On the outskirts of Zhen Sheng City, beside the entrance to the Demon Qi Secret Realm, stood a temporary student dormitory.

Huai Shouren sat dazedly in front of his bed.

It had been more than ten hours since he was knocked out of the Secret Realm by Lin Guang, whom he had despised.

Huai Shouren still couldn't accept this outcome. He kept replaying the events in his mind, wondering if executing that move could have changed the course of battle, or altered the result of the fight.

In the end, Huai Shouren even began to doubt whether he was truly a "genius," questioning if his success so far was solely due to the talent inherited from his parents, the support of the Huai Family, and nothing to do with his own natural gifts and efforts—wondering if anyone in his position could have achieved the same.

Suddenly, the noise around him pulled him back to reality.

After all, this was a hastily built dormitory, and the soundproofing was poor. Voices naturally flowed into his ears.

"Wow, is it true?"

"Lin Guang is at it again. Defeating Huai Shouren wasn't enough, does he want to take down all three great families by himself?"

"You've got it wrong; it's the families that won't allow a commoner to challenge their authority and status."

"Something's not right; this is a group battle mode, yet Lin Guang agreed to a duel, trying to go one against two?"

Huai Shouren snapped back, running to the window and gazing at the open ground. He could clearly see the flag waving in the wind, with Lin Guang's name, who was in first place, blazing with flames, linked by a chain to Wang Feng and Jiang Xinyue.

"Has Lin Guang gone mad?"

He couldn't help but blurt out.

Indeed, he realized Lin Guang might not have used his full strength against him, but that wasn't a reason he could take on two challengers alone.

Was he a level above himself? That he could admit, but a whole head above?

How could that be possible!

Yet before Huai Shouren could think much more, the flames on Wang Feng's name extinguished, the chain clattered, untangling the two, and the name on the third spot of the leaderboard fell to fifth, replaced by a stranger's name.

The next moment, a figure appeared beside the flagpole, eyes wide and mouth agape, seemingly unable to accept reality.

Someone recognized him, shouting out in disbelief.

"Wang Feng!!!"

The uproar spread like wildfire as countless heads emerged from the student dormitory, peering outward.

"How is it possible? How long since the duel began? Isn't the Wang Family's Mystical Technique famed for its ultimate defense? How could Lin Guang eliminate him so quickly?"

"Got it, this group duel must have been an alliance between Jiang Xinyue and Lin Guang, catching Wang Feng off guard!"

"Man, your gossip made me laugh."

"Don't say that; with Lin Guang's looks, it's possible. Maybe Jiang Xinyue had a secret crush on Lin Guang before the exam, and every day at home, she couldn't help but hum while looking at pictures of Lin Guang she saved from the web…"

Even Huai Shouren was stunned. Being from one of the three great families, no one knew better than him the Wang Family's inherited Mystical Technique, which was entirely opposite – ultimate defense. How could it be eliminated so quickly?

Though he somewhat understood Jiang Xinyue's character, knowing she was unlikely to collaborate with outsiders for a coup, he couldn't find another reason for a while.

The discussion lasted a short while, with no conclusion reaching consensus until the leaderboard's changes interrupted.

Jiang Xinyue's name disappeared from the list, while Lin Guang's score continued to rise, more than doubling in a short time.

Soon after, a female appeared beside the flag, drenched, eyes wide, staring blankly ahead.

Clearly, this state didn't fit the "crazy in love" many imagined.

The dormitory fell into silence for a while.

No cheers, no applause.

Only the quiet born from incomprehension.

After a long pause, someone spoke.

"…Did Lin Guang really win?!"

"Am I dreaming? What era am I living in? Is Zhen Sheng City going to have another Hua Bo master?"

"No way, buddy. Weren't we all just going in to gather some scores, and you nonchalantly brushed off people from three major families?"

"What's going on, why does everyone Lin Guang defeats show such disbelief?"

"What else could it be, their beliefs are shattered."

"Wow, Lin Guang is impressive!!!"

"..."

How is this possible?

Lin Guang clearly fought me to a draw before; how could he defeat two at once?

What exactly happened?

Huai Shouren clenched his fists tightly, unable to understand, no matter how hard he tried.

Yet, after a moment, watching the two dejected figures on the open ground, the shock and disbelief on Huai Shouren's face gradually faded, replaced by a slight raise at the corners of his mouth.

That's how humans are; if the gap isn't large, jealousy or resentment might arise between two individuals. But when the person ahead is too brilliant and uncatchable, most people's emotions turn into acceptance.

Likewise, it wasn't that Huai Shouren was too weak, but Lin Guang was too strong; they weren't even at the same level, not worthy to sit at the same table.

Moreover, without understanding Lin Guang's strength leap, Huai Shouren still had the leisure to fantasize. At least he exchanged dozens of bouts with Lin Guang; eventually, Lin Guang had to "grind" him down, unlike Wang Feng and Jiang Xinyue, who were dealt with so quickly despite two against one.

Doesn't this imply that he, Huai Shouren, > Wang Feng + Jiang Xinyue?

Huai Shouren couldn't have imagined that in just four short days, his perceptions and feelings towards Lin Guang would undergo such a drastic change.

...

In a lush green bedroom, a quirky girl watched the flag on the computer screen, finally loosening her tightly held star pillow, exhaling softly, then revealing a brilliant and beautiful smile. Suddenly, she realized something and turned her head in surprise.

On the table, the withered little grass, bathed in moonlight, emitted a faint white glow, its energy becoming faint and unstable, as if sensing the delicate balance between life and death.

Moonlight cascaded down like a silver waterfall, directly illuminating the top of the Swaying Lily. Every leaf strained to absorb the brilliance of the moon, transforming the light into a fountain of life.

The frail little grass began to grow rapidly, blooming. Its petals emitted a soft glow, like stars, the flowers gradually turning transparent, as if soaked in moonlight, flowing with a mysterious radiance. A subtle shadow appeared at the edges of the petals, like a thin mist of night entwined within.

Finally, with a gentle tremor, it completely transformed into a Glimmering Lily.

It was a deep, enchanting flower, its petals seemingly formed from solidified moonlight, exuding an eerie yet elegant luster. Dreamlike blue spots were embedded in the petals' center, like stars in the night.

The air was filled with a faint mysterious fragrance, the Glimmering Lily's form graceful, seemingly drifting in the breeze or perhaps shyly greeting the girl.

...

In the shadows of a dilapidated high-rise, a girl with shoulder-length black hair slightly covered her chest, gazing thoughtfully in a certain direction, a look of contemplation on her flawless face.

Just now, her heart thumped heavily again for no apparent reason, as if her attention was suddenly drawn to a certain direction, as if something was deeply on her mind.

And for the past few weeks, such occurrences had sporadically happened.

Why could this be?

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. Eleven, let's hurry up; once we finish this delivery, we can rest."

...

At the Integrated Research Center, Experimental School, third floor, laboratory.

Doctor Kaiwen, clad in a white coat, finally relaxed her slightly furrowed eyebrows after seeing the changes on the leaderboard.

But immediately, a look of contemplation and dawning realization flickered in her eyes.

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