, a hint of mischief dancing in their depths. "But if this expulsion rumor is confirmed… it's even better."
As heir to the sect, she prioritized its interests. Recruiting a genius whose twin martial souls were both top-tier far outweighed any current prospects. Shrek Academy had left a crack in its armor—she'd gladly widen it. Before the academy intervened, she'd swoop in while Xiao Xiao, rattled by rumors and losing her judgment, remained vulnerable.
As for Shrek's reaction?
They'd only have themselves to blame for letting such talent slip away.
"You want to exploit her vulnerability," Chen Junting stated.
Ning Tian didn't deny it—but preferred a gentler phrase. "I'd call it offering warmth in a snowstorm."
"We don't need to scheme," Chen Junting countered, shaking his head. "There's a simpler way. This isn't a baseless rumor. Class One might not be exaggerating—Zhou Yi likely does intend to punish Xiao Xiao."
"What?!" Ning Tian's eyes widened in disbelief. She understood his meaning—and it horrified her. "Has Zhou Yi gone mad? Would she really do this?"
In Ning Tian's view, Class One was overreacting. Zhou Yi's harshness had twisted her words into a threat. Expelling—or even sidelining—a twin martial soul prodigy? Shrek Academy wasn't foolish enough to allow it.
But while the academy wasn't foolish, individual teachers could be. Expelling students only for the Dean to quietly reassign them to other classes? It had happened before.
"This teacher is… eccentric," Ning Tian finally said after a long pause, choosing her words carefully. She sighed, remembering something. "I wonder what karma Fan Yu accumulated in his past life."
"So what will you do?" Chen Junting asked, watching her conflicted expression.
"Comfort little Xiao Xiao, of course." Ning Tian released his arm and called Wu Feng over. "Tell Teacher Mujin what Class One shared—but don't embellish it, and don't reveal your source. Just say you're asking the academy to clarify."
As for her and Chen Junting…
"Brother Junting?" She looked at him, seeking confirmation.
"I've confirmed it—she's most likely by Sea God Lake."
…
Sea God Lake
The lake's waters were crystal-clear, mirror-still, reflecting the sky and clouds. A gentle breeze rippled the surface, weaving a soft symphony of nature.
But today, that melody was broken by muffled sobs.
"Wuwuwu…"
Xiao Xiao sat by the shore, tears dripping silently into the lake, each drop sending ripples across the glassy surface. Her shoulders shook with suppressed grief. The wind tousled her hair, but couldn't lift the shadow in her heart.
"What did I do wrong?!"
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