"What did you just say!?"
Ning Tian snapped her head up, staring at Chen Junting in utter disbelief. Her eyes searched his face, trying to confirm whether he'd misspoken.
Her reaction was exactly what Chen Junting had expected.
He smiled faintly and glanced toward Wang Dong's retreating back. "Do you know the Light Goddess Butterfly martial soul?"
Ning Tian blinked, then shook her head. The Light Goddess Butterfly was so exceedingly rare that even veteran instructors at Shrek Academy might never have heard of it—let alone her.
As they walked, Chen Junting's fingers brushed the Starlight Sapphire ring on his hand. A soft glow shimmered, and an ancient-looking book appeared in his palm—borrowed from Shrek's library. Its title read: Compendium of Rare Martial Souls Across the Continent.
Ning Tian took the book, flipped to the index, found the page for "Light Goddess Butterfly," and turned to it.
Chen Junting continued calmly as they strolled, "The Light Goddess Butterfly is the most beautiful butterfly-type martial soul on Douluo Continent—its beauty represents the pinnacle among all beast martial souls. And because of that… it only manifests in female soul masters."
Reading the passage and hearing Chen Junting's explanation, Ning Tian's eyes flickered with realization. She finally understood what her "Brother Junting" was implying.
"So you're saying… Wang Dong… no—Wang Dong'er…? Is actually a girl."
"Exactly."
Chen Junting's confirmation struck like a pebble dropped into still water, rippling through Ning Tian's thoughts. Her expression shifted from shock to clarity.
"So that means Yuhao and Wang Dong'er…" She didn't finish the sentence—but Chen Junting understood perfectly.
"Wang Dong'er will eventually join our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect," he said.
But as he spoke, his eyes held a subtle depth—clearly, he didn't fully believe his own words.
If Wang Dong'er were merely a disciple of the Tang Sect or the Hao Tian Sect, then yes—there'd be a seventy or eighty percent chance she'd end up with them.
But unfortunately… she wasn't.
In truth, Wang Dong'er was, to some extent, just a piece on Tang San's chessboard.
But that was something best left unsaid.
Ning Tian didn't notice the nuance in Chen Junting's gaze—but Elaxia, residing within his spiritual sea, sensed his disingenuousness immediately.
"Xiao Tian."
"Hmm?"
"Don't expose this secret, alright?"
"I understand. Dong'er must have her own reasons," Ning Tian said, curiosity lighting her eyes. "When do you think Yuhao will finally realize Wang Dong is a girl?"
"Hard to say."
Chen Junting shook his head. "But I do know—if we don't hurry, Xiao Feng and the others will reach the cafeteria before us."
"Oh! Then let's speed up!"
Seeing no one around, Ning Tian finally dropped her usual composed facade. After a short run-up, she leapt onto Chen Junting's back—acting, for the first time in public, like an ordinary, carefree girl—and cheerfully commanded,
"Charge!"
…
"You all did wonderfully!"
That afternoon, outside the competition grounds, Teacher Mujin met up with Chen Junting's group. Ever since the semifinals that morning, her smile hadn't faded once.
"You've made me so proud! All three finalists are from our Class Nine. If you, Ning Tian, can push just a little harder, the top three spots will all be ours!"
Mujin beamed. Noticing that, aside from Wu Feng's slight disappointment, Nanmen Yun'er and Ning Tian were chatting as cheerfully as ever, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
After reminding them to prioritize sportsmanship and safety, she turned and headed toward her seat on the spectator stands.
Once she was gone, Chen Junting glanced at Wu Feng's sullen face, gave a small shake of his head, then turned to Ning Tian.
"Dai Huabin's team was badly injured by me this morning. Though the academy treated them, they held back—probably to maintain balance in the trials. But that actually works in your favor. Their fusion skill, the Netherworld White Tiger, can't be used again so soon after activation, and they're still recovering. Your chances of winning are very high."
"That's good news," Ning Tian said with a smile, turning to Wu Feng. "Feng, whether we secure a top-three spot now depends entirely on you."
"Leave it to me, Ning Tian!" Wu Feng declared, slapping her chest with renewed confidence.
Her earlier gloom vanished. With Ning Tian's 40% amplification, how could she possibly lose—especially since Dai Huabin couldn't even use his fusion skill?
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was visibly anxious.
Wang Dong noticed and frowned. "Yuhao, what's wrong?"
"Ah… nothing," Huo Yuhao mumbled, but his conflicted expression deepened—enough to catch Dugu Xin's attention.
Finally, under his teammates' persistent questioning, he confessed:
"Wang Dong, Xin… our trump card against Big Brother Junting was our fusion skill. But now it's been revealed—and we can't use it again for a while. It feels like… we've got nothing left to fight with."
His words left Wang Dong and Dugu Xin silent. They knew Chen Junting's strength all too well. Truthfully, even without teammates, he could likely take on all three of them alone.
And now…
Even the proud Wang Dong had no reply.
Just then—
"What do you mean, 'nothing left'?"
Chen Junting's voice suddenly cut in from behind them.
They turned to see him standing there—expression unreadable, eyes sharp as blades, as if no secret could hide from his gaze.
"N-nothing!" Wang Dong stammered. For some reason, under that piercing stare, he grew flustered. He waved his hands frantically, grabbed Huo Yuhao's wrist, and bolted—shouting over his shoulder, "Big Brother Junting, we're going to discuss tactics! We'll be right back!"
"What's gotten into them?" Ning Tian asked, walking up beside Chen Junting, puzzled.
"Nothing," Chen Junting replied.
He'd overheard their conversation and realized they were losing heart—thinking of backing down. That wouldn't do. So he'd put on a stern face to rattle the ever-playful Wang Dong. Seeing it worked, he paid no further mind to the little episode.
Soon after, Team Ning Tian faced off against Team Dai Huabin for third place. With Wu Feng's explosive performance and Ning Tian activating her external soul bone, the match ended swiftly. Dai Huabin's still-injured team was decisively defeated.
And now—the finals were about to begin.
As instructors filed into the stands, the referee entered the arena. All partitions had been removed, revealing the full expanse of the competition grounds.
Once both teams assembled, the referee beckoned them forward to state their names.
"Chen Junting."
"Qin Lan."
"Gao Ming."
"Huo Yuhao."
"Wang Dong."
"Dugu Xin."
After the introductions, the referee's expression turned grave.
"The rules for the finals have changed slightly. First, you may move freely across the arena—but those with flight-type martial souls may not fly higher than ten meters above ground. Second, to ensure you give your all, you may fight without holding back. Your performance today will directly influence the treatment and resources you receive at the academy. The Headmaster and Elders are watching. Understood?"
"Understood!" ×6
All six responded in unison. Chen Junting noted the renewed fighting spirit in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Clearly, they'd abandoned any thought of evasion—they were ready to give everything.
Good.
"Then I, too, will give my all," Chen Junting murmured, "and show you the respect you deserve."
He closed his eyes slightly, as if conserving his strength.
Across from him, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Dugu Xin stood tense—on the edge of their nerves.
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