At the same time.
Office.
"Xinglan, are you serious about this?"
Shen Yi looked at the resolute expression on Ye Xinglan's face and couldn't help but fall into deep thought as she spoke.
"Teacher, I'm serious. I want to join the outer court and study with Luo Chuan and the others."
Ye Xinglan's expression remained calm. She no longer wished to stay in the Shrek Inner Court, and in her view, the outer court suited her well.
"You and Na'er have been doing just fine studying in the Inner Court…"
"Why this sudden change of heart?"
Shen Yi couldn't hide her confusion as she questioned.
Ye Xinglan had been exceptionally admitted to the Shrek Inner Court at the age of seven and had spent five years there since. Why would she suddenly want to leave now?
The Inner Court was revered by all as a sacred place for cultivation!
"Well, I've been buried in solitary training in the Inner Court for too long. This year's outer court students are all quite talented, and I thought…"
"Being with Luo Chuan and the others, interacting with more people my age, might not be a bad idea."
Ye Xinglan smiled faintly, speaking earnestly.
As for the Inner Court, she truly didn't want to stay any longer. Since this year's outer court was gathering so many talents, why not take the opportunity to leave?
"You…"
"Have you discussed this with Elder Ye?"
Shen Yi countered. Elder Ye was Ye Xinglan's family member and one of the academy's Elders, possessing immense power.
"I've already spoken with Grandfather."
"He said I could go study in the outer court."
Ye Xinglan responded with a smile, nodding.
"Alright then…"
"In that case, I'll respect your and your family's decision. You can join my class."
Hearing this, Shen Yi could only nod in agreement. This girl had practically grown up under her watch, and once she set her mind on something, it was usually hard to change.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'll go pack my things now and say goodbye to Na'er."
Ye Xinglan beamed, speaking cheerfully before quickly leaving the office.
"…"
Watching her depart, Shen Yi wore a thoughtful expression. While joining the outer court was indeed Ye Xinglan's genuine wish, she couldn't help but wonder…
Did she want to train with Luo Chuan and the others, or was it simply about being with Luo Chuan alone?
After all, Luo Chuan was never short of girls around him.
"Sigh…"
"A young girl's heart is hard to decipher."
Shen Yi shook her head repeatedly, lost in thought.
Perhaps, the fate between these two had begun at that Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.
But compared to Xinglan, both Gu Yue and Na'er undoubtedly shared a deeper bond with him, didn't they?
"…"
"What?"
"Xinglan, you're going to the outer court?"
Not long after, Na'er in the Inner Court stared at Ye Xinglan in front of her, her face filled with bewilderment. No way…
Did this mean Xinglan could now be with Brother Luo Chuan?
Were there any spots left? She wanted to go too!
"That's right, Na'er. I've already spoken with my family and will be heading to the outer court soon. I won't be able to stay by your side like before."
Ye Xinglan responded softly, gazing at Na'er with a hint of nostalgia.
She had joined the Inner Court earlier than Na'er, but due to her aloof personality, her only close friend there had been the girl before her—
The relationship between the two girls grew even closer after returning from the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition. Since they often talked about Luo Chuan in their daily conversations, they had become close sisters.
"Well then..."
"Xinglan, you'll get to stay by Brother Luo Chuan's side every day. I want to go too..."
Na'er blinked, unable to hide her envy. Being able to stay with Brother Luo Chuan—such good fortune made her want to go too!
But soon her expression dimmed again. Knowing her teacher as she did, she felt certain the teacher wouldn't agree.
The teacher wanted her to focus on cultivation in the inner academy.
"Na'er should work hard on her cultivation in the inner academy too."
"It's not like I'm going to the outer academy just because of Luo Chuan. It's more because, well, I can interact with more people there and improve myself."
Ye Xinglan maintained a righteous expression as she spoke earnestly.
"Is that so..."
Na'er stared straight at her with a knowing look. She could see right through Xinglan's thoughts.
Clearly, it was all for Brother Luo Chuan...
"But Sister Gu Yue..."
"Won't be as undefended against you as I am."
Na'er pondered quietly to herself. Though Xinglan wasn't the competitive type, so maybe it wouldn't be an issue.
"Hmm?"
"Na'er, what did you just say?"
Ye Xinglan asked curiously, her voice soft.
"Nothing."
Na'er shook her head. She wouldn't expose Xinglan's little secret!
"..."
That evening, at the beverage bar.
After learning of Ye Xinglan's transfer to the outer academy, Tang Luochuan and the others gathered with her at the bar. At that moment, Na'er and Mu Xi were also present.
"So..."
"Does that mean Sister Xinglan will be joining our class too?"
Hearing that she had already completed the transfer procedures, Tang Wulin couldn't hide his surprise.
The sudden news of this inner academy senior joining the outer academy was quite unexpected.
"Yes, from now on, I'll be a first-year student in the outer academy, just like all of you."
Ye Xinglan smiled faintly and nodded. She had never seen it as a big deal because she firmly believed that a genius would shine anywhere.
As long as she kept working hard, her future as a legend was assured—it wasn't something determined by whether she was in the inner or outer academy.
"This..."
The others, including Tang Wulin, naturally didn't know Ye Xinglan's thoughts and could only marvel at her decision.
The inner academy—so many people dreamed of entering but couldn't. And here she was, having been directly admitted, yet choosing to leave.
"Well then, from now on, we'll all be first-year students together, classmates under Teacher Shen and Teacher Wu!"
After a moment, Tang Wulin and the others snapped out of their daze. Having familiar faces around wasn't such a bad thing after all!
"Thank you, everyone."
"By the way, who might this classmate be...?"
At this point, Ye Xinglan's gaze shifted toward Wu Siduo. Sensing the aura around her, she asked softly. She hadn't seen this person before.
The aura emanating from her was at least that of a Soul Ancestor!
"Xinglan, this is Siduo. She's a genius with twin Martial Souls and a self-contained Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Her strength is not to be underestimated."
"Siduo, this is Xinglan. Her Martial Soul is the Star God Sword, and she'll become an extraordinary swordswoman in the future."
Tang Luochuan smiled gently as he introduced them.
"I'm Ye Xinglan, pleased to meet you."
Ye Xinglan smiled softly, her eyes shimmering with ripples of emotion, especially when she heard Tang Luochuan's description—the powerful female Sword God...
Luo Chuan's evaluation of her was so high!
"Hello, I'm Wu Siduo, though I'm not as much of a genius as Luo Chuan makes me out to be."
Beside them, Wu Siduo also smiled lightly in response.
"Self-Martial Soul Fusion Skill..."
"I think you're actually more suited for direct admission to the inner academy than I am."
A trace of astonishment flashed across Ye Xinglan's face as she couldn't help but say. Since Luo Chuan had said it, there was no way it could be false.
Twin Martial Souls were already rare in this world, let alone someone capable of self-Martial Soul fusion. This was truly a blatant genius monster.
"Haha, thank you."
Wu Siduo merely shook her head with a smile and replied softly.
"Xinglan must be close to reaching the Soul Ancestor level, right? Once you come to the outer academy, you and Siduo can exchange pointers often."
At this moment, Tang Luochuan also mused thoughtfully. Both girls loved combat, so mutual exchanges would be perfect for them.
"Oh?"
"Of course, that would be wonderful."
Hearing this, the two girls immediately exchanged glances and smiled.
"Welcome, Xinglan."
"To our big family."
Tang Luochuan smiled gently. From now on, they would all be companions together.
"Big family, huh..."
A peculiar glimmer passed through Ye Xinglan's eyes as she chuckled in response.
"Mu Xi-jie, how are things going in your second-year class?"
Tang Luochuan then turned to another figure and asked softly.
"Not bad at all!"
"I thought my talent wouldn't amount to much at Shrek Academy, but turns out I've surpassed quite a few people!"
Mu Xi said cheerfully, clearly in high spirits. She truly hadn't expected her talent to be considered strong even at Shrek Academy.
"That's really great."
Tang Luochuan responded lightly.
From any perspective, the other party was among the top students at Shrek Academy, and there were indeed very few who could surpass her.
As he thought this, his gaze inadvertently drifted into the distance, where Yuanen Yehui was working a part-time job during her free time.
Noticing his gaze, she returned a smile, having clearly spotted him earlier.
"Those people..."
"Are they all Luo Chuan's friends?"
Looking at the group around him, Yuanen Yehui continued her work thoughtfully. Aside from Na'er, there were not just first-years but also her own classmates among them!
"I never expected..."
"That the formidable sixth-rank Forging Master Mu Xi is also Luo Chuan's friend."
Yuanen Yehui couldn't help but mutter to herself. Mu Xi had left a deep impression on her before—after all, she was a sixth-rank Forging Master.
And without exaggeration, none of the girls sitting together were ordinary. Their looks were stunning, and their Soul Power levels were equally impressive.
None of their auras were weaker than hers by less than five levels, especially Mu Xi, Na'er, the girl beside Na'er, and that red-haired girl...
They all seemed stronger than her!
"For a moment, I couldn't even tell who the new students were."
Yuanen Yehui couldn't help murmuring to herself. Among these people, her current strength made her seem like a complete rookie.
Balancing cultivation with part-time work, she had only recently broken through to level 40 and still lacked a suitable Soul Spirit to overcome her bottleneck. She couldn't even keep up with her juniors.
"I've saved up enough money now. When the chance comes, I'll buy a Soul Spirit!"
With that thought, Yuanen Yehui continued busying herself.
Meanwhile, the others chatted idly. At this moment, Gu Yue and Na'er exchanged glances—one with a calm expression, the other with a faint smile, their moods clearly different.
Ye Xinglan's transfer to the outer academy meant one less friend for Na'er to chat with anytime. But for Gu Yue, it was hard to say whether this might lead to trouble down the line.
After all, Ye Xinglan had known Luo Chuan for years. There was no telling what she might do—though hopefully, nothing would happen.
"Gu Yue-jie, even without me by your side, Luo Chuan-gege already has plenty of people around him now."
Na'er glanced in Gu Yue's direction and transmitted her voice, referring to the current scene around Luo Chuan.
Back when only she and Gu Yue-jie were by Luo Chuan-gege's side, Gu Yue would still get a little jealous. Now...
This was an upgraded version.
It almost felt like a test for her.
"There are indeed many..."
Gu Yue sighed softly in agreement. She could clearly see the crowd around Luo Chuan—and in the future, it would likely only grow.
"But whether it's Xinglan, Xiaoyan, Mu Xi, or even this newcomer Wu Siduo..."
"No one will ever take Luo Chuan away from me."
Gu Yue snorted lightly, her tone resolute.
"Is that so?"
Na'er chuckled in response, though she wasn't really thinking about it. All she wanted was to stay with Luo Chuan-gege forever—as long as he was happy, she was content.
"Of course it's true."
Gu Yue declared firmly.
None of them were a threat!
As long as she, Gu Yue, was still here, none of them would ever get their hands on her Luo Chuan!
"..."
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!