At that moment, Xiao Yaoyao's hatred for Murong Rufeng ran bone-deep. He had just swaggered off in front of so many students without giving her a second glance. 'I'm a tutor at this academy, for crying out loud!'
'If it weren't for Linyuan Academy, I'd kick this arrogant good-for-nothing out of here right now. But that would undoubtedly displease the Murong Family. And if *their* backers in the Imperial City found out, things would get very troublesome.'
"Everyone, disperse. Go on about your business," Xiao Yaoyao said with a helpless, wry smile. "This Murong Rufeng has a powerful background, so it's best to avoid provoking him. Students like him are a real headache for me too."
Then, with a flash, she quickly departed the Martial Arts Training Ground. Her speed once again astounded the students present. She was as fast as a phantom, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Qin Xiaowan and Ye Feifei were envious of Xiao Yaoyao's speed. They were also shocked that she possessed such power at only twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. However, they believed that by the time they reached her age, they too could achieve that level of strength—perhaps even surpass it, because they were no ordinary people.
Soon, the crowd dispersed. This time, however, Ye Feifei and Qin Xiaowan ended up walking with Chu Hongyuan and his friends. The reason was simple: they were friends of Ye Tian.
Walking alongside two of the top beauties on the campus rankings was a tremendous honor, and the three guys couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement.
"It's almost noon," Ye Feifei said. "Why don't we head to the cafeteria for lunch? We can talk about what happened today."
"That's a great idea," Chu Hongyuan said at once. "This is an academy, not some restaurant or inn, otherwise we could all have a drink together." 'An invitation from a beautiful girl... this is more than I could have hoped for!'
Before long, the five of them arrived at the cafeteria. A good number of students were already eating, but there were still plenty of empty seats, so the group simply picked a table and sat down.
"I'll go get the food. Wait here!" Chu Hongyuan said.
"I'll go with you. You can't carry it all by yourself!" Qian Xiaohao added. The two of them then left the table and headed to the service counter.
Now, only Ye Feifei, Qin Xiaowan, and Zhou Xiang were left at the table. She glanced at Zhou Xiang and asked, "How did you all become friends with Ye Tian? I've been meaning to ask since the day of the assessment. Also, what's the full story behind him being sent to the Detention Chamber? All I know is that he injured that good-for-nothing Tang Jun."
"Oh, that? It's pretty simple, really. Ye Tian and the three of us are all in the same dorm room. He's the third oldest, but we just call him Ye Tian. Chu Hongyuan is the eldest, so we call him Brother Chu. I'm the second oldest, but people just call me Zhou Xiang, and the youngest is Qian Xiaohao."
"Even though we four haven't known each other long, we all felt like we'd known each other forever right from the start. We're about as close as you can get without becoming sworn brothers."
"As for why Ye Tian was sent to the Detention Chamber, it was mainly because of Sun Yibin. Before Murong Rufeng showed up, we'd all picked out a dorm room. We got there first, but Sun Yibin started acting all high and mighty and talking trash just because he's at the One Vein Ninth Layer."
"Ye Tian got furious and broke Tang Jun's arm with a single punch. That's why Xiao Yaoyao put him in the Detention Chamber—to make an example of him," Zhou Xiang explained honestly. 'You have to be honest when talking to beautiful girls.'
'Even if I can't win the hearts of these two, I can meet more beautiful girls through them. Then, my own time for romance will surely come.'
Qin Xiaowan remained silent, listening to Zhou Xiang and Ye Feifei's conversation. She could tell from Zhou Xiang's eyes that he didn't have any ulterior motives. 'At least this proves that Ye Tian's friends are decent people.'
A short while later, Chu Hongyuan and Qian Xiaohao returned with trays laden with food. The only downside was the lack of wine, as the cafeteria didn't serve alcohol.
"Let's eat while we talk," Ye Feifei said.
After a while, when the five of them had nearly finished eating, Ye Feifei spoke up. "You three should stay out of this business with the Decisive Battlefield. Murong Rufeng's strength is nothing special. I'm confident I can beat him."
"As for Sun Yibin, his strength is about on par with Xiaowan's, but I'm sure she can defeat him. You all are Brother Tian's friends, and I don't want you to put yourselves in danger over our affairs," Ye Feifei continued.
"You call Ye Tian 'Brother Tian'?" Chu Hongyuan couldn't help but ask. "We've all been curious, what's the relationship between you two? His surname is Ye, and so is yours. Don't tell me you're siblings?"
Qin Xiaowan and Ye Feifei both couldn't help but smile. That one smile was nearly enough to give the three guys a nosebleed. The smile of a true beauty could topple nations!
Qin Xiaowan glanced at the three men before speaking. "Why don't I clear this up for you? They're both from the Ye Family of Lisha City. Ye Feifei is the Young Miss of the family, and Ye Tian is their most outstanding Core Disciple."
"They just happen to share the same surname; there's no blood relation between them. As for their relationship... even if I don't spell it out, you should understand. Let's just say this beautiful flower isn't up for grabs."
Ye Feifei's face instantly turned red. She hadn't expected Qin Xiaowan to just announce her and Ye Tian's relationship like that, and for a moment, she felt rather embarrassed.
"So that's how it is! Ye Tian sure kept that one under wraps, winning over the second-ranked beauty on the list," Chu Hongyuan said. "When he gets out of the Detention Chamber, we'll definitely have to make him treat us to a meal."
The three men quickly turned their attention to Qin Xiaowan, their gazes intense but not lecherous. Ye Feifei watched them closely.
"You can forget about getting any ideas about Xiaowan, too. Her heart already belongs to someone!" Ye Feifei said with a smile. "Of course, you're Brother Tian's friends, so if you ever need help with anything, we'd be happy to oblige." She deliberately glanced at Qin Xiaowan to gauge her reaction.
Qin Xiaowan shot a glare at Ye Feifei and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. I'm not thinking about that kind of stuff at all right now. I came to Linyuan Academy to focus on increasing my power."
"Alright, let's drop this topic for now," Chu Hongyuan said. "But one thing needs to be crystal clear: we're the ones going to the Decisive Battlefield. You're women; how could we let you put yourselves in danger? Besides, we still have Ye Tian, right? I'm sure he'll agree once he gets out of the Detention Chamber and finds out what's going on."
"That's right. Fighting is a man's job, so don't you worry about it," Zhou Xiang added. "This is decided. There's no room for argument!"
Ye Feifei and Qin Xiaowan glanced at each other. They wanted to argue but held back, not wanting to wound the men's pride. 'After all, their skills are far too weak. If they went to the Decisive Battlefield, it would be suicide.'
「Two days passed in a flash.」 Inside the Gravity Chamber, Ye Tian had already achieved initial mastery of the Second Layer of the Divine Dragon Battle Body. Fully mastering it would still require more time; after all, a Top-tier Technique from the Ancient Divine Dragon Race couldn't be perfected in such a short period...
P.S. Sorry, my book friends. Things have been busy at home, and Xiaoxiao is really tired today. I had to grit my teeth to get this chapter written. If you're a legitimate reader, feel free to flame me if you want. Pirate readers, just shut up. You have no right! I'll be back to 5 chapters a day tomorrow! Again, I apologize! I can't update in the early morning anymore, I'm too exhausted! *Sobs*!