Chapter 188: The Astonishingly Wise Dragon Fell in Love With Me!
Suddenly, a powerful figure descended from the skies, stepping on the air itself.
With a mere wave of his hand, all the starlight surrounding Ye Xinglan vanished like smoke in the wind.
A Titled Douluo!
A Sea God Pavilion Elder!
"Elder—!"
"Elder—!"
Seeing the commotion even drew out someone of such rank, everyone immediately stood respectfully beside the Titled Douluo.
The old man landed calmly and said in an even voice, "That's enough."
Ye Xinglan froze. "Elder, I was just about to win—"
But the old man's expression remained indifferent.
"Yes, I know. But those seven have trained together for years. They've been carefully nurtured by the Academy for this very competition and have already achieved tacit understanding."
"To change members now would do more harm than good."
A faint sigh escaped him. Then, he realized—why was a grand elder of the Sea God Pavilion even bothering to explain himself to a child?
"That's all there is to it."
"If you must go, the Academy can allow you to attend as a substitute. Just watch and learn, understand?"
Ye Xinglan stood speechless, her entire body numbed.
In that instant, she felt something within her heart hollow out. Her face turned pale as her fingers trembled upon the hilt of her sword.
Was this a warning?
A threat to silence her?
But—she was winning!
The final blow—Dai Yueyan had been cornered. One more strike, and victory would've been hers.
Where was the fairness?
Where was justice?
Her small frame wavered; the Star God Sword nearly slipped from her weakened grip.
Endless bitterness flooded her heart.
From the day her martial soul had awakened, she had trained relentlessly.
After joining Shrek Academy, she gave her entire being to cultivation—every waking hour spent training while others rested, practicing while others slacked.
Her soul power already far surpassed her peers'.
Even in this academy full of monsters, she had clawed her way to the top.
So why?
Why was she treated like this?
"…I understand."
Ye Xinglan turned around and walked off, suppressing the storm within her chest.
Yes—this was Shrek Academy.
If Dai Yueyan were the one losing, a Pavilion elder would intervene to protect him.
But if it were her on the ground, she'd be expelled without hesitation.
Even within Shrek, there were levels of privilege.
"Xinglan—!"
Dai Lingyu hurried after her, truly shocked by that final display of power. If not for the elder's interruption, her brother would have surely lost.
But what could she say now?
She didn't want Ye Xinglan to hate her brother.
"Xinglan—"
Yet in Ye Xinglan's eyes now flickered a storm she had never shown before.
Her once bright blue irises had darkened, cold light glinting within.
"Get lost."
"I—"
"Little sister…"
Dai Yueyan scratched the back of his head awkwardly after Ye Xinglan left. He moved beside Lingyu, embarrassed.
Before the battle he had been confident; afterward, he realized just how close he'd come to disgrace.
"Good thing the elder stepped in."
Otherwise, his humiliation would've been absolute.
Should he even still go to that exchange tournament now?
Outside, Xu Lizhi had been watching from the start. When he saw Ye Xinglan summon that heaven-splitting Star Sword, his stomach dropped.
Sister Xinglan… whether you win or lose, this won't end well either way.
This match should never have happened.
When he saw her walking away, he hurried over.
"Sister Xinglan—are you alright?"
Ye Xinglan showed neither joy nor sorrow, passing by him without a word.
Xu Lizhi trailed behind, quietly whispering comfort.
"Please don't take it too hard, Sister Xinglan. It's just one match—it's not worth this. And you know how strong they are. Once those three fight together, who knows who would win or lose? If they lose the exchange, they'll only embarrass themselves."
"Don't be discouraged. There'll be other chances."
She didn't reply once, only continuing forward in silence until she reached the girls' dormitory.
When she shut the door behind her with a sharp bang, Xu Lizji stood frozen, sighing heavily.
Inside, Ye Xinglan lay down on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Slowly, her anger faded, replaced by a hollow ache.
What a great "Prince of Star Luo." What a fair Shrek Academy.
Tears slipped quietly into her pillow before she even realized.
"I'm tired… Forget it. What's the point of fighting anymore?"
"Jiang Chen, why have you been avoiding me lately?"
Gu Yue frowned slightly, sensing something was off.
Sure, they'd all signed up for the easiest classes.
But that was only because, technically, none of them were human.
For them, credits and academy resources meant nothing—they could simply ask for what they wanted.
Now, as Gu Yue looked at Jiang Chen in class, she saw Snow Empress sitting tightly to his left, Huo Yun'er at his right.
Left with no choice, she sat behind him, her tone edged.
"Avoiding you? I haven't."
Feeling a certain mischievous hand behind him, Jiang Chen forced the subject to end quickly.
It seemed Snow Empress had truly become jealous—afraid he'd abandon their shared path to godhood and turn toward Gu Yue instead.
After all, Gu Yue was the Silver Dragon King—the very symbol of the dragons' ancient glory.
Snow Empress, in her heart, knew she couldn't compare: not in pedigree, not in power, not in divine bloodline.
If Jiang Chen sought the faster path, what could she do?
And oddly enough, Jiang Chen thought the same thing.
Gu Yue's delicate brows furrowed deeper.
Something wasn't right.
This wasn't the Jiang Chen she knew.
The man who used to provoke her daily hadn't spoken to her properly for days. It was… unsettling.
No—he wasn't the problem. Which meant the problem was her.
As the (soon-to-be) sovereign of dragonkind, Gu Yue considered herself responsible for the well-being of every dragon—both physically and mentally.
Di Tian: ?
"Well," she mused aloud, "though I possess the Dragon God's world-shaking wisdom, the world keeps advancing. There's always more to learn."
She opened her soul device and accessed the soul network.
Query: If someone is deliberately avoiding you…
Answer: Generally, a man won't avoid a woman unless he has a reason. Even if he knows you like him but doesn't return the feeling, he wouldn't go out of his way to evade you. But if he's warm to every other girl except you—especially the ones close to you—then…
Gu Yue's eyes lit up.
She understood everything!
So, Jiang Chen was ensnared by her beauty, grace, strength—and of course, the unmatched wisdom of the Dragon God!
He…
Had fallen in love with her!
Resting her hands on the table, Gu Yue gazed at the back of Jiang Chen's head in dazed disbelief.
Her voice came out small, conflicted.
"Rebuilding this human body is such a hassle… Human love is so troublesome. How should I reject him gently?"
(END CHAPTER)
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