The next day.
Inside Wu Tong's dorm.
Wu Tong lay on a recliner made of thousand-year-old agarwood that he had brought with him.
In his hands was the meticulously drafted proposal that everyone had spent the entire night brainstorming. He flipped through it carefully.
"Uh, Elysia… I really don't know how to give you special treatment here."
The girls' uniforms being pink skirts was one thing—it could be chalked up to your obsession with pink dresses.
But why were most of the boys' uniforms also pink? Sure, they looked exquisite, but still…
"Sigh…"
Wu Tong let out a long breath, covering his face with his hands, unable to continue reading.
He casually tossed Elysia's design onto the nearby table.
Elysia — Pass.
...
"Hmm? This is…"
Miss Mobius, as expected of the woman with the sharpest tongue among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers—the one who, according to legend, would still have her mouth intact even after cremation.
Who would've thought you'd actually submit a design in the end?
Though I wonder if Elysia pestered you into it or if you did it of your own accord.
Still, this all-black-and-green aesthetic doesn't quite match what I had in mind. It's more in line with Old Man Dugu's style—he'd probably love it.
And if these outfits were in any other color, they'd just look… off.
Ah well, on to the next one.
Mobius — Pass.
...
"Next up… Huh? The design from the Phoenix Squad?"
'Not bad at all. The Herrscher's taste is as impeccable as ever.
No surprise, given how many stunning outfits she's had.'
Thinking of Yunmo Danxin, Crimson Phoenix Attire, White Robes Crossing the River, and other such designs, Wu Tong had always held high expectations for Fu Hua's work.
And now, seeing this, her vision truly lived up to its reputation.
Two sets of uniforms, one for males and one for females.
Both were classic Shenzhou-style designs, collaboratively created by Fu Hua, Xiao Xuan, Xiao Shi, Cheng Lixue, Danzhu, Cang Xuan, and the others.
They perfectly blended the sleek simplicity of modern Shenzhou fashion with the breathtaking elegance of ancient attire, making them an instant standout.
Moreover, they carried Fu Hua's signature ethereal flair, giving off an otherworldly, celestial vibe—like garments woven by the heavens themselves.
Fu Hua's Design — Approved.
...
...
After that, Wu Tong reviewed the rest of the submissions.
There was Su's medical student uniforms; the trio of Kiana, Mei, and Bronya's fusion of European, Russian, and Far Eastern styles; and the designs Theresa had commissioned…
While many were impressive, there were also plenty of bizarre ones.
It was enough to leave Wu Tong utterly stunned—he'd never imagined so many outlandish designs could exist.
In the end, after reluctantly eliminating most of the proposals, Wu Tong was left with just two options.
One was Fu Hua's Shenzhou-style design.
The other was Eden's artistic masterpiece.
Staring at the two designs before him, Wu Tong found himself torn. The Shenzhou aesthetic perfectly matched the xianxia fantasy vibe he envisioned, making it irresistibly appealing.
But Eden's work was equally exceptional.
For a moment, Wu Tong was plagued by the luxurious dilemma of choice.
Finally, he decided to adopt both designs.
Why choose when you can have it all?
With the uniforms settled, Wu Tong moved on to reviewing the rest of the academy's planning documents.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Wu Tong finally freed himself from the mountain of planning work.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted. Thank goodness I only had to handle this much—the rest can be left to Raven."
"I should go for a walk. My body's practically stiff."
Rising from the recliner, Wu Tong stretched, his joints cracking audibly, and muttered to himself.
Then, he pushed open his bedroom door—which had remained shut all morning—and stepped outside.
"Inhale… exhale… Ah, fresh air."
Taking a deep breath, Wu Tong glanced up at the sun hanging high in the sky, silently appreciating the good weather before leaving his room.
"Huh? Wu Tong? You're done already?"
At the stairway, a certain white-haired girl spotted him, her eyes lighting up as she hurried over.
"So? How'd we do? Mine and Mei's designs, I mean."
Seeing the pride on Kiana's face, Wu Tong hesitated but ultimately chose not to crush her enthusiasm.
"Yeah, they were pretty unique. All three styles had their charm."
"So, whose design did you pick? Mine? Or Mei's?"
"…Neither. I went with Fu Hua and Eden's."
Wu Tong's gentle voice struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly deflating Kiana's excitement. Her proud expression wilted like a cabbage left out in the sun.
"Aww, seriously?"
"..."
"So, uh, what were you planning to do now?"
Quickly changing the subject, Wu Tong tried to steer the conversation away from the sore point.
"Oh, I was gonna grab lunch. It's already noon."
"Ugh, if only Mei weren't busy right now, I could've had her secret-recipe grilled chicken legs…"
Kiana's attention was successfully diverted.
As she spoke, she struggled to hold back the drool threatening to spill from her mouth.
Wu Tong sighed in relief.
Thank goodness it was Kiana. With anyone else, changing the topic wouldn't have been this easy.
"Mei's not back? Where'd she go?"
Hearing that Mei was unavailable, Wu Tong frowned in confusion.
"She's training with the class monitor. I was gonna go too, but…"
Right on cue, Kiana's stomach let out a loud growl.
Wu Tong's confusion vanished instantly.
Ah. Now it made sense.
"Then come eat with me. I haven't had lunch either."
"Ooh! Are we using that 'Gourmet Tablecloth' thing that makes Mei-flavored instant noodles? Awesome!"
"..."
Wu Tong paused, then decided to ignore that remark entirely.
"Hold on, let me notify the others. Since we're leaving tomorrow, we might as well have one last meal together today."
With that, he pulled out the high-tech phone Himeko had given him—branded with the Schicksal logo—and opened the [Elysian Realm] group chat.
Just seeing the name made Wu Tong certain Elysia was behind it. Though he was genuinely curious how she'd convinced the other Flame-Chasers to agree to it.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he typed out a message and sent it to the group.
Phoenix Perch: Everyone, gather at my place for a meal later. We're leaving tomorrow, so let's take this chance to have one last get-together. Attendance is mandatory. @everyone
Pink Elf: Eh? We're leaving tomorrow? Aww, okay. Omw!
Green Snake: Got it. Be there soon.
...
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(End of Chapter)