Ye Lingling frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. She seemed to have noticed something, but didn't ask further, simply saying softly, "Tang Chuan, I came to thank you."
As she spoke, she stepped forward, her plain white skirt brushing against the Blue Silver Grass leaves beneath her feet.
"My Martial Soul, Nine Heart Begonia, has successfully evolved." At the end of her sentence, Ye Lingling suddenly opened her arms and gave Tang Chuan an unexpected hug.
Tang Chuan's body instantly stiffened, his hands hovering in mid-air, unsure where to put them.
At this moment, the faint scent of the young girl lingered around his nose.
"We are all classmates; we should help each other. There's no need to thank me."
"Besides, this is something I promised you. If you left Heaven Dou Royal Academy and joined our Tianxing Academy, I would find a way to evolve your Martial Soul." Tang Chuan awkwardly patted Ye Lingling's back, his voice carrying a hint of unnatural restraint.
Just then, another crisp sound of footsteps came from the corner of the corridor.
Xiao Rui'er suddenly appeared, her golden hair glowing softly in the moonlight.
"???"
However, when her gaze passed through the corridor pillars entwined with Blue Silver Grass and she saw the scene in the courtyard, her steps abruptly halted.
A trace of shock flashed in Xiao Rui'er's eyes. She first glared fiercely at Tang Chuan, then, without giving him a chance to explain, immediately turned and left.
"Oh no! It's over..."
Hearing the sound, Tang Chuan suddenly looked up, meeting Xiao Rui'er's eyes, which were filled with disappointment and anger. His expression instantly froze, and he hurriedly said, "Ruier, let me explain."
But Xiao Rui'er didn't want to listen. Her golden hair cut a decisive arc in the air as she disappeared without looking back at the end of the corridor.
Just then, Ye Lingling gently pulled Tang Chuan's sleeve, her soft voice carrying a hint of innocence as she said, "Did Ruier misunderstand something?"
"It's all my fault; I was too excited just now..."
"Do you think I should go and explain to Ruier later?"
Hearing this, Tang Chuan straightened his back, feigning composure, and waved his hand in a relaxed manner, saying, "It's fine. She and I are both classmates. What is there to explain??"
Although he said this, his gaze involuntarily drifted in the direction Xiao Rui'er had left, and his fingers subconsciously stroked the corner of his clothes.
"But... Ruier seems very angry."
"I said it's fine! Let's go, we need to find Dugu Bo to discuss the competition."
Tang Chuan's voice, though feigning nonchalance, carried a trace of imperceptible guilt.
"The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament will begin in just over three months. The Academy needs to make some simple preparations first. I'll see if we can recruit a few more people from the Royal Fight Team."
...Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Tianxing Academy was bustling with activity, the training ground filled with students in uniform.
Sunlight spilled onto the teaching buildings made of white jade, and the sound of Martial Soul Abilities being unleashed echoed from the training ground, mixed with the instructors' guidance and the students' laughter.
The Dean's office was even more crowded at this moment.
"Not bad. In just a few months, the Academy has so many people."
Taking a deep breath, Tang Chuan stood by the window, looking at the bustling scene on the training ground, and sighed with emotion.
Not far behind him stood Dugu Bo, Ye Lingling, Ning Rongrong, and other core members of the Academy. Although Xiao Rui'er was also present, she deliberately stood in the furthest corner from him, arms crossed, looking out the window.
Pointing to the thick roster on the table, Dugu Bo stroked his beard and smiled, "The first batch of three hundred students all passed the simple assessment. The Academy's teaching staff is fully equipped, and even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has sent several support system Soul Masters to teach."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong smiled slightly at Dugu Bo and nodded. She had been at the Academy for over two months now and was very familiar with Tang Chuan and the others, and their relationship was quite good.
Just then, the office door opened, and Dugu Yan walked in with several teachers from the Academy. Her gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Dugu Bo, and she said seriously, "Grandpa, all the participating students are ready. We are just waiting for you to lead the team to the competition venue."
Dugu Bo stepped forward and gently waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit down.
After everyone had quietly taken their seats, he cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over every student present, and spoke with a serious expression:
"The Pan-continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition is the largest Martial Soul competition in the Spirit Master's world, initiated and hosted by the royal families of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, and co-organized by the Spirit Hall. The strength of the participants is second only to the Spirit Hall's Elite Selection Competition."
"In the rules, there are several things we must abide by."
"Firstly, the students sent by participating academies must be under twenty-five years old and be able to maintain seven participants in each match."
"Secondly, during the competition, with the purpose of friendly sparring, try to avoid injuring or crippling opponents. Killing is absolutely forbidden. Once an opponent is killed, the Academy will not only bear the corresponding losses but also be expelled from the Soul Master Competition."
Hearing this, the office was silent, with only the faint sound of training coming from outside the window.
"Grandpa, this rule seems inappropriate, doesn't it?"
Dugu Yan raised her hand, interrupting Dugu Bo, and frowned slightly, saying, "You know, ever since my Martial Soul evolved into the Jade Phosphor Serpent, the power of my snake venom has increased by more than just a little. Martial Soul Abilities have no eyes; what if an opponent is too weak and accidentally gets poisoned to death by me?"
Sighing helplessly, Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter with a reassuring gaze and explained, "These are the rules of the Spirit Hall and the two Empires; I can't do anything about it. We can only let you play when we face strong teams."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan pouted, muttering somewhat unwillingly:
"What if we encounter a weak team that deliberately provokes us... like Shrek Academy..."
Under Dugu Bo's serious gaze, she finally nodded.
Immediately after, Dugu Bo looked around at everyone, his voice clear and strong as he continued:
"Besides these two rigid rules, there is one more thing I need to remind you all. That is, during the competition, participants on stage are not allowed to use any medicine or food produced by non-food system or healing system Soul Masters."
"That is to say, if you want to receive supplies on the competition stage, then a support system Soul Master must occupy one of the spots."
"Additionally, there is another rule: no weapons other than Martial Souls can be used. You must remember this, otherwise you will be directly expelled from the competition."
At this point, he looked at Xiao Rui'er, who was leaning by the window not far away, "In that case, your golden spear that can devour Life Qi also cannot be used anymore."
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