Today was the second day of the holiday.
Gu Xun and his companions were touring Heaven Dou Planet, taking in the breathtaking scenery beyond Elf Planet.
Of course, it was Di Tian who guided them around—otherwise, Gu Xun and the four little ones wouldn't have gotten very far in a single day.
They visited the highest peak on Heaven Dou Planet, Li Tan! Li Tan was simply stunning, as was the vast ocean of Heaven Dou Planet.
Dong Qianqiu seemed particularly fond of the ocean. Their second day passed in a flash, and as the holiday ended, everyone returned to their studies.
The Elf Queen clearly sensed that Yuan Enhuihui, after two days off, seemed more energetic. Previously, he had carried himself as if afraid others would discover his uniqueness.
Now, he paid no heed to such concerns whatsoever. This shift was beneficial for Yuan Enhuihui; excessive preoccupation with such matters would only hinder his cultivation.
Next was Di Qiu'er. After four months of training with Di Tian, she had mastered the basics of his Black Dragon Sword technique.
Di Tian, after all, was a dragon who had reached the Sword God realm—a testament to thousands of years of cultivation. His Black Dragon Sword had evolved into a divine skill. While perhaps not quite as formidable as the Dragon God Claw, it was still immensely powerful.
After all, the Dragon God Claw is the divine technique of the Dragon God at the God King level, while the Black Dragon Sword is self-created by Di Tian. Naturally, it cannot compare.
Yuan Enhuihui often sparred with Di Qiu'er. Although Yuan Enhuihui was a Spirit Grandmaster and Di Qiu'er was a single-ring Spirit Master, but Yuan Yuan Enhuihui was almost always soundly beaten. After that, Yuan Enhuihui refused to spar with Di Qiu'er anymore and went to spar with Gu Xun instead, only to be instantly defeated by Gu Xun.
This experience practically drove the kid into a state of withdrawal. Fortunately, Yuan Enhuihui wasn't the weakest. He managed to win when sparring with Dong Qianqiu.
That victory moved Yuan Enhuihui to tears. Finally, he had someone he could beat—it felt so hard-won. Sure, it was thanks to his level advantage, but a win was a win.
Meanwhile, Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu attended classes normally at the academy. Every night, Gu Xun would chat with Lan Xuanyu in his dreams.
Still, Gu Xun couldn't shake the feeling that this Lan Xuanyu was odd—not only was he slightly shorter than Gu Xun, but his features seemed softer too. Though overall, they were quite similar.
Another half-year slipped by in a flash, and soon Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu faced their final assessments.
"Your final assessment task is this; form teams and enter the virtual arena to fend off spirit beast attacks."
"Those who excel will be assigned to the elite classes at the Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy campus for intensive training."
"Furthermore, the academy will allocate more resources to you, and your treatment will be significantly better."
Standing at the front of the classroom, the teacher explained the details of the final exam and the promise of elite class placement for those who passed.
The students groaned at the prospect of another exam. Gu Xun, however, felt relatively calm—just another routine test he could breeze through.
He had now reached level 23. Despite barely training over the past six months, he had still managed to climb to level 20.
Then, a six-thousand-year soul ring had propelled his soul power to the peak of level 23.
Dong Qianqiu, meanwhile, was at level 19, nearing level 20. Currently, Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu held the highest soul power levels in the entire class.
"Is just the two of us enough?"
Dong Qianqiu turned to ask Gu Xun. Gu Xun nodded in response. Rather than bringing along someone unfamiliar, he felt two people would suffice.
"Just us two is enough. You take the lead, and I'll buff you."
"...You're just slacking off. I don't get why you slack off so much, yet your level is actually higher than mine."
Dong Qianqiu pursed her lips at his words, feeling the world was unfair. How could someone like Gu Xun, who slacked off every day, have a higher level than her?
Soon, everyone adjusted their states and headed into the virtual pods. With a flash of the screen, Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu appeared in a massive arena.
[One minute countdown...]
Gu Xun and Dong Qianqiu watched the countdown above, then surveyed their surroundings.
It resembled an enclosed open-air arena. No one else was present—not even fellow students.
Time ticked away. As the minute ended, a massive gate abruptly materialized before them. From within surged countless hellhounds, some decades old, others centuries old.
"Alright! You're it, Qianqiu!"
After buffing Dong Qianqiu, Gu Xun pointed at twenty or thirty hellhounds across the arena, their bodies aflame.
Dong Qianqiu rolled her eyes at Gu Xun in exasperation, then took a bite of the golden apple in her hand. The apple vanished instantly.
Dong Qianqiu charged forward wielding her ice spear. Gu Xun, meanwhile, used earth element to form a chair, sat down, and watched her exert herself.
Dong Qianqiu's ice spear swept through with biting cold, instantly slaying four ten-year hellhounds. Several ice spikes followed, instantly killing more.
The final thrust felled a century-old hellhound—a feat accomplished with effortless ease.
[Next wave begins in ten seconds…]
The moment Dong Qianqiu finished the slaughter, a new progress bar appeared before her.
Dong Qianqiu turned to look at Gu Xun, only to see her vision go black. There sat Gu Xun, leisurely brewing tea with his legs crossed, utterly at ease.