Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

That day, Gu Yue only stayed for lunch at Jing Shaoyu's house before she left abruptly, not looking back, making Jing Ziyuan worry if her cooking had scared the girl away.

Jing Shaoyu could only comfort his mother, saying that Gu Yue was just shy and that his mom's warmth might have overwhelmed her a little.

When the rest day ended and Jing Shaoyu returned to the academy, he noticed that for several days afterward, Gu Yue would turn and leave whenever she saw him, often with a little huff of annoyance.

He felt helpless—what happened at his house wasn't his fault. She had been the one to suggest going, and she had been the one to agree. Yet, in the end, he was the one being blamed. Girls really were impossible to understand, whether they were human or dragon.

However, he didn't dwell on it too much. A few days later, Gu Yue's embarrassment seemed to fade, and she began to approach him again. This time, Xu Xiaoyan picked up on the subtle rivalry between them, and soon, both girls were vying for Jing Shaoyu's attention, especially on rest days, insisting on spending time with him.

As the weeks passed, the annual Class Advancement Battle approached. Tomorrow, the competition would finally begin, with the first match between Class 5 and Class 4 in the first-year division.

A battle platform had been set up on the intermediate division's field, and the competition was set to begin right after classes ended, with Class 5 challenging Class 4 in the first match.

The bell rang, and students poured out of the building. Besides the students from Classes 4 and 5, who were heading toward the battle platform, most other students seemed indifferent to the match. To them, a battle between Classes 4 and 5 was simply a "scrub fight," not worth their time.

First-Year Class 1

"Class Leader, let's go get something to eat, then we need to see Teacher Ye afterward," Wang Jinxi called out, waiting outside the classroom.

"Coming," Jing Shaoyu replied, taking Xu Xiaoyan's hand as they left.

"Brother Xiao Yu, aren't you going to watch the match? Gu Yue will be leading Class 5 against Class 4 today. If you don't go, it might affect her performance, don't you think?" Xu Xiaoyan teased playfully.

"Where did you learn to talk like that?" Jing Shaoyu chuckled, pinching her cheeks gently. "Don't talk to me like that, understood?"

"Ow, it hurts! Brother Xiao Yu…" Xu Xiaoyan's eyes filled with tears, and Jing Shaoyu quickly let go and gently reassured her.

"Hehe!" Xu Xiaoyan's mischievous smile reappeared. "I'm fine, Brother Xiao Yu. Let's go eat!"

Taking Jing Shaoyu's hand, she led him to the cafeteria, leaving Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng feeling like they'd just been served a full meal of public displays of affection.

"Yangzi, I think I've lost my appetite. You?" Wang Jinxi muttered as he watched them walk away.

"Same," Zhang Yangzi replied with a sigh.

"Enough. Hurry up and eat," Wei Xiaofeng grumbled, though he also looked frustrated. "We still need to see Teacher Ye."

The three followed Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan to the cafeteria. After they finished eating, they went to Ye Yingluo's office, where she was already waiting for them to discuss their lineup for the Class Advancement Battle.

According to Ye Yingluo, Jing Shaoyu, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi would be the main team members, with Wei Xiaofeng and Xu Xiaoyan as substitutes. Wei Xiaofeng felt this arrangement was a bit redundant, but Ye Yingluo's trust in Wu Zhangkong was unwavering.

Once back in the dorms, Wang Jinxi could hardly contain his excitement. "Guys, did you hear? Class 5 has two great spirit masters!"

"Are you serious?" Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng looked surprised.

"Absolutely!" Wang Jinxi nodded enthusiastically. Since the semester began, Class 5's Gu Yue had started as a 23rd-level spirit master, and during that time, Xie Xie also reached the great spirit master level, gaining a second spirit ring and hitting level 21.

With two great spirit masters with century-level spirit rings, Class 5 was now a formidable team. Likely, only Class 1 had a stronger lineup.

In the following days, Class 5 defeated Class 3 and Class 2 in quick succession. It wasn't a huge surprise; the strongest students were in Class 1, and the other four classes were fairly even in strength.

Now, the anticipated showdown between Class 1 and Class 5 was the talk of the academy. It had everything—a showdown between the strongest first-year class in recent memory and a team on a winning streak. The entire academy was eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Would Class 1 defend its honor and reputation, or would Class 5 pull off an incredible upset and become the first Class 5 to advance?

The answer would be revealed that afternoon.

That day, a broadcast echoed throughout the academy.

"Attention, teachers and students! Attention, teachers and students! A severe tropical storm has been forecasted for tonight, expected to last for a week. Due to this, all classes will be suspended, and students are advised to stay in the dormitories until further notice. Today's afternoon classes are also canceled.

The final Class Advancement Battle for first-year students will take place immediately. Other grades' battles are postponed, pending further announcements."

The broadcast didn't cause much concern; Donghai City was used to storms. But with the afternoon free, students were thrilled, seizing the opportunity to watch the much-anticipated match between Classes 1 and 5.

Jing Shaoyu reflected on the immense power of nature—no matter how strong a soul master was, they still had to hide from nature's wrath like everyone else.

Ye Yingluo clenched her fists in excitement. Finally, the moment she had been waiting for! She was eager to witness Wu Zhangkong's reaction when his prized students faced defeat. "Everyone, assemble at the field!" she called.

"Yes, Teacher!"

The Class 1 students lined up behind Ye Yingluo and headed toward the field, with Jing Shaoyu, Xu Xiaoyan, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng leading the way.

Around the battle platform, a crowd had already gathered. It wasn't just first-year students and teachers; students and teachers from other grades were also present, including Ouyang Zixin and her friend Mu Xi from fifth grade.

The other first-year homeroom teachers were there too, except for Wu Zhangkong.

"Sis!" Ye Yingrong, the Class 3 homeroom teacher, approached Ye Yingluo.

"Yes?" Ye Yingluo nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd.

"Sis, don't bother looking—he's not here yet," Ye Yingrong said with a helpless smile. She didn't know how to describe her sister, who was proud and stubborn and rarely interested in me

n. Wu Zhangkong had been a rare exception, but it hadn't ended well…what a pity.