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Today was the decisive day of Donghai Academy's Class Promotion Tournament.
The underdog Class Five faced off against the traditional powerhouse Class One.
The entire training field was packed to capacity, the stands roaring with excited chatter.
Students huddled in groups, buzzing about the showdown:
"Can you believe Class Five made it to the finals? Unbelievable!"
"Class One's about to eat dirt!"
"Don't be so sure—Class One's got three Soul Grandmasters!"
Amid the fervor, Wu Zhangkong led Class Five onto the arena.
His ice-blue hair shimmered in sunlight, his emerald eyes cold and unreadable, radiating an aura that screamed "stay away."
His arrival sent ripples through the crowd.
Behind him stood Fang Yang, Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie—
all serious, all battle-ready.
"Wulin—go get 'em!"
A bright, cheerful voice cut through the noise.
Tang Wulin turned to see Senior Sister Ouyang Zixin waving vigorously from the front row.
She'd tied her hair in a neat ponytail, its ends bouncing with her motion—radiant in the sun, her smile full of encouragement.
"Senior Sister…"
Tang Wulin's face burned crimson. He waved back awkwardly, but his voice steadied:
"We'll give it our all!"
Fang Yang, however, noticed something odd.
Beside him, Gu Yue was acting strangely.
Usually lively and affectionate, she'd been silent since morning, refusing even to meet his eyes.
"Could Gu Yue… be done with me?" The thought flashed, chilling his heart.
He edged closer, voice soft. "Gu Yue… are you alright?"
"Mm."
Her reply was icy, gaze fixed ahead.
A cold dread crept up Fang Yang's spine. He ventured carefully:
"Gu Yue… did I do something wrong?"
"Oh?" Gu Yue finally turned—her black eyes glinting with lethal calm.
"Let's talk about what a certain someone did yesterday."
Her tone was quiet—but it sent shivers down his spine.
Fang Yang's face drenched in sweat.
Yesterday with Xu Xiaoyan—how could she know?!
"I… uh… well…" he stammered, tongue-tied under her piercing stare.
Then—his mind clicked.
"There's a mole! Someone snitched!"
His eyes swept his teammates.
Tang Wulin? Too honest.
Only one culprit remained…
"XIE XIE!"
Fang Yang stepped forward, flashing a dangerous smile.
"After the match… we'll have a long talk."
Xie Xie's face drained of color. "I—I've got urgent business right after the match!" he squeaked.
Tang Wulin bit back a laugh. Knew Xie Xie's big mouth would backfire…
Gu Yue advanced, voice glacial.
"Xie Xie… I hear you're quite the intelligence gatherer?"
Xie Xie backed away, despairing. "This is so unfair! You two were the ones—"
"I'm happy that you told me," Gu Yue cut in, her eyes flashing colder.
"What I'm not happy about… is that you told me the truth."
"Huh?!"
Xie Xie stood frozen, realization dawning: I've angered both of them…
—
Meanwhile, Class One entered the arena—led by their homeroom teacher, Ye Yingluo.
She was Ye Yingrong's elder sister—and the woman Wu Zhangkong had coldly rejected years ago.
Though time had passed, that wound still festered in her heart.
She nodded at her sister—but her eyes were drawn to Wu Zhangkong.
Her expression twisted with bittersweet longing.
Behind her stood Class One's elite trio—Donghai's most gifted freshman squad in years:
- Wei Xiaofeng on the left—cocky, brash.
- Yang Zi in the center—tall, calm, mature beyond his years.
- On the right—an unnervingly skeletal boy, eyes cold, aura shadowy. Students gave him a wide berth, as if repelled by his darkness.
Both teams took their positions on the arena, tension crackling in the air.
Wu Zhangkong sensed a gaze—and looked up.
Seeing Ye Yingluo, his emerald eyes remained utterly indifferent.
The moment their eyes met, Ye Yingluo instinctively straightened, smoothing her collar, desperate to appear perfect, to make the man who rejected her regret his choice.
But Wu Zhangkong's glance swept past her like she was furniture—
a dismissal more crushing than his original rejection.
"You bastard!" she seethed inwardly. "After all these years—you're still this arrogant!"
She turned to Yang Zi, voice sharp. "Yang Zi—crush them."
"Don't worry, Teacher," Yang Zi clenched his fists, confidence blazing. "We'll flatten them!"
"We're all Two-Ring Soul Masters—what do we have to fear?" Wei Xiaofeng added boastfully.
"Excellent. Make me proud!" Ye Yingluo smiled.
"Quiet! The match begins!"
Director Long Hengxu's voice boomed over the soul-guided mic.
"Teacher Wu," he asked, "how many from Class Five will compete?"
As challengers, Class Five decided their own numbers.
Wu Zhangkong was about to speak—when Gu Yue interrupted:
"Teacher Wu—I'm not at my best today. Let Tang Wulin and Xie Xie compete."
In the end, Fang Yang, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie stepped forward.
Class One countered with their three strongest.
On opposite sides of the arena, both teams stood ready.
This battle—for honor, pride, and destiny—was about to ignite.
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