"What did you say?!"
Ning Tian looked up sharply at Chen Junting, startled, her expression searching his face to confirm what she'd just heard.
But Chen Junting was calm, as if he'd expected her reaction. He smiled slightly, glanced at Wang Dong's retreating back, and asked, "Have you heard of the Light Goddess Butterfly martial soul?"
Ning Tian paused, then shook her head. The martial soul was so rare that even the top instructors at Shrek Academy might not recognize it.
Chen Junting lifted his hand, and his starlight sapphire ring glowed faintly. An old book appeared with a flash of light—borrowed from the academy's library. The title: Appreciation of Precious Martial Souls Across the Continent.
Ning Tian took it, flipped through the index, found the page, and turned to it.
"The Light Goddess Butterfly," Chen Junting explained, "is the most beautiful butterfly martial soul on the continent. Its beauty is unparalleled among all beast-type martial souls. And it has one distinct trait—it has only ever appeared in female soul masters."
Ning Tian's eyes flickered as understanding began to form. She didn't speak at first, then asked softly, "You mean… Wang Dong—no, Wang Dong'er—is actually a girl?"
Chen Junting nodded. "Exactly."
That confirmation hit like a ripple across still water. Ning Tian's surprise slowly gave way to clarity.
"So... Yuhao and Wang Dong'er…" She didn't finish her sentence, but Chen Junting already knew what she meant.
"Wang Dong'er will end up with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
There was a subtle gleam in Chen Junting's eyes as he said it—one that didn't match his tone.
If Wang Dong'er were simply a disciple of the Tang Sect or a descendant of the Clear Sky Clan, she might follow the path he predicted. But the truth was more complicated. In many ways, Wang Dong'er was a piece on Tang San's chessboard.
Not something that needed to be said aloud—not yet.
Ning Tian didn't notice the shift in his expression. But deep within Chen Junting's spiritual sea, Electrolux saw everything.
"Xiaotian,"
"Hmm?"
"Don't speak of this to anyone."
"I understand. Dong'er must have her reasons," Ning Tian replied, her tone curious. "When do you think Yuhao will realize she's a girl?"
"Hard to say," Chen Junting answered. "But I do know if we don't get moving, Xiaofeng and the others will beat us to the cafeteria."
"Right! Let's go!"
With no one around, Ning Tian dropped her usual cool persona. She gave a short run, then lightly jumped onto Chen Junting's back with a grin. For the first time, she let herself be a little playful.
"Go!"
---
Later that afternoon, just outside the assessment area, Class 9's homeroom teacher Mu Jin greeted them with an excited smile that hadn't faded since the morning's semifinals.
"You were amazing!"
She beamed at them. "You've made me so proud. Now all of Class 9 is in the finals. If Ning Tian's team works hard, we might sweep the top three."
As she looked over the group, Mu Jin noted that only Wu Feng seemed a bit bitter about the result. The rest were laughing and relaxed, a good sign. She reminded them to prioritize safety and sportsmanship, then headed off to the viewing platform.
After she left, Chen Junting turned to Ning Tian.
"After what I did to Dai Huabin's team, they received healing, but the academy clearly didn't let them fully recover. It's probably for the sake of keeping the finals balanced. But that works to your advantage."
He glanced at Wu Feng.
"Their Netherworld White Tiger fusion skill is unusable for now. Add their injuries to that, and your odds are excellent."
"That's great news."
Ning Tian smiled, then nudged Wu Feng. "Sister Feng, we're counting on you."
Wu Feng perked up instantly. "Leave it to me! Without their fusion skill, I'll crush them."
—
On the other side, Huo Yuhao was pacing nervously.
Wang Dong frowned. "Yuhao? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he muttered, obviously lying. After a moment of prodding from Wang Dong and Dugu Xin, he finally confessed.
"Our trump card was the martial soul fusion skill. But now that it's been exposed—and we can't use it again so soon—we've got nothing to rely on against Brother Junting."
All three went silent. Even the ever-proud Wang Dong had nothing to say.
That's when a voice cut in.
"What do you mean you've got nothing?"
They turned, startled, to find Chen Junting standing behind them, arms crossed and eyes sharp. It felt like he saw through everything.
"N-nothing!" Wang Dong stammered. He quickly grabbed Yuhao and bolted toward the assessment area. "We're just going to... work on strategy!"
Ning Tian arrived just as they ran off. "What was that all about?"
"Nothing," Chen Junting said casually.
He had heard enough, though—those three had actually been considering giving up. Ridiculous. So he gave them a little scare to straighten them out.
Not long after, Ning Tian's team defeated Dai Huabin's weakened squad in the third-place match. Wu Feng's power, boosted by Ning Tian's external soul bone, proved overwhelming.
Now, it was time for the final.
All partitions in the arena were gone. The full field was open for the last battle.
As both teams entered, the referee stepped forward.
"Introduce yourselves."
"Chen Junting."
"Qin Lan."
"Gao Ming."
"Huo Yuhao."
"Wang Dong."
"Dugu Xin."
Once introductions finished, the referee's tone grew more serious.
"There are a few changes for the final match. First—mobility is unrestricted within the arena. Flying is allowed, but you may not rise more than ten meters. Second—you are expected to go all out. This match will determine your treatment and ranking within the academy going forward. The deans are watching. Understood?"
"Understood!" All six answered in unison.
Chen Junting glanced at Huo Yuhao's team. They no longer looked uncertain. In fact, he could see it now—they were ready.
"Then I'll give you the respect you've earned."
He closed his eyes.
The battlefield grew quiet.
And all around, tension rose.
---
(End of chapter)
---
Gimme your stones