Returning to Donghai Academy
Bi Ji's gentle smile held an ancient warmth as she inclined her head. "It is my duty and my pleasure, Young Master. Think of me as a quiet shadow. I will not disrupt your life, only ensure no harm finds its way to you." Her voice was like a soothing melody, carrying an innate, healing cadence.
Yao Xuan understood. Her presence was both a shield and a concession—a way to safeguard the Dragon God's heir without forcing Gu Yue to prematurely reveal the depths of her own power. It was a gesture of care, woven with strategic foresight. "Then I am in your care, Aunt Bi," he replied, his thanks genuine.
The journey back to Donghai City was a smooth transition from the ancient, secluded power of Dragon Castle to the familiar, humming modernity of the coast. A private soul guidance aircraft carried them through the clouds. Gu Yue spent much of the flight gazing out the window, her expression contemplative, while Bi Ji sat in serene stillness, a calm pillar of immense, quiet strength.
They arrived with a day to spare. True to her word, Bi Ji had already secured a spacious, sunlit apartment in a quiet, respectable complex a short distance from the academy grounds. That evening felt different from their previous lodgings. It was not a fortress of legend, but a space of their own, however temporary. Gu Yue moved through the rooms with a detached curiosity, while Yao Xuan felt the strange comfort of normalcy—a stark contrast to the weight of dragon-scale halls.
The next morning, the air itself seemed charged with renewed energy. Donghai Academy's gates buzzed with life as students streamed in, their voices layering into a vibrant cacophony of reunions and shared stories. The winter break's rest showed on most faces—a lightness in steps, brighter eyes—except for the older students whose shoulders carried the visible burden of impending graduation and the stern requirement of the second spirit ring.
Yao Xuan and Gu Yue walked through the bustling paths, their hands loosely linked. It was a simple, unconscious gesture now, a point of connection amidst the crowd. They spoke little, but the silence between them was comfortable, filled with the shared memories of a vacation that had irrevocably altered their internal worlds.
"Brother Xuan! Good morning!"
The greeting came from Yun Xiao, who approached with Zhou Changxi at his side. Both wore expressions of earnest respect. Yao Xuan offered a polite nod. "Morning." Gu Yue, meanwhile, merely glanced in their direction, her violet eyes cool and distant, her focus remaining entirely on the path ahead and the boy beside her. It was not rudeness, but a profound selectivity—her attention was a resource she guarded fiercely, and Yao Xuan was its primary recipient.
Meanwhile, in the Dean's Office…
The atmosphere was one of bureaucratic pressure barely contained by cold courtesy. Long Hengxu stood almost pleadingly, gesturing toward the young girl beside him.
"Teacher Wu, I assure you, the academy's evaluation panel was thorough. Her qualifications are… unique. She meets the standard for Class Zero." His voice was insistent.
Wu Changkong's sharp gaze swept over the new student. She was small, with hair the color of a deep lake and eyes that seemed to want to hide. Her uniform was neat, but her posture was subtly defensive, shoulders slightly hunched. "A one-ring Soul Master," he stated, his tone flat. "My class is not for the ordinary. It grinds down the merely good and spits them out. Only true geniuses endure. Is she a genius, Director Long, or a favor to the school board?"
Long Hengxu winced. "She is a year young for her grade. Soul power at level seventeen. And her martial soul… it is a mutation. The Star Wheel Ice Staff."
Wu Changkong's eyebrow twitched, the only sign of interest. "Demonstrate it."
"Ah, that's the particularity," Long Hengxu explained, shifting his weight. "Its potent mutation is nocturnal. By day, it is a staff of ice. By night, it interacts with… celestial power. It channels starlight."
"So. A conditional asset. A half-finished product," Wu Changkong concluded, his words causing the girl, Xu Xiaoyan, to flinch almost imperceptibly, her fingers tightening on the hem of her skirt.
"Teacher Wu, please," Long Hengxu lowered his voice. "The board's decision is made. Denying her could… complicate the resource allocation for Class Zero. Give her a trial. A chance to prove she belongs."
The room went quiet. Wu Changkong's eyes, like chips of flint, remained fixed on Xu Xiaoyan. He could see the fear, but also, buried beneath it, a flicker of desperate resolve.
"A trial," he echoed finally. "One month. You will have one month to earn my approval, and the acceptance of your potential classmates in Class Zero. Fall short in either regard, and you will leave. Quietly. Do you understand?"
Xu Xiaoyan's head jerked up. She swallowed, her voice a thin thread at first. "I understand, Teacher Wu."
"Energy!" Wu Changkong's single word cracked through the office like a whip. "I cannot hear the confidence you will need to survive!"
The girl stiffened. She took a sharp breath, straightened her back, and met his gaze, her voice clearer, firmer. "I understand! I will do my best, Teacher Wu!"
"That is marginally better. Your 'best' will need to be exponentially greater than what you believe it to be. The training in Class Zero will break you, if you let it. I hope you are prepared for that."
"I am prepared! I will not fall behind!" This time, her declaration held a spark of defiant heat.
Wu Changkong gave a curt, final nod. "Action proves truth. I will watch. Director Long, if that is all?" Without waiting for a full reply, he turned on his heel. "Xu Xiaoyan. Follow me. You will be assigned a dormitory. Your trial begins now."
He strode from the office, his black coat sweeping behind him. After a heart-stopping second, Xu Xiaoyan scrambled after the imposing figure, her small frame disappearing into the hallway, chasing the daunting, slender chance she had just been given.