55: Chapter 55 Yue'er and Meng'er, Armored Soul Soldiers
Hearing Zhou Bai's words, Zhao Shiyu's face was full of panic, her eyes darting away.
Earlier, while studying, the two had talked about the Battle of the Dawn.
At the time, Zhou Bai had said with an utterly disdainful air that he would make it into the Top Ten. Naturally, Zhao Shiyu hadn't really believed him.
After all, at that time, Zhou Bai's strength was still vastly different from what it is now.
So, Zhou Bai and Zhao Shiyu made a bet: if Zhou Bai made it into the Top Ten of the Battle of the Dawn, Zhao Shiyu would have to...
Although the bet was outrageous, Zhao Shiyu still agreed to it.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Bai actually did make it into the Top Ten...
"Junior, how about we wait until after the Battle of the Dawn is over..."
Zhao Shiyu's face flushed with embarrassment as she continued speaking to Zhou Bai.
"I want it now!"
Zhou Bai raised an eyebrow.
Under Zhou Bai's gaze, Zhao Shiyu's face grew even redder.
"I... then... then let me wash up first... and get ready..."
Zhao Shiyu then whispered.
"Good, let's go together!"
Zhou Bai gave a slight smile.
Then, the two headed to the training room's bathroom.
Half an hour later, the training room door opened, and Chen Shanshan entered carrying a case.
"Huh? Where are Zhou Bai and Shiyu-jie?"
Looking at the empty training room, Chen Shanshan was completely baffled.
Then, Chen Shanshan heard some movement coming from the bathroom area.
Chen Shanshan's heart tightened. She tiptoed over and pressed her ear against the door to listen...
"They... they..."
The sounds from inside left Chen Shanshan dumbfounded, her mind buzzing.
This was her Shiyu-jie...
...
In Qingcheng, within a bright and spacious villa.
In a room of the villa plastered with posters of various martial arts masters.
"Tap tap tap!!!"
At the computer desk in the room, a girl around eighteen years old, with exquisite, doll-like features, was furiously typing away on the keyboard.
The girl wore a white tight-fitting T-shirt under a pink knitted cardigan, with a blue pleated skirt that fell below the knees.
Her slender waist beneath the cardigan and the fullness above formed curves that seemed almost unreal.
"Barking dogs? What are you barking about? Wasn't the draw done by your Imperial Martial Arts University people?"
"Idiots, so unless you draw someone from your own Imperial Martial Arts University, it's rigged, right..."
"Zhou Bai was the first to make the Top Ten on his own merit. What luck? Isn't luck part of strength?"
"You trolls deserve to be stuck rolling your keyboards on the forums..."
The girl muttered to herself as she typed furiously.
After finishing her typing spree, the girl was panting, her chest heaving with anger, her face flushed red.
"Menger, who made you so angry..."
Soon after, the door opened, and a girl in a white dress, with outstanding looks and bearing, entered the room.
If Zhou Bai were here, he would definitely recognize her as Zhu Yueer, the girl he had previously met at the Moon Shadow Martial Arts Hall.
"Sis, I'm so mad! I was watching the Battle of the Dawn matches, and those guys keep saying Zhou Bai only got into the Top Ten by luck. I'm arguing with them online!"
Zhu Menger spoke, her tone exceptionally agitated.
"Are these people blind? Can't they see Zhou Bai's powerful strength against Wu Wukai? All talk, no substance..."
"Battle of the Dawn, Zhou Bai, lucky Top Ten?"
Hearing her sister's words, Zhu Yueer was momentarily stunned.
"Sis, you've been busy training and haven't been following this Battle of the Dawn. Let me tell you, this tournament has produced an ultimate dark horse, Zhou Bai. He's incredible..."
Zhu Menger got up from her chair, hugged Zhu Yueer's arm, and began chattering excitedly about Zhou Bai's feats in the Battle of the Dawn.
Her tone was fervent, her eyes filled with admiration and fanaticism.
"Zhou Bai? The Zhou Bai from Azure Bird Academy?"
After Zhu Menger finished speaking, Zhu Yueer was slightly dazed, asking with disbelief.
The Battle of the Dawn was a contest for the absolute top prodigies among new martial artists. Those who made the Top Ten were invariably monstrous talents from the top-tier Top Ten academies.
Zhu Yueer simply couldn't reconcile this Zhou Bai with such a dazzling existence.
"Yes, it's Zhou Bai from Azure Bird Academy! Sis, don't tell me you know him!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Menger's eyes lit up, her gaze fixed intently on Zhu Yueer.
"It really is him. So, his talent and strength are that terrifying?"
Zhu Yueer's pupils contracted slightly as she recalled the handsome young man from the cafe.
"Sis, you absolutely have to introduce him to me! I admire him so much, he's my god!!!!"
Zhu Menger immediately shrieked, her voice overflowing with excitement.
"As long as you introduce me, I'll do all the housework this year!!!!"
Zhu Yueer ignored her excited sister, still lost in shock. Top Ten in the Battle of the Dawn.
Had she, by chance, encountered such a monstrous existence?
After the Battle of the Dawn, when she went with this monstrous junior to the Falling Star Mountain Range to pick the heavenly soul fruit, wouldn't there be a chance...
Thinking of this, Zhu Yueer felt her legs go a little weak...
...
Several hours later, back in Azure Bird Academy's training room.
"Zhou Bai, these are two sets of a-grade battle armor, the Blazing Sun Armor, and one A-grade Soul Weapon, the Profound Jade Spike!"
Chen Shanshan opened the case and introduced the weapons inside to Zhou Bai.
"Two sets of a-grade battle armor!"
Zhao Shiyu looked at the armor in the case, her face full of astonishment.
"Yes, my dad said wearing an extra set of armor might give you one more chance to turn the tide in a fight!"
Chen Shanshan said, her face slightly flushed.
At this moment, Chen Shanshan found it somewhat difficult to look Zhao Shiyu in the eye. What she had heard through the bathroom door hours ago, those absurd terms of address, along with the scattered packaging from discarded clothes, had completelyIt shattered her worldview. (refreshed her worldview).
"Shanshan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Noticing Chen Shanshan's odd state, Zhao Shiyu asked with concern.
"N-no, it's nothing. I'm just excited thinking about Zhou Bai making the Top Ten!"
Chen Shanshan quickly covered.
Hearing this, Zhao Shiyu didn't press further.
Instead, she and Zhou Bai began examining the two sets of a-grade battle armor and the Soul Weapon.
"Uncle Chen must have put in a lot of effort!"
Looking at the treasures in the box, Zhou Bai said slowly.
Zhao Shiyu nodded. The Blazing Sun Armor was a top-tier a-grade battle armor, known for its extremely powerful defense among A-grade armors. It also contained a fire attribute, allowing it to absorb solar energy to enhance itsDefense (defensive capabilities).
The A-grade Soul Weapon went without saying. Soul Weapons were always among the most precious types ofweapon (weapons).
"Shiyu, you and Shanshan stay here. I'm going to imprint my spiritual mark on the Profound Jade Spike!"
Zhou Bai said to Zhao Shiyu.
Soul Weapons were different from treasure armor; they required imprinting with one's own spiritual mark to fully unleash their power.
After speaking, Zhou Bai headed to the cultivation chamber within the training room.
Only Zhao Shiyu and Chen Shanshan remained in the training room's main hall.
"Shanshan, you heard, didn't you?"
After a while, Zhao Shiyu suddenly spoke, her gaze fixed directly on Chen Shanshan.
...