Storm of Gods

Chapter 85 An Old Friend from the Secret Castle

The Holy Order Academy is always the most vibrant and hopeful place in Tianjing. At this moment, a group of people appeared in the Black Rose base, catching the Black Rose members who were training off guard. Luo Xue and Zhao Qing did not expect that the people from the Holy Order Academy would arrive ahead of time.

When a group of people stood at the entrance of the base, Luo Xue and Zhao Qing were truly surprised, and they were unable to make any arrangements for what they had prepared.

Zhao Qing and Luo Xue quickly reacted and went to greet them. The captain of Saint Ze, Simmons, who came towards them also had a bright smile on his face. "Vice President Zhao Qing, it's been a while since we parted ways in Longjing. It's nice to see you again."

"Captain Simmons, I thought you wouldn't arrive for a few more days. I'm so sorry for not greeting you sooner." This form of address was really unpleasant, especially coming from an outsider. Zhao Qing felt it very clearly.

"The roads are blocked, but we are not. As warriors of the Order of the Cavalry, this is a minor matter. It seems everyone has prepared very diligently," Simmons said with a smile, while also looking at the group. They had stayed in Longjing for a while, but Longjing was the capital of Lilong and had the best conditions. The situation in other places better reflected Lilong's overall level.

This journey has deeply impressed the Holy Ze Academy; the once backward Li Long has developed into such a remarkable place.

"Luo Xue, it's been a long time! I'm really looking forward to this Four Nations Tournament. It's a rare opportunity for us all to get together." Simmons looked Luo Xue up and down. He and Luo Xue knew each other in the Secret Fortress and had exchanged messages. Although some time had passed, he was able to confirm it quickly.

People from the Secret Fortress have a special aura. While this alone might be a bit inaccurate, those who have had frequent contact with them within the Secret Fortress will encounter almost no obstacles, unless they deliberately use disguise.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time since leaving the secret castle.

"Long time no see. The Holy Zeal Academy is our greatest rival." Luo Xue smiled slightly. "Welcome!"

The Holy Zeal Academy and their captain Simmons are already among the best in the Dao Yuan Academy, and are well-known both in Montaleta and abroad. Simmons also frequently appears in the Academy section of the Hexbird News, and is a highly anticipated young leader.

In contrast, the younger Luo Xue was just a newbie who hadn't seen much of the world. This was Zhao Qing's advantage. No one expected that Simmons and Luo Xue knew each other. Judging from their tone, they seemed to be quite familiar with each other. This left Hao Ye, who had prepared a whole bunch of assists, speechless and blushing.

With the guests arriving, Luo Xue and Zhao Qing arranged for the others to continue, while the two of them personally helped Simmons and his group settle in. Black Rose wielded immense power within the Order of the Church, and Luo Xue had already made preparations for this.

Compared to Simmons six years ago, he has changed a lot. He is now tall, handsome and sunny. Compared to his previous seriousness, he is now more composed and calm. Luo Xue and Simmons are on the same level. When they first entered, they were at the bottom level. Like consumables, once they have a serial number, they can be moved to the corresponding level, which will give them more freedom. Being on the same level means that their sequences are not much different. They have had several experiences of undergoing training tests in the Secret Fortress together, so they are indeed quite familiar with each other.

In that environment, various small groups emerged for survival, but they were generally formed at one level, and people at different levels did not communicate much.

Simmons naturally also received a number, and his ranking was higher than Luo Xue's. He still had a psychological advantage over Luo Xue, and his family was also extraordinary.

Zhao Qing, who originally thought he was the "master," couldn't get a word in edgewise because Simmons' interest wasn't in him at all. Clearly, there was some story between the two that he didn't know about. Of course, Zhao Qing was unusually calm during this time.

Needless to say, the conditions at the Academy were excellent. They arranged accommodations for the guests who had come from afar, and Fei Ruolin had already arranged for trainees to be paired with them—two women and two men. Zhao Qing, who felt rather unremarkable this time, didn't try to stay and left quite voluntarily.

"Would you like to sit in my conference room?" Luo Xue said.

“Great,” Simmons nodded. “The development of Tianjing is truly astonishing; it has undergone a complete transformation from what we remember.”

Before arriving at the Order of the Church, Simmons had already led his team on a tour of Tianjing. The reason they didn't want to be received was that they wanted to see the real side of the city, its development and the lives of its citizens. Lilong used to be far behind Montaleta. That man named Luther was truly terrifying; how could he have brought about such a dramatic change in a city?

Luo Xue smiled, a hint of pride on her face. "We're developing rapidly, but we still have a way to go to catch up with Montaleta. Your overall qualities need to be better."

Luo Xue knew that Simmons and the others were genuinely trying to understand the development of the Li Dragon. The fact that Montaleta, in its high position, possessed such awareness was the most terrifying thing. No wonder this kingdom had been able to prosper for so long. Abundant resources were only one aspect. Even in such a position, they were still constantly learning. When Hextech was being promoted to the outside world, the Kingdom of Montaleta was one of the first to use it.

As the two walked along the road of the Holy Ze Academy, they attracted a lot of attention. Simmons was wearing the uniform of the Holy Ze Academy, which was considered strange attire even in the open-minded Li Dragon. His handsome and sunny appearance was enough to attract attention. Soon, the news of the Holy Ze Academy's arrival spread. Li Jing, which advocates openness, is full of curiosity about powerful outsiders.

At the training base, Lu Shuai couldn't help but complain, "This is outrageous! What did the people of Montaletta eat to grow up like this? I thought Roland was just an exception, but how come they're all so handsome, especially with their sharp bone structure? Roland has a refined handsomeness, while Simmons has a masculine handsomeness."

Lu Shuai is unhappy. His ambition to go international is sinking. Is he going to have to focus on inner beauty instead?
Zhao Qing seemed to be in a bad mood when he returned. He stared at everyone's training more sternly, and no one knew what he was planning.

Luo Xue and Simmons have arrived at the third floor of the Black Rose Base, in Luo Xue's private president's room.

"Grand Consul Luther's vision is ahead of its time. His architectural style blends the culture of Lilong with elements from other countries. I see the aesthetics of Montaleta in it," Simmons remarked. "To be honest, before coming here, I wasn't very convinced. I always thought the Bird Report was full of exaggerations. But during this time, traveling from Longjing to Tianjing, I've had my eyes opened. There really are geniuses in this world who can know everything without traveling thousands of miles."

“Simmons, are you trying to flatter us to death? It’s a bit of a waste to use that on us.” Luo Xue laughed. Although she was praising Grand Chancellor Luther, she was still very happy as a Lilong person. “You have plenty of coffee where you are. Try our Lilong tea. This is one of my treasures.”

"Haha, great! In this respect, Lilong is the best. I couldn't afford to drink it back in Montecrita," Simmons joked.

Luo Xue, of course, did not believe it. The Simmons family was a powerful family in Montaleta, and the people from the Order of the Church were about the same. The quality of the nobles in Montaleta was terrifying. They had a noble battlefield system. Once a war broke out, the nobles had to go to the battlefield, and the commoners were only the second echelon.

"Six years." Luo Xue sighed with mixed feelings of emotion and anticipation. Not long ago, she ran into Li Xin, and now she saw Simmons. Several more people were coming later. As time went by, it seemed that the memories from her dream were about to return.

"It'll be over in the blink of an eye. I'm really looking forward to this." Simmons put down his teacup, his eyes fixed on Luo Xue. Being able to leave meant Luo Xue had also obtained a divine relic. Luo Xue simply smiled slightly, "Just luck."

"Haha, isn't luck the greatest strength? I paid a huge price for it," Simmons said with a sigh, his azure eyes exuding a powerful aura.

Both sides were testing each other, but only hinted at their intentions.

"I'm actually quite curious, why did you agree to come to Tianjing with Zhao Qing?" Luo Xue asked. This Four Nations Tournament was originally just Shengze and Tiexue coming to Tianjing to exchange ideas on Hextech. Taking advantage of this momentum, Zhao Xun turned it into a Four Nations Tournament with a bigger name.

"I missed you. Can't I come and see an old friend?" Simmons laughed. The people of Montaletta are warm and romantic, quite different from the conservative style of Tianjing.

Legend has it that in Montaletta, a man or woman who doesn't have a few lovers isn't considered charming.

However, Luo Xue wasn't buying it. "I don't have that much charm. You don't have some other purpose, do you?"

"So direct? It wasn't like that before I came, but it is now. You're underestimating your charm," Simmons continued to shower praise on him. "We in Montcareta have been learning about Hextech for the past few years. Tianjing is the birthplace of Hextech, and its level is extremely high. Coupled with Zhao Qing's sincere invitation, I don't think I have any reason to refuse."

“You’re right about everything, but I know it’s definitely not because of that, or rather, the reasons mentioned above are very minor.” Luo Xue frowned slightly as she looked at Simmons.

Simmons gave a hearty laugh. "I've looked into the Luo family. They're a newly rising family. They received their titles by following Grand Consul Luther back then. Do you know what problems such a family might have?"

Luo Xue quietly looked at Simmons. Often at this moment, you don't need to answer; just looking at the other person is enough for them to provide the answer.

“You lack depth, Luo Xue. What path did you choose after leaving there?” Simmons asked.

Luo Xue was taken aback. "The Order of Teachings."

Simmons smiled and shook his head slightly. "It's a pity. It seems you haven't activated your second life star yet. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed. You need to be careful."

Luo Xue was shocked. She... had been seen through. Before she could even make a move, the other party had judged her destiny based on just a few words. Was it a bluff? Moreover, the other party's words clearly had a hidden meaning.

"Oh, then I'm really looking forward to it," Luo Xue said calmly. She felt very uncomfortable that the other party was controlling the pace of things on her own turf.

Simmons didn't dwell on the issue. The Luo family was qualified to go to the Secret Castle to obtain the divine relics. Luo Xue's skill and luck were both good, but unfortunately, her foundation was far too weak. There should be other opportunities after leaving the Secret Castle. Perhaps he could find a chance to trade this secret with her.

Of course, the honor in this four-nation tournament should be contested between him and Kaz. Although Kales is not bad either, she is still a bit short of being able to beat the two of them.

Luo Xue disliked the other party's pretentious behavior, but her intuition told her that the other party wasn't just showing off, but was actually lacking something very important. Simmons's attitude was very casual.

He must have come here with a very important purpose, and it is also related to himself. His only advantage was that he left the secret castle on his own, but he or his family paid the price.

“Oh, by the way, Katz is also an acquaintance of ours, you’ll see when you meet him,” Simmons reminded him, “but he’s got a temper, so you’d better be careful.”

Luo Xue knew that Carles had already sent a messenger to tell her. Carles' messenger was a charming, snow-white owl, so she wasn't completely unprepared.

Are you and Kaz very familiar with each other?

“We had a few encounters while we were in the Fortress, and we ran into each other again after we left, but unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to fight. This should be considered our first official encounter,” Simmons said. “Actually, you’re really quite daring.”

Luo Xue disliked this kind of suggestive way of speaking, but she couldn't ask at this moment. Asking would be useless and would only put her at a disadvantage. Maybe this guy was deliberately trying to mess with her mind.

“Since you’re interested in Hextech, I can make some arrangements. The Tianjing Academy and the Shengze Academy should have many areas for cooperation,” Luo Xue said, steer the conversation back on track.

“Of course. Hextech is still quite controversial where we are. Although I don’t think it’s very powerful in combat, it can certainly bring wealth,” Simmons laughed. “Who doesn’t like to make money?”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Li Xin walked in, glanced at Simmons, and thought, "Damn, where did this guy come from? He looks so respectable." He said, "President, I have something to discuss."

Simmons stared intently at Li Xin, initially puzzled, then suddenly tensed up as if remembering something, his expression hardening.

(End of this chapter)