Douluo Continent: The Eternal Dawn

Chapter 111 End of Semester
Even with Ma Xiaotao's cultivation level, absorbing a seventh spirit ring of 70,000 years is not an easy task. Adding the time spent returning to the academy, it was already dusk when the group arrived in Shrek City.

Elder Xuan and Elder Song returned to the Sea God Pavilion immediately to report to Elder Mu on their gains from the Star Dou Great Forest trip. Ma Xiaotao was also eager to absorb the torso soul bone that the 70,000-year-old Crimson Dragon had given her.

The low probability of obtaining a torso soul bone is inextricably linked to its stringent conditions.

Only top-tier soul beasts with strong physiques and noble bloodlines have a certain chance of dropping it after death, because the torso soul bone itself needs to contain most of the soul beast's bloodline power in its lifetime, which is why it has such a good amplification effect on the human soul master's physique.

The bloodline purity of that crimson dragon was comparable to that of a true dragon, and the torso bone it dropped was naturally of the highest grade, with a value comparable to an ordinary 100,000-year-old soul bone.

To be honest, Ma Xiaotao's gains this time were no less than Ye Xixuan's.

Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan accompanied Vina to the north gate of Shrek City.

Having been away from Tiandou City for so long, Vina needs to return to Tiandou City as soon as possible to report back.

In truth, her identity was just as sensitive as Ye Xixuan's; she was irreplaceable to both the Heavenly Soul Empire's royal family and the Body Sect. Her coming to Shrek Academy to meet Ye Xixuan privately this time was already quite audacious.

Fortunately, the final result satisfied her greatly, and she accepted Ye Xixuan as her fiancé in her heart.

The sunset in the depths of winter is always so beautiful, the twilight a magnificent gold, its colors clear and pure. But that afterglow brings little warmth; the slight chill in the evening breeze only adds to the desolate and lonely feeling.

A row of exquisite yet not overly luxurious carriages were parked on the wide official road, and Vina's guards stood silently beside them.

The leader was a middle-aged man named Mo Feiyun, whose eyes were full of friendly affection as he looked at Ye Xixuan.

Vina and Ye Xixuan locked eyes, their bodies bathed in the dreamlike, hazy golden light.

Although Vina emotionally desired to be more intimate with Ye Xixuan, in front of outsiders, as the princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, she needed to restrain herself somewhat and maintain her image.

In fact, that night when she was in the Sea God Pavilion room with Ye Xixuan, she spent a long time figuring out the trick to satisfy Ye Xixuan by herself, based on the experience taught to her by the female officials of the Heavenly Soul Empire's palace.

So much so that it ended up staining her cheeks and hair without her noticing.

Surprisingly, these two main characters were far more naive than anyone had imagined.

Vina first gave Ye Xixuan a polite and gentle hug, then took out a silver token with a pure white snow lotus pattern from her storage ring and placed it in Ye Xixuan's hand with tender affection in her eyes.

"Xi Xuan, this is the token I always carry with me. If you ever have the chance to come to Tian Dou City in the future, just use it to come to the Tian Hun Empire's palace to find me."

"Yes, I will." Ye Xixuan solemnly accepted the token, showing great importance to it. He knew that this token was not just a simple credential for entering the Heavenly Soul Empire's palace, as Vina had said; it was also a symbol of the princess's identity.

With this token, one would likely possess unimaginable power throughout the entire Heavenly Soul Empire.

"Bon Voyage."

"Goodbye, my fiancé." Vina smiled and tilted her head, exuding a graceful and charming demeanor while retaining the bright and lovely beauty of a young girl.

"Knowing and getting to know you is the greatest fortune of my life. We will definitely have more time to understand each other in the future." After saying this, she turned around and sat in the first carriage, and whispered instructions to Mo Feiyun.

"Let's go, Master Mo."

"Yes, Your Highness." Mo Feiyun replied respectfully, giving Ye Xixuan a slight nod before personally driving the carriage for Vina.

The carriage moved slowly forward. Vina drew back the curtains and waved to Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan, who was not far away.

She lowered the curtains with a hint of reluctance when she could no longer see Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan, and said in a wistful tone.

“Master Mo, if possible, I really don’t want Xi Xuan and I to have so many interests involved from the very beginning.”

"Your Highness, there are some things I'm unsure whether I should say." After a long silence, Mo Feiyun's voice finally came from outside the carriage.

“Please speak your mind. This isn’t a formal occasion. Vina is just having a heart-to-heart talk with you as a junior.”

Mo Feiyun drove the carriage steadily, his tone a mixture of heartache and helplessness.

“Your Highness, some things cannot be changed, and there are no ‘what ifs.’ You are His Majesty’s only bloodline, and you are born with a greater responsibility. But on the bright side, it is precisely because of your status that you can have such a deep connection with him. Since you like him so much, as long as the outcome is good, why be too demanding about the process?”

“Master Mo, Vina has learned a lot,” Vina said sincerely.

As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion. Even the usually rational princess couldn't help but feel anxious and insecure after falling in love, until Mo Feiyun enlightened her with a single sentence.

Mo Feiyun humbly shook his head.

"These are just my perspective as an outsider. If you encounter similar questions in the future, you might want to discuss them with Miss Xue. Miss Xue is the same age as you, and I believe she can offer you better advice."

"Yes, and we should find an opportunity to introduce Xi Xuan to Sister Xue."

……

On the other side, Ye Xixuan and Zhang Lexuan also turned and walked towards the official road leading to the east gate of Shrek Academy.

Perhaps because he had experienced the massacre of his family since childhood, Ye Xixuan appeared calm, but he was particularly sensitive to this scene of parting, and lowered his head with a sense of loss.

It wasn't that his feelings for Vina had suddenly deepened after spending the past ten days together; rather, he disliked the feeling of being forced to compromise because things were beyond his control.

The responsibilities he and Vina bore were far too heavy; they had no right to be willful until they possessed absolute power.

Zhang Lexuan's gentle voice also reached Ye Xixuan's ears at this moment.

"What's wrong? Are you a little reluctant to part with Vina?"

“Sister Lexuan, I’m just thinking that whether it’s you, me, Vina, or Sister Xiaoya, it seems like we’re all compromising.” Ye Xixuan glanced at Zhang Lexuan, his eyes revealing an indescribable determination.

"If I were powerful enough to break all the rules of the world, wouldn't we be able to follow our hearts and attain true freedom?"

“Xi Xuan, freedom comes at a price, and that price can be so heavy that we simply cannot bear it.” Zhang Lexuan gently took Ye Xi Xuan’s hand, just as she had done many years ago, and patiently guided him.

"And sometimes our compromises are actually made willingly."

"Sister Lexuan, were you willing to compromise back then?" Ye Xixuan stopped and stared intently into Zhang Lexuan's eyes.

Zhang Lexuan certainly knew what Ye Xixuan was referring to. At that time, she had indeed willingly agreed to Ye Xixuan's somewhat willful request, but there was definitely an element of compromise involved.

To repay Elder Mu's kindness by binding Ye Xixuan to Shrek Academy, she willingly compromised and sacrificed herself.

Ye Xixuan's expression suddenly changed from its usual gentleness. He forcefully pulled Zhang Lexuan into his arms and lowered his head to press his face close to hers.

"Sister Lexuan, I don't need you to compromise, I just want you to do it willingly."

"Xi Xuan..." For the first time, panic appeared in Zhang Lexuan's eyes. This little guy who had been by her side since childhood had actually learned to talk back to her to her face, and her mindset had also quietly changed.

Faced with the domineering Ye Xixuan, Zhang Lexuan could no longer maintain the dignity and composure she usually possessed as the senior sister of the inner academy and the vice dean of the martial soul department, and gradually lost herself in the cold winter sunset.

...When Ye Xixuan returned to Shrek Academy, his first semester of study in the outer academy was coming to an end.

If we exclude Dai Huabin, whose personality has become increasingly gloomy, the overall class atmosphere of Class 1, Grade 1 is quite good.

Ye Xixuan broke through to the fourth-ring Soul Master realm in his first year. Although this stimulated more the others than motivated them, it only forced them to work harder to improve themselves, which is the so-called "leading sheep effect".

Eleven months have passed, and everyone in the class has made significant progress in their cultivation and strength.

It's worth mentioning that Huang Chutian seems to have a grudge against Dai Huabin because of Zhu Lu's situation. He's not just trying to poach talent; he's incredibly stubborn.

Every time he challenged Dai Huabin, he got a brutal beating, but this guy was stubborn and never gave up.

However, he didn't suffer in vain; at least under such intense combat, his cultivation improved remarkably quickly. At this rate, he'll likely break through to the three-ring Soul Master realm within a few months of the start of his second year.

Later, Dai Huabin couldn't stand the annoyance anymore, and since Zhu Lu never gave Huang Chutian a kind look, he simply stopped paying attention to her.

After today, it will be a month-long holiday.

In the tiered classroom of Class 1, Grade 1, Wang Yan walked up to the podium, smiled, and addressed the class: "Students, today is your last day as first-year students. The academy hasn't assigned any teaching tasks. I'll just say a few words, and then you can go back and pack your things."

Upon hearing this, the classroom erupted in cheers. Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, in particular, cheered the loudest, playfully teasing each other.

Wang Yan gestured for everyone to quiet down and continued, "I can see that everyone has worked very hard this past year. I can say that you are the best class of freshmen I have ever taught, or even the best group of students."

“But,” he suddenly changed the subject.

"What I want to say is that this month-long holiday is definitely not for you to relax. Everyone should know why Shrek Academy doesn't have a final exam. The test of whether you can become qualified second-year students will be the promotion exam at the beginning of the next semester. The promotion exam for second-year students in previous years has been pretty much the same. First of all, all students must have a soul power of level 20 and successfully obtain their second soul ring to prove that their strength has reached the level of a Great Soul Master."

"Having two rings of cultivation does not necessarily mean that you will pass the upgrade assessment. You will also need to challenge a soul beast with at least a hundred years of cultivation under the supervision of the teacher. The proctor will give a corresponding score. Only when the score meets the academy's requirements will you pass the upgrade assessment and become a formal second-year student."

Wang Yan's explanation was concise and clear, leaving many students in Class 1 of the first year dumbfounded, their initial excitement instantly vanishing. Although they all possessed hundred-year spirit rings, how many of them had obtained their hundred-year spirit rings by hunting hundred-year spirit beasts themselves?
Of course, such an assessment is not difficult for the strong students, especially the core disciples including Ye Xixuan.

"That's all I have to say. get out of class dismissed. Everyone, go back and pack your things." Seeing everyone's reaction, Wang Yan waved his hand with satisfaction and then walked out of the classroom.

Aside from the conflict between Tang Wutong and Dai Huabin, his teaching work this year went quite smoothly.

The environment has a significant impact on a person's growth. With such outstanding individuals as Ye Xixuan and Tang Wutong, almost everyone in Class 1 of Grade 1 has given their all this semester.

After Wang Yan left, the students did not rush to leave the classroom, but instead chatted enthusiastically with their classmates.

Just then, Huang Chutian suddenly stood up and walked to Zhu Lu's side without regard for Dai Huabin's presence.

"Get lost." Before he could say anything, Zhu Lu said coldly with a look of disgust on her face. Even though her relationship with Dai Huabin had broken down, she didn't just look up to anyone.

Huang Chutian's relentless pursuit had long since exhausted her patience, leaving her with only disgust and aversion towards him.

"Uh..." Huang Chutian was instantly stunned in embarrassment. With his emotional intelligence, he naturally couldn't understand why Zhu Lu always gave him a cold look and still held onto his own set of ideas of persistence plus being moved.

Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, already in tacit agreement, pointed at Huang Chutian with their index fingers and burst into laughter. This had long been an indispensable part of their otherwise monotonous school life.

"Hahaha, Huang Chutian is still such a clown, it's hilarious."

"Does he really think he has a chance?" Laughter also broke out in other parts of the class.

"It might be more appropriate if the class monitor were in charge."

"Hmph! With me here, do you think Ye Xixuan would even look at her?" Tang Wutong, sitting next to Ye Xixuan, looked arrogant and spoke with disdain.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Xixuan walked past her calmly and went straight to Huang Chutian's side.

This surprised not only Huang Chutian, but also Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the class, Ye Xixuan's gaze fell on Zhu Lu, and he said something surprising: "Do you have time now? If you do, come with me."

"Huh?!" The entire audience was stunned, and Huang Chutian looked at Ye Xixuan with a completely bewildered expression.

Why is the competition to poach someone so fierce? I didn't realize Xi Xuan was interested in Zhu Lu before.

Zhu Lu was also stunned, but for various reasons, her attitude towards Ye Xixuan was completely different. She stood up, nodded silently, and then followed Ye Xixuan out of the classroom, filled with doubt.

The class erupted in chaos again. Dai Huabin's face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He could ignore Huang Chutian poaching his talent because Huang Chutian's talent and background were on completely different levels from his own. But if Ye Xixuan did this, it was entirely possible for Zhu Lu, and even the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire behind her, to change their minds.

This was nothing short of an insult to him, not to mention that he had lost his ability to be a man and his mind was already twisted.

Tang Wutong's expression froze completely. She angrily covered her chest with her right hand, suddenly stood up, and screamed in grievance.

"Ye Xixuan!"

“It seems there’s more than one clown.” Zhou Sichen tried his best to suppress his laughter and patted his good friend Cao Jinxuan on the shoulder.

Cao Jinxuan chuckled and chimed in, "Now that we have a male clown, shouldn't we also have a female clown? Our class is getting more and more interesting from now on."

On the other side, Xiao Xiao looked down at her flat chest with a bitter face, "Waaah, so the class monitor really does prefer big ones?"

The sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, standing to the side, seemed to be looking in a mirror, and the two sisters also made the same gesture in tacit understanding, and then pursed their red lips in unison.

Ye Xixuan, on the other side, was of course unaware of the reactions of everyone in the classroom, or rather, he simply didn't care about such things. Although his personality was relatively mild, it varied from person to person, and there was no need for him to deliberately explain his actions to Dai Huabin or anyone else in the class.

Besides, it wasn't him looking for Zhu Lu, but someone else.

Zhu Lu followed closely behind Ye Xixuan, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Since her falling out with Dai Huabin, she has become much more at peace. If you don't look at things from Dai Huabin's perspective, Ye Xixuan and Tang Wutong haven't actually done anything wrong; on the contrary, she's forcibly placing herself in the position of the victim.

Ye Xixuan's talent, strength, and background far surpass Dai Huabin's. From the perspective of the opposite sex, Ye Xixuan is indeed very attractive.

"Could it be that he..."

While Zhu Lu was lost in thought, Ye Xixuan had already led her to a quiet grove of trees by the Sea God Lake.

A burly, composed blond youth was sitting on a wooden chair under the shade of a tree. Upon seeing Ye Xixuan's arrival, a friendly smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Xi Xuan".

"Senior Dai, I've brought the person to you."

(End of this chapter)