127: The turmoil of passion finally subsided, and the moon's kiss melted my heart.

Zhou Hanyou walked to a weeping willow by the river, slowly squatted down, hugged her knees, and buried her face between them. Tears silently streamed down, soaking her skirt. She couldn't understand why Shen Guyan, who had always treated her gently, if not passionately, would suddenly pursue Zheng Yiran so ardently.

She believed Shen Guyan wasn't foolish, definitely not a blockhead. In their years together, at many crucial moments, he had always managed to defuse their awkwardness with a laugh.

The night wind blew, carrying a hint of coolness, stirring her hair. Zhou Hanyou raised her head, gazing at the shimmering river surface, her thoughts galloping like a wild horse. She recalled her first encounter with Shen Guyan in the Far North Land, and their countless daily Cultivation sparring sessions, his endless self-created Spirit Abilities, and the mystery that attracted her... Unbeknownst to her, his figure had imprinted itself on Zhou Hanyou's heart. From then on, Zhou Hanyou began to approach Shen Guyan intentionally and unintentionally, looking for various opportunities to communicate with him. Although Shen Guyan's initial attitude towards her wasn't enthusiastic, he didn't reject her, which ignited hope in Zhou Hanyou's heart. She thought they might have a beautiful future together.

However, all of that changed completely the moment Shen Guyan saw Zheng Yiran today.

Zhou Hanyou clearly remembered the unusual glint that flashed in Shen Guyan's eyes when he saw Zheng Yiran today. After that, he even disregarded her, who was speaking up for him, and consistently released friendly signals towards Zheng Yiran without reservation.

"Am I not good enough? Or..." Zhou Hanyou murmured to herself, her voice sounding so small and helpless in the night wind. She wished someone could give her an answer, but all around her was only the silent night and the murmuring sound of the flowing water.

The river flowed gently, seemingly recounting the sorrow of the deep night. Zhou Hanyou recalled everything she had done for Shen Guyan. She had studied the Martial Skill knowledge he loved day and night to have common topics with him; she had silently prepared warm towels for him when he was tired from Cultivating; she had... However, all of this seemed to become meaningless the moment Shen Guyan pursued Zheng Yiran.

"Is my silent devotion truly so fragile?" Zhou Hanyou's heart was filled with doubt and pain. She didn't understand why Shen Guyan could so easily trample on her feelings. She felt like a child abandoned by the World, lonely and helpless.

Just as Zhou Hanyou was immersed in painful memories, a familiar figure appeared not far away.

Shen Guyan silently watched Zhou Hanyou, a complex emotion rising in his heart. He had an ulterior motive for approaching Zheng Yiran this time. Seeing Zhou Hanyou so heartbroken, he ultimately couldn't rest easy and, after much tossing and turning, chose to come find her.

Shen Guyan slowly walked to Zhou Hanyou's side, squatted down, and softly said, "Hanyou."

Zhou Hanyou's body stiffened slightly upon hearing the familiar voice. She slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with panic and indignation, "Why are you here? I'm just not in a very good mood..."

Shen Guyan looked at Zhou Hanyou's tear-streaked face, his heart softened, but some actions were not suitable to be spoken about carelessly: "Hanyou, I know my actions today made you very sad, but I have a reason for approaching Zheng Yiran. It's not what you think."

Zhou Hanyou gave a desolate smile: "Reason? What reason could make you persist in pursuing her despite the humiliation? You didn't even care about me speaking up for you?"

Shen Guyan took a deep breath and slowly said, "I can't tell you the specifics, but in short, I'm not pursuing her. There are some things I don't want you to know, so I can only choose to conceal them."

A trace of hesitation flashed in Zhou Hanyou's eyes. She looked at Shen Guyan, trying to find a hint of deception in his gaze. However, she only saw sincerity and worry in Shen Guyan's eyes.

"Are you telling the truth?" Zhou Hanyou asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Shen Guyan had no choice but to gently hold Zhou Hanyou's hand and earnestly say, "Hanyou, I have never lied to you or Tianer. Not only have you two saved my life, but I also know your feelings for me. However, at least for now, I cannot give you any answer. Similarly, I will never hurt you."

Zhou Hanyou's emotional defenses completely crumbled at this moment, and tears streamed down her face again. She suddenly threw herself into Shen Guyan's arms, crying, "Why didn't you tell me clearly? Do you know how miserable I've been today?"

Shen Guyan gently embraced Zhou Hanyou, patting her back with one hand, and softly comforted her, "I'm sorry, Hanyou, I was thoughtless today and made you suffer..."

Zhou Hanyou raised her head, looking at Shen Guyan, her eyes filled with deep affection and stubbornness.

The next moment, she slowly leaned closer to Shen Guyan, then suddenly kissed him––

Shen Guyan tried to push her away, but Zhou Hanyou held the back of his head tightly, leaving only their increasingly rapid breaths.

"Hehe, hehe..." The Zhou Sisters' hearts were connected, and Zhou Hanyou soon heard Zhou Tianer's 'auntie smile' in her mind.

Zhou Hanyou ended the kiss, blushing, and buried her head in Shen Guyan's arms, whispering, "From now on, no matter what happens, I hope you can tell me. Don't lie to me, okay?"

Shen Guyan could only gently stroke her hair, sighing, and said, "Okay, I won't lie to you, but there are some things I don't want you to know."

"I understand... you're always so mysterious..." Zhou Hanyou lightly punched him. At least through Shen Guyan's chest, she heard his clearly accelerated heartbeat.

This guy actually cares about me... But how many things is he hiding? Zhou Hanyou was a smart girl; if he wasn't willing to say, she wouldn't ask too many questions.

With this thought, Zhou Hanyou leaned into Shen Guyan's embrace for the first time, savoring his scent alone.

The moonlight spilled over them, clothing their figures in a silver glow. They embraced by the city moat, enjoying this rare tranquility and sweetness.

––

The two days of elimination rounds passed in a blink of an eye. The originally vast number of contestants had shrunk by more than half after these two rounds of competition.

Only thirty people could ultimately make it onto the youth genius ranking. The Spirit Pagoda had allocated only two to three hundred entry slots to various academies, Schools, and aristocratic families across the continent. However, the number of contestants who qualified through the two rounds of competition, plus those who had already obtained entry slots, totaled nearly a thousand people.

To put it plainly, in the upcoming competitions, dozens of people would be competing for a single spot. Before the Spirit Pagoda announced this year's assessment content, almost everyone present was a competitor to each other.

Shen Guyan, The Zhou Sisters, Wang Dongqi, and others finally got to follow Zhang Zhenpeng into the new arena, no longer having to sit on the sidelines and watch.

Xian Lin, Song Yuner, Yang Zhanpeng, Mo Yanggong, and others successfully qualified. Among them, Yang Zhanpeng was a bit unlucky because his teammates in the elimination round were not strong enough, and they lost the match. Fortunately, he scored full marks in the first preliminary round, barely securing his qualification.

At this moment, the group followed Zhang Zhenpeng into the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, preparing to participate in the third stage of the assessment.

"Dean, what is the third stage of the assessment?" Yang Zhanpeng asked with a wronged expression. At his question, everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Zhang Zhenpeng.

Zhang Zhenpeng looked at the young men and women before him and slowly began to speak––

"Survival Race."